The Classical Greek philosopher Plato was instrumental to the development of Western philosophy and science. Plato was born to an aristocratic family and was well-educated. He founded the Academy, one of the first institutions of higher learning, around 385 BC. Plato was highly influenced by his teacher, Socrates. Socrates was condemned to death after being accused of corrupting his young followers. After Socrates' death, Plato recorded several dialogues detailing what he remembered from Socrates' teachings and interactions with others. Almost everything known about Socrates comes from Plato's dialogues. Plato's writings have been revised and interpreted by a variety of publishers.
To learn more about Plato's and Socrates' ideas of justice and political theory, listen to The Republic, available as a full cast dramatization an audio download.
You can listen to The Symposium to find out Plato's thoughts on the nature and purpose of love. The Symposium details these notions as a series of speeches given by men attending a symposium, including Socrates, and is available on audio download.
You can also learn about the trial that led to Socrates' death in Plato's Euthyphro, Apology, Crito and Phaedo, available on audio download. These dialogues describe the trial, Socrates' defense, his imprisonment, and his execution.
For our ultimate guide to Socrates and Plato check out our article: Plato Out Loud.