Plato

Plato was an Athenian philosopher and the most influential thinker in the history of Western philosophy. A student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle, he founded the Academy in Athens — often considered the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. He wrote in dialogue form, with Socrates as his central character, producing works that range across epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, mathematics, and cosmology. His Republic, Symposium, Phaedo, and Meno are among the most widely read works of philosophy ever written.