About this ebook
Plato’s Alcibiades I, written in the early 4th century BC, presents a dialogue between Socrates and the young Athenian statesman Alcibiades. The work explores Alcibiades’ political ambition while examining themes of virtue, self-knowledge, and the nature of wisdom in leadership. Though Alcibiades prides himself on his wealth, lineage, and appearance, Socrates exposes his ignorance about justice and virtue through questioning. Despite Alcibiades’ confidence in advising the Athenians, Socrates compels him to realize he lacks the true knowledge required to govern effectively. The dialogue underscores self-knowledge as the foundation of political responsibility, suggesting that genuine leadership arises from understanding oneself and the essence of justice.
About the author
Plato was born around 428 BCE in Athens and became a disciple of Socrates, deepening philosophical thought with his central idea of Forms, which sought truth beyond the sensory world. He founded the Academy, the first higher learning institution in the West, where philosophy, mathematics, and politics were taught, laying the foundation of Western intellectual tradition. In works such as The Republic and The Symposium, he explored justice, the soul, love, and the ideal state, profoundly shaping political philosophy and ethics. His influence extended to later thinkers like Aristotle, forming the roots of Western philosophy. He died around 348 BCE, yet his ideas continue to live on across philosophy and the humanities.
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