About this ebook
Philebus is a dialogue written by Plato in the late 4th century BC, exploring the nature of the good and the relationship between pleasure and wisdom. The conversation centers on Socrates and Protarchus, with Philebus representing the view that pleasure is the highest good. Socrates distinguishes between different types of pleasures, separating the good from the harmful, while examining whether wisdom or pleasure holds greater value. He further suggests the possibility of a higher good beyond both, prompting a deeper investigation. The dialogue emphasizes classification and analysis as it seeks to define the ultimate good in human life.
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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