Plato: “Allegory of the Cave” (380 BCE)
Impact
It is difficult to overestimate the impact Plato's thought has had on the shape of the world throughout history. From developing nearly all branches of philosophy—ethics, aesthetics, ontology, epistemology—to influencing the shape of early Christian thought, Plato's ideas have left an indelible mark on humanity. As a literary, political, and philosophical work, The Republic is one of the foremost classics of the Western canon.
Plato's influence has been so vast perhaps because of the form in which he chose to present his ideas: the philosophical dialogue. Rather than spelling out a rigid set of doctrines, Plato instead presented his philosophy in the form of conversation, one dominated by questions. Thus, by its very design Plato's writing has promoted further dialogue—dialogue that has spanned more than two millennia and has involved many of the greatest minds in human history in analyzing, interpreting, and sometimes misunderstanding his ideas.
The field of political...
