PLATO柏拉图生平介绍Plato, an excellent student of Socrates and a brilliant teacher of Aristotle, is one of the people I admire most. In general, Plato is famous for a great philosopher. In fact, he makes great achievements in many other fields, such as politics, education, economics and so on. The reason I admire him is not only because he is a well-rounded man, but also because his thoughts have great contemporary relevance in our society. I will introduce his several ideas and their important practical significances.Introduction of his lifePlato was born in a noble family and received a quite good education. When he was young, Plato was fond of literary creation, then, he found pleasure in “Eloquence” of Socrates and began to follow him until Socrates died, which was a turning point of Plato’s life. Because of Socrates’death, he was disappointed at the system of government. Plato began to travel to seek knowledge for twelve years, returned Athens when he was forty and established Academy, one of the earliest Western institutions of higher learning. When Plato was eighty years old, he died and was buried in Academy where he spent half of his life.Educational ideologyAcademy was one of his representative achievements in education. As for Plato’s method of teaching, he believed that every school should give first place to physical education in the first decade to make everyone strong so that the country could be powerful. However, studying sports alone would make students violent. As a result, he came up with the idea that music could not only solve this problem, but also make their souls rhythmic and harmonious. After sixteen years old, they would learn something abstract and rational. During this period, music could also play a role of conditioner in it. When students finished the basic learning, they were faced with two severe examinations. What was waiting for those who were lucky enough to have passed the exams was to learn life itself in the cruel real life. The people who survived became the strong in life.Nowadays, we should also pay more and more attention to physical education in our education system to improve students’ physical quality. Only in that way, can our country be truly powerful. In addition, for the situation of employment of college students that they are not competent for high positions and unwilling to accept low positions, Plato also told us that put your conceit away, lower your arrogant head, learn how to live in life down to earth. Lowering your head is not to give up the motivation, but to wait the moment to hold your head high. We should be neither humble nor pushy and keep calm and unhurried. We can learn that what we should do is to be modest to accumulate experience and assemble energy to wait for the outbreak.Idea of lovePlato was a handsome man, but he did not marry for a lifetime. It didn’t mean he regarded love as something useless. On the contrary, he emphasized the importance of love and held the opinion that love even could direct an honorable man’s behavior. His idea of love was called “Platonic Love”----spiritual love. Plato was strongly opposed to sensuality. He asserted that carnal desire is a kind of performance of brutish nature which was a part of human nature. The communication of spirit was beautiful and noble.Although I think the love Plato pursued is too romantic to be found in our real life and celibacy is a little excessive for normal people, the idea of his love does have its realistic significance, especially in this impetuous society. Too many people are disloyal to their love andhave affairs with other men or women, although it is not true love or even they just want to satisfy their sexual desire. What is worse, in order to meet carnal desire, many people commit crimes. To make matter worse, some children become victims of those crimes. we can come to the conclusion that sensuality, to some extend, makes the society lose harmony and peace. There should be more poetic and romantic life in pure love and spiritual communication is a solid foundation of love. Then, when you are old, happy memories will be your precious asset.Attitude to beautyFinally I want to talk about Plato’s attitude toward beauty. In his opinion, spiritual beauty outshone physical beauty, because with the passage of time, physical beauty would fade away, while spiritual beauty is eternal. The pursuer who attached importance to beauty of material were shallow and ignorant. Only the people who would be attracted by abstract beauty were the faithful believers of truth, kindness and beauty. If you want to get true beauty, you must strengthen self-discipline and pursue the distillation of spirit, as the good mentality and good habit of life would not descend from heaven.In modern society, more and more young people are inclined to have plastic surgery, even at the risk of their own lives. They just focus on the physical beauty, so spiritual beauty is gradually deserted. The whole society has been deceived by the false appearance of beauty. We really need to purify our thought to see through the false impression, to form good habit, achieve the beauty of our souls. Only in this way, can we live in a society full of truth, good and beauty.Plato has had a profound influence in both ancient times and modern society. I admire Plato, enjoy his mental temperament, appreciate his thought. Not only can he purify people’s souls, but also make people strong, wise and elegant. Besides, Plato’s thought is really conducive to a harmonious and peaceful society, so it is unquestionably necessary for people to know something about him and learn something from him to create an ideal society.You are the brightest star in the night air, the greatest hero in the long course of history. I admire you, Plato!。