Picture of Plato
Corbis-Bettmann. From sculpture in the Vatican, Rome.

Plato

Plato was a Greek philosopher who lived between 427-327 B.C. He founded the Academy in Athens, a school which made many important scientific discoveries during ancient times.

Although Plato made no important discoveries in mathematics himself, he played a crucial role in developing a more rigorous approach to mathematics. He believed in absolute truth and he believed that mathematics was the way to figure out those truths.

Plato is also considered the inventor of philosophic argument, having written several works involving Socratic dialogue, such as The Republic.


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