Both Uses of
Plato
in
Moby Dick
- How many, think ye, have likewise fallen into Plato's honey head, and sweetly perished there?†
Chpt 76-78 *Plato = ancient Athenian philosopher who did much to influence Western thinking (428-347 BC)
- And I am convinced that from the heads of all ponderous profound beings, such as Plato, Pyrrho, the Devil, Jupiter, Dante, and so on, there always goes up a certain semi-visible steam, while in the act of thinking deep thoughts.†
Chpt 85-87
Definition:
ancient Athenian philosopher who did much to influence Western thinking; pupil of Socrates; teacher of Aristotle (428-347 BC)
A memory trick to remember the relationships between Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and Alexander the Great is to put them in reverse alphabetical order: Socrates taught Plato who taught Aristotle, who taught Alexander the Great.