Plato vs Socrates
Who? Pick one and see how the world splits.
- Plato Ancient Greece · 428–348 BC 54% · #8 in the world
- Socrates Ancient Greece · 470–399 BC 46% · #14 in the world
What the votes say
Too close to call: the world picks Plato over Socrates by just 54% to 46%. Plato is #8 of the 185 thinkers in the world ranking and Socrates #14; among the 13 from Ancient Greece, they are #2 and #3.
The case for each
Plato: Turned Socrates' conversations into literature: the Republic, the Symposium, the Apology. Founded the Academy, where Aristotle studied, and set the questions Western philosophy has argued about ever since.
Socrates: Wrote nothing, yet changed philosophy: the method of asking question after question until a belief falls apart. Sentenced to death by Athens in 399 BC, and known to us mainly through Plato's dialogues.
Side by side
| Plato | Socrates | |
|---|---|---|
| World rank | #8 | #14 |
| Country | Ancient Greece | Ancient Greece |
| Lived | 428–348 BC | 470–399 BC |