Plato is one of the most influential Western philosophers who ever lived, and also one of the few philosophers whose entire output we believe we have through his literary works remained intact. after all these years. Plato had the opportunity to study under Socrates, whom he considered the wisest, best, and most just of all human beings. It was this love and respect for his teacher that inspired Plato to write a series of philosophical dialogues to help rehabilitate his teacher's reputation and also challenge those who had executed him. All of Western philosophy has been said to be a footnote to Plato, primarily due to the fact that his writings set the precedence for all other philosophies as a whole. So what makes Plato so influential in the world of philosophy? To begin with, he was the first to formulate reason and logic within the framework of philosophical thought. Plato used the Socratic dialogues to apply critical thinking and logic to philosophical ideas. This type of logical analysis and thought process led the Greeks to use what today is known as...