About Platon. Last time updated: 22-Jun-08 20:08:16

In a dark room, just lit by one candle, a small man was sitting and writing some notes at a table. A deeper look would reveal that it probably had been a desk in the past, but now seemed to be filled with books and junk, leaving no even or blank space on its surface.

Then there was a knock at the door. The man didn't seem to notice, being too busy with his own affairs. After a short period of silence, he lifted his head and stared blankly at the wall in front of him. All of a sudden he seemed to remember the sound at the door.

'Come in!', he shouted without turning his head as the door swung open with a loud and frightening creak, that even the flame of the candle appeared to hear as it startled and nearly went out.

Somebody stepped inside and closed the door with a thud, which set a quick end to the howls of the winds from outside.

'Ermmm --', the stranger started to speak with a gentle voice.

'Just place the books on the table over there please', interrupted the inhabitant. The stranger blushed and closed his mouth, confusingly looking at the dark corner of the room the man was pointing at. There still was enough light to see that the table was covered with a pile of paper, not less than the desk the writer was sitting at.

'But --', the guest tried to say, but again he stopped when the man suddenly turned around.

'Why didn't you bring the books along I requested from the library?', he said with an angry voice.

'Sorry, I didn't know I had to take --', began the visitor, but then thought otherwise. 'I... I'm here for the first time. I came here to seek a famous philosopher, but I think I'm wrong --'

The man at the table lifted his left eye browse, smiled and said, 'Oh! I'm sorry. I thought you were the boy from the library. My name is Platon, and I suppose that's the person you're searching for. Step out of the darkness and sit down, please.'

With relief the man came closer, examined the room and finally found a chair which could be unhooked from the scrap and other things lying on the floor.

'A beautiful saying it is', Platon began, 'of the poet that when a man lives out his days in justice and piety sweet companion with him, to cheer his heart and nurse his old age, accompanies hope, who chiefly rules the changeful mind of mortals. That is a fine saying and an admirable. It is for this, then, that I affirm that the possession of wealth is of most value not it may be to every man but to the good man...'

Hi and welcome to my homepage. Who is this Platon anyway? (By the way: this is the greek spelling, you might be more familiar with the english spelling 'Plato'; in NO case it's 'Platoon' or 'Plankton' however!). Platon was a greek philosopher born in 427 B.C. and died in 347 (no, not A.D.!).

In 407 B.C. he became a pupil and friend of Socrates (who was too lazy to write down a single word :-P). He then founded the 'Academy', where he taught until his death. His most famous pupil there was Aristotle.

Platon's written work (in form of dialogues) illustrate his major ideas - the unity of virtue and knowledge and of virtue and happiness. He also regarded the rational soul as immortal and argued for the independent reality of Ideas and Forms. The most famous dialogues about his Ideas of the Good and the Just State have been recorded in 'The Republic' (Politeia).

The 'hot spot' of his theories is the 'Idea of the Good' (which is represented by the sun in the following analogy): Only the philosopher, who understands the harmony of all parts of the universe of the Idea of the Good, is capable of ruling the Just State ("Until either philosophers become kings in our states or those whom we now call our kings and rulers take to the pursuit of philosophy seriously and adequately [...] there can be no cessation of troubles [...] for our states, nor, I fancy, for the human race either.")

August '99

I was born in 1976 and am, however, still not dead. My apologies to you, if you are a bit disappointed now.

As you might have already noticed, my name is Chris Hodges. Well, at least for some years now (prior they all called me Christopher and some other pretty stupid names I won't mention here). At the time of writing, I'm 26 years old (so they tell me), but I guess the physical age isn't that important. Oh is it really?

After my birth on the December 26th in Fürstenfeldbruck, I lived there for some years and then my family moved to Puchheim (a small suburb of Munich, about 20,000 inhabitants). For some unknown reasons I haven't left Puchheim yet, doomed to stay another few years with my parents (I would love to do otherwise though).

Under these conditions it's not very surprising to find someone developing a little bit of interest in philosophy and give himself the nickname 'Platon'.

Anyway, I redesigned my homepage to present you information with a more professional design and structure, and with more philosophical contents and other topics of interest. This is not meant to be a 'I-love-my-Amiga-so-much' page, due to all the people knowing me, already are aware that I'm married with this fine computer system.

I really hope you enjoy some parts of it, even if you might not be keen to learn about philosophical issues.

For the improbable case you want to send me some nice postcards, birthday greetings or other fuzzy things, this is my current address:

Chris Hodges
Lenaustr. 16
80809 München
Germany
Europe
Earth/Sol-System/Milkyway/Universe

Amazon Wishlist (DE) - Amazon Wishlist (UK)

I've got to stop right here for I need some stuff for the other pages, too. But finally, a short quote from Marcus Aurelius (also available in german) which gives some reasons why I might be so interested in philosophy:

In the life of a man, his time is but a moment, his being an incessant flux, his senses a dim rushlight, his body a prey of worms, his soul an unquiet eddy, his fortune dark, and his fame doubtful. In short, all that is of the body is as coursing waters, all that is of the soul as dreams and vapours; life a warfare, a brief sojourning in an alien land; and after repute, oblivion. Where, then, can man find the power to guide and guard his steps? In one thing and one alone: Philosophy. To be a philosopher is to keep unsullied and unscathed the divine spirit within him, so that it may transcend all pleasure and all pain, take nothing in hand without purpose and nothing falsely or with dissimulation, depend not on another's actions or inactions, accept each and every dispensation as coming from the same Source as itself - and last and chief, wait with a good grace for death, as no more than a simple dissolving of the elements whereof each living thing is composed. If those elements themselves take no harm from their ceaseless forming and re-forming, why look with distrust upon the change and dissolution of the whole? It is but Nature's way; and in the ways of Nature there is no evil to be found. (Marcus Aurelius Antonius, Meditiations, ii, 17)

'...and it will save us if we believe it, and we shall safely cross the River of Lethe, and keep our soul unspotted from the world. But if we are guided by me we shall believe that the soul is immortal and capable of enduring all extremes of good and evil, and so we shall hold ever to the upward way and pursue righteousness with wisdom always and ever, that we may be dear to ourselves and to the gods both during our sojourn here and when we receive our reward, as the victors in the games go about to gather in theirs. And thus both here and in that journey of a thousand years, whereof I have told you, we shall fare well.'

Three seconds of silence passed. The visitor looked up again with a worried face. 'Why do you stop right now?', he said, 'I'm eager to hear more!'

'Is it not that the time passed so quickly again?', Platon replied. Without further interest to his visitor, he turned back to his notes on the table. 'It's late and I'm tired. But you are welcome to come back tomorrow.'

The guest started to smile, which implied the unspoken words 'Thank you', stood up and went to the door. Somehow his soul was filled with a deep feeling of happiness, and after a long last look at the room and Platon, who was back working on his notes, he left to the real world outside.