Plato is a philosopher.
Plato ( [ ˈpleɪtoʊ ] Greek : Πλάτων Plátōn , [ plá.tɔːn ] in Classical Attic ; 428/427 or 424/423 -- 348/347 BCE ) was a philosopher in Classical Greece and the founder of the Academy in Athens , the first institution of higher learning in the Western world . Unlike nearly all of his philosophical contemporaries , Plato 's entire work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years . In the 19th century the philosopher Nietzsche criticized Christianity by saying it 's `` Platonism for the people '' . ... He was not the first thinker or writer to whom the word `` philosopher '' should be applied .