Plato was a person.
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 addition to being a foundational figure for Western science , philosophy , and mathematics , Plato has also often been cited as one of the founders of Western religion and spirituality . Plato was the innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms in philosophy .