Plato is one of the most influential Western philosophers who ever lived, and also one of the few philosophers whose entire output we believe retains thanks to his literary works remaining intact after all these years. Plato had the opportunity to study with Socrates, who he believed to be 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 to challenge those who had executed him. It has been said that all Western philosophy is a footnote to Plato, mainly due to the fact that his writings set precedence over all other philosophy 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 as part 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 helped lead the Greeks to use what is now known as...