ABSTRACT
The meaning of life' is one of those perennially imponderable philosophical questions. Plato in particular had many thoughts about this matter, certainly far beyond that which was offered up by his pre-Socratic predecessors, most of whom concentrated on purely metaphysical issues. Goals and purposes of human existence, for Plato, were rooted in the broader teleological structure of the cosmos itself. In order to live a virtuous and hence meaningful life, one must first know what virtue is. Plato provides his first enumeration of the core virtues in the early dialogue Protagoras, where he lists five by name: knowledge, justice, courage, temperance, and piety. As important as it is, the virtuous life is unattainable and even inconceivable outside of society. Plato makes two such attempts – in the middle-period Republic and in his final work Laws. The similarities and contrasts between these two are fascinating and enlightening, but each system relate most directly to the meaning of life.
