Definition:Plato's Academy

Definition

Plato's Academy was the second university in the Western world, after the Pythagorean school.

It placed great emphasis on the study of mathematics.

Notable Quotes

Αγεωμέτρητος μηδείς εισίτω ("Let no one ignorant of geometry enter here.")

-- from the sign supposedly over the entrance.

Source of Name

This entry was named for Plato.

Linguistic Note

The word Academy comes from the place where it was located, which was a grove named after a local hero Akademos (or Hecademus).

The word has sadly become debased, particularly in the UK, where an "academy" is used for a high school which, having been deemed to have failed at providing an adequate education, has been converted into an establishment less concerned about academic excellence and instead majoring on athletic activities.

Sources

• 1921: Sir Thomas Heath: A History of Greek Mathematics: Volume $\text { I }$ ... (previous) ... (next): Preface
• 1992: George F. Simmons: Calculus Gems ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text {A}.4$: Euclid (flourished ca. $300$ B.C.): Footnote
• 1993: Richard J. Trudeau: Introduction to Graph Theory ... (previous) ... (next): $1$. Pure Mathematics: Why study pure mathematics?