Platonists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of philosophers who adhere to the teachings of Plato, emphasizing abstract forms and ideals over material reality
2. Individuals who subscribe to the philosophy of Plato, focusing on the supremacy of the non-material and objective truth
3. Followers of Platonic thought, advocating for the existence of ideal forms that transcend sensory experience and influence physical reality

Etymology: Plato himself never used the term, and the people it names were largely a later invention. The word traces to the Latin "Platonicus," from the Greek "Platōnikos," meaning "of Plato," with the English suffix "-ist" marking a follower of a doctrine. English borrowed the adjective "platonic" in the 1500s, and the noun "Platonist" followed in the 1600s, when Renaissance scholars revived Plato's work from Greek manuscripts. The most famous later group was the Platonic Academy of Florence, founded around 1462 under Cosimo de' Medici and led by Marsilio Ficino, who translated Plato's complete dialogues into Latin. Ficino's circle read Plato through a Christian and mystical lens, which blurred the line between the philosopher's own ideas and their interpretation. Later Greek thinkers such as Plotinus, who lived in the third century CE, are also often grouped under the label, though many of them would have described themselves simply as students of Plato.

Synonyms: idealists, philosophers, theorists, thinkers, metaphysicians