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Can you tell me more about Plato's Academy?

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knicks_fan87

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I’ve been reading bits and pieces about ancient Greek philosophy, and I keep coming across references to Plato’s Academy, supposedly the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. I know it was founded by Plato in Athens around 387 BC, but beyond that, I’m a little fuzzy on the details.

Was it an actual “school” with classrooms, or more of an informal gathering place for discussion? Did students pay to attend, or was it more like an intellectual community? I’ve read that Aristotle studied there for years before starting his own school, are there records of what they actually taught or studied?

And why was it called an “Academy” — is that where the modern word comes from? I’d love to hear more about its daily life, teachings, and eventual fate. I am just curious and self studying about the Ancient Greek Philosophers.
 
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