One clammy AthensOne of the great city-states of the ancient world and the birthplace of democracy. night in 348BC, a man of about 80 years lay in a fever. A slave girl tried to entertain him by playing her flute. The man was not impressed. He told the girl to work on her rhythm. Soon after, he died.

The sufferer was Plato, the great Greek philosopherA thinker who comes up with ideas about big questions in life. . Twenty-four centuries after his death we are still learning new details about his life.

The story of Plato's last night is a new revelation. It appeared in a scroll¹ discovered in the Villa of the Papyri, a grand residence in the ruined Roman city of HerculaneumAn ancient city that was buried under volcanic ash after the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79. It is close to Pompeii. .² The scroll was unreadable until recently. It had been charred by the ash of Mount VesuviusThe mountain is 1,281m tall. It last erupted in 1944. in 79 AD.

Now, a team of papyrologistsAn expert in the study of papyruses and writing on papyrus. have used state-of-the-art techniques to make the text readable for the first time.³

Plato was one of the most influential thinkers of all time.⁴ He lived a dramatic life. He was born into an aristocratic family, yet found himself sold into slavery.⁵ Once bailed out he founded the Academy, a school of philosophy that gives us the modern English word.

He introduced numerous important ideas about politics, education, aestheticsThe branch of philosophy looking at the nature of beauty and taste. , love and the nature of reality. But perhaps his biggest contribution is popularising the dialectic: a friendly discussion in which two or more people with different views seek to arrive at the truth.⁶ The dialectic is still used today in philosophy.

Plato's writings often took the form of an imagined conversation between SocratesConsidered by some to be the greatest philosopher in history, Socrates is credited with developing the whole notion of critical reason. - Plato's own teacher - and other philosophers. These texts are thus known as Socratic dialogues.

Dialectic is very different from debate. In debates there is a winner and a loser. Debaters want to score points rather than come to agreement on what is right. They use what Plato called sophistry: clever but untrue arguments.

Rather than trying to find the truth, participants look to charm the audience and mock their opponents. As philosophy writer Jonny Thomson writes: "You can learn the tricks of the trade to make your opponent look silly or their arguments seem weak."

Debates are thus a bloodsport. They stir up animosity. Take a look at the debates of the UK House of CommonsThe democratically elected house of the UK Parliament. It consists of 650 Members of Parliament. , for instance, where MPsMembers of Parliament. MPs are elected to represent people in 650 different geographical areas.  often devote their time to one-upping their opponents.

Yet others think the problem might be that we have too little real debate. It can be respectful and enlightening. Journalist Alex Clark writes that it involves mastering "the willingness to hear others' arguments, and to respond to them."

Dialectic assumes that there is a right answer to every issue. Yet sometimes a decision needs to be made between two views which both have merit. Debate allows observers to decide between two positions that are hard to reconcile. 

Debates can also help us to consider situations from multiple different angles. They can help us construct logical arguments. And they can even save lives. In 427BC a debate between the Athenian oratorsPublic speakers. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a lawyer in the time of the Roman republic and was widely revered as one of the greatest orators of all time. His name has become synonymous with eloquence via the word Ciceronian. Diodotus and Cleon led to the city voting to spare the lives of their prisoners.

Was he right about debates?

Yes: Debates are a form of entertainment. Participants sling mud, use misdirection and create false dilemmas. These appeal to our worst instincts - and seldom leave us with a better grip of a topic.

No: Plato lived in a very different time. In today's polarised world, where people often read and watch news and commentary that reflects their own biases, debate can help us reach a more nuanced view.

Or... You cannot tar all debate with the same brush. Political debate can turn toxic. But they can also help us make decisions at decisive moments. Debates are not the trouble: bad debaters are.

Athens - One of the great city-states of the ancient world and the birthplace of democracy.

Philosopher - A thinker who comes up with ideas about big questions in life.

Herculaneum - An ancient city that was buried under volcanic ash after the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79. It is close to Pompeii.

Mount Vesuvius - The mountain is 1,281m tall. It last erupted in 1944.

Papyrologists - An expert in the study of papyruses and writing on papyrus.

Aesthetics - The branch of philosophy looking at the nature of beauty and taste.

Socrates - Considered by some to be the greatest philosopher in history, Socrates is credited with developing the whole notion of critical reason.

House of Commons - The democratically elected house of the UK Parliament. It consists of 650 Members of Parliament. 

MPs - Members of Parliament. MPs are elected to represent people in 650 different geographical areas. 

Orators - Public speakers. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a lawyer in the time of the Roman republic and was widely revered as one of the greatest orators of all time. His name has become synonymous with eloquence via the word Ciceronian.