Episode 1221
Join us for a deep dive into the life and mind of Plato, the ancient Greek thinker widely considered the foundational figure of the Western philosophical tradition. In this episode, we explore how this aristocratic student of Socrates went on to found the Academy in Athens and innovate the literary dialogue, influencing nearly all major areas of theoretical and practical philosophy.
We unpack Plato’s most famous contribution, the Theory of Forms, which attempts to solve the problem of universals by positing that the material world is merely a changing image of a true, unchanging reality grasped only by reason. Listeners will learn about his complex political philosophy found in the Republic, where he argued that the soul is divided into reason, spirit, and appetite, and that the ideal society should be ruled by wise "Philosopher Kings". We also examine his views on the immortality of the soul, the nature of justice, and his belief that knowledge is not observation, but a "recollection" of eternal forms.
From his use of myths like the Allegory of the Cave to his turbulent political entanglements in Syracuse, discover why Alfred North Whitehead famously characterized the European philosophical tradition as merely "a series of footnotes to Plato".
Published on 2 days, 17 hours ago
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