Introduction to Plato and the context of his Republic

The first lecture of the Plato's Republic course.

This will be the first of eleven lectures, the following lectures tracking each of the ten books of the Republic 🏛️

This lecture is an introduction to Plato and his Republic through the lens of John Vervaeke’s concept of a Meaning Crisis.

Expect to learn about:

👉 Plato's context: the Peloponnesian war, natural philosophers and the Sophists.

👉 The Meaning Crisis from @johnvervaeke and how the fall of golden age Athens is similar to the modern age

👉 Why the meaning crisis fuels existential issues, the mental health crisis and the rise of pseudo-religious ideologies

👉 How Socrates, Plato and Aristotle offer a solution to the meaning crisis through the pursuit of wisdom and rationality

This lecture and lecture series draws will draw on important secondary works on Plato such as "Plato's Critique of Impure Reason" by DC Schindler, The Awakening From the Meaning Crisis series by John Verveake and Michael Sugrues's YouTube lectures on Plato.

If you’re picking up a copy of the Republic recommend getting the G.M.A Grube edition (edited by CDC Reeves) or the Allan Bloom translation

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Plato's Republic

00:46 The Historical Context of Plato's Republic

02:31 The Rise of the Sophists

03:55 The Meaning Crisis in Ancient Athens

04:29 The Modern Meaning Crisis

08:53 The Greek Solution: Socrates and Plato

09:43 Socrates' Life and Philosophy

15:11 Plato's Life and Legacy

16:32 Interpreting Plato's Dialogues

19:24 Conclusion and Next Steps

The next lecture will be available towards the end of February. If you want to support the provision of free philosophical education and transformation, consider becoming a supporter, sharing the dojo with a friend or leaving a comment👇

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