In this episode, I talk to Robin Waterfield about the life and philosophy of the Greek philosopher, Plato. Robin is a British classicist who has translated many works of Plato, Xenophon, and other Greek writers. He is also the author of several books, including the recently-published Plato of Athens: A Life in Philosophy, the first full-length modern biography of Plato in English. Robin is also a member of our board of advisors for the Plato’s Academy Centre.
Highlights
* Why is Plato “super-important” today?
* The Socratic Problem — to what extent can we separate Socrates from Plato?
* How eclectic was the early Academy?
* How did Plato differ from the image of Socrates in his dialogues?
* The relationship between Plato and Pythagoreanism
* What advice would Plato give us about dealing with social media?
* Final question: “Why are we born to suffer and die?”
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Links
* Plato of Athens, Oxford University Press
* Robin Waterfield’s website
* Plato’s Academy Centre
* Plato's Academy Centre Newsletter
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