Mahon McCann Podcast cover image

Mahon McCann Podcast

Introduction to Plato and the context of his Republic

Jan 22, 2025
20:24

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👇



Get full access to Wisdom Dojo at www.mahonmccann.com/subscribe

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode