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?”
Links
Plato of Athens, Oxford University Press
Plato of Athens, with Robin Waterfield