After millennia of philosophical progress, one name stands firm and unsurpassed: Plato. But who was Plato the man? Now we may finally have a complete answer.
The three decades from 508-478BC were possibly the most consequential in all of ancient history. In this episode and the next, we tell the story of the Greco-Persian Wars through the eyes of Themistocles, the Athenian mastermind who guided the Greeks to victory.
As our world becomes increasingly hi-tech, more and more people have been turning to ancient wisdom traditions in search of meaning. There are two schools of ancient philosophy in particular that have seen a meteoric revival in recent years: Platonism and Stoicism. Cognitive scientist John Vervaeke joins us to explore why this is happening.
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A radical new theory is challenging the traditional narrative of how democracy was born. "It wasn't Greece!" argues political scientist David Stasavage.
Polybius' theory of anacyclosis is the most sophisticated theory of political (r)evolution to have emerged from ancient Greek and Roman political thought.
Plato argued that the inevitable next step in political evolution after democracy is tyranny. Many political thinkers throughout history agreed with him. Were they right?
Was Marcus Aurelius really the enlightened ruler that history books and modern movies portray him as? And is his brand of Stoic philosophy applicable to the modern world?
Thirty three scholars, philosophers, and archaeologists answer the question: If you could time travel to the ancient world, who would you want to meet?
Philosophers today often dismiss Plato's Theory of Forms as an outdated and failed attempt to explain knowledge. Cognitive scientist John Vervaeke offers a radically different take on Plato's theory.
Plato's cave may be the most famous allegory in all of western philosophy. In this episode, we are joined by philosopher Ben Morison to dive deep into the cave and unpack its various levels of meaning.
Book 6 of the Republic is the work’s core section where Plato lays out his metaphysics. Appealing to his signature Theory of Forms, Plato offers a transcendent vision of the Good as the ultimate source of human knowledge.