Plato's Pod: Dialogues on the works of Plato

Alfred North Whitehead, Part 2: The Mathematician Who Added Plato to Modern Science

In their second episode featuring the works of modern Platonist Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947), James Myers and Michael Fitzpatrick brought Plato into the 21st centur

On Modern Platonist Alfred North Whitehead, Part 1: The Mathematician Philosopher

In this episode, James Myers and Michael Fitzpatrick continue to discuss modern Platonists with an introduction to Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947), a mathematician who

Why Artificial Intelligence is Impossible

Plato’s Pod host James Myers brings the logic of the characters in ten of Plato’s dialogues to bear on the question of “what is intelligence?” and concludes that “artific

Justice in Plato’s Time and Our Time: Words that Shape Constitutions, Justice, and Governments

Our choice and use of words has a profound effect on the operation of justice, and a particular legal dispute now before the United States Supreme Court hangs on the mean

On Modern Platonist Alain Badiou:"Thinking the Event" to Distinguish the Real from Images on the Wall

“Think the event” is central to the philosophy of Alain Badiou, a modern Platonist who has been writing and lecturing in philosophy for over five decades. Badiou said, “P

Plato’s Letters VI and VIII: Good Kings are Servants of the Laws and Justice

We followed our discussion of Plato’s famous Letter VII by looking at his lesser-known Letters VI and VIII. Together, they form a powerful trilogy in which “Love your nei

Plato's Seventh Letter, Part 2: Can Virtue Be Taught?

The second half of our discussion on Plato’s Seventh Letter begins with a reading of Plato’s famous statement that he never published any statement of his opinions. That’

Plato's Seventh Letter: On Tyrants Who are Blind to Philosophy

In our first discussion on Plato's letters, we look at his best-known Seventh Letter. In the letter, Plato relates his experience with Dionysius, the tyrannical ruler of

Bringing Plato into the 21st Century: a Discussion on Political and Social Principles Spanning 2,400 Years

What relevance do the principles and ideas of Plato's dialogues have for the modern, technologically-powered world of 8 billion people? In a wide-ranging discussion, Jame

Plato's Laws - Book XII, Part 2: The Nocturnal Council Guarding Virtue

Our final meeting on Plato’s longest dialogue, The Laws, concluded with readings from Book XII, where the Athenian expounds on the operation of a special Nocturnal Counci

Plato's Laws - Book XII, Part 1: Who Guards the Guardians?

Book XII is the final chapter of Plato’s longest and last dialogue, The Laws, and addresses the challenge of how a community can thrive when its leaders act against the c

Plato's Laws - Book XI: Property and Punishment in Magnesia

Book XI of Plato's last and longest dialogue represents a dramatic shift in tone from Book X, where we began our series on The Laws eleven episodes ago. On July 7, 2024,

Plato's Laws - Book IX: Legislating the Good for Unjust Acts Committed

In our eleventh meeting on Plato's longest and final dialogue, we set aside Book VIII and moved from Book VII to read selections from Book IX. In Book IX, the Athenian, C

Plato’s Laws – Book VII: Teaching and Legislating for Harmony

In our series on Plato’s longest and last dialogue, The Laws, on June 9, 2024 members of the Toronto, Calgary, and Chicago Philosophy Meetup groups turned to Book VII. Th

Plato's Laws - Book VI: Founding and Governing a Virtuous Society

In Book VI of his last dialogue, The Laws, Plato has the Athenian, Clinias from Crete, and Megillus from Sparta discuss the governing structure for Crete’s new colony, to

Plato’s Laws – Book V: The Soul in Communal Harmony

In Book V of Plato’s Laws, only the unnamed Athenian speaks while the other two characters, Clinias from Crete and Megillus from Sparta, listen to his presentation on the

Plato's Laws - Book IV: Leadership by Reason

Book IV of Plato's longest dialogue, The Laws, places the spotlight on the qualities of virtuous leadership as the three characters - the unnamed Athenian, Clinias from C

Plato’s Laws – Book III: Finding Unity and Reason in the Balance of Reason

Our discussion on Book III of Plato’s longest dialogue, The Laws, began by considering the consequences of natural cataclysms that invariably befall humanity. Plato opens

Plato's Laws - Book II: Learning the Pleasure of the Good and Beautiful

Our coverage of Plato’s longest dialogue, The Laws, continues with a discussion on Book II, building on the connection of virtue and happiness that was emphasized in Book

Plato's Laws - Book I, Part 2: Mastering Pain and Pleasure in a Virtuous Society

If the constitution for Crete’s new colony, Magnesia, is to succeed in setting the conditions for virtue among its citizens, self control and courage will be required to