In this first lecture, we dive into Plato's intellectual and cultural world with Dr. James Orr, exploring Plato's role in the development of human thought during the Axial Age. We examine the dominant philosophical traditions that Plato challenges, including reductive naturalism and relativism, and introduce his great influence, Socrates, whose relentless pursuit of truth through dialogue laid the foundation for Plato's own philosophical approach.

In lecture two, we delve into Plato's Dialogues, his extensive body of work that captures the character, personality, and ideas of Socrates. The Dialogues, roughly divided into early, middle, and late phases, exhibit a literary flair comparable to that of great authors and are filled with dramatic energy and philosophical insights. Many early Dialogues, such as Euthyphro, Laches, and Lysis, end in failure or "aporia," exposing the ignorance of those assumed to be experts and challenging central cultural assumptions.

In lecture three, we look at the core of Plato's philosophy, exploring his Theory of Forms and the transcendent nature of the Good through three iconic images: the allegory of the sun, the divided line, and the parable of the cave. Plato presents a vision of reality divided into the World of Becoming and the World of Being, challenging contemporary notions of empiricism, constructivism, and the masters of suspicion, while offering a pathway to true knowledge and the ultimate Form of the Good.