“The most valid and surest starting point for the dialogues of Plato, and, practically for the whole of philosophic investigation is, in our opinion, the discerning of our own being. If this is correctly posited we shall accurately understand both the good which is appropriate to us, and that which is an obstacle to our flourishing.” Proclus – Commentary to the First Alcibiades.
“Nothing is nearer to us than ourselves; if then we do not perceive what is nearest, what means is there of ascertaining the more remote, and what is naturally perceived through our agency?” Proclus – Commentary on the First Alcibiades.
Plato’s dialogue, the First Alcibiades, was considered by the Platonic schools of late antiquity as the most suitable dialogue to start prospective students down the path of philosophy: central to the conversation between Socrates and Alcibiades is the Delphic exhortation “know thyself.” In fact there are several dialogues where it is discussed, and it is clear that not only is it a starting point, but also a culmination to the philosophical quest – the human being is a microcosm of the macrocosm, and so in knowing ourselves, we are let to know the entire cosmos in all its divine beauty and goodness.
We’ll spend an evening looking at some of the insights that present themselves to the Platonic seeker if the exhortation is taken seriously.
These evenings include short talks and/or readings from Platonic writings – but we hope they will be genuinely interactive, with all participants invited to contribute to our collaborative search for truth. No previous experience of formal philosophy is required.
Admission is free, but we do encourage those who are able to donate £5 in order to cover our costs, either as cash on the day or donating through this website
Most of these evenings are self-contained and every effort is made to make them accessible to the newcomer, while allowing the great profundity of the Platonic tradition to step forward and speak to us at whatever level our present understanding sits. Some of these sessions are coupled together, in order to give us the space to examine more fully particular texts and themes, but even here we will ensure that if those attending have missed the first of the two sessions a recap of what has gone before will help all participants to pick up the main threads of the theme.
We will be drawing from this paper:Know Thyself – Platos first exhortation – revised
The Trust has run similar activities for some 18 years, and in our experience they allow the most profound questions concerning human life, the nature of reality, and our interactions, to be explored at once both seriously and with good cheer. Our aim is to provide a forum for honest and straight-forward enquiry, but which is unafraid to explore inward-moving paths too often neglected by modern schools of thought.
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