There’s no single work of Plato that summarises his philosophy and we understand people want an overview before they commit to a deeper study: this course is designed to provide a brief introduction to some the central themes and ideas of the tradition.
Course Outline
Introductory Course
The Prometheus Trust runs a 10 session introductory course, usually online via Zoom but sometimes in person in London and Bristol. It’s aimed at exploring the essentials of the philosophy of the Platonic
tradition. The sessions will cover metaphysics and theology, psychology, virtue and ethics, and Platonic approaches to enlightenment.
The aim is to present an outline of the elements of the Platonic tradition, to show something of its breadth and depth, and to make an initial exploration of the methods by which each participant’s interior resources can be brought into play in the search for philosophical truths and
beauties. The Platonic philosophers of the ancient world considered Platonism as a path of wisdom – one which unfolded the innate powers of the soul and revealed her divine likeness. We hope that by the end of the course participants will have glimpsed for themselves why such an exalted view of true philosophy inspired so many men and women over its long history, and why that ever-living path is worth following today.
Syllabus
Each session will use extracts from the writings of the Platonic tradition but will especially rely upon the experience of philosophic discussion within the group. For this reason there will be limited number of places: a commitment to attend all the sessions if at all possible is requested for the maximum benefit of each student. We have a series of papers which should supplement the discussions of each of the sessions; these will be posted on Slack which we use to supplement the sessions by providing a space to share thoughts.
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Session 1 |
Introduction
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What is philosophy? Why philosophy? The Platonic tradition
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Session 2 (or session 1 if a four week course) |
Metaphysics 1
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The One or the Good, the Gods of the Platonic tradition, Being
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Session 3 (or session 1 if a four week course) |
Metaphysics 2
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The intelligible and the visible, eternal ideas and temporal
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Session 4 (or session 2 if a four week course) |
Soul 1
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Self-motivity & immortality, reason & freewill, the path of
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Session 5 (or session 2 if a four week course) |
Soul 2
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The soul’s powers, activities, and faculties
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Session 6 (or session 3 if a four week course) |
Dialectic |
Dialectical questions: division, definition, demonstration and
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Session 7 (or session 3 if a four week course) |
Eros |
The Symposium and Diotima’s path of love
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Session 8 (or session 3 if a four week course) |
Virtue |
Four primary virtues – and the direction of the soul’s activities
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Session 9 (or session 4 if a four week course) |
Myth |
Plato’s use of philosophical and poetical myth
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Session 10 (or session 4 if a four week course) |
Philosophy as initiation
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The mysteries, theurgy. And a look back at the whole course.
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Costs and practical details
There are no fees involved when we run it online – the Trust runs all its teaching activities at cost as we consider the cultivation of wisdom to be not only priceless, but also the rightful inheritance of every soul and, as Socrates himself says in the Gorgias (at 420d), not something which should be subject to payments. If we run it in person we ask for a donation to help us cover our transport costs and hire of the room. Should participants feel so moved, the Prometheus Trust (a registered UK charity) welcomes donations, in order to further our work.
For details of our upcoming courses please look at the listings to the right or have a look at our Events pages.
Upcoming Course
Introductory Online Study Spring/ summer 2025 TBC
Essentials of the Philosophy of Plato and his Tradition
The aim is to present an outline of the elements of the Platonic tradition, to show something of its breadth and depth, and to make an initial exploration of the methods by which each participant’s interior resources can be brought into play in the search for philosophical truths and beauties.
Schedule:
Saturday afternoons (UK time) – Dates TBC
Registration:
There is no cost for the course but donations are welcome. the course is run via zoom with Slack to share thoughts and materials.