Plato's Pod: Dialogues on the works of Plato

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


Listen Later

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’s both the beauty and, for some, the frustration of Plato to his readers. The reason, as Michael Fitzpatrick states in our dialogue, is that Plato didn’t want to give us the answer key: “The only way your soul benefits is if these thoughts are born afresh in your soul, and you see the truth for yourself.” Plato weaves into his Seventh Letter much of the philosophy that he presented in his many dialogues, in particular that of the Republic, and one of the central questions of the Seventh Letter is “Can virtue be taught?” It’s a question that Plato also asked in the Meno, and we can see an answer from the Seventh Letter’s extraordinary account of his experience with the tyrannical rule of Syracuse by the tyrant Dionysius. Written to the supporters of the tyrant’s victim, Dion, and recounting his practical imprisonment by Dionysius on his third visit to the city, Plato admits that his attempts to teach virtue to Dionysius had failed. Is Plato saying virtue can never be taught? We don’t know his opinion on the matter, and that’s why he leaves the question hanging for us to consider.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Plato's Pod: Dialogues on the works of PlatoBy James Myers

  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2

4.2

9 ratings


More shows like Plato's Pod: Dialogues on the works of Plato

View all
Philosophize This! by Stephen West

Philosophize This!

15,223 Listeners

The Higherside Chats by Greg Carlwood

The Higherside Chats

3,424 Listeners

In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Philosophy

862 Listeners

Earth Ancients by Cliff Dunning

Earth Ancients

3,242 Listeners

Pints With Aquinas by Matt Fradd

Pints With Aquinas

6,758 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

112,611 Listeners

The Journal. by The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

The Journal.

6,075 Listeners

The MeidasTouch Podcast by MeidasTouch Network

The MeidasTouch Podcast

50,255 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,277 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

14,799 Listeners