Apology for Socrates/Crito/Republic, Books 1-2

by Plato, Walter Covell (Narrator)

The great philosopher and teacher Plato is remembered today for his powerful writings. This collection is comprised of 3 of his most famous works. In Apology of Socrates, Plato defends his teacher against the men who have brought him to trial for being "an evildoer, and a curious person, who searches into things under the earth and in heaven, and he makes the worse appear the better cause...." In Crito, Plato recounts a dialogue between Socrates and Crito, his financial advisor and friend, in which Crito tries to convince Socrates to flee prison. The Republic details Plato's philosophies of government, education, and other societal constructions. This recording includes Book 1, "Wealth, Justice, Moderation, and Their Opposites," and Book 2, "The Individual, the State, and Education."

Audio Cassette

Published September 1, 1988

About the author

Plato (Greek: Πλάτων), born Aristocles (c. 427 – 348 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms. He raised problems for what became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy, and was the founder of the Platonic Academy, a philosophical school in Athens where Plato taught the doctrines that would later become known as Platonism.
Plato's most famous contribution is the theory of forms (or ideas), which has been interpreted as advancing a solution to what is now known as the problem of universals. He was decisively influenced by the pre-Socratic thinkers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although much of what is known about them is derived from Plato himself.
Along with his teacher Socrates, and Aristotle, his student, Plato is a central figure in the history of philosophy. Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years—unlike that of nearly all of his contemporaries. Although their popularity has fluctuated, they have consistently been read and studied through the ages. Through Neoplatonism, he also greatly influenced both Christian and Islamic philosophy. In modern times, Alfred North Whitehead famously said: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato."

Reviews

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

An arc of Socrates' thought from his legal defense ("Apology") to acceptance of his fate refusing escape ("Crito") to the dialectical technique passed down through Plato ("Republic")

Excellent, authoritative narration by Walter Covell.