The Plato Discussions at Commonplace Books

“I’ve been practicing philosophy for over a decade, and I keep going back to Plato. There is something about Plato that allows, indeed invites discussions that come alive, that feel important, that make one want to live in a new way.

There is no better way to learn Plato than to jump right into the dialogues. They are dialogues, and as such we will follow Plato’s lead in how we discuss these texts. I will not stand up and explain Plato to you, but I will prepare carefully crafted questions that we as whole will pursue together.

This is an introductory class to Plato’s thought. This class is for the educator, the parent, the artist, the citizen – everyone. It is my sincere belief that Plato raises captivating and relevant questions that will speak to who we are as human beings, and where we are as a culture. Far from belonging merely to professional academics, Plato (and his teacher, Socrates) belong to regular people who want to ask good questions. One may disagree with every idea a great thinker proposes, but one cannot walk away from a great thinker unchanged. These 7 dialogues will invite you to reflect on your humanity, your orientation in life, and help cultivate a heart that longs for what is true and good. It should also sharpen your skills of reading, thinking, loving, and articulating. Together, we’ll practice being courageous, respectful, moderate, just, and prudent.

Topics most certain to arise: Justice, Beauty, Citizenship, Aesthetics, Knowledge, Belief, Myth, Poetry, Art, Love, Virtue, Vice, Philosophy, Passions, Friendship, Political Structure, Political Action, Power, Morality, Ethics, Death, the Soul, Rhetoric, Music, Education, Teaching, Ignorance, and Wisdom. I’ll stop there.

There will be twelve sessions running from April to September. Right now, the plan is to meet on Fridays from 3pm to 5pm, but that is theoretically negotiable if those who want to participate have to meet at a different time.

The dates are as follows:

1st discussion: April 1st.
2nd discussion: April 15th.
3rd discussion: April 29th.
4th discussion: May 27th.
5th discussion: June 17th.
6th discussion: July 1st.
7th discussion: July 15th.
8th discussion: July 29th.
9th discussion: August 12th.
10th discussion: August 26th.
11th discussion: September 9th.
12th discussion September 23rd.

• Course cost: $50  Ticket.
• Link to purchase the book you’ll need ($24): Book.
• Space is limited to 20 slots

It is a requirement that you buy the particular Plato text we’re using from Commonplace. It costs $24 and contains all of the texts we’ll use. There will be a voluntary donation at the end of the course dependent solely upon how much you feel you benefitted from it. If you want to participate but simply cannot afford to pay for any or all of this, please please reach out to me – jake@commonplacebooksokc.com – and we will get you covered.

I realize that this is a lot. It is completely fine if you have to miss a class here and there. We are all incredibly busy. In fact, that’s one reason why I have 12 sessions. Even if you miss 4 sessions, you’ll still get a very solid first pass at Plato with 8 sessions.”