Plato's Phaedrus

New students are welcome - no previous knowledge required

Plato’s Phaedrus explores love, rhetoric, the soul, and the pursuit of truth. Socrates meets Phaedrus outside Athens, where they discuss a speech claiming that a young man should favor a non-lover rather than someone in love.

Socrates initially gives a speech agreeing with this argument, but then regrets it and delivers a second speech praising divine love as a form of madness that can lead the soul toward truth and beauty. He compares the soul to a charioteer guiding two horses, representing the struggle between reason and desire.

The dialogue then turns to rhetoric. Socrates argues that good rhetoric must be based on genuine knowledge and understanding of the soul, rather than simply persuasion.

Finally, Plato contrasts spoken philosophical dialogue with writing, suggesting that written words cannot answer questions or adapt to different audiences. True knowledge, he argues, comes through living conversation and philosophical understanding.

The course is presented by Brendan Crehan. Brendan has been a student and tutor in the School for many years, teaching courses in Plato's philosophy, Advaita philosophy, and Meditation.