I’ve long been frustrated by how ancient Greek philosophy, and the teaching of Plato in particular, is routinely misunderstood in the modern world. I’ve written before about the errors of assuming he opposed spirit and body, invented secular rationalism, and provided the key argument for why goodness doesn’t need godliness, as well as on the need to rediscover Plato’s vision.
Here’s a positive statement of his goal, which was nothing less than a transformation of yourself and your perception of life. He worked it out through the person of Socrates, who himself understood the Greek awakening of his times. My guide is the Inkling, Owen Barfield, who taught afresh and for our times on the way to escape the cave.
UPDATE: I’ve posted a second talk now, looking at awakening in the Stoics, Epicureans, Sceptics and Cynics.