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To understand western philosophy you must begin with Plato and his teacher Socrates. As Alfred North Whitehead said, "The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." Through the many Socratic Dialogues which Plato wrote and Plato's Republic we come to know his theory of the forms embodied in the true, the good, and the beautiful. We hear Plato's political philosophies regarding the three forms of government: aristocracy, democracy, and monarchy. And in the end we are not left with a dogmatic philosophy that we should follow, but rather a Socratic method of questioning and the familiar quotation: "An unexamined life is not worth living." LearnOutLoud.com has created this resource of Plato's works on audio, along with audio books and courses about Plato and Socrates.
The main publisher of Plato's works on audio is Agora Publications, Inc.. They are the only publisher to offer an unabridged dramatized version of Plato's Republic. This full cast dramatization of the philosophical and literary classic is available on CD and Digital Download. Agora also offers many of Plato's dialogues including Plato's Gorgias, Plato's Euthyphro, Apology, Crito and Phaedo, Plato's Ion and Meno, and Plato's Symposium all available on audio download through LearnOutLoud.com. They also publish Reflections on the Mind of Plato by Professor Joseph Norio Uemura in which he examines and interprets six of Plato's dialogues.
Other audio books by Plato include an abridged version of The Republic and The Trial and the Death of Socrates both put out by NAXOS AudioBooks. Blackstone Audiobooks features The Dialogues of Plato and an unabridged edition of The Republic on audio cassette. And there is also a free audio download of Plato's Apology available from the folks at Voices in the Dark.
There are also many titles about Socrates and Plato. The very best lecture course on these two philosophers is Professor Michael Sugrue's Plato, Socrates, and the Dialogues put out by The Teaching Company on cassette and audio download. The Teaching Company also offers another Plato course on audio & video entitled Plato's Republic. Barnes & Noble's Portable Professor series offers the lecture course The Birth of Western Philosophy: Plato and Aristotle which also covers Plato's student Aristotle.
Scholar A. E. Taylor examines these Plato & Socrates in his audio books The Mind of Plato and Socrates: The Man and His Thought. For a brief introduction to Plato check out Plato In 90 Minutes. And for a free download of audio notes on Socrates check out Zaadz Notes: Socrates.
Socrates didn't believe in writing words down (lucky for us Plato did). So in true Socratic tradition, take in the wisdom of these thinkers the way that Socrates intended, by listening to it on audio.
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| Apology
by Plato
Socrates's final defence and statements before and as he is condemned to death, written by Plato. |
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| The Dialogues of Plato
by Plato
The Dialogues of Plato (427-347 B.C.) rank with the writings of Aristotle as the most important and influential philosophical works in Western thought. |
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| The Mind of Plato
by A.E. Taylor
Through his own writings and inspiration of Aristotle and countless others, Plato continues to influence every area of philosophic thought, to say nothing of his enormous influence on Christian theology... |
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| Plato and Aristotle
by Aryeh Kosman
This course is an introduction to the philosophical thought of the two most important philosophical figures of ancient Greece. By working through parts of their central texts and thoughts, we will gain an understanding of Plato and Aristotle's relevance in the past and today as well. |
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| Plato In 90 Minutes
by Paul Strathern
In an age when philosophers had scarcely glimpsed the horizons of the mind, a boy named Aristocles decided to forgo his ambitions as a wrestler. |
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| Plato's Euthyphro, Apology, Crito and Phaedo
by Plato
These four dialogues present the trial, the imprisonment, and the execution of Socrates who his friend Phaedo said was “the wisest, best, and most righteous person I have ever known.” |
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| Plato's Gorgias
by Plato
Gorgias of Leontini, who teaches rhetoric, is in Athens, to instruct potential leaders in politics and business. A group has gathered at Callicles' house where Socrates questions him in his usual way. |
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| Plato's Ion and Meno
by Plato
Socrates questions Ion, an actor, about his ability to interpret the poetry of Homer. In the Meno, the topic is whether goodness can be taught. Both dialogues provide more questions than answers. |
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| Plato's Republic
by Plato
Plato was wrote in the dialogue form as a means of challenging his students to think deeply about fundamental questions. What is justice and how can it be manifested individuals and in human society? |
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| Plato's Republic
by David Roochnick
Plato's Republic, more than 2,000 years after its appearance, and in spite of the many provocative directions those “footnotes” have taken, still remains astonishingly relevant in its own right. |
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| Plato's Symposium
by Plato
The dramatic nature of Plato's dialogues is delightfully evident in the Symposium. The marriage between character and thought bursts forth as the guests gather at Agathon's house and talk about love. |
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| Plato, Socrates, and the Dialogues
by Michael Sugrue
This course explores the meaning and importance of Plato’s towering achievement in immortalizing the thoughts of Socrates in 35 dialogues, which laid the philosophical basis for Western civilization. |
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| Reflections on the Mind of Plato
by Joseph Norio Uemura
Since Plato's day every generation has interpreted Plato's work differently. Joseph Uemura guides us through six dialogues that treat the most important human issues through a dialectical quest. |
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| The Republic
by Plato
In this monumental work of moral and political philosophy, Plato sought to answer some of the world’s most formidable questions, such as: What does it mean to be good? |
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| The Republic
by Plato
In The Republic, Plato tackles the big issues of the state and the individual: how the state should be ruled, and by whom; and the way the individual should lead his life - and why... |
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| Socrates
by A.E. Taylor
Without question the finest short biography of the world's greatest philosopher, Socrates provides us with an excellent introduction to Socratic thought. Although Socrates himself left no writings... |
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| Zaadz Notes: Socrates
by Brian Johnson
His command takes on more significance when you understand one of the most important values in Greek culture: areté. Translated as "virtue," the word actually means something closer to "being the best you can be," or "reaching your highest human potential." |
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