Agora Publications, Inc. Downloads

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.”

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.

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?

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.

Aristotle claimed “poetry is more philosophical and more significant than history.” In this postmodern era it is worthwhile to consider Aristotle’s way of connecting beauty, truth, and goodness.

Phaedrus treats the nature of love, mythical visions of human nature and destiny, and the essence of beauty. It ends with a penetrating discussion of speaking, writing, and the love of wisdom.

Mill's thinking about freedom in civic and social life examines fundamental principles shared among conservative, liberal, and radical politicians.

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.

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.

David Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion had not yet been published when he died in 1776. Even though the manuscript was mostly written during the 1750s, it did not appear until 1779. The subject itself was too delicate and controversial. What should we teach young people about religion?