Plato is a key figure from the beginnings of Western philosophy, yet the impact of his lived experience on his thought has rarely been explored. Born during a war that would lead to Athens’ decline, Plato lived in deeply unsettled times. Carol Atack, a fellow and director of studies in classics at Newnham College, University of Cambridge, explores how Plato’s life in Athens influenced his thought, how he developed the Socratic dialogue into a powerful philosophical tool, and how he used the institutions of Athenian society to create a compelling imaginative world. Looking through the lens of his turbulent life, Atack illustrates how Plato made Athens the place where diverse ideas were integrated into a new way of approaching the big questions about life, then and now.
Atack is a fellow and director of studies in classics at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. Her book Plato: A Civic Life (Reaktion Books) is available for purchase.
Book Sale Information
- Purchase your copy of Plato: A Civic Life by Carol Atack here.
- SPECIAL NOTE: Politics and Prose is offering a 10% discount to Smithsonian Associates ticket-holders. To claim your discount, enter the code SPECIAL10 (no space between letters and numbers) in the “Coupon discount” or “Comments” section on Politics and Prose's check-out page.
General Information
