Miles Burnyeat on Plato: Section 3

The dialogues of Plato are analyzed in this program by Cambridge philosophy professor Miles Burnyeat. Seeing Plato's ideas initially as extensions of those of his teacher, Socrates, Burnyeat explains the development and content of Plato's original; doctrines of knowledge as virtue, the immortality and tripartite division of the soul, and the theory of forms (ideas). Plato's political philosophy is discussed within the context of the notion of the ideal state—a political utopia ruled by philosopher kings.

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Education

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• Bryan
• Magee
• Miles
• Burnyeat
• Philosophy
• Plato
• Socrates
• Theory
• of
• Forms

[redetrigan]

There's something funny and delightful about the way Burnyeat says "they're so alive."

5:55

[RightCitizen]

Finally got clear the theory of forms... No one explains it correctly.

[fourplusseven]

@DobroHounddog Hmm, well in the "Phaedo" he does say that philosophers' aim is "to live as nearly as they can in a state of death". I think the good professor knows his shiznit, and has a valid take -- although not the only possible one of course.

What interests me is how this develops into Platonism, Plotinus and Proclus etc., who obviously would not have agreed with Burnyeat!. Maybe there's a vid on that somewhere in this great channel.

[DobroHounddog]

Nonsense...SOcrates doesn't say practice being dead....but practice dying.....note how this completely undermines Burnyeats reading of the theory of the forms, metempsychosis, etc.

[getsemanimarquez]

i know what you mean, textbooks over explains it and it looses its meaning. Burnyeat did a great job, straight to the point.

[singedgreen]

haha i see what you mean , i think its because its the first time he shows any emotion and theres scorn in his voice as though he's talking about the most obvious of things!