logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2019
45m 9s

Episode 70, Plato's Euthyphro: Socrates ...

Jack Symes | Andrew Horton, Oliver Marley, and Rose de Castellane
About this episode

Did you hear the news of Socrates? He’s finally to answer for his sophistry! At last, the great lampooning, moral gadfly is to stand before the Court of Athens and answer for his crimes. To think, one could have the audacity to trade in talentless talk and lies, to lead our youth astray, and deny our gods, only to play the fool once more, and plead ignorance when his number is called.

Oh, magnificent Socrates, ‘the great rhetorician’ - his followers are deluded. A more fitting label? ‘Socrates, the great casuist clown!’ Lacking all reason and logic, he makes a mockery of our institutions. Like the fool who claims others cannot see, because he himself is blind, Socrates has only ever opened his mouth to appease his own lack of wisdom. Justly, he now finds himself in a tricky dilemma; may the gods have mercy on his impious soul.

Contents

Part I. The Dialogue

Part II. Further Analysis and Discussion

Links

Plato, The Complete Works (pdf).

Up next
Oct 5
Episode 147, ‘Creator or Cosmos’ with Tim Mawson and Asha Lancaster-Thomas (Part II - Further Analysis and Discussion)
Across the world, belief in God continues to be widespread and, among philosophers, has long been considered one solution to the problems of the world’s origin, fine-tuned nature, and purpose. However, in the West, very few people have considered alternative concepts of God credi ... Show More
38m 35s
Sep 21
Episode 147, ‘Creator or Cosmos’ with Tim Mawson and Asha Lancaster-Thomas (Part I - The Debate)
Across the world, belief in God continues to be widespread and, among philosophers, has long been considered one solution to the problems of the world’s origin, fine-tuned nature, and purpose. However, in the West, very few people have considered alternative concepts of God credi ... Show More
40m 11s
Sep 7
Episode 146, The Philosophy of Comedy (Part III - Further Analysis and Discussion)
In 2021, Netflix released His Dark Material, a Christmas stand-up special by Irish–British comedian Jimmy Carr. The show sparked international outrage. Toward the end of the set, Carr delivered what he called a ‘career ender’ – a joke about the Holocaust, in which he described th ... Show More
59m 15s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2020
The final days of Socrates - Plato
The Last Days of SocratesA Philosophy book by Plato that is divided between 4 partsEuthyphroTakes place just before Socrate's trial is about to beginThe ApologyPlato uses his dialogues to tell the story of the trial of Socrates as he energetically defends himself against the char ... Show More
34m 39s
Nov 2023
75: Socrates’ Apology
Socrates was a famous opponent of the Sophists, the teachers of rhetoric instead of truth - and yet, in his legal defense, he employs the techniques of rhetoric and displays a mastery of oratory. In a society that distrusted irony and regarded it as a form of dishonesty, Socrates ... Show More
1h 13m
Feb 2025
Socrates in Prison
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Plato's Crito and Phaedo, his accounts of the last days of Socrates in prison in 399 BC as he waited to be executed by drinking hemlock. Both works show Socrates preparing to die in the way he had lived: doing philosophy. In the Crito, Plato shows ... Show More
50m 50s
Feb 2025
Socrates in Prison
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Plato's Crito and Phaedo, his accounts of the last days of Socrates in prison in 399 BC as he waited to be executed by drinking hemlock. Both works show Socrates preparing to die in the way he had lived: doing philosophy. In the Crito, Plato shows ... Show More
50m 50s
Apr 2025
Agnes Callard on Lessons from Socrates
Does Socrates still have something to teach us? Agnes Callard thinks he has. Here she discusses the great Athenian and his continuing relevance with David Edmonds.  
22m 14s
Jan 2025
A Practical Guide to Clear Thinking: Socrates' Lessons on Beating Self-Deception
What if the path to true growth begins with admitting how little you actually know? The teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates tells us to use questions to expose holes in conventional thinking. If you enjoy learning about psychology, self-development, and the inner ... Show More
23m 43s
Nov 2024
Donald Robertson on Socrates, Philosophy, and Modern Self-Help
Send us a textIn this episode, I sit down with Donald Robertson, renowned author, psychotherapist, and expert in ancient philosophy, to dive deep into the life, methods, and lessons of Socrates. Donald brings his unique perspective, blending cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and ... Show More
2h 57m
Aug 2019
EPISODE 53 Diogenes: The Punk Rocker of Ancient Greece
“A Socrates gone mad.” — Plato referring to Diogenes “Had I not been Alexander, I would have liked to have been Diogenes.” — Alexander the Great "If I wasn't Diogenes, I would be wishing to be Diogenes too." — Diogenes“There are nowadays professors of philosophy, but not philosop ... Show More
1h 47m
Aug 2024
Episode 290: Blinded by the Light (Plato's Cave Pt. 2)
David and Tamler continue their discussion of Plato’s allegory of the cave. We talk about the connections with mystical traditions including Gnosticism, Sufism, and Buddhist paths to awakening. We also dig deeper into what Socrates calls ‘dialectic’ – what allows this method to j ... Show More
1h 37m
Jul 8
Season 4, Episode 11: James Romm, Plato and the Tyrant
Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Professor James Romm, classicist and historian at Bard College, for a captivating discussion on one of the most dramatic and fascinating political experiments of the ancient world: Plato’s involvement with power politics in Syracuse ... Show More
45m 1s