Plato: A Civic Life

Plato is a key figure since the beginning of Western philosophy, yet the impact of his lived experience on his thought has rarely been explored. Plato lived in turbulent times, born during a war that led to Athens’ defeat and decline. He grew up in a restored democracy, one that eventually condemned and executed his teacher, Socrates.

Carol Atack considers how Plato’s life in Athens influenced his thinking, 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. Accessibly written, this book shows how Plato made Athens a philosophical capital of the world – a place where diverse ideas merged to form new lines of thought about our existence and the societies we create.