Lloyd Gerson on Plato's Moral Realism and the Foundations of Plato's Ethics

[@gnothiseauton739]

I've read some of Professor Gerson's books and took a course with him as an undergrad, he is a first-rate philosopher and scholar of ancient philosophy. Was a pleasure listening to this discussion, and I look forward to reading the new book!

[@Prandopa]

Your lucky to be able to take classes with this great man, good for you. I’ve read some of his articles and I liked his ideas and the pictures he paints of Platonism which is I think different from the picture other scholars do. I’d like to learn from him but I don’t go to UofT. He has published a few books that I’m planning on reading. But I think reading the books he recommends his students to read would also help me. Do you think you can name a few books that he admires and has suggested you to read?

[@Platonist]

Woah😮.How did you get an interview with Lloyd Gerson?? Excited for this book📖, I had it pre-ordered 💪.

[@goosemaster5million316]

Really enjoyed Gerson's book on Plotinus and his book on Aristotle

[@BH-BH]

Simple - it is integrity - Unbegotten being itself.

[@danchiappe]

I’m looking forward to reading Gerson’s book! DC Schindler’s “Plato’s Critique of Impure Reason” also focuses on the central importance of Plato’s idea of the Good and I hope to be able to compare them

[@josephgora9791]

Gerson is brilliant. Loved his trilogy (those who know him will know what I am talking about). I hope I can get this but gosh the costs of academic books are prohibitive! Keep up the good work.

[@Jareers-ef8hp]

Recently read Platonism and Naturalism, amazing book and I wish you'd do an interview with him on that one

[@ryanbb.3986]

What about the good of the employee who is getting paid wages below what is seen as the minimum wage? Working a full time job and not able to survive is not a good, surely? Is avaricious moral states of individuals a good? I think David Bentley Hart has a good discussion on oscillating the transcendentals of truth, goodness, and beauty depending on the situation.

[@Xargxes]

The idea of the good, greatest of teachings - ἡ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἰδέα μέγιστον μάθημα (Republic 505a). A scholar who wrote all his commentary on Plato in the same vein as this conversation was Enrico Turolla (1896-1985), a Venetian. He translated the entire Platonic Corpus into Italian and was an amazing scholar. Cannot recommend him highly enough, especially his ''biography'' of Plato! There are more ''continental'' (lol) scholars who wrote within this line of interpretation, but I cannot help but notice that scholars tend to live within their own language-ecosystem, which is only natural... Makes one wish we returned to Latin, or some language on which no one in particular can have a claim ;-]. Because it is nobody's language, it is everybody's language. The medievals were up to something. I noticed that many contemporary Plato scholars get very annoyed with a lot of secondary literature, because they find it ''too reverend'' in nature, or ''too airy-fairy''. They tend to get more analytical with Plato and lose sight of the gist of his writings.

[@evo1ov3]

Seems to be the case that 9/10 of those who comment on Plato. Do not understand Plato. But of those, who do not comment on Plato. 9/10 understand Plato.

[@ioyom]

There's roughly 8 billion who do not comment on Plato, and I guess they all understand Plato?

[@evo1ov3]

@@ioyom lol I wrote this 4 months ago. Haha.... Umm. 🤔 Yeah I would venture to say so. If you take all the poetry and artistic license away. Plato is very simply basic common sense and as easy to understand as 🜃 🜄 🜂🜁 or 1234! 😁

[@evo1ov3]

@@ioyom In one way or another. Yes.

[@ioyom]

@@evo1ov3 In what way?

[@evo1ov3]

@@ioyom🜃 🜄 ⫮ 🜂🜁