‘Plato in 90 Minutes’ by Paul Strathern is a good introduction to Plato’ life and his philosophy. Main content ‘Plato’s Life and Works’ is a Plato’s biography with his theory of philosophy, age and background. It describes from Plato’s early life and Socrates’ pure philosophical approach influenced on Plato. The assertion is “philosophy is not a theory but an activity.” And, Strathern comments theory of Ideas and Forms and the theory influences on Christianity and the Medieval philosophy. Then he describes Plato’s teaching at Academy, political theory of ‘The Republic’, such as concepts of justice and
philosopher-king, which lacks individual freedom and was a precedence of totalitarianism. In the end Strathern comments Theory of love in “The Symposium”.
‘Afterword’ describes some influences by Plato, especially Neoplatonism.
Strathern’s commentaries on Plato’s theory of Forms and political science are excellent and concise. On the other hand, In this book, Strathern points out Plato’s ruins and mistakes as it is. Idealism of Socrates and Plato lost and broke natural scientific viewpoints and approaches to philosophy by Pre-Socratics. And, Plato’s ‘ideal republic’ ruled by the philosopher-king or philosopher-rulers is strange and odd. In this Plato’s utopia, there’re no individual freedom, family life and personal interest. It’s a functional and mechanical state like communist communities or countries, and a root of totalitarianism.
Commentary and description of this book is essential and to the point, and well-balanced of between praise and critic, but it’s only a brief introduction to Plato and his philosophy.
Plato in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series)
Paul Strathern
Ivan R. Dee, Chicago, 1 September 1996
89 pages $9.95
ISBN: 978-1-56663-127-3
Contents:
Introduction
Plato’s Life and Works
Afterword
From Plato’s Writings
Chronology of Significant Philosophical Dates
Chronology of Plato’ Life
Chronology of Plato’ Era
Recommended Reading
Index