Lectures and Presenters

Lecture 3:

From Heaven to Earth:

Plato's Philosophy and the World We Live In

by David Horan

Though Plato lived over 23 hundred years ago, yet his works still exercise a profound influence on our world today. Alfred North Whitehead once said of the European philosophical tradition that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.

Plato founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the western world, and his writings—which were inspired by his teacher Socrates—helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy.

About the Presenter

A long-time member of the School of Philosophy in Dublin, David Horan has been a devoted student of Plato for many decades. In conjunction with Irish universities, he has organised the public "Day with Plato" event for the past 21 years, introducing thousands of people to the works of Plato.

In recognition of his work, he has recently been granted a commission to re-translate the entire works of Plato, a project that will occupy him for many years to come. In recent years, he has also been involved in producing dramatisations and films of Plato's dialogues.

David has been running Plato Study Weeks world-wide since 2004, and has conducted group tours to Greece, incorporating the study of Plato with visits to key sites of the ancient world.

Past Lectures

Lecture 1:

Mindfulness

The first of the Lifestyle and Culture Lectures, entitled Mindfulness: Science, Practice & Philosophy, was presented by Dr Craig Hassed.

Lecture 2:

Shakespeare's Sonnets

The second of the Lifestyle and Culture Lectures, entitled Shakespeare's Sonnets: When in Disgrace with Forturne and Men's Eyes, was presented by Stewart Morritt and Andrew Blackman.