Self Directed Study in Philosophy | Plato's Dialogues and Thought | Sadler's Advice

This is the first in a new series of videos, providing advice, suggestions, and information for students and lifelong learners intending to engage in self-directed study of Plato's Dialogues. I provide this, drawing on my decades of experience studying, teaching, and presenting about Plato's works.

Here are the general topics discussed:

0:01 - overview of what I'll cover
2:16 - why start studying Philosophy with Plato
10:55 - practical questions about the texts
24:50 - my suggestions about how to start
37:20 - problems and issues you don't (necessarily) need to worry about
43:36 - final thoughts

Useful Links:

#plato #philosophy #study

[onemanenclave]

I like this term much better than "self-study" or "self-teaching" or "self-learning". I think it's more accurate.

[Jaffa]

Self study order that Greg recommends:
1) The Ion (Epistemology)
2)The Meno (Epistemology about virtue)
3)Euthyphro (What piety is)
4)The Apology (Defence of Socrates)
5)The Crito ( Should Socrates escape from trial or would it be wrong)
6) The Phædo (Death of Socrates, Immortality of the soul & the nature of Philosophy)

After you finish there previous list, this order not that important
a) Protagoras (Language and Rhetoric)
b) Gorgias(Language and Rhetoric)
c) Cratylus(Language and Rhetoric)
d)The Republic
e)Lysis (Friendship & love)
f)Symposium(Friendship & love)
g)Phædrus(Friendship & love)
Good luck everyone!

[g.s.]

I’m 70 years old, a community college graduate, and have no prior background in the classics or philosophy. Thanks to this and your other Plato videos, I’m able to patiently work my way through Plato texts without major problems.
I have a slight learning disability so; I struggle in formal classroom settings. Decades ago, I was left for “road kill” on the intellectual highway. But I always knew I was just as smart as the other kids.
Thus, your “Self-Directed Study in Philosophy” videos make philosophy possible for autodidactics like me. In addition, thanks for the well-organized list of links and topic outline - they are impeccable.
If there are any other “road kill” kids out there, don’t lose faith. Dr. Sadler will get you through this!

[timkeefe]

As someone who's a trained academic like Greg is (and for nearly as long), my comments:

1. Primary vs. secondary literature. I'm not a purist and won't push for any beginner in philosophy to just rely on the primary literature, but I also will never recommend anyone to skip it entirely if you want to get deep into it. You have to read and struggle through the text, but you'll sharpen your reading and understanding in the process.

Secondary literature is very helpful for getting a lay of the land, as it were. Since Greg is talking about Plato, Plato's "philosophy" is much broader than one single dialogue, yet the dialogues in where the philosophy resides. On the other hand, Plato's philosophy, definitely at first face, is fragmented and not readily apparent to the beginner. Using some secondary literature to find out the main themes in philosophy -- e.g., nature of mind, nature of soul, what does one know, ethics, etc. -- would help. That way, you can more easily chunk the themes and this can facilitate your understanding. And, with a figure like Plato, the themes are closely interlocked. For example, understanding what Socrates/Plato has to say about the immortality of the soul influences his ethics.

Finally, secondary literature, when you read enough of it, will start training you, at least on some level, in how an academic conducts research and in summarizing complex topics. The more you read in philosophy, the less you can escape both rigorous argumentation and the primary sources from which the commentator draws. In particular, series like the Cambridge Companions and the Routledge Companions are collections of essays, by leading scholars, on the subject or figure at hand. You can learn a lot from such companions, but all of the contributors have their own interpretations.

In short, don't be afraid to start becoming trained something like an academic. Or, at the very least, to read and think critically about texts, figures, their influences, and their arguments.

2. Translations. Unless you can read the Ancient Greek, you'll have to rely on a translation in your native language. Therefore, reading more than one translation is advisable, but also remember that very few people, other than scholars-in-training, will be motivated to learn the Greek. Still, with more contemporary translations, which are in a more modern idiom, have the original Greek terms either side-by-side with the translation, or major terms (e.g., "knowledge" vs. "opinion") with the original term. Knowing the Greek can certainly help, as one sees the term again and again in the history of philosophy. For example, how Aristotle uses a term that Plato, his teacher, used can be very different.

[MrMarktrumble]

What we need are the dialogues done as real plays. I would go see them. Now there's a go fund me project. Thank you.

[nicolasnavia]

This is one of the best series that could have existed, you are really a great example for one that wants to teach philosophy online in the future, this channel that you have is a really great end to put myself on to. Best wishes.

[StephenMolloyGoogle]

A great resource for anyone trying to make some use of being stuck at home during these weird times

[benjammin]

Thanks Dr Sadler! I started a self guided study of Plato a few weeks ago and this is very insightful!

[jasongingrich]

This video is so helpful! I've been very interested in casually studying philosophy and this provided some much needed direction to guide my studies with - thank you!

[euclidesjardim]

I would like to thank you, professor Sadler! I have been studying Plato for a few years and have watched many of your lectures. In fact, this semester I just started to study philosophy in college as my second graduation (I already have a degree in law). Congratulations, you are one of my role-models!

[johnbieker]

This is what I have been looking for. Thank you so much.

Socrates would be proud of you.

[psychnstatstutor]

Thanks kindly, I became interested in Plato after watching your vids years ago

[maplelaugh]

You should do a tour of your bookshelf! It's very...immense.

[CC_Timbral]

Thanks, Im going to give this another go after reading The Meno last year :)

[Garland]

One of the things I wish I could tell my younger self is that reading a philosophy book is much slower going than reading a piece of literature. There have been times where I get so into reading that I stopped comprehending.


I'm always wary of secondary literature. I'm currently 300 pages into Walter Kaufmann's book on Hegel and while reading it, it seems that Kaufmann does not give his interpretation of Hegel's philosophy, but his interpretation of Hegel the person while also giving the reader ways that one should read Hegel's works. Basically, Kaufmann tells the reader to read Hegel, keep this in mind, but read Hegel. I say this because I'm in Chapter 7 which is just a chronological collection of letters to and from Hegel. I'm looking forward to chapter 8 because it is a translation and commentary on the Phenomenology's Preface and the final chapter is Hegel's article _Who Thinks Abstractly?_ Even with this being the case, I will not know Hegel until I read Hegel (which can take years).

[JDG]

Thank you very much for this video this is extremely helpful advice. I have read a few dialogues but this has really set me up well to approach them with a fair amount of confidence going forward. I really want to delve deep into his texts and really immerse myself so I can better understand Plato's thought and the value people gain from studying his philosophy. Thanks again man you really approached this video thoughtfully and it is much appreciated.

[TheTinCanHitMan]

Thank you Dr. Sadler your videos are great! Been working my way through early Plato and your videos have been very helpful for self-directed study. I also like how artistic Plato is as you mention in this video. I just finished Laches and I found it interesting that it started with an irony of fathers naming their children after their parents in hope they can achieve political greatness, but themselves not feeling good enough to teach their children because those great fathers didn't have the time to raise that greatness into them due to spending all that time trying to achieve greatness. The book ending with Socrates saying even the old should go to school and teach themselves first so as to teach their children was a good thematic ending.

[GandharvChoudhry]

I am learning so much about philosophy from your Channel ❤️❤️ Thank you for putting in the Hard Work to make these Videos🙏Love from India

[islandplace]

Awesome, been looking a while for something like this.

[Surfwatcher]

Your passion for philosophy is impressive and contagious. Thank you