Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started for free
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Why Plato Matters Now summary
Angie Hobbs
Ancient philosophy for modern life
19 mins
Brief summary
Why Plato Matters Now examines the enduring relevance of Plato's philosophical ideas in today's world. Angie Hobbs interprets how his insights on ethics, politics, and knowledge can inform and shape contemporary thought and practice.
Topics
Table of Contents
Why Plato Matters Now
Summary of 4 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 4
Plato and Socrates
Before we get into Plato’s philosophy, let’s learn a little about the man himself.
Plato was born in Athens in the 5th century BCE. He came from a privileged family, but lived through turbulent times.
Politically, things were tense in Athens – civil war, plague, and hostility between different factions. Some people supported a democratic system, while others were in favor of an oligarchy. Plato’s family had links to both factions.
Instead of going into politics, as was usual for a man of his background, Plato chose philosophy. He became an associate of the great philosopher Socrates. After Socrates was sentenced to death, Plato left Athens. He spent years travelling, studying, and teaching.
Plato himself narrowly avoided a premature death. While in Sicily, he had a fractious relationship with the tyrannical leader, Dionysius I, and then Dionysius II, who forced Plato to stay in Syracuse against his will.
Thanks to the intervention of a friend, Plato finally managed to return to Athens, where he continued writing and teaching until his death.
Looking at Plato’s life, we can gain a better understanding of his philosophy. Firstly, we can see why he was so concerned about the dangers of tyranny, having dealt with a tyrant or two himself. And given the political turbulence that Plato lived through, it’s not surprising that he placed high value on civic harmony.
Another important influence was his relationship with his mentor. Plato was deeply influenced by the teachings of Socrates. In fact, Plato’s entire body of work might be seen as a defence of Socrates, and a critique of the society that condemned him to death.
That being said, analyzing Plato’s work and identifying his personal beliefs can be tricky. Is the character of Socrates the same as the historic Socrates? When we’re reading the dialogues, can we know for sure what Plato himself believed?
The author Angie Hobbs – a professor who specializes in ancient Greek philosophy – suggests a nuanced approach. According to Hobbs, the Socrates who appears in Plato’s dialogues is a fictional character. Nonetheless, we can assume that the views the character expresses are close to those of the real Socrates. Plato also uses the character of Socrates to explore his own interests, such as political theory and psychology.
Hobbs believes it’s possible to identify Plato’s own beliefs in his work. However, for Plato, it was important that even his most cherished beliefs were questioned and scrutinized.
Plato shared Socrates' interest in the big question – how should we live? In simple terms, Socrates believed that a good life was a flourishing and virtuous life.
We’ll be looking at these ideas in more depth later on. But for now, the key takeaway is this – Plato was interested in building on Socrates’ work, and understanding how to live. It’s one of those eternal questions, and one of the many reasons that Plato still matters now.
Want to see all full key ideas from Why Plato Matters Now?
Key ideas in Why Plato Matters Now
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Why Plato Matters Now about?
Why Plato Matters Now (2025) explores the work of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. It shows that, from conversational skills to romantic relationships, there’s still a lot we can learn from the thinker, potentially improving not only our own lives, but society as a whole.
Who should read Why Plato Matters Now?
- Philosophy enthusiasts
- People interested in improving their relationships
- Anyone who wants to live well
Categories with Why Plato Matters Now
Book summaries like Why Plato Matters Now
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.8 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
43 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth