Socrates shows up late, looks like hell, and still somehow rules the room. What's really going in the Symposium? Plato uses a dinner party to show how authentic love is more intoxicating than alcohol. We explore the relationship between erotic desire and philosophy, and how philosophy is often a cold shower on our lesser temptations.

We examine why talented poets like Aristophanes might be the fiercest skeptics of love, Alcalbiades’ dramatic interruption, and how Socrates’ uncompromising pursuit of truth brings admiration as well as danger. Perhaps the only desire strong enough to guide us well is the love of the good, no matter the cost.

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Alex Priou

Alex Priou is a philosopher who works on Plato and Pre-Socratic thought. Alex is the author of three books on Plato: *Becoming Socrates: Political Philosophy in Plato’s Parmenides* (2018), *Defending Socrates: Political Philosophy Before the Tribunal of Science* (2023), and—the pretext for this converstaion—[*Musings on Plato’s Symposium*](https://amzn.to/43BtkEv) (2023). He also co-hosts [*The New Thinkery*](http://www.thenewthinkery.com), a political philosophy podcast. Learn more about Alex's work at [alexpriou.com](http://www.alexpriou.com).

Johnathan Bi shares his journey from successful tech founder to independent philosophy lecturer, explaining why he walked away from founder equity to pursue his passion for bringing philosophical works to a broader audience. Through a unique modern patronage model backed by tech leaders, he's creating high-production lecture videos while maintaining his own independence.

The conversation explores how modern education systems, particularly in places like Beijing, systematically push students away from humanities toward technical subjects. Bi offers fascinating insights into the parallels between Renaissance patronage and modern content creation, revealing how he's built sustainable funding relationships while staying true to his scholarly mission. His approach challenges conventional wisdom about career paths and content monetization, suggesting a new model for independent intellectual work in the digital age.

I'm joined by Nina Power and DC Miller to discuss Plato's Republic. Topics include physical training and physical pleasure, philosophy under political repression, the training of philosophy, wealth, social class, and the role of irony in philosophy.

Starting with the opening scene of The Republic, we explore how philosophy operates under political pressure and the relationship between justice, truth, and madness. We discuss the role of wealth in philosophical pursuit, Christianity's synthesis of Greek philosophical ideas, and whether philosophy should be universally accessible or the province of a select few.

03:02 Plato’s Republic and Justice
07:09 Should Philosophy Be Popular?
14:35 Wealth
34:29 Thinking
35:17 Christianity and Free Speech
36:43 Beauty
38:11 Philosophy and Social Class
43:26 Madness and Philosophy
53:28 The Role of Physical Training in Philosophy
59:51 Irony