Plato's Timaeus -- Brief Introduction

Is the universe a sexless divine animal that eats its own poop?
For an excellent translation and introduction to this dialogue check out Peter Kalkavage's Focus edition: www.amazon.com...

[@thepolyhobbyist]

Having read it, i must say it reads as a textbook on science and medicine. its not symbolic but factual. For example he describes air and the lungs, and how the blood carries the life fire around in it. Explaining oxygen in the best way he understood it. The smalest part of things the triangles( understanding that the world is built by smaler things then he can see)

[@terahoubicka]

That is exactly how my teachers refuse to explain it. If I said this at the college, I would be cursed. It is a long argument legitimizing that the mainstay of everything is identical and eternal, while the universe we are experiencing is tangible and still changing. So, I appreciate this video a lot.

[@MelliaBoomBot]

Clearly I need to start right, RIGHT at the beginning.

[@platosworld]

"Let's return, once more, to the beginning," is one of Socrates' favorite lines. You have to keep on trying.

[@MelliaBoomBot]

@@platosworld I shall! thank you.

[@mrnarason]

nice

[@johnnyphive8197]

👍

[@Chadthaniel]

Big yikes on that opening take. While this man is clearly literate and intelligent, this man has also heard but has not listened.

[@platosworld]

Thanks, O Delphic Chad. Now that you've heard and no doubt listened, any thoughts on Timaeus' account of the cosmos and human evolution?

[@radix9629]

@@platosworld Hahahah

[@KoldAsHell]

​​@@platosworld still no response lmao he has nothing of substance to add to the conversation

[@counterstriving]

This is excellent. I've watched four of your vids on the dialogues, and you're far and away the best interpeter of Plato amongst whatever I've been able to find on UA-cam. Much appreciated.

[@platosworld]

Thanks so much. Your comment helps to inspire me to get onto sharing some more takes on themes in Plato

[@sarahmassie7504]

is there some way in which the idea of triangles is the precursor to fractals?

[@KoldAsHell]

that's a good insight

[@VinzUlive]

Yes. Look up the golden ratio and the fibonacci sequence ;-)

[@Alex-ll4xm]

Beautiful. Thank you

[@thregar]

These videos are always so helpful!

[@platosworld]

Thanks!

[@ulrikewermann1268]

Please put subtitles!

[@platosworld]

I believe I've now enabled subtitles for all the Plato videos--let me know if I missed any

[@glof2553]

This is good. Thanks.

[@veronicalogotheti5416]

Is wind not air
Bas traslations

[@veronicalogotheti5416]

Bad translations of the writings
That is what i see

[@platosworld]

All translation is betrayal. Others you suggest?

[@aztech101la]

The beginning of this video takes platos words out of context.

[@platosworld]

An occupational hazard when commenting on "Plato's" works, since Plato always puts "his" words into others' mouths (such as Critias or Timaeus). Is there a particular error here that you'd suggest correcting?

[@aztech101la]

@@platosworld Plato never suggested that the universe is an animal that eats its own poop buddy.

[@platosworld]

@@aztech101la But his Timaeus does. Ultimate in sustainability.

[@aztech101la]

@@platosworld Timaeus didn't either.

[@platosworld]

@@aztech101la Timaeus: "it was contrived by design so as to provide its own food from its own waste ..." (33c-d) Sounds like a poop-eater to me

[@Mamay_vessa]

I need subtitle 😢

[@platosworld]

OK--I *think* I have enabled subtitles for all the Plato videos--let me know if I missed any

[@Mamay_vessa]

@@platosworld sorry... im from indonesia

[@tbillyjoeroth]

I thought it was Plato not Socrates.

[@platosworld]

Not an uncommon mistake. Even Plato writes (2nd Letter): "There are no writings of Plato but only of a Socrates made beautiful and young." Of course, Plato wrote that too. That's Platonic irony for you.

[@Eaglesfan4life352]

@@platosworld huh?

[@platosworld]

@@Eaglesfan4life352 Many people read the Timaeus and say, "Plato said that the cosmos is a giant animal" or the like. But the Timaeus, the dialogue, is a story, which Plato wrote, in which a character, Timaeus, does almost all the talking, not Plato. To say, "This is what Plato said," would be like saying that Hamlet's soliloquy is "what Shakespeare said" about being, life, resolution, fortune, etc. Of course, in the case of the Timaeus, Timaeus himself describes his speech about the cosmos as "a likely story," adding yet another layer of interpretive difficulty. Hope this helps.

[@Eaglesfan4life352]

@@platosworld this is something I have thought about myself.. I don’t believe Plato ever says anything in his dialogues (correct me if wrong). So, one could argue Plato was not a philosopher, but just someone who wrote down conversations between philosophers. OR, he created characters in the dialogue to express the thoughts he was having. In which case he certainly was a philosopher. I suppose there is no way of knowing. Do you agree with what I said? Just found your channel by the way and am enjoying it. I Subscribed

[@platosworld]

@@Eaglesfan4life352 Thanks, Kyle. In his 36 works, Plato speaks in his own voice only in one, The Letters. But even those are clearly "literary," i.e., not meant to be factual or historical, requiring interpretation. As for the question of who's a philosopher, that's a tricky one, since it requires that you first define philosopher and philosophy or, in this case, what Plato means by philosophy. A place to begin would be the dialogue Theages (on wisdom), then supplemented by The Lovers (on philosophy). Hope this helps.

[@BlantonDelbert]

What about Timaeus mentioning Reincarnation? If you are a man and live a fucked-up live, you are reincarnated into a woman. Ha! Surely, Plato knew of Siddhartha Gautama. Scholars say this is impossible. But, if so, how did Plato "believe-in" Reincarnation?

[@erickomar3152]

All Aryans believe in metempsychosis.