Plato's Academy and the Invention of Higher Learning

In this episode of Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War, Lucas and Luna explore the founding of Plato's Academy around 387 BCE in Athens. They discuss how Plato, inspired by Socrates' death and his travels to Syracuse, established the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. The episode covers the Academy's curriculum—astronomy, mathematics, philosophy—and its famous students, including Aristotle. They delve into the controversy over Plato's alleged sale of the philosopher Speusippus into slavery, the Academy's survival for nearly 900 years until it was closed by Emperor Justinian, and its lasting legacy in shaping Western education. The dialogue also touches on the differences between Plato's Academy and modern universities, the role of women (like Axiothea and Lastheneia), and the famous 'Let no one ignorant of geometry enter' inscription. #Plato #Academy #Athens #AncientGreece #Philosophy #Aristotle #Socrates #HigherEducation #Mathematics #Astronomy #Speusippus #Xenocrates #Akademeia #Hecademia #Justinian #Axiothea #FexingoHistory #History #Sparta #AlexanderTheGreat Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo