Truth and the Examined Life: Plato’s Apology and the Question of Knowledge

This evening class introduces Plato through his dialogue The Apology, and through doing so addresses one of philosophy’s most enduring questions: what is truth? We will explore whether truth is simply what appears convincing to us, as the sophist Protagoras suggested when he claimed that “man is the measure of all things”, or whether truth is independent of opinion and belief altogether. The discussion will consider how truth differs from mere opinion, whether the idea of moral truth can coherently extend into other domains such as science, and how we distinguish genuine knowledge from beliefs that later turn out to be false. The class is designed for those with no prior background in philosophy and will centre on thoughtful, open conversation. Details about classes here: https://www.adrianbrockless.com/evening-classes