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miraclewhipple t1_j0lu5yy wrote

Reply to comment by Nahbjuwet363 in What Plato Would Say About ChatGPT: Zeynep Tufekci argues that A.I. can be a learning tool for schools with enough teachers and resources to use it well. (The New York Times) by darrenjyc

As someone who has never read Plato or similar works, where would I get started? It seems so daunting and intimidating.

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Nahbjuwet363 t1_j0m4m8m wrote

You could do much worse than just starting with this specific dialogue, the Phaedrus. I would pick up a penguin or other paperback with a good introduction and editorial features. The fun and possibly surprising thing to keep in mind is that these aren’t really daunting works at all: they are dialogues with many familiar characteristics of literary works. Everything in them is worth paying attention to: set, setting, language, irony, character. They are sometimes even funny. I find them incredibly enjoyable to read and much more interesting and elusive than their reputation might suggest.

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miraclewhipple t1_j0m4ue6 wrote

Appreciate you taking the time to respond. Will give it a whirl!

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darrenjyc OP t1_j0m7g6k wrote

Completely agreed on this. The Meno, on whether virtue can be taught (but also many other things) is another great place to start. I believe the Lysis, a dialogue between Socrates and some Athenian youth on the meaning of friendship, had historically been a popular entry point into Plato, and has the advantage of being relatively short and focused (15 to 20 pages).

Will add though that certain Plato dialogues definitely are pretty daunting, long, and intellectually demanding (though they almost never lose their fun literary and dramatic elements as well). Some big works like the Theaetetus, Gorgias, the Statesman, and Parmenides are utterly brilliant though probably not good places to begin.

If you have questions about Plato you could ask them in the r/Plato sub.

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