Why Plato?
Plato’s writings form the single most influential body of work in Western and global intellectual history, shaping everything from science and democracy to art, ethics, and spirituality.
No other thinker provides such a coherent, comprehensive framework covering ethics, politics, cosmology, language, metaphysics, and the soul. Reading Plato’s entire corpus reveals a unified philosophical vision that integrates ancient wisdom with modern life.
For the first time in history, the Plato Parsha Project makes Plato’s complete works and thought accessible to everyone through: free public teaching on every reading and guest scholar interviews + live weekly project member symposiums on every dialogue, member on-demand audio access, and community discussion.
Plato Parsha Project
with philosopher and scholar of religion and science, Samuel Loncar, PhD. (Yale University)
Starting when I was 14, I read a number of Plato’s dialogues, which set me on the path of philosophy as a way of life. Then, after years of studying Søren Kierkegaard, who was a great student and scholar of Plato, I was led to begin studying and teaching Plato seriously in my twenties.
Plato helped me heal from my illness, and is at the center of my scholarly work and my book, Philosophy as Science and Religion from Plato to Postuhumanism, forthcoming with Columbia University Press, which embodies the Becoming Human Project for an academic audience.
So I am bringing over two decades of my personal reading, teaching, and learning experience to you. I’ll also be interviewing great scholars of Plato and Platonism and inviting guest teachers from various traditions to discuss Plato with me and all of you.
We will read through Plato’s entire corpus, the most influential body of writings by a single author in the entire world. Yes, that’s right, the Platonic corpus is something 99.9% of all people, including philosophy Ph.D.s, have not had the chance to study in detail or in depth, guided by a teacher. Yet it represents a coherent body of writings on every important topic one can imagine.
Beginning this week (October 3, 2025), I will guide the public and Becoming Human members through Plato’s full corpus every year with weekly audio and video teachings.
All public teaching is available through my Substack, YouTube, and podcast.
The readings are designed and modeled on the way in which, in the Jewish tradition, you read through the Torah (the five Books of Moses) every year, divided into the weekly Torah portion, or parsha. We will have, in comparison, our weekly Plato portions. This comes to 30- 50 pages a week, but you don’t have to do the readings or always finish them.
Becoming Human Project members can join me through Live Sunday Zoom symposiums (3:30–5:30 pm EST) with Q&A and discussion, on-demand recordings of every session (including past ones for mid-year joiners), guest scholar sessions, member-only Substack content, and an invitation to the first PLATONICON.
Who is Involved in the Project?
Foundation for Platonic Studies, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the study and application of the wisdom found in the works of Plato and the broader Platonic tradition.
Gregory Shaw, Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at Stonehill College and the author of Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus and Hellenic Tantra: The Theurgic Platonism of Iamblichus | Watch the interview.
Armand D’Angour, Professor of Classical Languages and Literature and Fellow and Tutor in Classics, Jesus College, Oxford University and the author of Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher and How to Talk About Love: Plato’s Symposium | Interview forthcoming
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ESCAPE THE CAVE
Public Lecture Series
Check out the first episode, which links to the full YouTube playlist.
Join the Plato Project Today
Choose Your Membership Level
$10/ month or $100/month
Access LIVE Sunday Plato Project lectures in community, Sundays, 3.30pm EST ($100) + receive access to the Introduction to Philosophy series: The Soul, the World, the Gods: Introduction to Philosophy, Plato's Allegory of the Cave: Introduction to Aesthetics, Plato's Symposium: Eros, Magic, & Immortality: Introduction to Aesthetics ($75) + a paid Substack subscription ($87 value). Your annual membership helps make Dr. Loncar's public work accessible to everyone seeking a more meaningful life.
Live Sunday Zoom symposiums (3:30–5:30 pm EST) with Q&A and discussion, full on-demand recordings of every session (including past ones for mid-year joiners), guest scholar sessions, member-only Substack content, + invitation to the first PLATONICON.
