S8 Ep917: The 13 letters attributed to Plato remain a source of intense scholarly debate, with some considered clear forgeries. In Plato and the Tyrant, James Romm accepts five letters as genuine, including the detailed Seventh Letter, which defends Plato's actio
S8 Ep917: The 13 letters attributed to Plato remain a source of intense scholarly debate, with some considered clear forgeries. In Plato and the Tyrant, James Romm accepts five letters as genuine, including the detailed Seventh Letter, which defends Plato's actio  
Podcast: The John Batchelor Show
Published On: Sat May 23 2026
Description: The 13 letters attributed to Plato remain a source of intense scholarly debate, with some considered clear forgeries. In Plato and the Tyrant, James Romm accepts five letters as genuine, including the detailed Seventh Letter, which defends Plato's actions in Syracuse. Critics like Karl Popper viewed the letters and the Republic as evidence that Plato was an enemy of the "open society." While Plato may have been naive about practical politics, he consistently argued that a society's best hope was a "dream team" of a tyrant and a wise lawgiver. Ultimately, Plato used these writings to spin the narrative of his political failures. (8/8)