Plato's Republic, Book 10: Imitation, Immortality and the Myth of Er

Folks,

We have finally arrived at the final lecture of the course on Plato’s Republic on book 10!!!

In this final lecture, we survey Plato’s ontological critique of imitative art, the paradoxical case of Plato's frequent use of images despite his critiques, his arguments for the immortality of the soul and, finally, the famous Myth of Er.

The Platonic case against AI Slop: https://www.palladiummag.com/2025/11/14/the-platonic-case-against-ai-slop/

Chapters:00:00 Welcome and Setup00:17 Why Book Ten Exists01:29 Being Versus Appearance02:39 Art Third From Truth05:16 Poets Without Knowledge09:33 Redeeming Images11:57 Myth of Er Begins13:14 Choosing Next Lives14:59 Lethe Rebirth and Wrap

FYI, this will be my last post until the end of September!

I am both getting married and finishing my PhD in the next month, so I’m going to take a back seat on the content until I emerge as a husband and a philosophy doctor.

However, we will be back come October time with some exciting announcements and additions to the future of the publication, so stay tuned and keep living the examined life in the meantime. 🍻

Best,

Mahon.

Get full access to Raising the Cross at www.mahonmccann.com/subscribe