Hello from Athens!
Earlier this year, I launched my brand new e-learning course called How to Live Like Socrates, which follows a similar format to my How to Think Like a Roman Emperor course on Marcus Aurelius. How to Live Like Socrates is running again and enrollment opens in a couple of days, so I wanted to share some news…
Following the annual Modern Stoicism conference in London, I flew to Greece. I’ll be presenting How to Live Like Socrates this October online live from Athens! The opportunity came up so I jumped at the chance and all of a sudden, well, it’s happening… Students take part from all over the world but this time they’ll be watching as I do the live webinars from the home of Socrates himself. That’s a picture I took recently of the Theatre of Dionysus where Aristophanes’ The Clouds, a famous satire mocking Socrates, probably had its first performance.
This is me beside what the Greek ministry of culture like to call the “Prison of Socrates”. Although there’s no evidence it’s where he was actually held awaiting execution, it’s still a very interesting archeological location and it can help bring to life the story of his last days. Did you know that Socrates spent his time writing poetry in prison? He wanted to put the fables of Aesop in verse.
Anyway, if you’re interested in Socrates then why not come along and join us as we work through his teachings and their practical implications for modern-day life. I’ll be engaging participants in discussion about the life and philosophy of Socrates, and broadcasting my live weekly webinars from Athens this time. You can find more information on my e-learning site. There are some comments from students who did the pilot version of the course below.
Here’s another picture I took recently. You’ve probably heard of the Lyceum where Aristotle taught philosophy. But did you know that two or three generations earlier famous Sophists, like Protagoras and Prodicus, used to lecture at the Lyceum? Socrates would frequently spend the day there discussing philosophy with them and their followers. Some of the ruins have been found are now an important archeological site in Athens.
I’ll be available if you have any questions. If you want a taster, by the way, try my free ten-minute Crash Course on Socrates, and let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
What Previous Students Said
I gather structured feedback from course participants and analyze the data before revising my courses each time I run them. For the initial pilot version of this course, satisfaction ratings were as follows.
- Clarity of materials 4.7 out of 5.
- Impact of content (how helpful) 4.6 out of 5.
- Feasibility of courseware (how easy was the site to use) 4.6 out of 5.
Here are some feedback comments from students as well…
To really get a deeper perspective on how to live life with true vigor and taste it’s fullness, it is necessary to embrace, embody and savor the life and times of Socrates. This course has left no stone unturned as it presents the depth and magnitude along with the magnificence – in exploring Socrates and his place in human history. The pilot light has been lit inside of me… – Melville Richard Alexander
One of the great things about Donald Robertson’s courses is that they never end. They are available to us forever (or at least as long as Donald is able to keep them posted). As with “How to think like a Roman emperor” I will be going back to this course when the spirit moves me. Each time I will discover something new. In the process of learning more about Socrates I learned more about me. Would I recommend this course? Yes, without hesitation. If you find it a bit much to “complete” in four weeks (I did) don’t worry. The material is there and the instructor is wonderfully accessible. – Wilfred Allan
Donald Robertson’s course has greatly increased my knowledge of the renowned ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. Socrates is such a central figure in Hellenistic Philosophy that understanding him is essential to knowing about the entire field. Robertson’s course has great depth, with multiple videos, texts to read, ponder, and discuss, weekly webinars, and enough background and optional material to further add to my knowledge and provide material that I plan to reread and explore. Very well done! – Marc Deshaies
I really enjoyed the course. I have been a fan of Socrates ever since I learnt about him years ago, but I know now that I was really ignorant about him and have lots to learn still. This is a great start. I look forward to more. Thank you Donald! – Pauline Enright
I’ve really enjoyed this course, thanks for putting it together, and I’ve really enjoyed being able to move through it at my own pace looping back to the challenging exercises, putting it down when other commitments took more or my time and picking it up again when I could. I’d recommend it, no question. – Steve Powell
I highly recommend this course. Reading Socrates without the biographical and historical background made me wonder what of significant value he was. Now knowing about his military, political,and social interactions gave me greater respect for him and the classical philosophy heritage. Demystifying the Socratic dialogues was very helpful. – Michael Schepak
