Promoting Platonic
wisdom for all

The Foundation for Platonic Studies is 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. We believe that such wisdom has the power to illuminate the human condition and provide guidance for navigating the challenges of the modern world. By supporting scholarship, education, and public engagement, we aim to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of Platonic thought and its enduring relevance to contemporary life.

John Dillon, MRIA,FBA, Regius Professor of Greek (Emeritus), Trinity College Dublin, a world authority on the later Platonists, serves as our Patron.

Our constitution defines our charitable objects as:

• The promotion of the study of the writings and wisdom of Plato and the Platonic tradition in Ireland and internationally;
• The creation of a greater awareness in Ireland and internationally of the importance of Plato and the Platonic tradition to human affairs at all levels including their relevance to the challenges facing the modern world.

Note on Platonic tradition: In the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato (428 – 348 BCE), we all have a rich philosophical inheritance. The Academy founded by Plato lasted over 900 years. The ‘Platonic Tradition’ includes not only the works of Plato, but the works of the great thinkers who lived before and after Plato: these include Parmenides, Heraclitus, and other so-called Pre-Socratics, as well as Plato’s student, Aristotle, the second century AD figure, Plotinus and the Renaissance philosopher and translator Marsilio Ficino.