Plato, Light and Knowledge

Vision, says Plato, is much the most informative of all the senses, and is therefore, of all the senses, the one that is most akin to knowledge, understanding and science. We will look at how Plato uses analogies with seeing things to explain what it is to know them. In particular, we will look at what Plato says about light. However sharp your eyes, you cannot see things in the dark; likewise, Plato suggests, however clever you are, you will not comprehend things without the intellectual counterpart of light to make them comprehensible. What then is this intellectual light? With Nicholas Denyer, Senior Lecturer in Ancient Philosophy at the University's Faculty of Classics.

This event is for adults. You are invited to join us for a glass of wine in our atmospheric Cast Gallery after the talk.

This event is part of the Science Festival programme.

Book tickets here.

*Bookings for all Science Festival events open at 10:30 on Monday 9th February.*

Please note that there has been a minor change of rooms due to unforeseen circumstances. The talk will now take place in room G.19 and the post-talk drinks will take place in the neighbouring room G.21. Both rooms are still within the same venue (Museum of Classical Archaeology/Faculty of Classics) and volunteers will be on hand that evening to direct you.