Why Plato Matters Now – Angie Hobbs

in conversation with Joshua Forstenzer

22 October, 2025 at 6:00 pm

Does Plato matter? An ancient philosopher whose work has inspired and informed countless thinkers and poets across the centuries, his ideas are no longer taught as widely as they once were. Angie Hobbs argues that if we want to understand the world we live in, from democracy and autocracy to fake news and celebrity there is no better place to start than Plato. Exploring the intersection between the ancient and the modern, she shows how Plato can help us address key questions concerning the nature of a flourishing life and community, healthcare, love, friendship, heroism, and art and why Plato matters now, more than ever.

Angie Hobbs is emerita Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield. She has appeared on In Our Time on Radio 4, spoken at the World Economic Forum at Davos and the Houses of Parliament and been the guest on Desert Island Discs.

Dr Joshua Forstenzer is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy. He teaches in the School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities at the University of Sheffield