Laches, Plato
Laches, Plato
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Laches
What Is Courage? – Plato’s Philosophical Exploration of Bravery and Character

Author: Plato, Tim Zengerink

Narrator: Zeek Ring

Unabridged: 1 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/22/2025

Synopsis

What if true courage wasn’t the absence of fear—but the wisdom to know when to face it?In Laches, Plato explores the meaning of courage through a powerful conversation between Socrates and two Athenian generals. The dialogue begins with a question about military training—but quickly becomes a deeper philosophical inquiry into the nature of bravery.This modern translation makes Plato’s wisdom approachable and relevant, offering a timeless guide to understanding virtue, strength, and leadership.What you'll discover inside:• A Philosophical Definition of Courage – More than fearlessness, courage is examined through reason and reflection• Socratic Inquiry Meets Real-World Experience – Generals Laches and Nicias weigh in with lived wisdom• A Modern, Engaging Translation – Clear and thoughtful, bringing ancient ideas into today’s world• A Conversation About Raising Virtuous People – Explore courage in war, in parenting, and in personal characterDiscover how Laches offers insights into bravery that go far beyond the battlefield—and into the heart of moral life.

About Plato

Plato (427-347 B.C.) was a classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, writer, and student of Socrates. Most of his works, which form some of the core foundations of Western philosophy, are written in the form of dialogues, in which Socrates often figures prominently. His best-known writings include the Republic, the Apology, the Symposium, Crito, and Statesman. Plato's work addresses such diverse themes as the nature of love, human knowledge and understanding, and the ideal form of government.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Manny on May 23, 2014

Earlier this year, we picked up a handsome 1930 edition of Jowett's complete Plato, and I recently started reading through it. I was deeply unimpressed with the first two dialogues, Charmides and Lysis; I'm afraid my frivolous reviews reflect my disappointment. But the third one delivers. Plato, eit......more

Goodreads review by Mark on November 24, 2019

Initially, I felt slightly guilty adding this short book to my 2019 ‘books read’ list, but I re-read this book and various passages many times. It’s worth noting, I needed to refer to the similarly brief Sparknotes booklet to help me understand the thing. In the end, I spent more time on this effort......more

Goodreads review by David on November 19, 2019

A Question of Bravery 18 November 2019 – Echuca Well, in this dialogue we have Socrates discussing with some military types what the exact meaning of bravery is (and one of these military people happens to be the General Nicias, of the Sicilian Disaster Expedition fame). Well, I would have probably r......more

Goodreads review by Alberto on December 01, 2020

STUDIATE il saggio introduttivo prima di leggere questo dialogo. Così è possibile coglierne l'immensità!......more

Goodreads review by Roy on March 21, 2018

Here is another of the inconclusive dialogues. Socrates is asked by a couple of older men, Lysimachus and Melesias, whether to educate their sons in the art of fighting in armor. Socrates characteristically shifts the theme to a more abstract inquiry: What is courage? Commonsense definitions—such as......more

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