To grasp the forces shaping our world: power, truth, and fake news, cancel culture, and money, few guides are more relevant today than Plato. He warned that democracy, left unguarded, could collapse into tyranny—led not by the noble, but by the loudest and most opportunistic voices.
Professor Hobbs will explore Plato’s enduring insights into the fragility of democracy and the ever-present threat of tyranny. Drawing from her forthcoming book, Why Plato Matters Now, she examines how Plato described the rise of the demagogue—an individual who exploits fear, flattery, and false promises to gain power, subverting democratic ideals in the process. Far from being an abstract lesson from the ancient world, Plato’s analysis offers a strikingly relevant lens through which to view the political and social challenges of our own time.
Join us for a deeper understanding of how timeless philosophical ideas can illuminate the risks facing modern democracies, while also inspiring reflection on how to strengthen and safeguard them.
About the Speaker
Angie Hobbs is Emerita Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield, England. She earned her degree in Classics and a PhD in Ancient Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. Her primary interests are in ancient philosophy and literature, as well as ethics and political theory from classical thought to the present. Angie has published widely in these areas, including Plato and the Hero.
Professor Hobbs works in a number of policy sectors and contributes regularly to television and radio programs, as well as newspaper articles and philosophy websites worldwide. A well-respected speaker, Angie has given talks at the World Economic Forum at Davos, the Athens Democracy Forum, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and the United States Air Force Training Academy. She also served on the World Economic Forum Global Future Council for Values, Ethics, and Innovation. Angie Hobbs is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Honorary Patron of the Philosophy Foundation, Patron of the Philosophy in Education project, and on the Advisory Board of Plato’s Academy Centre.