In his lectures, books, and essays, Kreeft frequently unpacks the Platonic lineage, tracing it from Socrates and Plato through Saint Augustine, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Several core themes consistently emerge: 1. The Marriage of Platonism and Christianity
"The Platonic Tradition" is a thorough and insightful exploration of Plato's philosophy and its development over the centuries. Kreeft examines the core ideas of Plato, including the nature of reality, knowledge, ethics, and the human condition. He also explores how these ideas have been interpreted, adapted, and critiqued by subsequent philosophers, from Aristotle to modern thinkers.
Accessing the Material (The Platonic Tradition Peter Kreeft PDF)
: The entire book rests on the reality of the Platonic Forms—perfect, eternal archetypes of things like Truth, Beauty, Justice, and Goodness. Kreeft argues that without belief in such a transcendent standard, any claim to moral or objective truth becomes unfounded.
If you are a secular humanist, you will find in Plato the original argument for human dignity. If you are a scientist, you will find the justification for trusting your rational mind. If you are an artist, you will find the theory of Beauty that makes art meaningful.
Our ability to recognize "humanness" in different people is only possible because we both participate in the same eternal Form of Humanity. 2. A Journey Through History