The Platonic epistles contain information about the Athenian philosopher Plato's political involvement in the affairs of the tyrannical regime at Syracuse in the 4th century BCE. In his new book, "Plato's Letters: The Political Challenges of the Philosophic Life" (Cornell University Press, 2023), Ariel Helfer argues that "Plato's Letters" is in fact a philosophic epistolary novel containing Plato's reflections and teachings on the philosopher's responsibility to turn his political wisdom into practical counsel."
Ariel Helfer is an associate professor of political science at Wayne State University, whose research focuses on ancient Greek political philosophy. He is the author of two books on the philosophy of Plato: "Socrates and Alcibiades: Plato's Drama of Political Philosophy and Ambition" (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017) and "Plato's Letters: The Political Challenges of the Philosophic Life" (Cornell University Press, 2023). Helfer received his BA from Kenyon College in 2008.