Plato and Confucius, Spiritual Brothers and Philosopher Kings by Dr. Quan Le

In this Rising Tide Foundation lecture, Dr. Quan Le breaks the commonly held belief that the west and east are organized by two fundamentally opposing paradigms of Confucian pragmatism on the one side in opposition to Platonic idealism on the other. Dr. Le does this by introducing the individuals and philosophies of both great men who lived at a similar time in world history, amidst similar geopolitical circumstances and endowed with identical missions to break their societies out of self-destructive cycles with a focus on the creation of philosopher kings shaped by the love of wisdom more than the love of personal advantage. The false dichotomy of practical and ideal which has handicapped many researchers from fuller exploring the full content of either man’s personality or works fully over the centuries is removed as common themes relating to Justice, Goodness, and Beauty are explored in the works of both men. We will also see how the vital concept of agapic love arose in Plato’s life and works in tandem with the Confucian idea of ren. This dual concept not only unites the cultures of the east with the west but is also vital if one wishes to harmonize the inner with the outer universe in the pursuit of true political freedom. Speaker Bio: Dr. Le is a practicing psychiatrist and geopolitical analyst with a focus on Asian history, culture and world religions. Support the Rising Tide Foundation’s work by any of the following ways: 1) Make a donation on Paypal, Patreon or Wordpress 2) Subscribe to Matt and Cynthia’s Substacks at 3) Buy some books! For more lectures sponsored by the Rising Tide Foundation, visit: and to participate in future events live, write to: info@