The Origins of Platonic Press

Platonic Press was born from a simple belief: that the most profound ideas deserve to live beyond academic walls, and that the most beautiful books deserve to carry ideas worth keeping.

The press began during MPhil studies at Cambridge, founded by students who shared a frustration with how many important philosophical ideas were being shared, or rather, how they were not being shared outside university settings. Conversations in college bars after seminars about Kierkegaard or Singer rarely happened beyond college walls. Not because people aren't interested, but because the form often fails the content.

We take our name from Plato not for any particular philosophical system, but for what he understood about dialogue. His conversations showed us that philosophy isn't a monologue delivered from on high, it's a conversation we're all already having.

The mission is simple: create books that are as beautiful as the ideas they contain. Knowledge deserves to be shared in ways that honor both the content and the reader. A book about the human condition should feel human. A book about beauty should be beautiful.

Too often, philosophical publishing treats design as an afterthought. We think that's backwards. Books you might pick up for their striking cover and keep for their lasting insights.

Platonic Press is not just a publishing house—we want to foster conversations that matter. Through exhibitions, events, and the books themselves, we want to create spaces where ideas can breathe, where curiosity is rewarded.

Philosophy begins in wonder, Aristotle told us. So does good publishing. We invite you to wonder with us.