Steven, this piece is brilliant imho. Pieces like this are often either: (1) "isn't time cosmic?" or (2) "what Plato said about time." You established (1) as a canvas on which you painted (2). This let the sweep and relevance of Plato's thought emerge clearly. This is a rare accomplishment to witness imho.

Your piece sort of dovetailed with The Trial of Socrates by I.F. Stone. He argues both sides: (1) Socrates got people to think, and (2) Socrates corrupted the youth. Wonderful depth.

Your piece also sort of dovetailed with what I've read about how Christianity was shaped by Plato and Plotinus. In the Bible, God is seen as a wise old man, sometimes loving, sometimes unforgiving. P&P's Forms, the Good, the One, etc, were injected into Christian theology to make God a transcendent being, omni-everything, visible in and manifested by all of creation.

Thank you for this great read!