At this point, Thrasymachus enters the conversation. Socrates describes Thrasymachus as being like a wild beast wanting to tear Socrates apart, shouting and accusing Socrates… Continue reading Notes on reading the Republic: Part 6 (336b to 338e)
“It’s a strange image,” he said, “and strange prisoners you’re telling of.” – Plato’s Republic (515a). Neo: “Why do my eyes hurt?” Morpheus: “You’ve never used… Continue reading First Draft of Chapter 2: Liberal Education
I think we’ll need more to go on. Let’s see what happens next in the conversation. Cephalus, at any rate, is convinced by Socrates… Continue reading Notes on reading the Republic: Part 5 (335e to 336a)
At this, Socrates is compelled to ask: “is it the part of the just man to harm any human whatsoever?” Going through some examples with… Continue reading Notes on reading Plato’s Republic: Part 4 (335b to 335e)
At this point, Cephalus’ son Polemarchus jumps back into the conversation, citing Simonides, the poet, as being in disagreement with Socrates’ suggestions. So Socrates… Continue reading Notes on reading Plato’s Republic: Part 3 (331d to 335b)
The government has a voice, unions have a voice, business lobbies have a voice, environmental groups have a voice and think tanks have a voice,… Continue reading First Draft of Chapter 5: Citizens’ Think Tank
At this point, Socrates asks an interesting, if not impolite, question of Cephalus. Did he make his money or inherit it. Socrates explains that people… Continue reading Notes on reading Plato’s Republic: Post 2 (330c to 331d)
The Republic is a story. Plato is not writing nonfiction but fiction. The story is Socrates’ recollection of what happened the day before, much… Continue reading Notes on reading Plato’s Republic: Post 1 (327a to 300c)
Reading old books is interesting for many reasons, but one of my favourites is seeing how people viewed religion before atheism became mainstream. I remember… Continue reading Day 19 (p. 332 to 363): Writers in the past saw a more important and permanent place for religion in society. How seriously should we (relatively less religious societies) take their analyses today?
“I think that the practical intelligence and political good sense of the Americans are mainly attributable to the long use which they have made of… Continue reading Day 18 (p. 313 to 331): Tocqueville makes the bold claim that the widespread use of juries in America is the reason for their political prudence. Is Judge Judy to the citizenry what Sesame Street is to children?