At the beginning of the Timeaus, Socrates indicates that what we are about to witness is a work of a political philosophy. Having presented an image of the most just city the day before, he now asks the men gathered... Continue Reading →
Essentially concerned with the creating the philosophic foundation for consensual governments, Locke's Second Treatise is haunted by echos of the Book of Genesis. This is not surprising given that Locke's primary opponents are those who argue that all government should... Continue Reading →
Homer's Iliad, which tells the story of the Trojan war, reveals in clarity the devastation of a world at war. Having come to Troy to avenge the abduction or seduction of the Menelaus's wife, Helen, and to reassert the principles... Continue Reading →
Sometimes my dog Tim does things that he shouldn't. Like the time he ate the right shoe of two different pairs. Or when he jumped up and broke the ceiling fan. Or when, just prior to Thanksgiving dinner, he lunged... Continue Reading →
Stop me if you've heard this one. An Athenian, a Spartan and a Cretan walk into Hades.... The Laws, while ostensibly about the creation of a perfect city, like Plato's other dialogues, it is also about the desire for wisdom,... Continue Reading →
The image we get from Plato's dialogues of his teacher, Socrates, is strange and often startling. He wanders around Athens speaking to everyone, bothering most people, rarely taking the hint. He is generally barefoot and goes without bathing such that... Continue Reading →
I have a ridiculous beast of a dog. Everything about him is kind of ludicrous. For instance, he is really big (132 pounds big) and his body is so long that it takes his butt a while to catch up... Continue Reading →