Plato worried that Greek tragedy causes us to act irrationally.
Tag Archives: Plato
Why Literary Suffering Made Plato Nervous
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Gerard Manley Hopkins, Greek tragedy, Spring and Fall, Suffering Comments closed
Answer the Door, Child–Truth is Knocking
We had our major awards ceremony this past Saturday. As is tradition, we began with a poem by Lucille Clifton that she allowed us to adapt slightly for the occasion.Our president then gave one of his patented speeches, this one centered on Plato’s Meno. It was exactly what I wanted our students to hear: a full-blown defense of the liberal arts.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Light that came to lucille clifton", College, Education, Liberal Arts, Lucille Clifton, Meno, Socrates Comments closed
The Classics, Better than Business Guides
The Republic, The Art of War, The Social Contract, The Prince, and the Tao Te Ching gave me a way of understanding the broader implications of the business choices I was making. They helped me look beyond the immediate challenges to find a greater purpose. My individual efforts seemed part of a legacy of thinkers and doers who had come before.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Art of War, Business, Darien Bates, Education, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Liberal Arts, Machiavelli, Prince, Republic, Social Contract, Sun Tzu, Tao Te Ching Comments closed
Christopher Hitchens, Literary Bully
I confess to bristling when I hear the name Christopher Hitchens.The intellectual provocateur has been in the news recently, first for publishing his memoirs and second for contracting throat cancer.Although he is smart and well read, he has always struck me as a self-righteous intellectual bully, one who is more interested in toppling icons than […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Christopher Hitchens, Darkness at Noon, David Brooks, George Orwell, Graham Greene, Hitch-22, How Green Was My Valley, politics, Republic, Richard Llewellyn, Wilfred Owen Comments closed