In “Wonderworks,” Fletcher contends that self-satire helped Socrates deal with death.
Tag Archives: Socrates
Self-Satire’s Medicinal Properties
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Angus Fletcher, death of Socrates, Douglas Adams, fear of death, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Irony, Phaedo, Plato, satire, Wonderworks Comments closed
Authoritarians Long to Act with Impunity
Authoritarians long to act with impunity. H.G. Wells captures this fantasy in “The Invisible Man.”
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged authoritarianism, Donald Trump, Fascism, H.G. Wells, Invisible Man, Republic, ring of Gyges, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Trumpism Comments closed
Why Conspiracy Theories Beat Logic
Philosopher Mladen Dolar cites Socrates and Hamlet to explain why conspiracy theories are so resistant to logic.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged 2022 elections, Apology, conspiracy theories, Hamlet, Kari Lake, QAnon, William Shakespeare Comments closed
Plato’s Warning: Beware of Poets
While Plato advocated banning poets from the ideal republic, his censure works as an indirect testimony to literature’s power.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Ion, passions, philosophy, Plato, reason, Republic Comments closed
Finding Hope in a Captured Fish
Elizabeth Bishop’s “The Fish” works as a powerful meditation on hope.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Fish", artifice, divine madness, Elizabeth Bishop, hope, Ion, Plato 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, Plato Comments closed
