Philosophy

“Only describe, don’t explain” Ludwig Wittgenstein Sir James George Frazer’s Golden Bough is an anthropological comparative study of mythologies and religions, in which he examines primitive peoples of Europe relating to mythologies from all over the world. In his text Remarks on Frazer’s Golden Bough, Wittgenstein turns against Frazer’s interpretation …

This is a chapter from my book, Socrates – moral philosophy in everyday life Symposium, part five – Agathon’s encomium and Socrates’ comments “To be in love is merely to be in a perpetual anesthesia – to mistake an ordinary young man for a Greek god or an ordinary young …

This is a chapter from my book Socrates – moral philosophy in everyday life “What all of us deeply want is not to do something, but to be something.” A.E. Taylor, Plato – The man and his work When Socrates’ execution was certain and impending, and after he bid his …

This is a chapter from my book, Socrates – moral philosophy in everyday life “Their teacher is a prisoner of himself, and the only act of ‘freedom’ he recognizes is embracing death. Will they succeed in convincing him to escape from himself?” Kostis Papagiorgis, Socrates – the lawgiver that kills …

“More must be looked upon rather as the last of the old than the first of the new” William Morris, foreword to ‘Utopia’ The presentation of a realistic depiction of an ideal world by Thomas More gave birth to a new literary genre, the “utopian”. Drawing from Plato’s Republic and …

This is a chapter from my book Socrates – moral philosophy in everyday life Symposium, part four – Aristophanes’ encomium “To be perfect, you have to feel perfect about yourself – avoid trying to be something you’re not” Rick Riordan, The Lost Hero After the shallow and pseudoscientific speech by …

This is a chapter from my book Socrates – moral philosophy in everyday life Symposium, part three – Eryximachus’ encomium “A heart that loves stays young forever” Greek saying In Plato’s Symposium, one after one the symposiasts make a speech praising love. Pausanias (third in line) finishes his encomium having …

We will try here to find techniques to help us win any disagreement we may find ourselves in and get out of a tight spot when we lack the knowledge or the ability to support our views, or to save face when we realize that our opponent is superior in …

One of the most read works of Voltaire is a short philosophical novel, Zadig or the Book of Fate. It describes Zadig as he wanders in the East, prey to destiny’s whims that intervene in his actions and rob him of his sought-after happiness. Mid way (in the chapter “The …

“Everyone prefers a lie than a declination” Quintus Cicero writes in an essay[1] his advice to his brother Marcus Cicero (the most famous of the two) on how to secure enough votes in order to take the chair of consul of the Roman Republic. Not that Marcus doesn’t know how …