Continuing from part one on essays from Lear's Open Minded: Working Out the Logic of the Soul (1988). We start off with more about the relation between comedy and tragedy and how these might relate to Plato's stories. We then provide more detail on chapter 10: "Inside and Outside the Republic," including Bernard Williams' objections to Plato and Lear's Continue Reading …
Ep. 266: Jonathan Lear’s Plato: Psyche and Society (Part One for Supporters)
On essays from Lear's Open Minded: Working Out the Logic of the Soul (1988), featuring Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth. How does Plato's philosophy hold together, and is it still something we can make use of in the modern age? Our recent explorations of Plato's Timaeus and Phaedo showed us how humanity is supposed to fit into the cosmos, but the details seemed hopelessly archaic: Continue Reading …
Philosophy and Film: Logan on Life
Logan is the final film in the Wolverine series (part of the marginally larger X-Men franchise), in which Hugh Jackman plays the title character. Having been in that role for 17 years, diehard fans have hoped Jackman would continue to play the crotchety immortal until the end of time. But even the most popular of characters have to be laid to rest at some point, either Continue Reading …
Blaming Buried Prejudice: Neil Levy on implicit bias and moral responsibility
If you haven’t seen it, there is a scene in Curb Your Enthusiasm when Larry David is casually walking across a parking lot having just parked his car. An African-American man walks past him in the same direction as Larry’s vehicle. Larry suddenly turns and clicks the button on his remote keyless system, locking his car doors with a swift electronic bleep that breaks the silence Continue Reading …