Combat and Classics is a series of podcasts and online seminars that explores the nature of man in conflict and cooperation through socratic dialogue and the great books. For more info visit 
Join Lise, Jeff and Brian for a conversation on Book I of the Republic. BUT FIRST! How to approach the “Great Books”: How do you start from scratch with no background or without a group? We hope you like it! November 11, 2016 Ep. 1: Sophocles’ AjaxListen to more Combat and Classics. Continue Reading …
Voldemort as Plato’s Tyrant
[From friend of the blog Mark Satta] One of the great things about good literature is the ease with which it brings to life the characters in the mind of the reader. This “bringing to life” gives the reader an ability to play around with the facets of the character’s personality in a way that I think a philosophical text rarely allows for. Elements of this benefit can be Continue Reading …
20 Versions of “The Cave:” A Video Roundup
Plato's Allegory of the Cave (which we didn't get around to spelling out on our Plato's Republic episode) has been given scads of video treatments, both professional and amateur. Here are some I found on YouTube before getting too irritated to look at any more: Easily the best of this bunch, here's Orson Welles narrating over creepy animations, going on at some length to Continue Reading …
Metaphors of Deception in “The Matrix” (incl. Plato’s Cave)
Back in our Descartes episode, we brought up the movie The Matrix as an example of the kind of situation whose possibility motivates Descartes's project of doubt. Here's a video getting into some of the other ways of interpreting this metaphor about deception: Watch on YouTube. One type mentioned here is Marxist "false consciousness" (which we got into a little in our Continue Reading …
Are The Smurfs Based on Plato’s Republic?
Apparently The Smurfs have been accused of being anti-semitic communists living in a totalitarian utopia. It bears mentioning -- since we're reading Plato's Republic for the next podcast -- that each Smurf is named for what they do best. -- Wes Continue Reading …