Tag Archives: Republic

The Light Brigade’s Charge & Wagner’s

Does “Charge of the Light Brigade” glamorize senseless sacrifice. What would Russian soldiers in Ukraine think?

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God Reaches Us through Art

I share a talk about the relationship between God and creativity. Authors mentioned: Shelley, Homer, Plato, Silko, Walker, Clifton.

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Authoritarians Long to Act with Impunity

Authoritarians long to act with impunity. H.G. Wells captures this fantasy in “The Invisible Man.”

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Homer’s Masterclass in Leadership

Homer’s “Iliad” functions as a leadership clinic. So don’t heed Plato’s dismissal of the poet.

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Johnson: Read the Bard, Not Tom Jones

I share the Samuel Johnson chapter from my book-in-progress.

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Greek Tragedy & the Fragility of Goodness

Martha Nussbaum contents that Aristotle’s use of Greek tragedy gave him a particularly rich vision of how to lead a good life.

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A Partial Defense of Plato’s Poet Ban

Perhaps Plato banished poets from his ideal society because he appreciated the destructive potential of stories. He’s relevant in light of today’s conspiracy theories.

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Love’s Wavering Image

Spiritual Sunday I share a lovely Longfellow poem about gazing into dark waters, featuring the hypnotic rhythm and rhyme that we associate with the poet.  The speaker recalls a time in the past when he was depressed and wished the tide would carry him away. He no longer feels that way but imagines others experiencing […]

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Philosophy Needs Literature

Friday The other day Eva Bahovec, a good friend who teaches in Ljubljana’s philosophy department, had me meet with two students preparing to write Women’s Studies dissertations. Although philosophy and Women’s Studies are not my areas of expertise, Bogdan Repič and Polonca Mesec want their studies to have a literary component, which is where I […]

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