Reading Thucydides is familiar to modern audiences. His succinct style of political and military history is perhaps the most commonly mirrored practice for writing contemporary history. However, his project is still somewhat elusive. Unlike Herodotus, Thucydides does not explicitly call his work a "history" (historia), and he calls his book a work for all time, … Continue reading Reflections on Thucydides
political philosophy
Plato’s Laws: Notes on Books II-IV
Book II In Book II, the Athenian Stranger wishes to explore the question of what is the greatest benefit of a correctly executed drinking party, or at least if there is a greater benefit than considering human nature. He explores the question of education. What is education? First, we begin in childhood. A young child … Continue reading Plato’s Laws: Notes on Books II-IV
“All The World’s A Stage” Considered
In Act II scene 7 of Shakespeare's As You Like It, we encounter one of the more fatalistic and artful monologues in all of Shakespearean literature, Jaques's famous "All the world's a stage". Drawing on Ovid, as Shakespeare does elsewhere in the play, Jaques compares all of life on earth to the charade of a play, … Continue reading “All The World’s A Stage” Considered
As You Like It, Act II
Scene 1 In Act II, the longest of the five Acts in the play, we are redirected to (presumably) the Forest of Arden where Duke Senior praises the innocence of the noblemen's new idyllic life. He calls it "sweet", "free from peril", and without the "penalty of Adam". He hearkens a golden age, but not … Continue reading As You Like It, Act II
As You Like It, Act I
Scene 1 At the outset, we encounter Orlando, an English spelling of the French hero named Roland (of Chanson de Roland, or the "Song of Roland", the great French heroic poem from the reign of Charlemagne) bemoaning his state of affairs to the family servant Adam in an orchard. The setting is far from the … Continue reading As You Like It, Act I
Thucydides on Greek Origins
At the outset of Thucydides's "archaeology" of the Peloponnesian War, the greatest "motion" of the city yet seen by either the Hellenes or barbarians or also possibly of all mankind, including the ancient Trojan War, Thucydides provides many opportunities for wonder. Pointing to later thinkers, like Hobbes, Thucydides gives an account of how the Hellenes … Continue reading Thucydides on Greek Origins
Darius and the New Persian Regime
In Book III of Herodotus's Inquiries, we encounter a problem among the Persians. The untimely death of the insane king Cambyses has led to a power vacuum filled by the corrupt Magi. When the Persians finally instill a revolt against the Magi, a conspiracy of seven men decides to storm the palace and regain power. However, … Continue reading Darius and the New Persian Regime
The Empires of Croesus and Cyrus
The notion of imperial conquest, or the need to build a city that is enduring, is central to the inquiries of Herodotus. What is lasting human greatness? How can we inquire into our shared human past while preserving this question? What is the just city? Is the just city also an enduring city? All of these questions … Continue reading The Empires of Croesus and Cyrus
Confucius and Socrates
Among Western scholars, comparisons between Confucian literature and the Platonic corpus are made frequently. To their credit, both literary characters are memorable for their obsession with virtue and the appropriate means of political life. Both, presumably, emphasize the importance of a rigid social or political order, devotion among the citizenry, and both were considered a threat to their … Continue reading Confucius and Socrates
Reason and Revelation in the Bible
The Bible, or "book", is predicated on the impression of a God who is infinitely separate from the universe, according to the Christian model, yet He is also the creator of the universe. He is both separate and unique, and is, therefore, unknowable to mankind. He is not bound by time, although He appears to … Continue reading Reason and Revelation in the Bible
