Wednesday 16 June 2010

Thinking Philosophically with Plato













Session four in the Thinking Philosophically with Plato series was concerned with the ideas of 'Citizenship and Disobedience' and focused on Plao's 'Crito'. As this was the last session in this particular series run by Jane Mummery for the U3A Hepburn Shire, we finished up with dinner at Franco's in Vincent Street, Daylesford. Vying for position next to the pizza oven (it was 2 degrees outside), it was a great way to end this short jaunt with the gadfly.

Wednesday 2 June 2010

What is a philosopher?









A recent New York Times (16 May 2010) opinion(ator) piece by English philosopher Simon Critchley of The New School suggests that philosophers are indeed curious creatures of academe. Critchley grazes lovingly over the curious assortment of philosophers such as Thales who fell into a hole whilst gazing at the stars, the gadfly Socrates who reportedly had a face only a mother could love, the philosopher as buffoon or eccentric, as one one who spends years returning to the same topic or moves in and around a topic based on fascination, curiosity or perplexity. These characters and more are set out in this reassessment of an ancient art - the first in a series of writings by contemporary philosophers to be published by The New York Times.

A highly amusing piece, as is Critchley's The Book of Dead Philosophers. Find the rest of the series at The Stone.