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On Plutarch and the idea of citizen

| November 22, 2014 | 0 Comments
On Plutarch and the idea of citizen

By Ellis Washington It is not histories I am writing, but lives; and in the most glorious deeds there is not always an indication of virtue or vice, indeed a small thing like a phrase or a jest often makes a greater revelation of a character than battles where thousands die.” ~Plutarch (Life of Alexander/Life […]

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On Virgil and the necessity of good language

| June 22, 2014 | 0 Comments
On Virgil and the necessity of good language

It is easy to go down into Hell; night and day, the gates of dark Death stand wide; but to climb back again, to retrace one’s steps to the upper air – there’s the rub, the task. ~ Virgil Prologue: Biography Publius Vergilius Maro (October 15, 70 BC – September 21, 19 BC), in English […]

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On Lucretius, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and the nature of life and death

| June 16, 2014 | 0 Comments
On Lucretius, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and the nature of life and death

“Again we are all sprung from a heavenly seed, all have that same Father…” ~ Lucretius, On the Nature of Things, Book II If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment […]

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On Apollonius, Nicomachus and first principles

| June 11, 2014 | 0 Comments
On Apollonius, Nicomachus and first principles

Apollonius image of conic sections and the question of orbital motion *N.B.: This essay is based in part on ideas from Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Editor-in-Chief (1952), Vol. 3, chap. 70 – Principle and Vol. 11 – Apollonius of Perga and Nicomachus of Gerasa. “All that has by nature with […]

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On Hippocrates, Galen and the nature of ancient medicine

| May 26, 2014 | 0 Comments
On Hippocrates, Galen and the nature of ancient medicine

*N.B.: This essay is based in part on ideas from Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Editor-in-Chief (1952), Vol. 3, chap. 55 – Medicine and Vol. 10 – Hippocrates and Galen“First do no harm.”~ Aphorism attributed to the Hippocratic Oath“We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and […]

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On Aristotle and the nature of animals and slaves

| May 17, 2014 | 0 Comments
On Aristotle and the nature of animals and slaves

*N.B.: This essay is based in part on ideas from Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Editor-in-Chief (1952), Vol. 1, chap. 2 – Animals and Vol. 9 – Aristotle (theoretical works) “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” ~ Proverbs 6:6 “And indeed the use made of […]

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On Aristotle and the idea of judgment

| May 10, 2014 | 0 Comments
On Aristotle and the idea of judgment

*N.B.: This essay is based in part on ideas from Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Editor-in-Chief (1952), Vol. 2, chap. 41 – Judgment and Vol. 8 – Aristotle “We don’t do punishment [judgment]…. The way that we deal with our kids is, they are responsible for their lives….” ~ Will Smith […]

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On Plato’s Theory of Forms

| April 19, 2014 | 0 Comments
On Plato’s Theory of Forms

*N.B.: This essay is based in part on excerpts from Great Books of the Western World (1952), Vol. 2, chp. 28 – Form and Vol. 7 – Plato Strange times are these in which we live when old and young are taught falsehoods in school. And the person that dares to tell the truth is […]

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On Socrates: life and legacy

| April 12, 2014 | 0 Comments
On Socrates: life and legacy

Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people. ~Socrates Prologue In my ongoing series on the Classics of Western Civilization, we now come to Plato, however, since Plato was a student of Socrates as well as the primary source for what we know of the man, and Socrates left no written […]

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On love

| March 30, 2014 | 0 Comments
On love

*N.B.: This article is based in part on excerpts from Great Books of the Western World, Vol. 3, Chp. 50 – Love and Vol. 4 – Homer: The Iliad, The Odyssey Dilige, et quod vis fac – “Love, and do what you will.” ~ Augustine According to the theologian love is not restricted to realm […]

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