This week, I reread Plato's Phaedo for the first time since embarking on reading the Late Platonists. It was an entirely different reading experience from before to the point that I may have excitedly messaged my partner in an enormous paragraph or several about how delightful it was, and at one point, I got up … Continue reading Minimalism in Plato’s Phaedo
Tag: plato
Divided Things, People, a Quotation …
Surely, we have to notice the reason why humans pursue gold and silver, and what they are thinking of in conceiving this unbounded desire. Clearly [they do so] out of the will to attend to their own needs from whatever source, and out of the desire to provide themselves with what contributes to their pleasure. … Continue reading Divided Things, People, a Quotation …
🦠Viral Life ðŸ¦
On Thursday, I attended a virtual boot camp for librarians. This year, the faculty presentations were focused on reviews of basic virology and immunology. The virology presentation was very fascinating, and I'd like to discuss it in brief here because I love trees. In Proclus' commentary essays on the Republic, plant life came up, specifically … Continue reading 🦠Viral Life ðŸ¦
A Miscellany of Quotations — Proclus and Aguirre
This post is mostly about reading Proclus' Timaeus commentary in translation, with a bit of modern science writing thrown into the mix. It all works out harmoniously.
A Few Reading Updates
I read the final five books of the Laws on a single Sunday last month during the early days of the stay-at-home order in my state. It took about eight hours, and at the end of it I was intellectually spent. It took me an hour or two to recharge. When I read, I usually … Continue reading A Few Reading Updates
An Etiquette of Crowns, Floral and Verdant
At the beginning of Plato’s Republic, specifically at 328b-c, the elderly Cephalus is wearing a wreath upon his head because he had just finished offering divine sacrifices in the courtyard. In addition to generic ritual wreaths, ones that use specific materials — laurel, bay, rosemary, olive, oak, and so on — have been used for millennia … Continue reading An Etiquette of Crowns, Floral and Verdant
A Miscellany of Quotations — Reading Proclus’ Essays 7-10 on the Republic in French
In January 2020, I read the first volume (of three planned) that contains essay-style commentaries that Proclus had written on the Republic of Plato. I am reading the Republic, so it seemed useful to read both simultaneously. Essays 4, 5, and 6 are lovely things; I recommend reading the new translation, which was done by … Continue reading A Miscellany of Quotations — Reading Proclus’ Essays 7-10 on the Republic in French
Passing Down
While commenting on quotations a few days ago, I said that my head was working out a poem about Platonism, Late Antique schools, and the prevailing circumstances. This poem happened last night while I should have been cleaning citation data. The next thing I knew, it was time for bed. Originally, I didn't want to … Continue reading Passing Down
Strawberry Shortcake got me thinking about Gods
My girlfriend and I watched a clip from Strawberry Shortcake last weekend. While it came out before I was born, Strawberry Shortcake reruns aired on television in the late 1980s and early 1990s when I was a baby/toddler. I had a VHS recording that I watched and rewatched frequently. What struck me the most about watching … Continue reading Strawberry Shortcake got me thinking about Gods
