We've always known what we are, I think. We merely find that to be unsatisfying, or in any case insufficient in some way. So, we contrive a definition...
The belief in it also serves to justify inaction, which can be comforting. And so, by all means be capitalistic, consumer-oriented, greedy, egotistic ...
Well, not Boy Scouts, I hope. I had trouble being a mere Cub Scout. Seneca is sometimes thought to be a hypocrite or worse for claiming to be a Stoic ...
The Stoic view of virtue as I understand it is distinguished from Aristotle's because in the Stoic view virtue is the only true, or real, good. So, vi...
I think the ancient Stoics thought that fame, wealth, etc. were ephemeral, and so were easily lost. So, you see Marcus Aurelius referring to the court...
That's an interesting perspective. I think "ambitious" is commonly defined as having a desire for fame, wealth, power, prestige, achievement, etc., in...
There's no doubt that it would be difficult to live a Stoic life. That may be why professed Stoics like Marcus Aurelius were inclined to engage in the...
It was a peculiarity of the Roman institution of slavery (and perhaps ancient slavery in general) that slaves had very few rights and were deemed to b...
I've come rather late to this thread, and may have missed something. But you understand Epictetus was a slave, right? Slaves generally weren't conside...
A great poem by a great poet, who was a student of and friend to Santayana, and wrote many philosophical poems. He wrote a poem about Santayana: To an...
The toga was a garment worn only on formal and ceremonial occasions, you'll be relieved to hear. For a number of reasons, I think, for all its faults ...
I'm not sure about your information, or what it's based on. Cicero died in 43 B.C.E. I don't recall reading any writing of his addressing land ownersh...
Actually, he asked the question in connection with his defense of someone accused of a crime. The sense of it is, that in determining who did somethin...
I wonder sometimes what those who decry socialism so frequently here in our Glorious Union think it to be. I suspect they don't think it's an economic...
Well, Stoicism might help. As more probably will certain drugs. Otherwise, philosophy wouldn't be a cure, I think. It might even be conducive to suici...
Sparta had a subject population, the Helots, to take care of the needs of the Spartans. There were far more Helots than Spartans. Hardly socialism. Bu...
I think you ascribe too much significance to the university system. I think the majority of students forget, or perhaps simply ignore, their universit...
It seems to be ascribed meaning when it is noted. In other words, when it's unexpected, as in the case where a response is either anticipated or desir...
Actually a maxim of law--silence implies consent where a person in good faith would speak. A practice of certain Christian religious orders--after Com...
"Quid est veritas?", said "jesting Pilate." Dewey thought that "truth" carried so much baggage its use should be avoided. Never a paragon of eloquence...
It's important to determine what it is we're referring to when we speak of "truth." If the question is whether water is wet, I doubt that anyone adher...
You're right. But "the man" was only warned of death, not everything else--working, sweating, experiencing pain, sickness, inclination towards evil, e...
I think it very likely that the Founders of our Great Republic, and most of the citizens of ancient Athens, including Solon and Pericles, Plato and Ar...
Perhaps another way of looking at is they way a lawyer may do so. A person must make an informed choice in order to waive or release any claims. Were ...
You know the response of the Church, I think. Everything God created was good, but some of what he created became bad. God couldn't make Lucifer and t...
Well, a good Catholic would say that humans, if not evil by nature, are at least sinful by nature by virtue of the disobedience of the first humans. S...
How is this as paradox? Is the claim that we're so significant on our speck of dust compared to the other inhabitants we must be significant enough fo...
Beware the fury of academic historians when an outsider presumes to write of history! Nobody knows the true extent of the destruction caused by Christ...
Very good. Perhaps I misunderstood what you were saying earlier. I understand that inquiry into the past imposes special demands. I think it's in the ...
Would you say that it isn't a fact that he was the first president of the U.S., though, or that the claim he was is non-factual? This is what you seem...
I always take pleasure in reading such things. But I wonder why, given what you quoted and other such works, there is any doubt that religion or at le...
I'm not sure who you have in mind, but I've read some of the apologists for Christianity, and if their work is representative, then apologists merely ...
Those "snuffed out" and later views determined to be heretical make an interesting study, though. Arianism, which taught that Jesus was divine but les...
Not even Christianity could utterly destroy ancient pagan culture. After all, Christians in attempting to provide some intellectual legitimacy to Chri...
Well, they probably won't open a church, but there are people who worship the ancient Greek and Roman gods even today. The modern ethnic religion call...
That's the fellow. John "Golden Mouthed." He was renowned for his eloquence, which he learned from his teacher, Libanius of Anitoch, one of the last p...
Yes, I understand. But Christianity has a rather remarkable position in world history, in the West especially, but through European colonialism and im...
I think that most scholars today doubt the conquest of the Promised Land was actually a conquest, and are inclined to think that the Jews didn't destr...
Well, Biblical accounts, and particularly the Book of Joshua, portray the Jews as laying waste to quite a number of cities and tribes in their conques...
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