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Plato's podcasts : the ancients' guide to modern living PDF

182 Pages·2009·2.24 MB·English
by  MarkVernon
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Plato’s Podcasts Mark Vernon is a writer, journalist, academic, and former priest. Author of several books, including 42 : Deep Thought on Life, the Universe, and Everything, he is an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck College, University of London, and a regular contributor to BBC radio and television. He is on the faculty of The School of Life in London. Plato’s Podcasts The Ancients’ Guide to Modern Living Mark Vernon In memory of Paul Fletcher who brought philosophy to life along with pretty much everything else. Contents Acknowledgements Illustrations Introduction 1 PYTHAGORAS and the search for meaning 2 SAPPHO and the art of paying attention 3 PLATO and a love of conversation 4 DIOGENES THE CYNIC on the deceptiveness of fame 5 DIOTIMA OF MANTINEA on sometimes not having sex 6 ARISTOTLE on surviving unpopularity 7 PYRRHO OF ELIS on suspending disbelief 8 EPICURUS on why less is more 9 ZENO OF CITIUM on the psychology of shopping 10 ARISTIPPUS THE CYRENAIC and a common misunderstanding about pleasure 11 ONESICRITUS hears the call to live more simply 12 CLEANTHES THE WATER-CARRIER on working so hard you miss what you want 13 HIPPARCHIA OF MARONEIA on marrying for love 14 BION OF BORYSTHENES and the wisdom of changing your mind 15 MENIPPUS OF GADARA on the seriousness of laughing 16 MARCUS MANILIUS on the exercise of free will 17 SECUNDUS THE SILENT on the dangers of travel 18 SEXTUS EMPIRICUS and the folly of food fads 19 HYPATIA OF ALEXANDRIA on living in times of violence 20 SOCRATES and being towards death Index Acknowledgements It is too anachronistic to thank the authors of antiquity upon whom I draw, the eminent, forgotten and curious philosophers themselves, as well as those who ‘recorded’ their words, notably Diogenes Laertius. However, a number of contemporary scholars of antiquity have proven invaluable too. I would particularly recommend the scholarly and accessible series ‘Ancient Philosophies’ published by Acumen. It is superb and fills a gaping hole in the market. John Sellars’ Stoicism, William Desmond’s Cynics, James Warren’s Presocratics and Pauliina Remes’ Neoplatonism have been at my side whilst writing. The indispensable volume for framing the approach I’ve taken – looking at life as well as thought, seeing ancient philosophy as a practice – is laid out by Pierre Hadot in What Is Ancient Philosophy? (Belknap Press), again a clear and penetrating read. Trevor Curnow’s The Philosophers of the Ancient World: An A–Z Guide (Duckworth) is a handy and exhaustive reference: he lists over 2,300 of them. He has also written a short essay, Ancient Philosophy and Everyday Life (Cambridge Scholars Press) that set me thinking. Some useful, short essays can be found in Meet the Philosophers of Ancient Greece: everything you always wanted to know about ancient Greek philosophy but didn’t know how to ask, edited by Patricia F. O’Grady (Ashgate): it is not as frivolous as it sounds. All the translations of ancient Greek and Roman texts are from standard sources. In particular, Diogenes Laertius is taken from R.D. Hicks’ version of Lives of Eminent Philosophers in the Loeb Classical Library. The other translation particularly to note is that of Sappho’s poetry fragments, which are by the poet and classicist Anne Carson. At Oneworld I would like to thank Mike Harpley very much for commissioning the book; John Sellars, Mike again and an anonymous reader for performing the non-trivial task of commenting on an earlier version of the manuscript. And I recall that the idea stemmed in part from a conversation with Dan Bunyard: thanks again to him too. Illustrations Figure 1. Bust of Plato, Roman copy of Greek original Figure 2. Socrates, from a wall painting in an ancient Roman house Figure 3. Pythagoras as a symbol for Arithmetic, from Palazzo Ducale in Venice (Photo: Giovanni Dall’Orto) Figure 4. Sappho and Alcaeus by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Alcaeus, another lyric poet, described her as ‘violet-haired, holy, sweetly smiling’ Figure 5. Bust of Sappho, Roman copy of fifth-century BCE original Figure 6. Socrates as depicted in the medieval Nuremberg Chronicle Figure 7. The site of Plato’s Academy in Athens today (Photo: Tomisti) Figure 8. Diogenes by Jean Leon Gerome Figure 9. The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa by Gianiorenzo Bernini Figure 10. Aristotle as a philosopher, a Roman copy of an ancient Greek original (Photo: Giovanni Dall’Orto) Figure 11. Plato (centre left) and Aristotle (centre right) as depicted in Raphael’s The School of Athens Figure 12. Ruins of the Temple of Athena, Assos Figure 13. The philosopher Pyrrho on a stormy sea by Petrarca-Meister, Pyrrho seated with equanimity against the central mast Figure 14. Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 5 by Henry Moore, bronze, sited in the grounds of Kenwood House, London (Photo: Andrew Dunn) Figure 15. Bust of Epicurus, from the Louvre, Paris Figure 16. Zeno, bearded as a philosopher (Cast in Pushkin Museum from original in Naples) Figure 17. Another reconstructed stoa, of Attalus, Athens (Photo: Alaniaris) Figure 18. Book plate of Aristippus Figure 19. Lid of coffin from the so-called Tomb of the Diver, Paestum Figure 20. Alexander the Great fighting at The Battle of Gaugamela, eighteenth- century relief Figure 21. Chris Park (Photo: Kirsten Manley) Figure 22. First pages of Hesiod’s Works and Days Figure 23. Andromache Mourning Hector by Jacques-Louis David Figure 24. Bust, thought to be Bion, found in the Antikythera shipwreck Figure 25. Michel de Montaigne by Daniel Dumonstier Figure 26. Menippus by Diego Velazquez Figure 27. Democritus by Hendrik ter Brugghen Figure 28. Manilius depicted viewing the heavens in a bookplate Figure 29. Bust, possibly of Seneca Figure 30. The Emperor Hadrian Figure 31. Sextus Empiricus from a medieval book plate Figure 32. Portrait of Hypatia by the twentieth-century artist Elbert Hubbard Figure 33. The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David Figure 34. Socrates with two students, thirteenth-century image The author and publisher have made every effort to ensure copyright. If anything has been inadvertently overlooked, the publisher will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.

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