Philosophy by the Book

Philosophy by the Book

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Each week we read through, summarize, and explain a different text in Philosophy.

Connor Clerkin


    • Jul 16, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 17m AVG DURATION
    • 72 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Philosophy by the Book with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Philosophy by the Book

    Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book 9: Philosophy by the Book Episode 70

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2018 12:38


    The nature of friendship continued. What should we do if we become much more virtuous than our friends? What if one of our friends goes down a bad path? How many friends can we reasonably have? Can we be friends with ourselves? Should we care for ourselves more than we care for others?

    book philosophy aristotle's nicomachean ethics
    Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book 8: Philosophy by the Book Episode 69

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2018 14:30


    What is friendship? Are there different sorts of friendship? What sorts of people are attracted to each other? How does friendship relate to civic relationships? Can we be friends with those much better or worse than us?

    book philosophy aristotle's nicomachean ethics
    Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book 7: Philosophy by the Book Episode 68

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2018 18:43


    How can we resist our desires in order to act in accordance with reason? Are different sorts of desires different? Is avoiding a pleasure the same as resisting a pain?

    book philosophy aristotle's nicomachean ethics
    Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book 6: Philosophy by the Book episode 67

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2018 19:20


    What is wisdom? How does it help us in our day to day lives? 

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    Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book 5: Philosophy by the Book Episode 66

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2018 18:44


    What is Aristotle's conception of Justice? How should goods be distributed among people? What role does money play in the establishment of just states? How important is Justice? If we commit injustices are we unjust people?    

    book philosophy aristotle justice how aristotle's nicomachean ethics
    Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book 4: Philosophy by the Book Episode 65

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2018 13:25


    What is pride? What is liberality? Are their virtues associated with just hanging out with friends?    

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    Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics Book 3: Philosophy by the Book Episode 65

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2018 18:04


    What is courage? Are there things that seem like courage but which aren't courage? How can we determine what actions are truly voluntary?

    Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics Book 2: Philosophy by the Book Episode 64

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2018 15:07


    How does one become excellent? Is one good because he does good things? Or does one do good things because he is good? Can someone do good but not be good?

    Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics Book 1: Philosophy by the Book Episode 63

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2018 20:13


    What is the purpose of life and how can we achieve it? How is our current state of mind affected by our past actions? What is the nature of happiness? 

    Mill's On Liberty Part 2: Philosophy by the Book Episode 62

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2017 19:27


    To what extent can the state interfere justly with the actions of an individual? Why is individuality important in the first place?    

    Mill's On Liberty Part 1: Philosophy by the Book Episode 61

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2017 19:17


    Why is it important to allow others to voice their ideas? Is societal suppression of speech even worse than formal legal oppression? When can we be sure that our ideas are correct?

    Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding Part 2: Philosophy by the Book Episode 60

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2017 26:13


    Do miracles occur? Do animals use reason to learn? Where do we get our idea of necessary connections? Can we draw proof of God's existence from the world around us?  

    Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding part 1: Philosophy by the Book Episode 59

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2017 20:56


    Where do our ideas come from? Why study philosophy? What do we have a reasonable chance of being able to understand?

    Descartes' Meditations Part 2: Philosophy by the Book Episode 58

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2017 16:05


    The physical world exists! How does the mind communicate with the body? How do we commit errors? Is free will real?

    Descartes' Meditations 1-3: Philosophy by the Book Episode 57

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2017 19:23


    Can we be sure of anything? Do we exist? Does God exist?   

    Plato's Critias: Philosophy by the Book Episode 56

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2017 3:48


    The final episode on Plato, see previous episodes for his complete work. The unfinished story of Atlantis.

    Plato's Timaeus: Philosophy by the Book Episode 55

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2017 27:18


    How was the universe created? What is everything made of? Are the things we see real?

    Plato's Laws Book 12 (final): Philosophy by the Book Episode 54

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2017 11:58


    Who watches the watchmen? And who watches them? How do we protect our constitution once our city is set up? The end of Laws. facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook  

    Plato's Laws Book 11: Philosophy by the Book Episode 53

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2017 9:56


    How are we to regulate property? What happens in the event of a citizens death? How are wills to be handled? In a state that values the military so much, how should we treat deserters?  facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Plato's Laws Book 10: Philosophy by the Book Episode 52

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2017 12:46


    Does god exist? And if so, is he good?   facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Plato's Laws Book 9: Philosophy by the Book Episode 51

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2017 15:31


    How should we legislate against crime? What sort of punishments are useful to a perfect society? Are we to focus on retribution or rehabilitation? And what's the goal of all these laws anyway? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Plato's Laws Book 8: Philosophy by the Book Episode 50

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2017 9:27


    How often should our city celebrate festivals? What sort of relationships are to be encouraged among citizens? Are we going to allow foreigners to live in our city? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Plato's Laws Book 7: Philosophy by the Book Episode 49

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2017 11:51


    How are children to be educated? Should they learn music? Literature? Should men and women be educated equally? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Plato's Laws Book 6: Philosophy by the Book Episode 48

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2017 13:44


    How are officers to be appointed in an ideal state? Will slavery be instituted? How is marriage to be regulated? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Plato's Laws Book 5: Philosophy by the Book Episode 47

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2017 10:10


    Now that we know how to frame a law, we start to actually lay some down. What should laws be established for? Who should institute them? Who should rule before rulers are chosen? How do we choose those rulers?

    Plato's Laws Book 4: Philosophy by the Book Episode 46

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2017 9:33


    How should laws be written? Should we accept foreigners into our ideal city? What would government be like if men were ruled by angels? Installment 4 in the Laws. 

    Plato's Laws 3: Philosophy By The Book Episode 45

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2017 10:10


    What is the main goal of the statesman in his creation of laws? Which ancient state best represents monarchy and which democracy?

    Plato's Laws 2: Philosophy by the Book Episode 44

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2017 13:23


    Did you know drinking parties are actually educational?

    Plato's Laws Book 1: Philosophy by the Book Episode 43

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2017 13:32


    If the Republic cannot be followed, how are we to form our laws? What role does drinking have in the public good?    

    Plato's Philebus Part 3: Philosophy by the Book Episode 42

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2016 14:18


    Which is closer to the good? Pleasure? Or Reason?   facebook: http://facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Plato's Philebus Part 2 Philosophy by the Book Episode 41

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2016 15:56


    What are the greatest pleasures? Is a life of knowledge or a life of pleasure the greatest good? Can a life without pain be also free of pleasure?  

    Philebus Part 1: Philosophy by the Book Episode 40

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2016 13:28


    What's better, pleasure or knowledge? Or maybe a mix of both? Are things in the world limited, or unlimited? Or maybe a mix of both? And what does this second set of questions have to do with the first.    

    Statesman Part 2: Philosophy by the Book Episode 39

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2016 13:44


    What exactly does it mean to be a king? And more importantly, what if we can't find a good one? Does it make sense to create laws? And if someone comes along that seems better than the laws, should we follow him?   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook  

    Plato's Statesman part 1: Philosophy by the Book Episode 38

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2016 12:30


    How is a king like a weaver? Are comparisons and simplifications even helpful? And what exactly does a king do?

    Plato's Sophist part 2 Philosophy by the Book Episode 37

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2016 18:29


    Finally we demonstrate if its possible to lie. Turns out that it is. We give a final definition of a sophist as well. 

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 36: Plato's Sophist Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2016 12:27


    What exactly is a Sophist? And how do we go about defining anything for that matter?   Facebook: www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Philosophy by the Book episode 35: Plato's Theaetetus part 3

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2016 6:57


    Is knowledge Justified True Belief? How can we know that we know what knowledge is? Plato's Theaetetus part 3, final.   facebook :  https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 34: Plato's Theaetetus part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2016 10:29


    Is knowledge true judgement? Or is there still a little something missing? Is your soul more of a block of wax or an aviary full of birds? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 33: Plato's Theaetetus Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2016 23:53


    This week we begin an examination of epistemology as it found its roots in Plato's Theaetetus. This part one episode focuses on the first definition of knowledge found in the Theaetetus, that knowledge is perception. facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 32: Plato's Parmenides

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2016 13:27


    This week we examine problems in the theory of forms in Plato's Parmenides.

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 31: Plato's Republic Book 10

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2016 16:23


    We finish the republic with a discussion of imitative poetry and the myth of Er.

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 30: Plato's Republic book 9

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2016 14:39


    We explore the tyrannical man, the nature of desire, the benefits of justice and the nature of the soul.

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 29: Plato's Republic book 8

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2016 10:25


    We tackle the cycle of constitutions and their corresponding individuals in Plato's Republic book 8. 

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 28: Plato's Republic Book7

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2016 14:02


    The cave!   facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 27: Plato's Republic Book 6

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2016 14:06


    This week we explore the famous divided line and simile of the ship in Plato's Republic book 6. facebook: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogy_of_the_divided_line

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 26: Plato's Republic Book 5

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2016 17:59


    This week we tackle Plato's Republic book 5, which deals with the role of women in an ideal society and begins a discussion on philosopher kings.   facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 25: Plato's Republic Book 4

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2016 14:03


    This week we finish fleshing out our ideal city and finally figure out just what justice is.

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 24: Plato's Republic Book 3

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2016 17:06


    This week we finish up our discussion on best education for a city's rulers in Plato's Republic Book 3 and start to examine some of the structures of our perfect city. facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 23: Plato's Republic Book 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2016 18:37


    This week we discuss the ring of Gyges, the origin of war and the foundation of cities in Plato's Republic Book 2.

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 22: Plato's Republic Book 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2016 18:53


    Today we begin our examination of Plato's Republic starting with book 1 considering the nature and worth of justice. 

    Philosophy by the Book Episode 21: Plato's Phaedrus

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2016 26:46


    Plato's Phaedrus is a great literary work concerning itself with the nature of love and the use of rhetoric. Socrates gives a defense of the virtues both of being in love and not being so and determines whether or not its worth writing down your thoughts or speeches. facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

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