Crito And Glaucon - Podcast Details

Shows

Mind & DesireEpisode 27 - A Few Bits Of Advice About Platonic DialoguesI am planning on teaching a class on Plato's dialogues, at least certain of them, before too long. And so I've kind of got Plato on the brain, you might say. And I've been thinking for quite a long time about how to productively read platonic dialogues, whether you're doing so for a class or just your own edification and personal development and study. And I've got a few ideas that I'd like to share with you.And I don't claim to be some sort of high-level Plato expert who's got all of the answers about this...2025-03-0214 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Artificial Intelligence: Part 2, Conversations with ChatGPTTwitter - https://twitter.com/CritoGlaucon This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself - Chief Seattle of the Duwamish and Suquamish In our second of two episodes on Artificial Intelligence (AI), we look at what it’s like to have conversations with ChatGPT and AI. We compare its functionality and use at...2023-04-251h 13

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Artificial Intelligence: Part 1, The Basics and Future of AITwitter - https://twitter.com/CritoGlaucon Man is condemned to be free because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. It's up to you to give life a meaning - Jean-Paul Sartre In our first of two episodes on Artificial Intelligence (AI), we look at what AI has been in the past, what it is currently, and what it could be in the future. We also discuss whether AI can learn things, experience time, and what AI may be telling us about what it means to exist. We...2023-03-2859 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Marcus Aurelius: His Life and MeditationsTwitter - https://twitter.com/CritoGlaucon The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality - Dante Alighieri In our forth episode on the Stoics, we enter into the world of Marcus Aurelius. A name that many have undoubtedly heard of, but can sometimes be misunderstood or overlooked amidst a packed Roman Emperor pool. But Marcus was different. He was a rare breed of Philosopher-Emperor and someone who, in the face of constant change, uncertainty, and restraint found freedom, happiness, and peace. He documented his inner...2023-03-2059 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Lucius Annaeus Seneca: Part 2, On the Shortness of LifeTwitter - https://twitter.com/CritoGlaucon Ah, fill the cup: What boots it to repeat how time is slipping underneath our feet: Unborn tomorrow and dead yesterday, why fret about them if today be sweet - Omar Khayyam In this third of our four episodes on the Stoics, we continue our discussion of Seneca. We speak on excerpts from various chapters on one of his most well-known essays, "On the Shortness of Life." In it, we see Seneca continue emphasizing the importance of friendship, of living in the present moment, and not placing importance on...2023-03-061h 23

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Lucius Annaeus Seneca: Part 1, The Life of Seneca and Letters from a StoicTwitter - https://twitter.com/CritoGlaucon Railing against the past will not heal us. History has happened, it's over and done with. All we can do is to change its course by encouraging what we love, instead of destroying what we don't - Arundhati Roy In this second of four episodes on the Stoics, we introduce Lucius Annaeus Seneca. Seneca, like Marcus Aurelius as we will learn in later episodes, had a life that an outsider may view as incredibly privileged, but was very restrained and difficult for someone trying to live a Stoic life...2023-02-091h 14

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Introduction to Stoicism: Zeno, Chrysippus, and Epictetus' EnchiridionTwitter - https://twitter.com/CritoGlaucon How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world - Anne Frank We venture into the world of Stoicism in this first episode of four in a mini-Stoicism series. We begin with the story of Zeno of Citium, one of the first Stoics. We then touch on Chrysippus and his many contributions, before discussing Epictetus’ Enchiridion at length. The Stoic handbook, like the Dhammapada or Dao De Jing, begin to form a new way of looking at things. A perspective that pr...2023-01-3047 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Baruch de Spinoza Part Four: Ethics Part II, The Mind, Emotions, and EthicsTwitter - https://twitter.com/CritoGlaucon It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong - Voltaire The fourth episode of our four-part series on Baruch de Spinoza picks up where we left off with the last episode, and finishes our examination of his Ethics. Specifically, this episode focuses on parts two through five. After understanding how Spinoza viewed God in our last episode, we then look at how he viewed the individual within the universe, or substance. We picked up our prior discussions of the monism...2022-10-031h 01

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Baruch de Spinoza Part Three: Ethics Part I, God, Nature, and SubstanceTwitter - https://twitter.com/CritoGlaucon It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion, it is easy in solitude to live after our own, but the great man is he, who in the midst of the crowd, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude - Ralph Waldo Emerson The third episode of our four-part series on Baruch de Spinoza takes a close look at his Ethics, and specifically focuses on the first part of the five parts within the literary and philosophical work. His idea of God, or as he r...2022-09-061h 00

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Baruch de Spinoza Part Two: The Emendation of the IntellectTwitter - https://twitter.com/CritoGlaucon There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self - Ernest Hemingway The second episode of our four-part series on Baruch de Spinoza is a continuation of his key philosophical ideas and his ideas regarding epistemology. We've selected excerpts of the text to help highlight Spinoza's thought process, and how he starts from being hesitant to give up certain things for an uncertain good and concludes by demonstrating there can be no other way to reach the...2022-08-161h 03

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Baruch de Spinoza Part One: His Life and PhilosophyWe can judge our progress by the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers, our willingness to embrace what is true rather than what feels good - Carl Sagan We begin the first episode of a four-part series on Baruch de Spinoza, a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese origin and one of the great rationalists of early modern philosophy. In our first episode, we recount his life and some of the key events that would go on to shape his philosophy and relationship with religion, rational thought, and God. One such event was his excommunication...2022-07-2241 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The I-Ching Part Two: Hexagrams and Simulation TheoryReason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have any relation to reality at all - G. K. Chesterton In this episode we continue our discussion of Chinese philosophy, and specifically the I-Ching as our second episode in the two-part series. We examine a variety of different hexagrams and look at what they tell us of reality, social interactions, and the good. We also look at how hexagrams can change, and what the I-Ching’s ability to capture this change could mean. Simulation theory is also discussed, bu...2022-05-021h 05

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The I-Ching Part One: Fu Xi, Nü Wa, and Ancient Cosmological Theories of the UniverseNever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has - Margaret Mead In this episode we continue our discussion of Chinese philosophy and look at the I-Ching through a two-part series of discussions. We start by discussing the three principal cosmological theories of the universe in ancient Chinese thought, i.e., Tai Ji (Yin and Yang), Wu Xing (Five Elements), and Ba Gua (Eight Trigrams), and work our way towards the foundations of the I-Ching and the legend of Fu Xi and Nü W...2022-04-1147 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Dao De Jing: Lao Zi and the Way of the DaoIt is difficult to find happiness within oneself, but it is impossible to find it anywhere else – Arthur Schopenhauer In this episode we discuss Lao Zi, an ancient Chinese philosopher, and the Dao De Jing, a combined literary work of 5,000 characters comprising 81 chapters or poems. We also note the meaning within the naming of “Dao De Jing,” as well as possible origins of the book. Our discussion looks at five chapters within the Dao De Jing and demonstrates their applicability today and their instructiveness for tomorrow. Topics covered include environmentalism, virtue, universal values, the search for the Dao, a...2022-03-1450 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Phaedo: Socrates In His Final MomentsIf you wish to glimpse inside a human soul, and get to know a man, don’t bother analyzing his ways of being silent or of talking, of weeping, of seeing how much he is moved by noble ideas. You will get better results if you just watch him laugh. If he laughs well, he’s a good man – Fyodor Dostoevsky In this episode we discuss Plato's Phaedo, one of his most notable works. In this episode, we lay out the four arguments Socrates puts forth before he dies. The first is the Cyclical Argument, then the Theory...2022-02-2354 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Symposium Part Two: Agathon, Socrates, and AlcibiadesPain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth - Fyodor Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment) In this episode we continue our discussion as the second part, in a two part series, of Plato's Symposium. As we mentioned in the first part, the Symposium consists of a gathering of people, including Socrates in this instance, who took turns giving speeches devoted to the God of Love, Eros. Each person would go around giving their own take on what they believe love...2022-01-161h 00

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Symposium Part One: Phaedrus, Pausanias, Eryximachus, and AristophanesMetaphysics is a dark ocean without shores or lighthouse, strewn with many a philosophic wreck - Immanuel Kant In this episode we begin discussing the first part, in a two part series, Plato's Symposium. The Symposium consists of a gathering of people, including Socrates in this instance, who took turns giving speeches devoted to the God of Love, Eros. Each person would go around giving their own take on what they believe love is and how that relates to the God of Love, with each similar, but importantly different from the speech before it. We discuss issues...2021-12-1552 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Plato's Republic: Book 10, The Myth of Er and Buddhist ReincarnationEverything has been figured out, except how to live - Jean-Paul Sartre In this episode we revisit the Republic by Plato, specifically book 10 and discuss the Myth of Er. This myth is posed by Plato as a way to describe a possibility for the afterlife and a general discussion about reincarnation, free will, determinism, and the universe as a force holding all those things together. We also briefly contrast it with the Buddhist notion of reincarnation. These topics will also appear in greater detail in future episodes. Always feel free to let us know what...2021-11-0149 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Socratic Dialogue of MenoThe reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of past centuries - Rene Descartes This episode is a continuation of our discussion of Socrates and centers around the Socratic dialogue of Meno. The question posed by Meno is whether virtue is taught, acquired by practice, or whether it comes by nature, and Socrates uses a mathematic puzzle to answer the question. We discuss the dialogue, its broader context, its relevance, and how it ties into the episodes and topics previously mentioned on the podcast. It also provides an answer to Meno's Paradox...2021-10-1843 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Trial and Death of Socrates: The CritoHappiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence - Aristotle In this episode we continue our discussion the trial and death of Socrates. We pick up from the Apology of Socrates and discuss the Crito. Crito was a wealthy friend of Socrates who sought to help him escape from prison. This dialogue is a well-written exchange between the two over the moral implications of escaping and the role of the individual within the state. There is a brief discussion on whether or not the Crito is compatible with...2021-09-1628 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Trial and Death of Socrates: The ApologySpace and time are the framework within which the mind is constrained to construct its experience of reality - Immanuel Kant In this episode we begin discussing the trial and death of Socrates. It begins with the Euthyphro, which we have previously addressed, and then picks up with the Apology of Socrates. It is better understood as Socrates's legal defense to the two charges of impiety and corruption of the youth, rather than Socrates apologizing. We talk about some of the arguments put forward by Socrates, in response to the charges, as well as...2021-09-0852 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Voltaire, Candide, and Critiques of Leibniz's Best of All Possible WorldsIn so far as the mind sees things in their eternal aspect, it participates in eternity. - Baruch Spinoza In this episode we speak about Voltaire and specifically his satirical literary work "Candide," as a response to our previous episode on Leibniz. We start off with an overview of Candide, and from there we discuss themes of the work, its applicability in other areas we have discussed on the podcast, and also how Leibniz might respond to this critique. We also discuss some of the critiques of Candide, and whether or not those critiques hold up. Voltaire...2021-06-2133 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: His Life, Works, and The Best of All Possible WorldsThis is the best of all possible worlds. - Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz In this episode, we introduce Leibniz. We begin speaking of his many achievements and contributions to the world, and also give some background to the other rationalists with whom he was a part of. We consider his principles, theory of monads, and how his faith was instrumental in both his rational thought and his thoughts of metaphysics. We briefly discuss free will and his thoughts on God's role in the world. In the next episode we will consider Voltaire and his view on Leibniz's thoughts...2021-06-0132 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Objections to St. Anselm and Plantinga's Ontological Argument from Gaunilo, Immanuel Kant, and Thomas Aquinas...no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous, than the fact which it endeavors to establish. David Hume In this episode, we consider objections and critiques to the ontological argument, as set out by St. Anselm/Plantinga. We specifically look at Gaunilo's response, as well as critiques by Kant and Aquinas. In response to St. Anselm, there have been many interesting points made over the years, and the topic also highlights the rationalist vs. empiricist debate in the renaissance. In the next episode, we will...2021-05-1728 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...St. Anselm and Plantinga: The Ontological Argument for the Existence of GodEvery man is a creature of the age in which he lives and few are able to raise themselves above the ideas of the time - Voltaire In this episode, we look at St. Anselm's ontological argument for the existence of God put forth in 1077. The version we examine is Alvin Plantinga's because it is better structured for discussion. It seeks to prove the existence of God through deductive argument using a reductio ad absurdum form of argument. This argument can also be seen as an extension of our discussion of Descartes, and his efforts to prove the existence of...2021-04-2627 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Descartes's Fourth Meditation: Truth, Falsity, and DualismBe a philosopher, but amidst all your philosophy, be still, a man - David Hume In this fourth episode of our Descartes series, we closely examine the ideas of truth and falsity, as proposed by Descartes. We also consider the compelling notion of Dualism he sets forth. We start to see the formation of the rationalist and empiricists positions clearly, as well as the split between idealism and materialism. We see how Descartes uses the idea of dualism to put forth his ideas for Christianity and the independence of the soul, as his mind is a res cogitans, or a...2021-04-1234 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Descartes's Third Meditation: Cosmological Proof of the Existence of GodHappiness is not the reward of virtue, but is virtue itself; nor do we delight in happiness because we restrain from our lusts; but on the contrary, because we delight in it, therefore we are able to restrain them - Baruch Spinoza In this third episode of our Descartes series, we take a close look at his third meditation, and in this Meditation Descartes presents his cosmological, rational existence of God. This argument is of particular importance to Descartes and to his Meditations as he is presenting the answer to the previous two Meditations that caused so much doubt. Descartes...2021-03-2230 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Descartes's Second Meditation: Concerning the Nature of the Human MindIn practical life we are compelled to follow what is most probable; in speculative thought we are compelled to follow truth - Baruch Spinoza In this second episode of our Descartes series, we take a close look at his second meditation, which builds off of, and tries to answer to, the first meditation. We pick the story back up where Descartes does not know anything for certain, and he begins seeking for something he can unequivocally know for sure. He then concludes that as a thinking being, his existence is necessary; in other words, to think, one must exist. Cogito...2021-03-0833 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Descartes's First Meditation: Things That Can Be Called Into QuestionIf you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things - Rene Descartes In this first episode of our Descartes series, we take a close look at his first meditation. We also look at his dedicatory letter to the Sorbonne, as it provides both questions and insights into possible motives behind the meditations. We consider as Descartes uses his method of doubt to begin to question categories of things, including the senses, which deceive, whether or not we can know we are dreaming...2021-02-2331 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Republic by Plato: Book Two Part Two, The State and The IndividualI think, therefore I am - Rene Descartes This is our fourth episode in a series of four taking a look at Plato's best-known work, The Republic. We discuss Book Two specifically in this episode, looking at the continued argument for justice, but with a specific focus on the state. Plato responds to the argument put forth in last episode by Glaucon and Adeimantus by drawing parallels between the state and the individual with regards to justice. In many ways, to Plato, the state was a representation of the individual, and it is by looking there, that we can more...2021-02-0740 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Republic by Plato: Book Two Part One, The Ring of Gyges and Glaucon's Challenge to SocratesMan is the measure of all things - Protagoras This is our third episode in a series of four (we recently decided to make Book Two into two episodes) where we will be taking a look at Plato's best-known work, The Republic. We discuss Book Two specifically in this episode, looking at the continued argument for justice, beginning in Book One with Thrasymachus. We start off briefly by discussing the divided line, and knowledge, before moving into The Ring of Gyges - or the ring of invisibility. We discuss how that influences the just and unjust person, and whether or...2021-01-2740 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Republic by Plato: Book Seven, The Allegory of the CaveTo be is to be perceived - George Berkley This is our second episode in a series of three where we will be taking a look at Plato's best-known work, The Republic. We discuss Book Seven specifically in this episode, looking at knowledge, metaphysics, and the allegory of the cave. We also talk about how this information is applicable in looking back, as well as looking forward. Always feel free to let us know what you think, or any episode requests. We would love to hear from you!2021-01-1346 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Republic by Plato: Book One, The Definition of JusticeWhat is rational is actual and what is actual is rational - G. W. F. Hegel This is our first episode in a series of three where we will be taking a look at Plato's best-known work, The Republic. We discuss Book One specifically in this episode, looking at justice, both how it was defined then, as well as now - and whether it can ever be known or realized. We also talk about different takes regarding the book's importance, relevance, and relatability today. We also discuss the three principle forms of government mentioned in Book One, Democracy, Tyranny, and...2020-12-2955 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Virtue: Nicomachean Ethics by AristotleLife must be understood backward. But it must be lived forward - Soren Kierkegaard Here is our second episode exploring virtue, but this time by Aristotle. We discuss the idea of virtue as the mean, and how our subjective views can be understood through an objective metric. We also continue our discussion of courage, and look at how Aristotle defined it, in the context of Alexander the Great.. Join Glaucon and Crito in our discussion of courage, as explained by Aristotle through Nicomachean Ethics. Always feel free to let us know what you think, or any episode requests. We would...2020-12-1440 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Virtue: Laches by PlatoThe brave man is he who overcomes not only his enemies but his pleasures - Democritus Our next two episodes explore virtue, with this episode specifically discussing Plato's view of virtue, as explained through his Laches dialogue. The dialogue explores ideas of courage, bravery, and virtue. We ask whether or not we can ever know the definition of courage, as if we define it too narrowly, it seems to not take into account the full scope of courage, yet too broadly, it seems to encompass the definition of virtue itself. Socrates highlights many important aspects of courage in this dialogue...2020-11-3028 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Utilitarianism, Deontology, and Pragmatic EthicsAs we continue to explore the moral, in this fourth part of the series, we look at utilitarianism. We ask whether the morality of a situation should be consequence-driven, or whether the act itself is determinative of the morality. In examining the trolley problem, and a few examples from Fyodor Dostoevsky's work, we start wondering if utilitarianism can tell us anything at all. We also look to Socrates, and his view of a virtuous life. Join Glaucon and Crito in our discussion of utilitarianism, deontology, and pragmatic ethics. Always feel free to let us know what you think, or any...2020-11-0933 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...The Euthyphro Dilemma and the MoralIn our continued discussion of the moral, we'd like to delve into the Euthyphro Dilemma, as presented in Plato's dialogue Euthyphro. The central question posed is, "Is the pious loved by the Gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the Gods?" We also discuss possible origins of the moral, and how to think about the way conventional thinking approaches this topic. Join Glaucon and Crito in our discussion of the Euthyphro Dilemma and the Moral. Always feel free to let us know what you think, or any episode requests. We would love to...2020-10-2629 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Can Morality Be Relative?In the last episode we discussed if the truth can be relative, can morals? What if an individual were raised by wolves? What is to say about cultures that differ in their values, or maybe more importantly, what about the things that are shared? Join Glaucon and Crito in our discussion of relative vs. objective morality. Always feel free to let us know what you think, or any episode requests. We would love to hear from you!2020-10-0520 min

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...Is The Truth Relative?Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me - Kant On today's episode of Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends, Crito and Glaucon explore whether or not the truth is relative. They discuss what it means to believe something is true versus to know truth, and the contours of objective truth. What would it mean if the truth were relative, find out on this episode.2020-09-2116 min