[Serious] Thomism: Then & Now

[vulcanlogician]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll definitely add them to my 'syllabus' as I said ... but I'm hoping in the long run to read them all... so as soon as I get to the end of this playlist, try and find another, because it is good (to me) to have a discussion of sorts at the end of the reading to cement and clarify the ideas.

It was only only one suggestion. Symposium. The book is a collection of speeches on love given by different members at a party. The best speeches are those of Aristophanes and Socrates. But all of them are good, especially if you want to see how Plato thoroughly explores different takes on the thesis. I read Jowett translations mostly when I started to read Plato. They are fine. But NOT for the Symposium. I can't stress enough how superior the Avo Sharon translation is. If you can't find a Sharon translation cheap, I'll scan my copy in for you. But I can't imagine a used copy is more than 5 bucks. (Probably less.)

It just feels familiar at this point to what we've been covering in this thread, but I haven't really analysed anything yet to see where those similarities lie - that sounds like a fun project for later.

For me, I can't really choose between them at this point; the dialogue form of Plato is definitely very engaging to put it mildly, but Aristotle is very clear and concise in his writing style too, so I appreciate both of them really, in different ways.

Aristotle certainly did the work of "proto-science" before the scientific method was discovered by humankind. He was much more valuable to the ancients for that reason. His ideas are more clear, as well. Plato is trying to get to the bottom of things we still don't fully understand today (politics, the human mind, etc.). Aristotle had things to say on those too, but I consider him less profound.

The thing about Aristotle being a proto-scientist is that he set himself up to become outdated. We still have virtue ethics and things, though. TBH, I have never completed Nicomachean Ethics or any of Aristotle's works. So maybe I'm selling him short.

As for a thread, you'd be surprised how many folks have mentioned Plato round these parts. I may start one just to see what happens. But, as you continue to read Plato, it's nice to be able to bring out cool (or confusing) passages for discussion/exegesis.