On Public
We live in a time when the divisions between what is public and what is private are rapidly dissolving, to the extent that many are re-posing the question of what our personal lives are even for. The desire to be in public, to be seen, to be regarded, can occupy our mentality at seemingly every moment. This series aims to address what it means to be in public, to speak in public, and therefore to be a responsible part of a community.
Featured Podcasts
Episode 8: Public Series Intro
We live in a time when the divisions between what is public and what is private are rapidly dissolving, to the extent that many are re-posing the question of what our personal lives are even for. The desire to be in public, to be seen, to be regarded, can occupy our mentality at seemingly every moment. This series aims to address what it means to be in public, to speak in public, and therefore to be a responsible part of a community.
Episode 9: Gorgias-Plato
The Gorgias is a dialogue in which Socrates warns against the dangers of sophistry, or slippery rhetoric. He accepts many challengers, turning their objections back onto themselves, causing the interlocutor to refute his own argument. It is a foundational text of rhetorical studies.
Episode 10: Gorgias-Interview
An interview on philosophy, Socrates, and Plato's Gorgias with Professor Agnes Callard of the University of Chicago.
Episode 12: Cicero-De Oratore
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BCE) was arguably the greatest intellectual and statesman of the Roman era. He was a key opponent of Julius Caesar, and his work on the art of oration, and his orations themselves, continue to instruct anyone who wishes to speak against propaganda and authoritarian rule.
Episode 13: Caesar-Commentaries
Gaius Julius Caesar (100–44 BCE) is regarded as one of the most effective military generals in human history. His conquest of Gaul propelled him into the national spotlight, providing him the platform he needed to establish himself as a supreme leader. Despite what we learn about him and school (and how we learn about him), his biography should be a cautionary tale about power and betrayal.
