Classical Stuff You Should Know

In this episode, we discuss Charles Dickens's "Great Expectations." But you know, if you keep your expectations low, it's harder to be disappointed. I guess, in a way, that's the point of this book.

In this second episode on the Landmark Herodotus, we discuss the exploits of Cyrus the great. You can look forward to: baby swapping, kid kingdom, and blood wine for the dead!

Explore the life of Epictetus, the stoic philosopher who ascended from slavery to influence. Dive into his essential handbook, the Enchiridion, as a guide for virtuous living, and discover its practical wisdom rooted in Stoic philosophy. The discussion highlights the vital distinction between what we can control and what we cannot, along with its implications for our choices and emotions. With a humorous twist, the speakers weave in anecdotes about penguins, making complex ideas accessible and entertaining while reflecting on personal responsibility and emotional resilience.

A literary foil is something in the story that exists to highlight the characteristics of the protagonists. COULD IT BE that literature is a foil for us!? I THINK YES.

The Trolley problem presents a perfect study case from which to look at different ethical viewpoints. But . . . come on. You know you'd pull the lever. It's just the right thing to do.

In 1848, a small group of social philosophers publish a little pamphlet with big wings: The Communist Manifesto. This podcast is about that thing.

In this episode we talk about the differences in theme and construction between the recent (pretty solid) film about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the poem by the same name.

Herodotus put together a pretty stellar history, and the Landmark version is a stellar translation of it. In this episode we discuss the book and several stories from it.

Arthur Brooks, a researcher of happiness at Harvard, has distilled his research about happiness into a simple equation. Want to know how to be happy? Turns out this is the way.

The Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid are all part of one story. That story was common knowledge for the Greeks, but mostly unknown to us moderns. This episode is that story, giving the context necessary for understanding the Iliad, which begins in the middle of things.