The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
Lobel Center for Jewish Classical Education
Welcome to The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind, a podcast that tells the story of the prophets, philosophers, and poets who created the West.
In this podcast, Rabbi Dr. Mitchell Rocklin guides listeners through more than 3,000 years of Western history, offering a coherent, civilizational story of how the West came to be—along with a deepened understanding of the challenges it now faces. While many of the texts discussed will be familiar to students of the humanities, Rabbi Rocklin offers a new framework for understanding them—a framework in which the teachings of the Jewish religious tradition play a central role. For, as Rabbi Rocklin explains, Western civilization can only be understood as the product of a transformative and ongoing collision between the great traditions of Jerusalem and Athens—between the religious spirit of the Jews and the philosophical spirit of the Greeks.
In this podcast, Rabbi Dr. Mitchell Rocklin guides listeners through more than 3,000 years of Western history, offering a coherent, civilizational story of how the West came to be—along with a deepened understanding of the challenges it now faces. While many of the texts discussed will be familiar to students of the humanities, Rabbi Rocklin offers a new framework for understanding them—a framework in which the teachings of the Jewish religious tradition play a central role. For, as Rabbi Rocklin explains, Western civilization can only be understood as the product of a transformative and ongoing collision between the great traditions of Jerusalem and Athens—between the religious spirit of the Jews and the philosophical spirit of the Greeks.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 2, 2025 • 41min
Plato's Dialogues: Crito, Phaedo, Euthyphro, Symposium, and the Laws
The questions that animate the spirit of the west can be found in Plato’s dialogues. As we discuss five of them, Rabbi Rocklin will walk us through the following questions: How is Socrates’ refusal to escape an act of justice? According to Socrates, how does the philosophic life prepare someone for death What is the difference between the Greek and Jewish notions of love?
Dec 31, 2024 • 27min
Plato's Apology II: The Un-Apologetic Philosopher
In his closing arguments, Socrates will continue to insist that the unexamined life is not worth living. In exploring that issue, we’ll address the following questions: How does Socrates try to convince the jury that it is their loss if he is put to death? Why would Socrates refuse to beg the jury for his life? How does Socrates see himself as a Greek hero? Recommended Reading: Plato. The Last Days of Socrates: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo. Translated by H. Tredennick and H. Tarrant. New York: Penguin, 2003.
Dec 26, 2024 • 33min
Plato’s Apology I: Philosophy Under Fire
The death of Socrates sets off a new phase in the world of philosophy. In today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions: How is Socrates’ death a continuation of the traditional Greek tragedy? Why is winning his case not a priority for Socrates? How does Socrates define wisdom? Recommended Reading: Plato. The Last Days of Socrates: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo. Translated by H. Tredennick and H. Tarrant. New York: Penguin, 2003.
Dec 24, 2024 • 40min
Plato's Republic II: The Individual vs. Society
Our study of Plato’s Republic continues with Socrates’ remarkable insight into human nature. Rabbi Rocklin will walk us through the following questions: To Socrates, what is the relationship between the form of government in a city and the ideal man within that city? How does Socrates imagine cities transitioning from one form of government to another? What does Socrates see as the potential dangers of the liberties that come along with a democratic society? Recommended Reading: Plato. The Republic. Trans. Allan Bloom. New York: Basic Books, 1968.
Dec 19, 2024 • 32min
Plato's Republic I: On Justice, Truth, and Wisdom
Plato’s Republic is one of the most foundational texts in the western canon. To help us unpack why that is, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions: What was Socrates’ goal in this very long conversation with his students How does the individual fit into Socrates’ “city in speech”? What is the role of knowledge in the pursuit of the good and the true? Recommended Reading: Plato. The Republic. Trans. Allan Bloom. New York: Basic Books, 1968.
Dec 17, 2024 • 29min
Intro to Philosophy: Its Birth in Athens
Athens’ contributions to the development of the west would be vastly incomplete without its invention of philosophy. Today, Rabbi Rocklin will walk us through the following questions: What is philosophy and why did it develop as a discipline? Is there any truth to the notion that philosophy is necessarily sacrilegious What made Socrates different than the philosophers who came before him such that Socrates is considered the father of philosophy?
Dec 12, 2024 • 35min
A Lasting Legacy: Greek Poetry and Drama
The grandeur of Greek thought is captured in the heart of Greek tragedy. On today’s episode, we’lll explore the following questions: To the Greek, what was the purpose of poetry? What was its relationship to prophecy How does Greek drama develop from poetry? What makes Greek tragedy so compelling that it lives on to today?
Dec 10, 2024 • 38min
Thucydides: The History of the Peloponnesian Wars
Thucydides takes one step beyond Herodotus in his approach to history. As we read his account of the Peloponnesian Wars, we’ll address the following questions: What is the difference between Thucydides’ tragic perspective of the Peloponnesian Wars and the Homerian tragedy? How does Thucydides’ description of Athenian devotion to the polis highlight a fundamental difference between Greeks and Jews? According to Thucydides in his recounting of Pericles’ funeral oration, why should the Greek choose to do the right thing? Recommended Reading: Thucydides. On Justice, Power, and Human Nature. Translated and edited by Paul Woodruff. Indianapolis: Hackett Classics, 1993.
Dec 5, 2024 • 28min
Fifth-Century Athens: A Time of War and Culture
Not even the Peloponnesian Wars could stop the continued development of culture in Athens. On today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin will walk us through the following questions: Why did Athens and Sparta start warring with each other? How did fifth-century Athens cultivate Greek thought so that the spirit of inquiry became the hallmark of Greek intellectuals? What made Thucydides different from Herodotus if they were both historians?
Dec 3, 2024 • 40min
Herodotus: The Greek Invention of History
Herodotus is sometimes called the “father of history,” because he fundamentally changed the way humanity viewed its own story. As we read Herodotus, we’ll uncover answers to the following questions: Why did Herodotus decide to write history? What made it different than other stories that had been written until then? How does Herodotus’ including the Persian perspective reflect a particularly Greek way of thinking? What does it mean when we say that the Greek culture is concerned with culture? Recommended Reading: Herodotus. The Histories. Trans. Aubrey de Sélincourt. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003.
