“Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.” — Plato Read more fun facts about philosophers. Read more fun facts about Greece.
The Motivation of the Wise and Foolish to Speak
The Tragic Tale of Pythagoras and the Deadly Beans
Pythagoras (c. 570 – c. 495 B.C.) is most-commonly remembered for the geometric formula that bears his name. What is less-well remembered about him is the way beans contributed to his untimely […]
Meet Diogenes: the Man Plato Described as “Socrates Gone Mad”
Diogenes (c. 412 BC – 323 BC) was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy. He urged his followers to live as simply as possible. He may also […]
The Philosopher Who Taught Everyone How to Face Death By Having Everyone Look at His Dead Face
English philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) was the founder of utilitarianism. The philosophy espouses the idea that each one should do the things that will result in the most total happiness. Considering that […]
Franklin’s Cure for Injustice
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” ― Benjamin Franklin Read more great quotes.
One Sure Thing….
“You know nothing for sure…except the fact that you know nothing for sure.” — John F. Kennedy Read more fun facts about President John F. Kennedy. Read fun facts about philosophy and […]
What’s With the Sovereign Citizen Movement?
I spent a good part of my career as a prosecuting attorney. I had been at it long enough to think I had seen and heard just about everything, but one gentleman […]
A Fool and His Chains
Voltaire did not suffer fools gladly, nor did he hold out much hope of freeing them from their foolish condition. The 18th century French writer and philosopher once famously observed, “It is […]
A Birth on the Way to the Burial
Greek philosopher Gorgias of Epirus (c. 485 BC – c. 380 BC) narrowly avoided being buried alive on the first day of his life. Gorgias was born inside his recently-deceased mother’s coffin. […]
This Word for a Tasty Dish is a Real Mouthful
Aristophanes (427 BC – 386 BC) was groundbreaking with his plays. His skills as a satirist and as a keen observer of everyday life led him to give us one of the […]
When You Win By Losing … Or Do You Lose By Winning?
An act of charity by one of the fathers of modern thought led to one of the greatest paradoxes of legal and philosophical history. Protagoras was one of the early great thinkers […]
Quotes, the Universe, and Everything
Douglas Adams, best known as the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, had a talent for expressing the human condition in a profound and entertaining way. Here are a few […]
Professor of Metaphysico— what?
Dr. Pangloss in Voltaire’s book Candide, was a professor of “metaphysico-theologo-cosmonigology.” This is a fictional philosophy that satirizes the optimistic belief that everything is created for the best and will work out […]
To Critique or Not to Critique?
Voltaire wrote of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “It is a vulgar and barbarous drama, which would not be tolerated by the vilest populace of France, or Italy…. One would imagine this piece to be […]
Doctor of UFO’s
In 2008, the University of Melbourne awarded a doctorate in Ufology through their philosophy department. The degree focused on the belief in unidentified flying objects and aliens as a philosophy that many […]
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