Art and Eros
SOCRATES Isn’t it the nature of art to explore the relation between the public and the private? Art turns us inside out, it exhibits what is secret. What goes on inwardly in the soul is the essence of each man, it’s what makes us individual people. The relation between that inwardness and public conduct is morality. How can art ignore it?--Art and Eros
In times of madness, when leaders sound like deranged poodles yipping in the dark night, there is comfort in rational discourse. This makes me smile. Socrates is so pragmatic, sweeping away the illusions of perfection that Plato holds up so dearly like a shield.
And we should thank the gods for great artists who draw away the veil of anxiety and selfishness and show us, even for a moment, another world, a real world, and tell us a little bit of truth. And we should not be too hard on ourselves for being comforted by art. --Art and Eros, Socrates
My take on art: ART is communication. The complexity and nuance of the message is what delineates high art from low art, but watching the characters unravel and explore the tangents in civility was refreshing.
The second dialogue is on religion, such a divisive subject, I'll be reading it shortly.
Above the Gods: A Discussion on Religion
This was interesting and still relevant today. The argument between relativism and absolutism and pageantry versus internal morality.
So long as there’s an uneducated mob, there’s a place for something like religion. - Antagoras
The deification of the state is being forced upon us. I don’t like it – but the alternative is anarchy! - Antagoras
We are not gods, we are absurd limited beings, we live with affliction and chance.- Socrates
Socrates is once again the moderate and Plato the idealist with the fictional characters providing the tapestry that weaves in both philosophers' thoughts. It was an entertaining read and certainly better than 99.9% of what can be viewed on television.
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