I'm much too old, sick, age 77, to have any hope of doing much with Plutarch's Lives, but the interest is here. Earlier I could have realistically aspired to do so.
What 3 or 4 would you recommend?
I'm a early retired internist general internist making myself useful in unaffiliated community development, sometimes medically related, here in Honduras xv25 years. Single pat of 3 generational family.
We are both are too complex to even WANT to be clones of anyone, but I love to hear you think. Intellectually loneliness, only partially assuage bt many self directed studies X 50 YEARS.
I don't have a reading buddy. Mine are long passed away
One part that really stood out to me was, "Plutarch’s biographies were morally charged. He did not reject facts, nor make fabrications, but he subordinated historical narrative to moral intelligibility."
I've been thinking for many years about the purpose of history. I, too, was trained to aspire for objectivity, while acknowledging that I would inevitably have bias (but this seen as a generally negative thing). This wasn't very satisfying to me, since I found it difficult to explain why I would do history at all, in that case, apart from pure personal enjoyment and interest.
When I became a Christian, though, this didn't make sense to me. Yes, I wanted to get as close as possible to the facts of the matter, and sometimes bias can get in the way, but as you pointed out, Sean, history is not meant to be pursued for "the facts" alone. History must be morally intelligible. It must be "ordered toward the formation of the soul." Great stuff!
Thanks Christopher! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I think the faith does a wonderful job in elucidating that need for formation of soul. That seems to be the basis we seek truth in the first place, to know, love, and form ourselves in accordance with the Good.
I was looking for a reading like this for ages, that sees history in an unmodern way and actually says something about wisdom. I’m going to Amazon now. Thanks a lot!
Historians in the United States today are anything but objective. According to current historians, the United States is a predatory nation founded and governed by greedy and racist white men who enriched themselves through the use of slave labor, genocide, conquest, and the confiscation of other people’s homelands. Objective? Hardly.
As was I at 17 haha. You can’t force it if he doesn’t want to, but I’ve found two things helpful in general:
1. Illustrating how books help someone attain what they really after (ie “read this book and it will help you achieve X in life like you’ve always wanted”)
2. Continue to be an avid reader yourself. The more you love and internalize the great books, the more everyone around you will be attracted to reading cuz they’ll feel (and want) the same passion you have
I'm much too old, sick, age 77, to have any hope of doing much with Plutarch's Lives, but the interest is here. Earlier I could have realistically aspired to do so.
What 3 or 4 would you recommend?
I'm a early retired internist general internist making myself useful in unaffiliated community development, sometimes medically related, here in Honduras xv25 years. Single pat of 3 generational family.
We are both are too complex to even WANT to be clones of anyone, but I love to hear you think. Intellectually loneliness, only partially assuage bt many self directed studies X 50 YEARS.
I don't have a reading buddy. Mine are long passed away
Hey David! Thanks for the kind words my good sir. If you were to pick 3/4, I'd go with these guys from Plutarch's Lives:
Pericles
Nicias
Alcibiades
Lysander
They're all highly esteemed Greeks who will give you a deep appreciation of the Peloponnesian War and the Golden Age of Athens!
Thanks for writing this, Sean!
One part that really stood out to me was, "Plutarch’s biographies were morally charged. He did not reject facts, nor make fabrications, but he subordinated historical narrative to moral intelligibility."
I've been thinking for many years about the purpose of history. I, too, was trained to aspire for objectivity, while acknowledging that I would inevitably have bias (but this seen as a generally negative thing). This wasn't very satisfying to me, since I found it difficult to explain why I would do history at all, in that case, apart from pure personal enjoyment and interest.
When I became a Christian, though, this didn't make sense to me. Yes, I wanted to get as close as possible to the facts of the matter, and sometimes bias can get in the way, but as you pointed out, Sean, history is not meant to be pursued for "the facts" alone. History must be morally intelligible. It must be "ordered toward the formation of the soul." Great stuff!
Thanks Christopher! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I think the faith does a wonderful job in elucidating that need for formation of soul. That seems to be the basis we seek truth in the first place, to know, love, and form ourselves in accordance with the Good.
I was looking for a reading like this for ages, that sees history in an unmodern way and actually says something about wisdom. I’m going to Amazon now. Thanks a lot!
Thrilled to hear! Plutarch’s Lives is perfect. Happy reading 🙌
This is spectacular! Thanks for this! I will definitely make sure to get myself a copy of Plutarch's Lives. Again, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! And pumped to hear about you getting Plutarch, it’s a life changing read 🙌
Historians in the United States today are anything but objective. According to current historians, the United States is a predatory nation founded and governed by greedy and racist white men who enriched themselves through the use of slave labor, genocide, conquest, and the confiscation of other people’s homelands. Objective? Hardly.
How do I get my 17 year old son to read it?
Does he already enjoy reading books as is? Or is he new to reading?
He is reading resistant
As was I at 17 haha. You can’t force it if he doesn’t want to, but I’ve found two things helpful in general:
1. Illustrating how books help someone attain what they really after (ie “read this book and it will help you achieve X in life like you’ve always wanted”)
2. Continue to be an avid reader yourself. The more you love and internalize the great books, the more everyone around you will be attracted to reading cuz they’ll feel (and want) the same passion you have
I’m trying a third option, bribery to read the Federalist Papers but, I will definitely continue with one and two. Thank you for the advice
There's a "Children's Plutarch" by Gould that's actually pretty entertaining even for adults.
Recommended translation?