Tagged: philosophy

J.R.R. Tolkien

Books and Reading / Theology

The Purpose of Life According to J.R.R. Tolkien

In 1969, Camilla Unwin, daughter of publisher Rayner Unwin, asked J.R.R. Tolkien to help her with a school project by giving an answer to the question, “What is the purpose of life?” After a fairly lengthy letter, Tolkien gets to the heart of his response: “So it may be said that the chief purpose of life, for any one of us, is to increase according to our capacity our knowledge of God by all the means we have, and to be moved by it to praise and thanks.”...

Plato

Books and Reading

A Second Reading of Plato’s Crito

On my second reading of Crito, I think I see Socrates’ arguments, but I am not sure about their universal application. He argues that since he has been lawfully tried and found guilty, he would be wrong to try and escape. This would do harm to the laws, validate the jury’s opinion of him as a bad influence on the youth, and make him a fugitive. Would it really harm the laws? Or would it simply be an indictment against the jury? On the other hand, Socrates’ escape...

Socrates

Books and Reading

Random Thoughts on The Apology of Socrates by Plato

It has been about two and a half years since I last read The Apology of Socrates, and I have taken a more methodical approach to reading it this time. It seems to me that the real essence of the Apology is the question, “What is wisdom?” Is it wise to continue to defy the authorities and be put to death? I think Socrates would say yes, as long as you are doing the good. Several times he said he would rather be poor or even die rather...