Weekend Roundup

What if Aristotle ran Amazon?

Aug 13, 2023

Dear Classical Wisdom Reader,

There’s a wonderful moment in the latest release of our podcast, Classical Wisdom Speaks, where our guest, the philosopher and public speaker Tom Morris, recalls a beautiful interaction from the Iliad.

Glaucus and Diomedes, two warriors on opposing sides of the Trojan War, encounter each other on the battlefield. Yet before they can come to blows, they realize that their respective grandfathers were close friends…

They decide, in the heat of the the battle, that they simply can’t fight each other and must continue their grandparents’ friendship. They swap armour as a sign of solidarity with one another, and walk away friends themselves.

You can watch the podcast HERE.

The specific moment I’m talking about is HERE. Yet make sure to check out the whole podcast, where Tom Morris discusses his unique experience of the intersection of Classics and the world of business.

It’s an especially eye-opening look at two worlds that may not be as far apart as they appear at first glance. Find out what it might be like if Aristotle ran Amazon, or Plato was in charge of Facebook… And how a philosophy talk can be like a Bruce Springsteen concert!

Glaucus and Diomedes swapping armour is an especially striking image in our polarized times. If you’re interested in civility, our upcoming webinar How To Save Democracy will look at the importance of the “civic bargain”.

Featuring Professors Brook Manville and Josiah Ober, who will be offering a guide for democratic renewal, calling on citizens to recommit to a “civic bargain” with one another to guarantee civic rights of freedom, equality, and dignity.

That bargain also requires them to fulfill the duties of democratic citizenship: governing themselves with no “boss” except one another, embracing compromise, treating each other as civic friends, and investing in civic education for each rising generation.

Tracing the long progression toward self-government through four key moments in democracy’s history: Classical Athens, Republican Rome, Great Britain’s constitutional monarchy, and America’s founding, they will compare what worked and what failed in each case... to draw out lessons for how modern democracies can survive and thrive.

That’s on August 31st at Noon EST. If you can’t make the event, make sure to register and we will send you the recording! You can register HERE.

**** Register and you can win a copy of Brook and Josiah’s book: The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives.

Check out the rest of the week’s resources below, including our Roundtable Discussion of the Myth of Atlantis…