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Seven ancient philosophers are transported to the 21st century, and they find themselves together in a fancy nightclub: Aristippus, Aristotle, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Plato, Protagoras, and Socrates. The following conversation develops between them. Can you identify the name of each philosopher?
PHILOSOPHER 1 (Aristippus): Oh, wow, a nightclub full of pleasures! Beer, dancing, wild music to excite my adrenaline. That’s what I call the good life!
PHILOSOPHER 2 (Marcus Aurelius): Careful now, don’t be a slave of your passions. What about your inner peace, and your duties to society? Don’t you want to exercise your free will and overcome your passions?
PHILOSOPHER 1 (Aristippus): But I love my passions! The hell with your duties. What matters is NOW – pleasure, pleasure, and more pleasure.
PHILOSOPHER 3 (Epicurus): Pleasure – yes, but not too much excitement please. Your intense pleasure gives me a headache. It agitates my soul. I prefer a quieter sort of pleasure. Come, friends, let us sit quietly outside this noisy place and enjoy the calmness. We don’t need excitement, it’s enough that we feel no pain, especially in the company of friends.
PHILOSOPHER 4 (Aristotle): Hey, let’s not exaggerate here, let’s not go to extremes. Not too much excitement, not too little excitement, that’s what I say. Let’s keep our mind balanced, and find the middle way.
PHILOSOPHER 5 (Socrates): Just a minute everybody, not so fast. Let’s first reflect and examine what we are doing. Without self-examination, nothing is worth anything. Let’s start, then: Who can suggest a definition of “excitement”?
PHILOSOPHER 1 (Aristippus): But where is the fun? I love beer, I love food, I love wild dancing!
PHILOSOPHER 6 (Plato): No, you only THINK you love beer and dancing. You don’t realize that there are higher things to love. When you think you love good beer, you actually love beer- ness in general, you love the goodness of beer, you love goodness, you love the absolute Good.
PHILOSOPHER 7 (Protagoras): Nonsense, man. There is no such thing as absolute. Everything is just opinions. You may convince him, or he may convince you, but if you are smart enough, you can convince anybody in anything.
PHILOSOPHER 3 (Epicurus): Once again, is anybody coming with me outside? I’d like to sit in the garden – but not alone. We can sit peacefully and philosophize.
Seven ancient philosophers are transported to the 21st century, and they find themselves together in a fancy nightclub: Aristippus, Aristotle, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Plato, Protagoras, and Socrates. The following conversation develops between them. Can you identify the name of each philosopher?PHILOSOPHER 1 (Aristippus): Oh, wow, a nightclub full of pleasures! Beer, dancing, wild music to excite my adrenaline. That’s what I call the good life!
PHILOSOPHER 2 (Marcus Aurelius): Careful now, don’t be a slave of your passions. What about your inner peace, and your duties to society? Don’t you want to exercise your free will and overcome your passions?
PHILOSOPHER 1 (Aristippus): But I love my passions! The hell with your duties. What matters is NOW – pleasure, pleasure, and more pleasure.
PHILOSOPHER 3 (Epicurus): Pleasure – yes, but not too much excitement please. Your intense pleasure gives me a headache. It agitates my soul. I prefer a quieter sort of pleasure. Come, friends, let us sit quietly outside this noisy place and enjoy the calmness. We don’t need excitement, it’s enough that we feel no pain, especially in the company of friends.
PHILOSOPHER 4 (Aristotle): Hey, let’s not exaggerate here, let’s not go to extremes. Not too much excitement, not too little excitement, that’s what I say. Let’s keep our mind balanced, and find the middle way.
PHILOSOPHER 5 (Socrates): Just a minute everybody, not so fast. Let’s first reflect and examine what we are doing. Without self-examination, nothing is worth anything. Let’s start, then: Who can suggest a definition of “excitement”?
PHILOSOPHER 1 (Aristippus): But where is the fun? I love beer, I love food, I love wild dancing!
PHILOSOPHER 6 (Plato): No, you only THINK you love beer and dancing. You don’t realize that there are higher things to love. When you think you love good beer, you actually love beer- ness in general, you love the goodness of beer, you love goodness, you love the absolute Good.
PHILOSOPHER 7 (Protagoras): Nonsense, man. There is no such thing as absolute. Everything is just opinions. You may convince him, or he may convince you, but if you are smart enough, you can convince anybody in anything.
PHILOSOPHER 3 (Epicurus): Once again, is anybody coming with me outside? I’d like to sit in the garden – but not alone. We can sit peacefully and philosophize.