Philosophy for Everyman

A patient’s husband at work is an autodidact and we have been enjoying talking a bit about history and philosophy lately. He started, late in life, reading the classics of literature. I’m so impressed with his enthusiasm and energy. Another potential model for my impending retirement.

I guess I’m also somewhat disappointed that he seems to have fallen into the village atheist trap. He is now writing a book How to be a Freethinker. But he’s a decent and engaging person and I look forward to our conversations.

But all this got me to thinking: while I recognize names and know a few details about various philosophers, which ones have I actually read in the original?

In High School we had to read parts of The Republic by Plato. Since then, I’ve read some of Jacques Maritain’s and Etienne Gilson’s works, That was in High School and early youth. In the last twenty years or so there has been very little reading in Philosophy. Mortimer Adler was a guiding light for a while, so I’ve read several of his books.

What have I read lately: Peter Kreeft. His imaginary dialogues are particularly Platonic (creating conversations to illustrate the clash of opposing ideas). And, more often than not, like Plato, he uses Socrates as his primary interlocutor.

And all this thanks to a link from Lex Communis.