Review of Pappas' Plato and the Republic

Plato’s Republic is a challenging book to read and to teach too. There is much there that is generally unfamiliar and new especially when encountering the Republic for the first time. Nickolas Pappas wrote a really good guide book that really helps sort out what is going on in the Republic. The Republic is written as a dialogue. Pappas carefully goes through all the main arguments and offers a very sympathetic reading of Plato. Sometime I felt that he was saying what Plato would have been saying had he wrote in English prose instead of Ancient Greek play.

The book is divided in to three parts. The first part offers some preliminary background material on Plato and the Republic. The second part is the bulk of the book. This goes carefully through the argument of the republic piece by piece. There is first the question about what justice is, and then what it is for. Then it goes through Justice int he city, justice in the soul, politics, metaphysics and epistemology, returning to injustice in the city and soul, and then finally to the question of art. The book is mostly broken up thematically, but at the same time it follows the order of the republic, though it does not follow exactly the breakup of the book in to the ten books as we have it.

The third pat deals with a few general questions that one may have when looking at the whole book. "Is Plato really akin to a modern totalitarian?", "Is Plato's use of the Forms consistent?" "How does Plato relate the various kinds of censorship he advocates?". All of these are things we might inquire about Plato when we are done, and so they make up a small part of the book, the last section.

There is also a good breakdown of the main premises that the Republic uses in its arguments that seem pretty handy.

Pappas' Plato and the Republic is well done. It is a great guide to the Republic, the best I've seen yet, and I daresay even to Plato's work in general. If you are ever studying the Republic or you are intimidated by it, start here. It is extremely rewarding.

(Incidentally, I read the first edition. There is now a second one out and I am pretty sure that it does not differ substantially.)

Paulos correct, but only telling half the story

John Allen Paulos has a history of saying things that while not profound, make an incredible amount of sense. He is someone who has a history of taking a mathematical look at the world, and often hits on really interesting points.

This Article on Intelligent design is a case in point. He pursues a fascinating analogy between the emergence of very efficient free markets and Darwinian evolution. Now when you think about it is not the most profound analogy, they are both things that have naturally emerged. Therefore they naturally have an appearance of efficiency. No one in their right mind would ask who intelligently designed our economy.

Each price is set by market forces. Nothing costs more than people are willing to pay for it. Certainly nothing that any of us use. No one deliberately made sure that every drug store has the toothpaste that most people around there use. If it didn't someone would open up a store that did have it and people would buy their stuff there.

So there is a very clear analogy between an argument for efficiency of free markets and their value, with Darwinian evolution. But here is my problem. Paulos then goes on to marvel that there are all these people who are so anti-Darwin and yet so pro-free market. How could they, he wonders, be so prepared to favor the notion of efficient emerging markets, and yet reject the notion of emergent efficient biological mechanisms.

Now, personally I believe in both - self-organizing markets, and self-organizing biological systems. I think they are both perfectly reasonable explanations for how we get these rather efficient systems, both organic and economic.

But Paulos does not seem at all amazed that there are massive amounts of people out there (mostly called "academics") who think that it is so obvious that the most naive form of Darwinism is true, but vigorously fight and propagandize shamelessly that self-emerging markets are horrible ways to design economic systems, and that the only way to get real efficiency is via central planning.

He does not bother to mention the minions of academics who, since Marx, fought very hard to have an anti-Darwinistic economic notion become mainstream academic thought (at least outside economics departments). And academics, unlike your average anti-Darwinist, should know better.

Paulos is forgetting that analogies are two way streets. Your average academic, if I am not mistaken, thinks that a soviet-style economy, where a central "intelligent" agency simultaneously decided the prices and distribution of millions of goods and services is naturally preferable. There is no spontaneity or emergence in socialist markets, and yet academics have no problem believing that 1) this is the most equitable, and more importantly, 2) this is the most efficient.

So Paulos pointed out a big flaw in the reasoning of those who liked the free market but didn't like Darwinism. He goes so far as to practically mock their inconsistency. But somehow the standard left-wing dogma which is equally inane, goes unmocked. Somehow Darwinism is really the same as free markets, and so anti-Darwinists are dumb. But he feels no need to tell us that the free market is the same as Darwinism and anti-Free marketeers are dumb too. Why can't he say that? It is the natural flip-side.

Somehow when the left and right make the same mistake (which they are both equally dumb for making) only the right gets ridiculed. Sad.

Review of Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to all Creation

One wonders why a book on evolutionary biology would have a blurb on its jacket by Barbara Eherenreich. Seems like a way you would market a pathetic book to people who would rightfully be uninterested in reading about evolutionary biology and thought that reading a $24.00 book with her endoresment would make them more socially aware.

That said, you’d be wrong. I can’t answer to the whys of Ehernreich’s name on the jacket, and reading it will not likely make you more socially aware, but Olivia Judson's Dr. Tatiana's sex advice to all creation was not half bad. I actually enjoyed it. Again, it is not as the front cover proclaims “the definitive guide to the evolutionary biology of sex”, but it is a fun read. (Who the hell decides what goes on dust jackets of books? Though the picture of the two bugs on the front is very pretty.)

Over the course of this popular book we find “letters” to a fictitious advice columnist form all sorts of creatures which allows the author to talk at length about the wide variety of sexual habits and strategies found in nature. It is my guess that most of the examples are from insects, but there is a great deal of other creatures represented.

We find discussions of sexual promiscuity (in males and females), monogamy, creatures who eat their mates before, during and after sex, we find, discussions of aphrodisiacs, rape, battles for mates, creatures who have sex almost in utero, creatures who wait years before having sex, creatures who have one sex two sexes, three sexes and hundreds of sexes. We see why some creatures have little sex and some have a lot.

There are loads of interesting questions there. My personal favorite was the last chapter on virginity, which is why some species have no sex at all.

The book is well grounded in evolutionary theory. There is a clear appreciation for the complexities and also the simplicity of the theory. Everything is presented so as to make sense and be clear. It is a cute read and tells you a lot about an interesting aspect of the diversity of nature. Read it.

PS: To “L” and Christian fundamentalists: please do not complain about the book soley on the grounds that the word “evolution” is mentioned in a discussion of it.

Spotted on Kings Highway

S took this picture on Kings Highway in Brooklyn today.

Apparently there were a few demonstrations there this afternoon. For some reason if all Jews are on one side of an issue, they are on the other. The Neturei Karta believes that God does not want Jewish Soverignty anywhere until a supernatural messiah comes and hands it to us on a silver platter. Since most Jews are pro-soverignty they are against most Jews. So they pretty much side with any issue that is anti most Jews.

Today they were supporting black antisemitism with Farakahan.

It's only McCarthyism when a Republican does it

The American Federation of Teachers, which I either belong to, or just got on their mailing list somehow, has an unusually pathetic magazine with stories about educators and how wonderful their unions is.

This month there is a story about Terry Mulcaire (whose name they couln't even spell right) who was one of the ten professors "targeted" to get a note taped on to his door by the Santa Rosa Junior College Republicans, of Petaluma, CA. The story came complete with a picture of another professor looking like he is imprisoned behind a door with a paper with a big red star attached to it. This was the Jr. College Republicans' Operation Red Scare. The note contained a reminder of an obscure California law outlawing the communist indoctrination of students.

The college's response was swift and sympathetic to the besieged teachers. There was a note of sympathy from the president, and there was a general lambasting of the Jr. Republicans by the faculty senate. (I wish there were transcriptions of the lambasting.) There was a clear mentality that the goal, as the article put it was to "excise liberal thinking from the university".

Yes folks, you read that right. The goal of these people, and something that has academics the world over quivering was, the real threat that liberal thinking might be excised from the campuses partly as a result of ten Jr. College kids who put notes with shiny red stars of some offices. Talk about hysterical.

The president was worried that there is a "right-wing effort to ensure that conservative voices are heard - and many feel, liberal ones squelched - on campus". The horror! Right-wing voices heard on college campuses! Fortunately we have the union sponsored lecture by, Ellen Schrecker, an expert on McCarthyism reminding us that we must combat "this inappropriate speech with free speech." Because clearly the republicans should not have had such freedom.

What lunatics I have to deal with in academia. When a Republican says something right-winged it is innappropriate. When it is liberal rants and raves against the government, it is clear thinking freedom. Moreover, teachers seem to find it natural and reasonable that some of the leaders be suspended and the Junior College Republicans be put on probation. No McCarthysim there. After all, What gives Republicans the right to express themselves?

Mulcaire claims that he was targeted because he made clear his passionate opposition to the war in Iraq. Of course if he did this in his classroom it is sad, as he is not a teacher of ethics, reasoning, foreign poilicy, military theory, military history, political science, or anything that might lend itself to a discussion about the rightness or wrongness of war. He teaches English, which might make him eminiently qualified to teach about protest poetry from the 60's or something, if that.

What gives him the right to exploit the fact that he has a podium and students who have to listen to him to "express his opinions" on any subject he wants? I have no idea. That is just wrong, and I assume that he did violate his students rights to a good education. They came in to class rightfully expecting to learn about English, instead he turned it in to a sharing his feelings about the war. That is almost criminal. He now claims that he is no longer teaching "war issues in his English Classes". Maybe they'll move war issues to the mathematics department where it really belongs!?! This has really changed the way he thinks about teaching, he claims.

Maybe this should change the way he thinks about thinking.

Flatbush Eruv War

Recently a new pamphlet was put under the door of many Jewish homes in Flatbush. This was a pamphlet by a Rabbi Shia Director (who nicely left a comment on my earlier post on this subject.

This pamphlet follows the first two widely distributed pamphlets. The first was a rather professional solid halachic discussion of the matter in favor of the eruv, the second was a collection of pictures of rabbis with no halachic content. (I discuss that here.)

This latest blow in the eruv war looks like it will turn in to a friendly-fire incident. It is (and again I am doing this from memory) a 10 page collection of letters to a certain "Avi . . ." entitled "Letters from Woodburne". It is filled with rants and raves and vehemence against the anti-eruv group.

It was written by someone who clearly has never really written in English in his life, and has very little in terms of halachic content. There were a bunch of "many rabbis I spoke with agreed", "Brooklyn clearly has walls on all three sides and highways on the other" (which it does not), and vehemence. There are sentences of the form: This is the fault of Bic and other moral degenerates . . . (the reference is to Rav Bic OBM, no halachic or moral slouch.)

It was a rather sad piece of writing. I realize that there is well meaning attempt to support the eruv. I of course could care less whether it succeeds or not, though I guess I am rooting for the success, but pamphlets like this will not help matters. Pamphlets like this make people think that the biggest proponents of the eruv are people who cannot think or express themselves clearly.

However, this all shows that there is a lot of people who feel that there is a lot at stake here. I look forward to the next volley.

(This controversey is being covered a lot by bloggers on the web. kaspit is a good place to start, if you are interested.)

Weekend update

This has been another hectic weekend, and I am so tired that there is no analysis, only a list. I spent a lot of the weekend hanging out with "P" and we did a ton of things.

We saw Oi Va Voi and the Balkan Beat Box perform at some show, and Michal Cohen and Sara Aroeste perform in Joe's Pub as part of the Jewish Heratige Festival. It was good fun all around.

We also saw the film The Death of Mr. Lazarescu at the New York Film Festival. It was pretty good. It made me really pause and think about health care in Eastern Europe, and I am greateful that I never needed it there.

We joined "L" and "S" for Proof, which was a pretty good adaptation of the play, which I saw with "S" a few years ago.

This morning I saw the Dalai Lama at Rutgers University. I am really impressed with how unpretentious he is. His style is remarkable. For a world leader, he said nothing too deep or unexpected, but it was a very eye-opening look at a world leader.

Need Sleep

After I finished my Sunday with my unit yesterday (in which much physical work was involved) I stopped for slurpees at 7-eleven with three buddies. When I got home, I quickly showered and changed and went off to a DVD launch party for this movie. It was a good documentary. There were lots of interesting people at the party too. I got home insanely late, and was up early today to run my customary 9.15 miles. I then worked and I am now ready to pass out, but I have to go learn with "A-" in a few hours. I totally need more sleeeeeeep.

Army and Katrina

I spent today in the Army doing reserve things, and I was talking to people there. It is always interesting to talk to soldiers from New York. They are a mixed bag of interesting people, each with their own take on the world, their own perspective, knowledge base, and background.

One sentiment that was floating around, and I have to admit that I shared it, was the government's poor response to Hurricane Katrina.

My unit, because of what we do and the experience we have, would probably be pretty useful right about now in helping Loiusiana. But yet no one has called. Many people would have been happy to go and help out.

Toward the end of the day my unit colleced names of people who would want to go down there if the Army calls looking for volunteers. Like many in my unit, I put my name on the list, but I suspect that the Army won't call. They never seem to call when you want them too.

Strategic Coffee Reserve

I have been telling people for years, warning them, and begging. But no one listened to me when I said that in case of emergency, akin to our strategic oil reserve, we need a strategic coffee reserve. It is for times like this that we need it. What would our country do without our coffee? I am glad I have a good personal stockpile.

last 4 books I read

Unfortunately I do not have the time I would like to write more detailed reviews, but I wanted to say something quick about the last four books I read before I forget that I have actually read them.

First is Charles Bukowski's Play the Piano Like a Percussion Instrument Until the Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit. It is an interesting collection of peoms that were enjoyable, I presume for those who, unlike me, get poetry. The whole thing was a bit beyond me.

Second was Martin Gardner's The Numerology of Dr. Matrix. This is a collection of a few of his really old articles from the Mathematical Games column from Scientific American. They are all dated, though amusing. It is mostly a lot of these funny numerological thingies that dumb people find profound and smart people find cute, with real mathematical tidbits thrown in as questions that are pretty hard to figure out. He gives you all the answers in the back.

Third I read Douglas Adams' Last Chance to see. This is the story of Adams and Mark Carawdine's trip to some remote places to see some endangered animals. The story that is told is sentamental, as befitting an emotional tour through various places. Douglas Adams' style still comes out as clearly as in his other works, though less so. It is a quick read, and if you are a die-hard fan, it's a must.

Finally, I just finished Catherine Osborne's book Presocratic Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction. This is part of Oxford's Very Short Introduction series. The series is pretty good, though not always. This book really is good. I was pretty impressed. First I was impressed that Presocratic philosophy can be interesting, and second I was impressed that there is a solid methodological underpinning in this field of research that can be explained to simpletons like myself. And finally that someone actually did it. If you want a good introduction to the prsocratics, you would be well advised to start with this book.

Lakewood Rumor

So the latest rumor going around is about Lakewood and the kollel communities there. I am waiting for it to be verified.

Apparently the girl's schools upped the frum ante. Now in order to get in, in adition to whatever prior standard had to be met, you 1) cannot have a father who works, and 2) cannot have a mother who wears denim skirts. If you you cannot be admitted in to the Beis Yaakov there.

So this school year was slated to start with 150 frum girls who although they met all the other standards either had a mother whose skirt is made with cotton processed a certain way that the talmudic rabbis never envisioned, or has a father who, like almost all of our Amoraic sages, actually has a job.

But now they have no school to go to.

So, as the story goes, Rav Eliashev was consulted and he said that the school year could not start until the girls were all in schools.

Apparently their school year has not yet started.

Anyone know more about this story?

last week or so

OK, so things have been very busy with the starting of classes and all. I have had no time to do things like updae my blog.

I saw the movie Junebug, it was cute. I saw Wedding Crashers. It was OK. I wasn't thrilled. It was a cute idea, but there was nothing unpredictable in the movie.

I caught the last few minutes of Circus Amok in Prospect Park. I have really got to stop going to these lefty events. They bore me to tears with their rantings against the man. It is sad and pathetic.

I saw the 9/11 lights from the promenade.

I have been trying to have a life. Moderate success.

Flying Saucer is back

The Flying Saucer Cafe is now open again. It used to be an OK place to work, but yet, as I recall, everytime I got there it was about to close. If I got there at 2 PM, then they were closing at 2:30 or 3:00. If I got there at 5:30, they were closing at 6:00. It generally seemed arbitrary. It also used to have this stupid look of old crap thrown together.

Now however, they seemed to reopen. They also seem to have a new attitude. They claimed that they were open till 7:00, which is still pretty early, but not all that bad. They also went a bit more minimalist on the decor, which is a big plus. Their garden, which was pretty nice, is now upgraded in my book to very nice, since they threw out a lot of the garbage that was in it. I think they also got some better furniture.

Their staff also seems friendly.

It is on Atlantic Avenue between Nivens and Third in Brooklyn. The coffee is not bad, and I am told neither are the other things. Give them time to get the rest of their menu up and running.

Fact checking

This article in Friday's New York Times about Orthodox Jews in the mountains had me wondering. If you look at the caption under the last picture, there is a Moishe Kishmich pictured.

Look, I really don't know the guy, but "Kishmich" is usually Yiddish for "kiss my ass". How careful was the Times about getting this guy's name right? Were they had by some Orthodox Jew with a sense of humor?