Saturday, May 27, 2017

Seth Benardete on the Importance of the Family vs the State

I audited one of Benardete's courses on Plato's Republic. It was undoubtedly the best class I ever attended in graduate school.

As a side note, I learned the importance of smoking a pipe while teaching. Whenever Benardete needed a pause to think he would puff on his pipe. At the time it seemed an elegant way to gain time.

3 comments:

OregonGuy said...

Dr. Curry smoked a pipe. Of course, back in the day, smoking on campus was considered ordinary. There were bent, used tuna cans in every classroom.

But he didn't just teach how to write.

He taught how to think. How to read.
.

MAX Redline said...

A pipe would not be allowed today. Unless, of course, it contained marijuana.

T. D. said...

I hadn't thought about the change from the 1970's about professors and pipes. You guys are right. But funny that I don't remember (though I may just have forgot) any professors who smoked cigarettes or cigars while teaching. It was just pipes. And they slowed down the pace of talking but, as with Benardete, not the pace of learning.