
Over at my Patreon and Medium sites I run occasional “book clubs,” meaning multiple posts on the same book, which interested readers can use either as a companion to the book itself, or simply as extended summaries that give them an idea of what the book is about (and hence facilitate their decision of whether to invest the time to read the full volume or not). Here are all the entries connected to the most recently completed series.
Xenophon’s Memorabilia. An essential text for understanding Socrates, Xenophon’s Memorabilia is the compelling tribute of an affectionate student to his teacher, providing a rare firsthand account of Socrates’ life and philosophy. The Memorabilia is invaluable both as a work of philosophy in its own right and as a complement to the study of Plato’s dialogues. The longest of Xenophon’s four Socratic works, it is particularly revealing about the differences between Socrates and his philosophical predecessors.
Here are my commentaries:
I. In defense of Socrates (Patreon / Medium)
II. Socrates teaches a lesson to his son (Patreon / Medium)
III. Socrates gives advice about politics (Patreon / Medium)
IV. Socrates teaches a lesson in statesmanship (Patreon / Medium)