From Mythos to Logos
Explore the transition from mythos (stories of gods, goddesses, and heroes) to logos (philosophy and related fields of study).
About the Event
Presented by Basic Program instructors and open to all, these lectures also complement the texts and ideas from our curriculum and always include a Q&A session.
This First Friday Lecture is supported by the Anastaplo Lecture Series Fund in memory of Basic Program Instructor George Anastaplo.
The history of thought and action in many cultures involves a transition from mythos (stories of gods, goddesses, and heroes) to logos (philosophy and related fields of study). This lecture will explore that transition, with special consideration given to ancient Greece. We will also consider how ideas about myth have changed over the millennia, and whether and to what extent myth remains part of our thought and action today.
Who's Speaking
David Shiner
Basic Program Instructor
David Shiner is Professor Emeritus at Shimer College (now the Shimer Great Books School at North Central College), where he taught for forty years and served several terms as Dean of the College. At Shimer, Professor Shiner taught all sixteen required courses on subjects as distinct as literature, chemistry, psychology, and politics. He has also taught at other colleges as well as at Great Discourses, an online provider of high-quality noncredit courses. He has written on the dialogues of Plato, the philosophy of the French Enlightenment, game theory, economics, and paradox. His non-academic activities include chess, acting, musical performance, and sports. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from Pacific Miramar University. He has a special interest in classics, especially classical philosophy.
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