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Today on Ascend, we open Book Two of Plato’s Republic with one of the most striking passages in the whole work: the myth of the Ring of Gyges. Glaucon does not simply disagree with Socrates. He says he has been talked to death by Thrasymachus and countless others, and he wants to know whether Socrates is trying to persuade him or only to seem to persuade him. He then restores the argument for injustice in its strongest form. Justice, he says, is a compact struck by the weak. Those who practice it do so unwillingly. And the life of the unjust man is, after all, far better than that of the just. To make the claim vivid he tells the story of Gyges, who finds a ring that makes him invisible, seduces the queen, kills the king, and takes the throne. Dr. Jennifer Frey joins me to walk through the argument, and she is clear that this is no mere academic exercise. Plato is mapping the options that are still with us. The seeds of Machiavelli and Hobbes are already here. What makes the section so powerful is the way Glaucon strips justice of every external reward. He imagines a man of perfect injustice who has a reputation for justice, and then a man of perfect justice who has a reputation for injustice. The just man, they will say, will be whipped, racked, bound, have both his eyes burned out, and at the end, when he has undergone every sort of evil, he will be crucified. Dr. Frey notes that he will be treated like Christ. Plato is writing about his master, Socrates, but the parallel is unavoidable. The question the passage forces on the reader is simple and severe: is justice good in itself, or only for its effects? Glaucon wants the second kind of good. He wants to be shown that justice is desirable for its own sake and for what comes from it. Everything that follows in the Republic is an attempt to answer him. More Resources on Plato’s Republic: How to Read PlatoReading schedule, podcast calendar, and more!GUIDE: 12 Questions on Book One of Plato’s RepublicRepublic Bk 1: Intro, Prologue & Cephalus with Dr. Alex Priou (327a-331d)Republic Bk 1: Polemarchus with Dr. Grabowski & Thomas Lackey (331e-336a)Republic Bk 1: Thrasymachus with Dr. Gregory McBrayer (336a-354c)GUIDE: 24 Questions on Book Two of Plato’s Republic If you are reading the Republic with us, this is the section that sets the stakes. The drama is part of the pedagogy. You cannot extract the argument and leave the myth behind. The question is first (i) what is justice and second (ii) is justice more profitable for the soul than injustice. That is the problem Book Two places before us, and it is the problem the rest of the dialogue will try to solve—at least on its face. Chapters 00:00 Book II reading guide and the central question of justice 04:29 Dr. Jennifer Frey on why The Republic remains a masterwork 07:14 How Plato anticipates modern political philosophy 10:14 Why Plato’s literary form is part of the argument 14:05 Glaucon challenges Socrates to defend justice 17:08 Three kinds of goods and where justice belongs 22:19 Glaucon’s three-part case for injustice 24:45 Glaucon seeks reasons, not just persuasion 29:38 Justice as a compromise against mutual harm 34:49 Socrates’ maxim: better to suffer than commit injustice 37:53 The Ring of Gyges and the test of justice 42:13 Invisibility, power, and the gap between appearance and reality 45:35 Can an unjust person truly flourish? 47:23 Gyges, Superman, and what power reveals 49:45 Plato’s magical ring and Herodotus’s political coup 52:04 Does power immediately cast moral norms aside? 53:33 Virtue as the long cultivation of appetite 55:02 Thrasymachus, legal positivism, and power 57:17 Justice as a compact or a reality beyond rulers 59:43 Universals, nominalism, and where meaning comes from 01:01:20 Why Glaucon thinks injustice can benefit the individual 01:04:35 Justice as a virtue of the soul, not just a social system 01:08:18 Religion, sacrifice, and whether the gods see the soul 01:10:16 Doing a just act versus becoming a just person 01:13:11 The soul, cosmic justice, and the afterlife 01:16:40 The perfectly just person with an unjust reputation 01:18:39 Why Plato’s just sufferer recalls Christ and Socrates 01:21:27 Why Glaucon’s challenge remains a serious argument 01:23:41 How Plato and pagan philosophy shaped Christian thought 01:27:34 Glaucon’s case: the tyrant’s apparent happiness 01:31:39 What counts as the highest good and a happy life 01:34:25 Closing reflections and where to find Jen Frey Be sure to check out our entire reading schedule, so you can be sure to read alongside us.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Mr. Thomas Lackey sit down with Dr. Louis Markos—author of From Plato to Christ—for a lively, wide-ranging conversation on how Platonic thought prepared the world for the Gospel. From the fullness of time and the meeting of Athens and Jerusalem to C.S. Lewis, classical education, the myths of the Republic, and why even modern Christians still need Plato, this is a rich exploration of the intellectual roots of the faith and the enduring power of the Great Books. Dr. Markos is a whirlwind on a mission. Join us. And THANK YOU again to the Classic Learning Test for sponsoring this episode. Dr. Markos opened by framing his lifelong project of uniting Athens and Jerusalem—the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian inheritances that together shaped the West. He argued that the “fullness of time” was not only political and linguistic but intellectual: Greek philosophy, especially Plato, prepared the human heart for the Gospel through general revelation. God did not ignore the nations; He used reason, conscience, and imagination to plant redemptive analogies that pointed toward Christ. Dr. Markos noted that this recovery is now happening among evangelicals, who are reclaiming the classical tradition just as many secular universities abandon it, and that classical Christian education is quietly reintroducing Plato, the Church Fathers, and a hierarchical view of reality to a generation once wary of anything outside the Bible alone. The conversation then turned to Plato’s specific role as a kind of pre-evangelism. Dr. Markos distinguished Socrates’ negative work of clearing false definitions from Plato’s positive construction of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. He highlighted how the Republic uses the just and unjust man, the city-soul analogy, and the Myth of Er to show that injustice disorders the soul itself—an insight modern students often encounter first in Plato rather than in Scripture. Myths, he explained, are not mere stories for those who cannot grasp philosophy; they incarnate truths that pure dialectic cannot fully express, especially the reality of final judgment and the damage sin does to the soul. Deacon Garlick and Thomas Lackey pressed further on St. Augustine’s decisive Christianization of the Forms: relocating them in the divine Logos and affirming that God knows both universals and particulars, so that Platonic metaphysics is not an alien overlay but something already latent in the New Testament’s language of participation, shadows, and heavenly patterns. The episode closed with C.S. Lewis as the modern bridge who makes Plato accessible to Protestants. Dr. Markos pointed to the heavenly Narnia that is “more real” than the earthly one, the Silver Chair’s psychological undoing of the children’s knowledge of Aslan and the sun, and Lewis’s consistent realism against nominalism. Throughout, the guests returned to the practical stakes of the Republic for first-time readers: follow the through-line that justice is better than injustice even when it costs everything, let the allegory of the cave reorient what counts as real, and treat Plato not as an opponent to be purged but as a candle whose light is completed, not extinguished, by the greater light of Christ. If you’re interested in reading more on how Plato and the broader Hellenized culture impact the Gospel, check out “Do Christians Owe a Debt to Homer” and “How Plato Helped St. Augustine Convert to Christianity.” Good work! Next week we start Book Two of the Republic. Check out our reading schedule for more information. Chapters 00:00 Why discuss Plato’s impact on Christianity 00:28 Myth, sin, and what our actions do to the soul 03:06 Meet Lou Markos and the Athens-Jerusalem connection 04:00 Why poetry’s ambiguity can deepen meaning 07:06 Greek thought and general revelation 09:03 Plato’s influence on Scripture and Christian thought 11:05 Classical education’s return among evangelicals 13:58 Augustine, Aristotle, and the nature of universals 18:20 How Markos came to Plato 18:47 How C.S. Lewis brings Plato to life 22:03 Plato’s ideas, Christian language, and pre-evangelism 25:06 The Silver Chair and the reality behind appearances 29:00 Recovering metaphysics and the unseen world 30:55 Why Christians need the classics and Church Fathers 32:16 Augustine, the candle, and the greater light of Christ 34:51 Advice for reading Plato’s Republic 35:19 The Magi, natural reason, and the journey to faith 41:08 Why the Republic still speaks to modern readers 45:16 Justice, the soul, and the tyrant’s inner slavery 50:10 What Plato’s myths reveal about cosmic justice Keywords Plato and Christianity, Louis Markos, From Plato to Christ, classical education, general revelation, Plato's Republic, Augustine, Christian philosophy, Socrates, metaphysics Lou Markos, Plato, Christianity, Platonic thought, Augustine, Aristotle, C.S. Lewis, The Republic, Chronicles of Narnia, Christian philosophy

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and guest Dr. Gregory McBrayer dive into the fiery third part of Book One of Plato’s Republic: the showdown between Socrates and the sophist Thrasymachus. Thrasymachus bursts onto the scene “hunched up like a wild beast,” roaring that justice is nothing more than “the advantage of the stronger.” What follows is a masterclass in Platonic drama and pedagogy—complete with forced feedings, blushing, and precision battles over definitions—as Socrates methodically unravels the sophist’s position. And THANK YOU again to the Classic Learning Test for sponsoring this episode. Dr. McBrayer and Dcn. Garlick explore why this confrontation matters so much. They compare Thrasymachus to the even more ferocious Callicles of the Gorgias (which Dr. McBrayer also discussed with Dcn. Garlick on Ascend) and discuss whether Socrates truly refutes him or merely “out-sophists the sophist.” They also go back and forth on the famous shepherd-and-sheep analogy, the arts-versus-money-making distinction, and the early hints of the philosopher-king and city-soul analogy. Along the way they surface deeper questions that haunt the rest of the dialogue: Is justice a real thing or merely a name the powerful give to their own advantage? Why does Plato bookend the Republic with religious myths? And how much of Book One is a deliberate deconstruction meant to clear the ground for Glaucon’s more serious challenge in Book Two? More Resources on Plato’s Republic: How to Read PlatoReading schedule, podcast calendar, and more!GUIDE: 12 Questions on Book One of Plato’s RepublicRepublic Bk 1: Intro, Prologue & Cephalus with Dr. Alex Priou (327a-331d)Republic Bk 1: Polemarchus with Dr. Grabowski & Thomas Lackey (331e-336a) Whether you’re a first-time reader still finding your footing or a returning student who wants to wrestle with one of the most famous attacks on justice in the Western tradition, this conversation models how to read Plato slowly, dramatically, and in good company. Tune in for sharp analysis, unexpected humor, and a clear sense of why Thrasymachus still feels so familiar—and so dangerous—today. Be sure to check out our entire reading schedule, so you can be sure to read alongside us. A good path is before us. Let’s take it and ascend. Chapters 00:00 — Introducing Thrasymachus and the end of Book One 13:00 — Thrasymachus and Callicles: comparing the “nasty” challengers 21:00 — Thrasymachus’s dramatic entrance—and why to take him seriously 31:00 — “Justice is the advantage of the stronger” 40:00 — Ruling as an art, and Socrates’ argument 52:00 — The shepherd, the sheep, and Thrasymachus’s shifting claims 66:00 — The soul, leadership, and the reluctant ruler 81:00 — The penalty of being ruled by someone worse 93:00 — Justice, injustice, and Thrasymachus’s defeat 106:00 — What Book One establishes—and what it leaves unresolved

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we continue our slow, beautiful pilgrimage through Plato’s Republic. Last week Dr. Alex Priou walked us through the opening and the dialogue with Cephalus. This week we focus on Polemarchus, Cephalus’ son who inherits his father’s argument. We are joined by two excellent guides: Dr. Frank Grabowski, Dean of Faculty at Holy Family Classical School, and Mr. Thomas Lackey, independent scholar and a longtime friend of the podcast. Today, we ask what is owed and to whom. “Shall I be your heir?” Polemarchus takes his father’s definition and attempts to provide a standard: Friends owe friends some good and nothing bad. Notice that the concepts of friendship and the good enter the Republic. Polemarchus’ name means war-lord, and the opening of the Republic made him look like political force, maybe even tyranny (commanding Socrates to wait). In the argument, however, he shows himself to be a good-faith interlocutor. Lackey notes that the Piraeus will later be the center of the revolt against the Thirty Tyrants (the puppet government set up by Sparta over Athens after the Peloponnesian War), and that Polemarchus will die by drinking hemlock (the same death Athens will later condemn Socrates to). The line about being “an heir” applies more directly to Cephalus, but in a way could apply to Socrates as well—Polemarchus is an heir to Socrates, someone who loves wisdom and then dies by drinking hemlock. Further Resources to Help You Read the Republic: GUIDE: 12 Questions on Book One of Plato’s RepublicRepublic Bk 1: Intro, Prologue & Cephalus with Dr. Alex Priou (327a-331d)How to Read PlatoReading schedule, podcast calendar, and more! Justice means to benefit friends and harm enemies. That is the Greek cultural default observed in the Oresteia and in Oedipus at Colonus. Socrates then asks: what is the art for? The man useful for keeping a deposit is also useful for stealing it. Then the harder question: Is a friend the man who seems good, or the man who is good? The one who decides can be wrong. The last turn is on the word harm. A first reader may hear a pacifist. Horses and dogs that have been harmed become worse in the virtue of horses and of dogs—but the just man cannot make a man more unjust. After they agree not to harm anyone, they call themselves partners in battle—a notable juxtaposition. The conversation is interrupted before Polemarchus can fully work through his aporia, his bewilderment. Be sure to check out our entire reading schedule, so you can be sure to read alongside us. A good path is before us. Let’s take it and ascend. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the dialogue and main themes 02:06 Who is Polymachus and his background 11:55 Polymachus inherits his father's argument on justice 20:54 Definitions of justice: giving to each what is owed 27:20 The significance of logos in the dialogue 35:34 Expanded definitions of justice and their implications 42:16 The role of techne and moral knowledge in justice 52:25 The teleology and purpose of justice 01:02:53 Historical and cultural context of the characters 01:17:22 The development of the concept of Arete 01:23:04 The objective versus voluntaristic understanding of justice 01:28:35 Humor and pedagogical style in Plato's dialogues 01:31:03 Conclusion and preview of next week's discussion

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we start our slow, beautiful pilgrimage through arguably the most important book in Western philosophy: Plato’s Republic. It is about justice and whether justice is more profitable to the soul than injustice—but along the way it provides rich conversations on the soul, virtue, education, metaphysics, and the afterlife. If you read this book and read it well, it will change your life. And we have an excellent guide and mentor to walk us through the opening of Plato’s Republic and the dialogue with Cephalus in Book One (327a-331d), Dr. Alex Priou who currently serves as a professor of political philosophy at the University of Austin. Today we start something life-changing. Plato is philosophy. To summarize a famous line, all of Western philosophy is a series of footnotes to Plato, and Plato’s Republic is his masterwork. He does not offer you a sterile, intellectual idea that is neat to contemplate—he makes claims on your soul. For Plato, philosophy is transformative. The goal of the pursuit of wisdom is to have a good soul, a beautiful soul. Further Resources to Help You Read the Republic: GUIDE: 12 Questions on Book One of Plato’s RepublicHow to Read PlatoReading schedule, podcast calendar, and more! “I went down to the Piraeus.” The famous opening line gives you much to contemplate, and Dr. Alex Priou is a wonderful guide. We have the verb of descent, which will be important to the entire text, and we have the Piraeus, the port of Athens, which is hosting a new festival to a new goddess. Moreover, Socrates narrates the entire Republic to an unnamed listener who never interrupts… but this allows Socrates to give commentary on the argument he otherwise could not. Dr. Priou shows us how the prologue to the Republic is simple but rich with meaning—a great introduction to how Plato teaches. In the house of Cephalus, age, wealth, and the old myths give the first account of justice. Asked the greatest good of his money, the old metic does not speak of friends or food. He speaks of the myths he laughed at when he was young, and of the peace of facing them without unpaid debts. Justice, for him, is telling the truth and giving what one owes. Socrates asks whether you return a borrowed weapon to a man who has gone mad. Cephalus cannot defend the rule he has lived by. He laughs, leaves the argument to his son, and goes back to the sacrifices. Cephalus leaves, but his conversation will haunt the entire Republic—as the text begins with a descent and religious myth and will end with an ascent and a religious myth. Be sure to check out our entire reading schedule, so you can be sure to read alongside us. Also, thank you to the CLASSIC LEARNING TEST for sponsoring our first month of Plato’s Republic. They are a really excellent group of people trying to change the landscape of education in America. Go check them out. A good path is before us. Let’s take it and ascend. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Plato's Republic and guest Dr. Alex Priou 02:01 Why read Plato's Republic today? 04:05 Historical and dramatic context of the dialogue 06:05 Dr. Priou's background and love for Plato 08:00 The purpose of the Republic and its themes 10:03 The setting and composition of the dialogue 11:57 The character of Cephalus and traditional justice 14:01 The significance of the Myth of the Cave 15:49 The pedagogical method of Plato's dialogues 18:13 The role of myths and poetry in philosophy 19:57 The purpose of the Republic and its relevance today 22:11 The character of Polemarchus and justice as friendship 23:50 The challenge of understanding the dialogue's structure 26:12 The importance of rereading Plato's works 28:07 The character of Thrasymachus and cynicism 30:06 The significance of Socrates' narration style 32:06 The allegory of the cave and ascent to truth 34:13 The role of myth and poetry in conveying truth 35:47 The balance between tradition and innovation in the Republic 37:51 The practical purpose of the dialogue 40:00 The limits of human knowledge and the form of the good 42:03 The political and moral lessons of the Republic 43:57 The significance of justice as a personal and political virtue 46:12 The character of Cephalus and his traditional views 48:02 The transition from traditional to philosophical justice 49:59 The role of Socrates in guiding the dialogue 51:56 The importance of self-knowledge and inner reflection 54:05 The myths of the afterlife and their philosophical purpose 55:58 The ongoing relevance of Plato's Republic Join us next week as we continue our studies on Plato's Republic!

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are preparing to read Plato’s Republic (we start next week!). Before turning to that long and demanding text, we ask a simple question: how do you read Plato well? Plato does not write treatises or lectures. He writes dialogues, and the setting, the characters, the irony, and even the moments of confusion (aporia!) are part of the teaching. The podcast takes up the questions that help a first-time reader get started on the right foot. Overall, however, we do not read Plato to “be smart” or brag we’ve read Plato. We read Plato to have a beautiful soul. We take him seriously as a teacher who can help us pursue the true, good, and beautiful. Here is a list of the major questions that are discussed on the podcast today: Why read Plato?Why is the drama important?Are the dialogues historical transcripts?What is the Socratic method?What is Socratic irony?What is the art of dialectic?What is aporia?What is eros?What is pleonexia?What are the parts of the soul? Again, we read Plato to better understand the good life and to have a good, healthy soul. Be sure to check out the MASTER CALENDAR for our reading schedule for Plato’s Republic. Also, if you’re interested in a deeper dive into eros, see "Rediscovering Holy Eros” (one of the most popular articles on Ascend). Moreover, you can read more about pleonexia and its dangers at “The Greatest Threat to Your Freedom is You.” Last week, to prep for the Republic, we published “How to Read Plato’s Republic like C.S. Lewis.” Finally, regarding Socratic irony, read “How a Man Pretending to be Drunk Helps You Read Plato.” Chapters 00:00 Introduction to reading Plato and its significance 01:00 Why reading Plato is essential for philosophy 02:20 Understanding Plato's teaching through dialogues 06:29 Preparing for the Republic: preliminaries and questions 09:07 Why read the Republic and its moral importance 13:23 How to approach reading Plato's dialogues 26:06 The Socratic method and dialectic explained 33:01 Understanding Socratic irony and its purpose 39:31 Recognizing patterns in Socratic teaching 47:11 Eros, love, and the soul in Plato 55:43 Upcoming plans for studying the Republic Next week we start Plato’s Republic! Everything you need to know is here: "How to Read Plato's Republic with Ascend."

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we end Short Story September with “Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street” by Melville - a seemingly simple tale about men in a law office that becomes a puzzling, existential tale. Dcn. Garlick is joined by two excellent guests: Mr. Joey Bremer, a teacher at Holy Family Classical School and an iconographer studying at the King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts in London, and “Montana” of Montana Classical College, an anonymous scholar who runs an X account that shares incredible insights on Melville’s Moby Dick. Overall, “Bartleby, the Scrivener” is a perplexing, existential tale that tends to quietly unsettle you by revealing the realities of modern life. CHECK OUT THE NEW ASCEND BOOK CLUB This episode of Ascend takes up Herman Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street,” a quiet, unsettling tale whose central figure answers nearly every request with the same spare formula: “I would prefer not to.” The conversation lingers on the contrast between that stubborn preference and the narrator’s own softness—an elderly lawyer who prizes the easiest way of life, cannot quite govern his office, and keeps mistaking indecision for charity. Names, nicknames, dull eyes, and the cramped windows that look onto other walls all become clues: who in this world still possesses a will, and who has already been reduced to a role? Listeners are invited to sit with the story’s larger questions rather than resolve them. What does the monotonous labor of copying do to a man? How does a commercial, conventional life flatten thumos and leave even well-meaning people lukewarm? Why does Bartleby’s refusal feel at once more human and more deathly than the quirks of his co-workers? Drawing on the textures of Moby-Dick and the aporetic spirit of Plato, the discussion treats the tale as a puzzle that rewards patient attention—an invitation to notice what modernity may have done to the soul, and to return to the text itself with sharper eyes. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Melville and 'Bartleby' 00:12 Introduction to the episode and main themes 02:05 Biographical context of Melville's life 03:47 Overview of 'Bartleby the Scrivener' 06:54 Themes of monotony and human will 09:59 Character analysis: the narrator and Bartleby 14:57 Philosophical and literary connections 20:05 Implications for modern life and office culture 25:00 Concluding thoughts and interpretations 44:30 Dark passages and existential reflections in 'Bartleby' 45:25 Repetition of life and the prison of modernity 46:24 The loneliness of Bartleby and the narrator's solitude 46:56 Prison as a metaphor for societal dehumanization 48:02 Bartleby's awareness of death and existential insight 50:24 The role of the dead letters office and existential suffering 51:29 Melville's possible critique of modernity and capitalism 53:06 The dehumanizing nature of copying work and modern labor 55:07 Bartleby's refusal as act of will and control 57:47 Reason, preference, and the will in Bartleby's choices 01:00:20 The significance of small acts and existential meaning 01:02:19 Melville's relationship with Plato and classical philosophy 01:09:24 The philosophical underpinnings of Melville's critique 01:12:10 The aporetic nature of the story and open-ended interpretation 01:15:15 Comparison with other literary characters and philosophical figures 01:18:36 Fate, free will, and the acceptance of mortality 01:21:55 Melville, Plato, and the modern crisis of human nature 01:24:52 Final reflections on the story's philosophical depth and relevance CHECK OUT THE NEW ASCEND BOOK CLUB

We have BIG NEWS! We have launched the new Ascend Book Club! Ascend: The Great Books Podcast has partnered with “The Ascent” here on Substack to transform it into the new Ascend Book Club to offer you the most comprehensive online book club focused on reading the great books and living a beautiful, virtuous life. You’ll receive the same great content as before but with much more—which now includes: Weekly podcast and videos on the great booksWeekly articles on the great booksIn-depth, detailed pdf guides on the great booksA monthly LIVE Q&A for supporters We are also publishing years of articles, guides, videos, and other resources to the new site and organizing them by work and author so they are easy to find—tons of resources on Homer, Hesiod, the Greek plays, Plato, Dante, and more. You could start reading many great books today with the Ascend library. Check out our new website, the Ascend Book Club, and join us today! Join our reading group and study the great books with us! Our next big read is Plato’s Republic this October, check out How to Read Plato’s Republic with Ascend for everything you need to know. Chivalry with H.E. Eduard HabsburgToday on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and His Excellency Eduard Habsburg, Archduke of Austria and former Hungarian ambassador to the Holy See, discuss Neil Gaiman’s short story “Chivalry.” Before they turn to the text, Eduard speaks with warmth and candor about his family’s eight centuries of Catholic identity, the vocation of family in an atomized age, his decade in Rome, and an unexpected love of stories that runs from screenplays and Ghibli films to the understated magic of Gaiman. What follows is a close, affectionate reading of a story in which the Holy Grail turns up in an Oxfam shop, Sir Galahad knocks on a widow’s door for tea, and the most English understatement imaginable meets Arthurian quest. Together they trace Mrs. Whitaker’s loneliness and ritual, the knight’s unironic goodness, Marie’s transformation, the slugs in the garden, the three gifts of youth and immortality, and the moment an old woman quietly refuses what does not belong to her life. Eduard reads the tale as homage to Englishness and as a call to accept the adventure when it arrives, while Deacon Garlick asks whether that same ordinariness can also flatten what ought to remain extraordinary. It is a warm conversation on the charming short story, “Chivalry.” Reading ScheduleWe are currently finishing SHORT STORY SEPTEMBER! Next week, we will discuss “Bartleby, the Scrivener” by Melville, the author of Moby Dick, with two excellent guests. Read it this week and join the conversation! We’ll then have an introduction to Plato’s Republic on 9.29.26 and launch into Plato’s Republic on 10.6.26. Check out How to Read the Republic with Ascend for everything you need to know. You can read the great books with the Ascend Book Club! Join us. Dcn. Harrison Garlick lives in rural Oklahoma with his wife and five children. He serves as a deacon at Holy Family Cathedral and as Chancellor & General Counsel for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa. Follow him on X at Dcn. Garlick or Ascend.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick is joined by the always wonderful Alberto Fernandez to discuss "Red Shadows," a salvage tale of Solomon Kane by Robert E. Howard. Check out our website for our reading schedule, articles, written guides, and more. Dcn. Garlick and Alberto discuss Robert E. Howard’s 1928 Solomon Kane tale “Red Shadows,” a pulp adventure chosen as a lively Short Story September “palette cleanser” after heavier classical reading. Howard (1906–1936), the Texas-born creator of Conan the Barbarian, produced hundreds of stories in a short life. Alberto first encountered him through the 1960s–70s Lancer paperbacks with Frank Frazetta covers. Kane, Howard’s only recurring explicitly Christian series character, is described as a grim Puritan-Cavalier mix with pagan and philosophical streaks—“God’s angry swordsman”—a remorseless wandering avenger who rights wrongs he encounters by chance. The story opens in the French countryside when Kane finds a dying young Catholic woman assaulted by bandits led by Le Loup (“the Wolf”). The stranger’s death prompts Kane’s vow that “Men shall die for this,” launching a relentless pursuit that takes him from France across Europe to the West African jungle. There the narrative juxtaposes Kane’s grim, driven sense of justice (he sees himself as a “vessel of wrath”) against Le Loup’s cynical evil, tribal politics, the witch-doctor N’Longa, voodoo, jungle drums, and “blood memory.” Unlike the mirthful, vitalistic Conan, Kane is cold and mysterious even to himself. The climax features a duel framed as cosmic justice versus injustice, followed by a second, primal coda in which a gorilla avenges his mate—showing that nature itself can enact justice and that Kane often needs allies to complete vengeance. Alberto highlights Howard’s youthful ambition (he wrote the story at 21), his debt to adventure writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs and H. Rider Haggard, and the way Africa becomes a recurring, almost inescapable landscape in later Kane tales. He recommends the Del Rey edition and especially the later novella “Wings in the Night” as Howard’s finest Kane story. Both hosts note the stories’ value as high-energy, well-crafted adventure that can later be shared with sons, and they close by pointing listeners toward the next Short Story September episode on Neil Gaiman’s “Chivalry.” Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Robert E. Howard and Solomon Kane 02:13 Howard's Background and Literary Influence 04:37 The Character of Solomon Kane and His Morality 08:36 Howard's Philosophy and Moral Duality 11:02 Why Red Shadows Was Chosen for Discussion 14:48 Beginning of the Story: France and the Dying Girl 16:52 Stranger Motif and the Western Influence 19:10 Cain's Vengeance and Inner Drive 22:50 Primal Justice and the African Setting 26:53 Howard's Use of Africa and Its Significance 32:52 Howard's Publishing Journey and African Themes 36:07 The Role of Ilonga and African Characters 43:49 Eternal Forces: Justice and Injustice 45:58 The Ending: Gorilla and Primal Justice 50:49 Howard's Final Warning and Blood Memory 54:41 Recommended Follow-up Stories and Howard's Legacy Keywords Solomon Kane Red Shadows, Robert E. Howard Solomon Kane, Ascend Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick, Alberto Fernandez, Weird Tales 1928, pulp fiction, sword and sorcery, God’s angry swordsman, Conan the Barbarian comparison, Tower of the Elephant, Le Loup the Wolf, N’Longa witch doctor, G’loka the Gorilla Slayer, Short Story September, Del Rey Solomon Kane, Wings in the Night, Moon of Skulls, Hills of the Dead, Puritan avenger, vengeance for a stranger, West Africa jungle, blood memory, jungle drums, Howard pulp adventure, 16th century historical fantasy, Christian hero pulp fiction, Frank Frazetta, Centaur Press Solomon Kane, Lancer paperbacks, Argosy rejection, eighty dollars Weird Tales, grim Puritan Cavalier, vessel of wrath, justice versus injustice. NEXT WEEK we discuss Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry" with His Excellency Eduard Habsburg, the Archduke of Austria.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick is joined by Dr. Joseph Boyne to discuss Flannery O'Connor's "Enduring Chill" as part of Short Story September. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule, articles, and a whole host of written guides. Asbury Fox, the failed New York writer who returns home to his mother’s dairy farm convinced he is dying a tragic, Kafka-esque death, meets a rural doctor, two farmhands who refuse to share his resentment, and a deaf, one-eyed priest from Purrgatory who simply walks him through the Baltimore Catechism. What begins as another Southern Gothic confrontation with pride becomes something rarer in O’Connor: a dark comedy in which the protagonist desires of a romantic death are met with an enduring chill. Dr. Boyne and Dcn. Garlick draw out the story’s autobiographical shadows, its critique of performative liberalism and abstract love of humanity, and the way O’Connor uses both the Jesuit in New York and the homely Father Finn to insist that meaning—and grace—cannot be manufactured from the self. The conversation lingers on the water-stain dove that descends as ice rather than fire, the question of whether the tale is comic or merely purgatorial, and what it means for those of us who prize the Great Books that education, by itself, is never enough. Listeners who have been scarred by “The Lame Shall Enter First” will find this one far easier to finish—and far more unsettling in its quiet demand that we keep living. Chapters 00:05 — Podcast intro and the reading plan for Short Story September 01:01 — Introducing Enduring Chill and Dr. Joseph Boyne 03:21 — Why Dr. Boyne picked the story 05:00 — Flannery O’Connor and the Southern Gothic tradition 12:55 — The grotesque, violence, and grace in O’Connor 20:32 — Asbury returns home and the education theme 30:30 — Asbury’s desire for a meaningful death and the Jesuit in New York 41:42 — Dr. Block and Asbury’s confrontation with illness 50:00 — The dairy farm, the black workers, and failed communion 57:13 — Asking for a priest and the dream sequence 70:29 — Father Finn arrives and subverts Asbury’s expectations 80:31 — Randall and Morgan return 85:34 — Dr. Block diagnoses the illness correctly 87:40 — Final scene: the Holy Ghost in ice and the enduring chill 96:23 — Closing reflections on O’Connor and the story’s meaning Keywords Flannery O’Connor The Enduring Chill short story analysis, Ascend the Great Books Podcast Short Story September episode with Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Joseph Boyne of Tulsa Community College, Southern Gothic literature, Catholic short stories, Christ-haunted South, Asbury Fox character study, Jesuit priest Ignatius Vogle, Father Finn from Purgatory, Baltimore Catechism, Holy Spirit as ice instead of fire, undulant fever raw milk irony, performative liberalism and racial condescension, education versus practical wisdom, grotesque as medium of grace, O’Connor comedy versus tragedy, Good Country People comparison, lupus and autobiographical elements, Great Books education critique, upcoming Plato Republic series, Robert E. Howard Red Shadows Solomon Kane, Neil Gaiman Chivalry with Archduke Eduard Habsburg, Herman Melville Bartleby the Scrivener.

Dcn. Harrison Garlick hosts a full house to discuss the short, strange, forgotten dialogue of Plato's Ion, subtitled "On the Iliad." 10 Question Written Guide on Plato's Ion Visit our website for more information! Plato’s Ion opens with a victorious rhapsode who claims to speak more beautifully about Homer than any other human being. Socrates grants the premise that a true rhapsode must not merely recite but interpret the poet’s thought to his hearers—and then tests whether that excellence is a techne, a teachable art that should apply across all poets who treat the same subjects. Ion fails the test. He is “asleep” except when Homer is mentioned. Socrates therefore offers another account: poets and rhapsodes work not by craft but by divine mania. The Muse is a lodestone, and poet, reciter, and audience form a chain of possession. Ion recognizes himself at once. On stage he is outside himself, and he can move twenty thousand hearers to tears and terror (with a subtle nod in the dialogue about the desire to make money...). The dialogue then presses the distinction between speaking beautifully and speaking correctly. On charioteering, medicine, and the other arts present in Homer, the expert—not the rhapsode—speaks rightly. Unwilling to admit he has no art at all, Ion seizes the last remaining claim and declares himself the best general. The identification is absurd, and the conversation nearly collapses. Socrates leaves him a choice: to be called unjust, or divine. Ion takes the latter. Skill and inspiration remain unreconciled. What the short work has done is place poetry, possession, and the education of the city on the table—and prepare the larger judgment of the poets that the Republic will make. Chapters 00:00 - Welcome to Ascend and overview of the episode's purpose 01:05 - Introducing Ion and the returning and first-time guests 02:29 - Erik Rostad explains Book of Titans and his lifelong reading project 06:28 - First reactions to Ion and its perplexing character 07:11 - Preliminary framing: subtitle, translation, and why the dialogue matters 10:10 - Ion's claim to be the finest speaker on Homer 11:44 - What techne means in this dialogue 20:00 - Does Ion really claim knowledge, or only beautiful performance? 23:50 - Ion's claim that no one else speaks more finely on Homer 28:37 - The question of poetry as a better educator than philosophy 31:03 - Ion admits he dozes off when other poets are discussed 38:45 - The magnet metaphor and the chain of divine influence 44:32 - Is divine inspiration irrational, or can it be a real source of truth? 55:31 - A third sense of possession: skill, demonization, and being subsumed into beauty 60:15 - Ion says he watches the crowd and adjusts for money and effect 62:49 - Does Ion have a real art, or is he just managing audience response? 70:29 - The charioteer, the physician, and whether Socrates is being fair 72:26 - Does philosophy itself become a narrow specialty in the same way? 76:03 - Why actors may be excellent performers but poor explainers of their craft 78:10 - Socrates as a guide toward self-recognition of Ion's actual techne 87:25 - Plato as storyteller and the philosopher's need for a better story 90:20 - Storytelling, parables, and the pedagogical power of narrative 92:37 - Plato's self-reflection on his own art and craft 94:36 - The unresolved tension between inspiration and skill 99:44 - Closing thanks Keywords Plato’s Ion, On the Iliad, Ion of Ephesus, rhapsode, Homer, Iliad, Odyssey, technē, techne, divine inspiration, mania, theia moira, magnet metaphor, lodestone, Muse, speaking beautifully, speaking correctly, kalos, orthos, Socratic dialogue, forgotten Platonic dialogues, aporetic dialogue, poetry versus philosophy, education of the city, Republic Book 10, poets as imitators, Allan Bloom, Thomas Pangle, Roots of Political Philosophy, Debra Nails, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Thomas Lackey, Jack Drury, Erik Rostad, Book of Titans, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, rhapsodic contest, Asclepieia, Epidaurus, generalship, polymathy, Plato as dramatist.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Larson, Dr. Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey discuss the short, strange, and forgotten dialogue of HIppias Minor or "On the Lie." 8 Questions on Hippias Minor Study Guide Check Ascend out on X, YouTube, Facebook, and More! Plato’s Hippias Minor is a short, strange dialogue with a traditional subtitle that cuts straight to the point: “On the Lie.” After the boastful sophist Hippias finishes a public speech ranking Achilles the best and Odysseus the most polytropos—the man of twists and turns—Socrates is drawn into a conversation that begins with Homer and ends in one of the deepest aporias of the early dialogues. What starts as a dispute over who is the better man, the straightforward Achilles or the wily Odysseus, quickly becomes a rigorous examination of voluntary versus involuntary wrongdoing, the nature of knowledge and power, and the unsettling claim that the man who does injustice on purpose is better than the one who does it by accident. Deacon and the guests work through the dialogue’s sharp arguments and its surprising relevance. The conversation exposes the limits of treating virtue as mere knowledge plus power, raises the question of whether a just person might ever speak falsely for a good end, and serves as a genuine appetizer for the noble lie in the Republic. Come listen—and discover why even Socrates, at the end, cannot agree with himself. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Hippias Minor and its Context 04:55 Setting the Scene: Hippias' Speech and Socrates' Role 09:22 Hippias' Boasts and Socrates' Irony 17:55 The Homeric Heroes: Achilles and Odysseus 25:04 Knowledge, Power, and the Art of Lying 36:15 The Distinction Between Capacity and Action 44:53 The Nature of Truth and Falsehood in Socratic Dialogue 46:43 Conclusion: What Socrates Reveals About Knowledge and Lies 02:39 Socrates' questioning of Hippias and the nature of virtue 04:55 The analogy of athletic competitions and the concept of justice 07:57 Socrates' discussion on voluntary and involuntary actions 12:05 The role of knowledge and capacity in moral actions 15:34 Hippias' understanding of justice and its relation to power 19:50 The concept of noble lies and pedagogical deception 25:04 The absence of forms and gods in the dialogue 30:14 The deeper meaning of Socratic ignorance and self-awareness 34:54 The significance of the question: Is justice knowledge or power? 39:51 Conclusion: What we learn about virtue, knowledge, and truth Keywords Plato’s Hippias Minor, Lesser Hippias, On the Lie, Hippias of Elis, Achilles and Odysseus, polytropos, voluntary and involuntary wrongdoing, voluntary liar, Socratic dialogue, aporetic dialogue, forgotten Platonic dialogues, noble lie, Republic, virtue is knowledge, knowledge and power, sophist, polymath, Eudicus, Embassy scene Iliad, teleology, Forms, Socratic irony, beneficial falsehood, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Dr. Brett Larson, Thomas Lackey, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, political philosophy, Allan Bloom, Roots of Political Philosophy. Next week we discuss Plato's Ion!

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Larson, and Dr. Grabowski discuss Plato's Lovers--a strange, short, and somewhat forgotten dialogue seeking the definition of philosophy. We are celebrating ONE YEAR of our sister-company, The Ascent, a top 100 Substack on Christian spirituality. Check out our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Lovers. Plato’s Lovers is a short, strange, and easily overlooked dialogue that asks one of the most important questions in the entire Platonic corpus: What is philosophy? Set in a grammar school where two rival older lovers—one an athlete, the other a cultured “know-it-all”—compete for the attention of younger boys discussing astronomy, the conversation quickly becomes an erotic and educational contest. Socrates enters the scene and quietly reorders the loves on display, showing that philosophy is not the accumulation of many things, that self-knowledge must come before any claim to rule, and that the true lover of the young is the one who leads their souls toward wisdom. In this episode of Ascend, Dcn. Garlick is joined by Dr. Grabowski and Dr. Larson to unpack the dialogue’s subtle images of the soul, its playful yet serious treatment of eros, and its surprising role as an appetizer for the Republic. The accompanying written guide offers a clear outline, preliminary questions, and dense Q&A—perfect for first-time readers, small groups, or anyone who wants to follow the argument more carefully. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Plato's 'The Lovers' 02:07 The setting and context of the dialogue 06:19 Who is the dialogue for? Audience and purpose 11:12 The erotic dimension of philosophy and education 16:10 The strangeness of the dialogue's setting 22:02 What is philosophy? The first definitions 27:36 The analogy of athletic training and measured learning 37:25 Usefulness, goodness, and self-knowledge 41:11 The political implications and the role of the philosopher 50:11 The dramatic and rhetorical aspects of the dialogue 57:32 The aporetic ending and its significance Keywords Plato’s Lovers, Rival Lovers, Erastai, what is philosophy, polymathy, much learning, Socratic dialogue, aporetic dialogue, forgotten Platonic dialogues, eros, erotic education, true love of the soul, tripartite soul, music and gymnastics, mousikē, gymnastikē, self-knowledge, know thyself, Socrates as third lover, Dionysius grammar school, anonymity in Plato, via negativa, aporia, preparation for the Republic, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Dr. Brett Larson, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Platonic education, philosophy and politics, soul craft before statecraft.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick and Dr. Grabowski discuss a short, strange, and somewhat forgotten Platonic dialogue - The Hipparchus. Check out our 15 Q&A Written Guide to the Hipparchus - great for small groups, homeschooling, autodidacts, and more! What begins as a simple question—“What is the love of gain?”—quickly becomes a sharp and unsettling examination of the democratic soul. With no dramatic setting and a nameless interlocutor, the dialogue feels almost like overhearing Socrates in the marketplace, pressing an ordinary Athenian citizen on whether the desire for more is always shameful, or whether the soul might rightly love higher forms of gain: nobility, honor, and even wisdom itself. What makes the conversation especially rewarding is how Socrates deliberately chooses a shocking example—the tyrant Hipparchus—and reimagines him as a lover of wisdom who sought to educate the city. In doing so, the dialogue quietly draws a parallel between the supposed tyrant and Socrates himself, both of whom attract the youth, challenge conventional order, and are ultimately rejected by a democratic culture that cannot tolerate excellence. Along the way, listeners encounter an early sketch of the tripartite soul, a critique of the leveling effects of egalitarianism, and an aporetic ending that leaves the interlocutor “compelled rather than persuaded.” Brief, strange, and surprisingly profound, this episode is an excellent preparation for the Republic and a compelling invitation to reconsider what the soul truly seeks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Plato's Hipparchus and its significance 01:54 Main themes: Love of gain, democracy, and wisdom 04:03 The character of Socrates and the setting of the dialogue 06:03 Hipparchus as a figure in political myth and history 07:58 Translation choices and interpretive approaches 10:00 The dialogue's structure and lack of dramatic setting 11:56 The definition of love of gain and greed 13:54 Socrates' critique of the love of worthless things 16:06 Hipparchus as a symbol of love of wisdom and fame 18:04 The political implications of Hipparchus' love of wisdom 20:00 The role of the democratic man and the love of gain 21:49 Socrates' pedagogical method and the nature of knowledge 23:52 The significance of the tyrant example and Hipparchus' myth 26:04 The character of the interlocutor and the setting of the dialogue 28:03 The introduction of Hipparchus and its layers of meaning 30:10 The political myth of Hipparchus and its revisionist history 32:00 Hipparchus' love of wisdom and the Herms 34:08 The allegory of knowledge and the tripartite soul 35:53 The love of gain as a love of wisdom and truth 38:08 The democratic man, shame, and the pursuit of philosophy 40:00 The role of philosophers in democratic society 42:01 The character of Socrates as a gadfly and teacher 43:48 The process of being compelled towards truth 45:54 Bloom's interpretation: Socrates as a political and epistemological figure 48:00 The significance of the short dialogues for understanding Socrates 50:12 The importance of humility and piety in reading Plato 51:57 Next week's discussion: Rival Lovers and the nature of wisdom Key words: Plato Hipparchus, love of gain, philokerdia, Socratic dialogue, political philosophy, Alan Bloom, Thomas Pangle, Roots of Political Philosophy, democratic man, egalitarianism, leveling effect, tripartite soul, thumos, nous, appetitive soul, tyrant Hipparchus, Herms, Socrates as gadfly, aporetic dialogue, compulsion versus persuasion, preparation for Plato’s Republic, philosopher-king, Great Books podcast, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick, Frank Grabowski, classical education, ancient philosophy, Plato short dialogues, forgotten Platonic dialogues.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Garlick invites you into a rich, methodical exploration of eros: the primal desire to satiate in beauty and be happy. What if the restlessness in your soul—the endless craving for more beauty, more fulfillment, more rest—is not a curse but a divine gift? Reclaiming Holy Eros https://www.theascent.io/p/reclaiming-holy-eros Women as Icons of God, Beauty-itself https://www.theascent.io/p/the-beauty-of-woman-as-an-icon-of Porn as a Poor Expression of Eros https://www.theascent.io/p/the-poor-erotics-of-porn Far from the pornographic or puritan distortions that dominate modern thinking, this ancient concept runs like a golden thread through Homer, Hesiod, Plato’s Symposium, the Old and New Testaments, the Church Fathers, Dante, and even Pope Benedict XVI’s Deus Caritas Est. Deacon shows how eros is the very question of the human condition—an upward call that moves the soul from lesser beauties to greater ones until it finds rest in Beauty itself. Drawing on his own spiritual labors, the host walks listeners through Plato’s ladder of love, the marital imagery of God’s covenant with Israel, the Song of Songs, Christ’s union with the Church, and the harmony between erotic ascent and the self-giving love of agape. Along the way he recovers a lost grammar of desire that is both natural and supernaturally elevated by grace—one that produces virtue, fecundity, and genuine theosis. The result is not abstract theory but a living path: a latticework upon which your own understanding of restlessness, happiness, and the call to become more Christlike can grow. Whether you have wrestled with the restlessness of the heart, wondered how pagan wisdom and Christian revelation speak to one another, or simply want a deeper vision of love that orders the soul toward God, this conversation offers something rare: a beautiful, coherent tradition that answers the deepest questions of what it means to be human. Listen, and begin the ascent. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Eros and its significance in Christian spirituality 01:54 Eros in Homer, Hesiod, and the primordial cosmos 07:12 Plato's Symposium and the ladder of love 15:07 Eros in the Old Testament: Marriage and divine love 20:00 Eros in the New Testament: Christ and the Church 30:06 Eros and the ascent to divine beauty 40:11 Eros, virtue, and happiness in Christian thought 50:02 Eros and grace: the divine ascent and participation in God 01:00:10 The harmony of eros and agape in Christian life 01:10:08 Practical implications: loving God and neighbor through eros 01:20:01 Conclusion: recovering holy eros as the heart of human and divine love Keywords Holy Eros, Christian eros, Plato Symposium ladder of love, divine beauty, eros and agape, Deus Caritas Est Pope Benedict XVI, Song of Songs, marital imagery God and Israel, Christ bridegroom Church bride, Ephesians 5, St Augustine restless heart, Gregory of Nyssa, bridal mysticism, Bernard of Clairvaux, John of the Cross, Diotima, ascent to God, theosis, pagan and Christian erotics, Homer Hesiod Aristotle eros, natural and supernatural love, virtue and beauty, Ascend Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick, reclaiming holy eros, spiritual ascent, rest in God.