Ep. 61 Philosophy and Literature

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Roughly 3700 years ago, in the fertile crescent of mesopotamia, the first Western epic was composed. The character Gilgamesh, and his friend Enkidu, have many adventures battling mighty beasts. But when Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is thrown into, what we would today call, an existential crisis, as Gilgamesh grapples with themes such as friendship and love, mortality, free will and fate, and the search for meaning. Since that time, literature has been consistently used as a vehicle to explore philosophical themes, whether that be the ancient Greeks through the Iliad and the Odyssey, or the modern existentialist.  

But why is this? Aren’t philosophical treatises sufficient? There’s something about literature as an alternative avenue to philosophical thought. Rather than a treatise with syllogisms, points and counterpoints, thought experiments and the like, great literature allows us to contemplate some of life’s greatest mysteries with a little life breathed into it through colorful characters, allegorical tales, intricate metaphors, or captivating dialogues. Through this vehicle, philosophical literature challenges readers to ponder the nature of truth, the meaning of happiness, and the complexities of human relationships.

But can literature be considered philosophy? Does it do a disservice to the philosophical enterprise? And ultimately, what is its value to human experience? Join us as we explore the connection between philosophy and literature. 

Episode Resources

The Myth of Sisyphus - Albert Camus
The Stranger - Albert Camus
Utopia - Thomas Moore
The Divine Comedy (Inferno) - Dante
Silence - Shusaku Endo
Hamlet - Shakespeare
The Decameron - Giovanni Boccaccio
The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong
The Little Life - Donna Tart

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