About Me

Socrates believed that if we examine our lives we will necessarily come to pursue a virtuous life and encourage our fellow citizens to do the same. Personally I find this tricky: The flesh is weak. Also, as Plato observed, attempting to be virtuous is likely to bring the contempt of those around you.  That is, however, no excuse!

While working in China I encountered the work of Mencius, a follower of Confucius.

Perhaps echoing Socrates' entreaty, Karl Marx said, "The philosophers have merely described the world; the point is to change it." There's another good In Our Time programme on Karl Marx.