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Ancient NASCAR
Today, millions tune in to NASCAR races, watching drivers speed around the track at hundreds of miles per hour. These viewers are part of what has become a massive, multi-billion-dollar cultural phenomenon. The significance of racing though, is nothing new. Thousands of years ago, Greeks and Romans raced horse-drawn chariots for entertainment. According to some…
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Thermopolia: Ancient Romans’ Fast Food
For a long time, I’ve had an interest in restaurants. For me, they were a special place. You could enjoy a really good meal and in a great atmosphere with your loved ones. Restaurants also inject variety into mealtimes and give patrons a chance to experience food from all around the world. In addition, restaurants…
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Business: Good or Evil? Should Businesspeople be required to give back?
Business is one of the most powerful forces for good in society. Entrepreneurship—the creation and growth of businesses—is a key driver of innovation and a crucial mechanism for addressing societal needs. Entrepreneurs exist to identify and capitalize on opportunities created by unmet needs. When they recognize a problem—whether local, national, or global—they innovate to develop…
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Noblesse Oblige and the new Optimates
A recent Atlantic article by David Brooks (2024), in its criticism of the new meritocracy, claimed: “In some ways, we’ve just re-established the old hierarchy rooted in wealth and social status—only the new elites possess greater hubris, because they believe that their status has been won by hard work and talent rather than by birth.…
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Matches small-dollar contributions from everyday citizens
Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed an interesting trend among students at my school: many are becoming increasingly critical of campaign funding. The numbers for this cycle have been objectively insane. Vice President Kamala Harris, for example, raised a billion dollars in just a few short months—an impressive achievement by any measure. However, the…
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The wealth gap phenomenon
One of the largest phenomena in politics is the growing wealth gap in our country. Throughout my humanities courses, this idea has begun to surface in subtle ways, but recently it has appeared in full force in the form of Marx’s Communist Manifesto. Thus, a great opportunity presented itself to study the philosophy surrounding the…
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We are all Americans
I recently read On Politics by Alan Ryan, and a sentence in the introduction really stood out to me: “I am uncomfortable with the thought that serious thinkers about politics may retire into the ivory tower and write difficult—if often very interesting—essays and books for their colleagues alone.” This sentiment echoes Plato’s warning that a significant divide…
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Hidden Utility: Dead Languages
Why study a dead language? Daily, this question bombards Classics students around the world. For many Classics students, it’s essentially a personal attack on our work and an integral part of us. But no matter how much we despise this question, it is valid. This question itself is predicated upon utility, it judges the utility…
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Thoughts on Happiness
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a seminar consisting of professor guided discussion regarding Plato’s Symposium with a group of other bright high school students. In the Symposium, Plato writes about a dinner party where a variety of guests and characters take turns giving speeches praising Eros, the personification as well…