Sips & Scholars: Robbie Howton on "Who Was Socrates?"

Sips & Scholars is a free lecture series in partnership with Brooklyn Institue of Social Research set in bars and restaurants all over Brooklyn. This session, entitled, “Who was Socrates?” will be lead by Professor Robbie Howton. 

The story of philosophy begins in tragedy, with the trial and death of Socrates. Who was this person, and how, despite having written nothing, does he continue to inspire us to seek wisdom even now, twenty four centuries after his death? In this lecture, we'll consider these and other questions as we explore the life and thought of Socrates and the motley generation of thinkers he influenced—the Platonists, Cynics, hedonists, and others who, though vociferously disagreeing among themselves, all held up Socrates' as the model of a philosophical life.

Everyone is welcome! Come ready to learn and open to discuss interesting questions together in a safe and welcoming environment. Advanced reading is not required, but we encourage you to check out the suggested booklist. 

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PARTICIPANT 

Robbie Howton holds a PhD in Philosophy with certification from the Collaborative Programme in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy from the University of Toronto. Currently working full-time as a software engineer in New York City, Robbie offers courses at Brooklyn Institute for Social Research in the history of philosophy, focusing especially on ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and the traditions they influenced, as well as on topics in the philosophy of mind and perception. His research focuses on issues in ancient Greek philosophy and the philosophy of perception, most recently on a cluster of topics in Aristotle’s psychology and natural science, including perceptual discrimination, the metaphysics of color and other sensible qualities, the epistemic value of sense experience, and the status of soul as a final cause in the Aristotelian life sciences.