‘We’re not doing the thing we’re built to do’: Agnes Callard, the philosopher living life according to Socrates
Why did the professor get divorced, remarry, but allow her former husband to remain in the house? In her brilliant new book, Open Socrates, she makes the case for an intellectually honest life
What happens when a dedicated life of the mind confronts the messiness of earthly desires? The University of Chicago philosophy professor Agnes Callard, who in some moods believes herself to be channelling Socrates, was forced to ask herself that question one afternoon in 2011 when she was discussing with a graduate student a particular thorny problem in Greek thought, the abstract question of why one means something singularly different from two. In the course of unpacking this problem, another related dilemma arose, however: this was the insistent fact that the pair of them – student and teacher – had, in the course of their discussions over that term, fallen suddenly and hopelessly in love, a less abstract kind of coupling.
They agreed nothing could happen, but the next day, on a plane journey to visit her parents in New York, Callard, then 35, decided she could be no kind of Socratic disciple, if she could not, in this charged instant, be entirely true to her ideals. The “inner experience of love” she felt for her student, Arnold, 27, she thought, was of a different, higher quality to that she felt for her husband, Ben, though their marriage to that point had been contented and fulfilling, and they had two young sons. She resolved on that flight that the honest thing to do must be to end her marriage, and when she returned to Ben she did what her philosophical hero would have done – she engaged in deep dialogue with him about this problem. Husband and wife talked for a whole day about the different kinds of love (Ben was also a philosopher). “I had never felt so close to him,” Callard recalled. And the following day they decided they must get divorced.
Continue reading...-
Trump says Canada joining US 'would be greatest thing they could ever do'
President Trump on Sunday argued that if Canada were to join the United States, it would be the greatest thing the neighbors to the north could do. “I love the people of Canada. We have a great ...The Hill - 1h -
‘I am pretty much uninsurable’: My 20-year term life insurance is up, but I was diagnosed with throat cancer. Do I renew it?
“I am pretty much uninsurable.”MarketWatch - 3h -
We’re in a relationship recession – and a lot of women are absolutely fine with that | Emma Beddington
Older people don’t want to get married; youngsters aren’t dating. But maybe there’s more to life than being in a couple. Sorry, Valentine’s Day is cancelled: we’re in a relationship recession. ...The Guardian - 11h -
I'm a self-made millionaire who's worked with over 1,000 couples—3 things I would never do to build a successful relationship
"Money for Couples" author and self-made millionaire Ramit Sethi shares 3 money moves to avoid if you want to build a successful relationship.CNBC - 11h -
Amorim: Utd win 'nothing to do with Fergie time'
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said his side's last-gasp winner against Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth-round showed the team believed until the final whistle, but it had "nothing to do ...ESPN - 4h -
Anthony Salvanto says Americans feel Trump is doing "what he said he would do in the campaign"
Anthony Salvanto, CBS News director of elections and surveys, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that President Trump has a 53% approval rating in his first weeks in office."He's doing, ...CBS News - 7h -
I Do Not Want Revenge for My Father’s Death
My father’s killer is being released to save hostages.The New York Times - 14h -
Watch: Could the Tories do a deal with Reform?
Conservative MP Alex Burghart tells the BBC that Reform UK "wants to destroy" his party.BBC News - 14h -
Johnson urges Senate to wait for House to "do its work" on Trump agenda
House Republicans met for several hours with Trump Thursday, after GOP senators planned move forward with their own plan to enact Trump's priorities.CBS News - 3d
More from The Guardian
-
Trump to announce 25% aluminum and steel tariffs in latest trade escalation
Tariffs will come on top of existing metal duties and reciprocal tariffs will also come later in week, says president. Donald Trump said on Sunday that he will announce on Monday new 25% tariffs on ...The Guardian - 1h -
Ecuador goes to the polls amid rise in drug-related gang violence
Voters who have become victims of crime wave linked to cocaine trade will determine outcome of presidential election. Ecuadorians are voting in a presidential election that has shaped up to be a ...The Guardian - 8h -
Super Bowl 2025 live updates: Kansas City Chiefs 0-17 Philadelphia Eagles
Email david.lengel@theguardian.com with your thoughts Our writers give their predictions for today’s game Updates from 6.30pm ET/11.30pm GMT kickoff in New Orleans Follow our half-time show ...The Guardian - 28m -
Tom Robbins, comic novelist of US counterculture, dies aged 92
Author of books including Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and Another Roadside Attraction, was known for his outlandish tales of sex, drugs and mysticism. Tom Robbins, whose novels read like a hit of ...The Guardian - 1h -
Israeli military withdraws from Netzarim corridor in Gaza
Israel says it will not agree to full withdrawal until Hamas’s military and political capabilities have been eliminated. Middle East crisis – live updates Israeli forces have withdrawn from ...The Guardian - 8h
More in World
-
Ecuador’s Presidential Election: What to Know
As voters went to the polls on Sunday, violence, unemployment and the country’s ongoing energy crisis were top of mind.The New York Times - 11m -
Super Bowl: Kendrick Lamar, the ads, Taylor Swift and everything but the football – live
While the game goes ahead, it’s a big night for culture with a much-anticipated half-time show kicking off between 8-830pm, a string of big name ads and a returning role for Taylor Swift. Follow ...The Guardian - 26m -
Super Bowl 2025 live updates: Kansas City Chiefs 0-17 Philadelphia Eagles
Email david.lengel@theguardian.com with your thoughts Our writers give their predictions for today’s game Updates from 6.30pm ET/11.30pm GMT kickoff in New Orleans Follow our half-time show ...The Guardian - 28m -
Yrjö Kukkapuro, renowned Finnish chair designer, dies aged 91
‘Almost every Finn has sat on a chair he designed,’ his studio says, with his postmodern creations gracing galleries around the world. Yrjö Kukkapuro, a renowned Finnish designer whose postmodern ...The Guardian - 44m -
Tom Robbins, comic novelist of US counterculture, dies aged 92
Author of books including Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and Another Roadside Attraction, was known for his outlandish tales of sex, drugs and mysticism. Tom Robbins, whose novels read like a hit of ...The Guardian - 1h