Philosopher

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c. Glaucon

Glaucon (445?-399? BC) was Plato’s older brother and like Plato, he was also one of the students of Socrates. It was not clear what Glaucon did for a living but as implied from the word of Socrates, like many other Athenians, Glaucon studied the musical and mathematical theories of Pythagoras at some point (Derksen et. al, 2011). Glaucon appeared in several of Plato’s dialogues such as Parmenides, Republic, and Symposium. He is widely considered as one of Socrates “more sophisticated interlocutors” for various topics of discussion, including education, the nature of beauty and ugliness, evil characteristic of mankind, and the immortal mind of Zeus (Derksen et. al, 2011). Glaucon also appeared in Xenophon’s Memorabilia but in an opposite character from Plato’s works.

d. Eric Katz

There was so little information about Eric Katz out there but it can be concluded that he was a contemporary philosopher. With no specific information about when he was born and died and where he came from and lived, Katz was famous for his essay, The Rings of Tolkien and Plato: Lessons in Power, Choice, and Morality. In this essay, Katz shared his views on the novel Lord of the Rings written by J.R.R Tolkien about morality and the effects of it to a person’s conducts and characters. Katz pointed out in his essay “the ring is not evil in and of itself” (Thematic Issues in Lord of the Rings, 2003). If used correctly, the ring could prolong one’s life and even detect evil as it arises. Yet, on the other hand, the ring could also represent—in some ways—one’s innate characters (good and bad). Although in the end, the ring corrupted most of the ring’s bearers, Katz addressed questions about the nature of moral choice in his essay.

e. JRR Tolkien

JRR Tolkien (1892-1973) was a British writer who was famous for his world’s best-seller The Lord of the Rings novel series. Tolkien gained his popularity during 1960s and 1970s as a “cult figure among youths disillusioned with war and the technological age” (Tolkien, J. R. R. (1892-1973), 1998). His continuing reputation until today proofs his ability to bring “oppressive realities of modern life” to a fantasy world (Tolkien, J. R. R. (1892-1973). The power of Tolkien lies in the way he had succeed, through myth, in making the unseen hand of providence felt by the character (Pearce, 2001). Tolkien showed in his novel The Lord of the Rings how the unseen hand of God is felt more deeply in myth rather than in fiction. Fiction works with fact, invented facts to be precise (physical), while myth works with truth (metaphysical). Being metaphysical, myth is close to being spiritual (Pearce, 2001).

References:

“Thematic Issues in Lord of the Rings.” (n.d.). Northern Virginia Community College. 2003. www.nvcc.edu/home/dashkenas/Tolkien.doc. 19 Jan. 2012.

"Tolkien, J. R. R. (1892-1973)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998.

Gale Biography In Context. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

Derksen, B., et. al. “Glaucon.” Wikipedia. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=465566352. 19 Jan. 2012.

Rudebusch, George H. "Plato." World Eras. Ed. John T. Kirby. Vol. 6: Classical Greek Civilization, 800-323 B.C.E. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

Taylor, C. "Socrates." Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Gale, 2006. Gale Biography In

Context. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

Terzian, Sevan G. "Plato." Encyclopedia of Education. Gale, 2003. Gale Biography In

Context. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

O'Neill, W. H. "Socrates." New Catholic Encyclopedia. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Gale

Biography In Context. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

Pearce, J. “J.R.R. Tolkien: Truth and Myth.” Catholic Education Resource Center. 2001. http://catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0107.html. 19 Jan. 2012.