• Episode 44: Professor Jacob Howland "Plato and the Talmud" (1 of 2)

• In a fascinating discussion with Dr. Jacob Howland about his book, Plato and the Talmud, we delve into his groundbreaking study. In it, he examines the relationship between Athens and Jerusalem through the lens of the Platonic dialogues and the Talmud. Dr. Howland argues that both of these texts share similar ideas about the role of inquiry and debate in religious life and a deep understanding of the limits of human comprehension of divine things. He dives into insightful interpretations of Plato’s Apology, Euthyphro, and tractate Ta'anit to uncover the tensions between reason and faith present in both Socrates and the Talmudic sages. Along the way, he examines Leo Strauss' view on the "esotericism" of the Talmud, Homer's Odyssey, the clash between the approaches of Honi HaMe'agel and Shimon ben Shetach, and the infamous aggadah of the Oven of Akhnai. Join us as Dr. Howland reveals the pedagogy behind these texts and how they engage their readers, seeking to convey the essence of Socratic philosophy and Rabbinic Judaism. Lastly, we talk about his work in improving academia and freeing it from the shackles of recency bias of progressive ideology. This conversation is a mustlisten for anyone interested in philosophy and religion.

• IF YOU PREFER TO LISTEN TO THE FULL AUDIO VERSION (WHICH INCLUDES AN INTRO), CLICK HERE:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5NXp...

• Bio: Dr. Jacob Howland is McFarlin Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Tulsa, where he taught from 1988 to 2020. He published five books and roughly sixty articles and review essays on the thought of Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Kierkegaard, the Talmud, the Holocaust, ideological tyranny, and other subjects. A past winner of the University of Tulsa Outstanding Teacher Award and the College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award, he has received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Littauer Foundation, the Earhart Foundation, and the Koch Foundation, and has lectured in Israel, France, England, Romania, Brazil, Denmark, Norway, and at universities around the United States. His most recent book is Glaucon’s Fate: History, Myth, and Character in Plato’s Republic, Paul Dry Books, 2018.

• You can find his works on his website here: https://www.jacobhowland.com/

• Welcome to JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED: A PODCAST FOR THE PERPLEXED | Cohosted by Benjy & Benzi | Conversations with renowned figures (of various academic disciplines) about topics that aren't part of mainstream Orthodox curriculum. We don't claim to know all the answers, but we aim to ask all the big questions! We welcome your topic and guest suggestions so please follow us on Instagram   / judaism.demystified   (DM for inquiries) and share our content with those you feel would be interested or benefit from our podcast. Please SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel and hit the BELL so you can get alerted whenever new clips get posted, thank you for your support. We welcome your contributions to the show, which helps us grow and improve: www.patreon.com/judaism