Video: The Quest for Character
What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders
One of my recent books (2022) was a labor of love entitled The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders.
Is good character something that can be taught? In 430 BCE, Socrates set out to teach the vain, power-seeking Athenian statesman Alcibiades how to be a good person—and failed spectacularly. Alcibiades went on to beguile his city into a hopeless war with Syracuse, and all of Athens paid the price.
In The Quest for Character, I tell this famous story and ask what we can learn from it. I blends ancient sources with modern interpretations to give a full picture of the philosophy and cultivation of character, virtue, and personal excellence—what the Greeks called arete. At heart, The Quest for Character isn’t simply about what makes a good leader. Drawing on Socrates as well as his followers among the Stoics, the book gives us lessons perhaps even more crucial: how we can each lead an excellent life.
Below is a video I did about The Quest for Character, together with my friend Skye Cleary. Enjoy!
very interesting. Thank you for sharing this video :)
... that we're not very good at it? Seriously, we sure need to improve.