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Editorial

Just One More Thing…

by Tim Madigan

When I first started teaching Introduction to Philosophy classes twenty years ago or so, I found it difficult to get students to relate to Socrates and the Socratic method of enquiry. They found Plato’s dialogues hard to follow, and for many of them Socrates himself came across as an unpleasant or intimidating character. And so, as a way of connecting Socrates to a character most of them had more fondness for, I would ask if they were familiar with the TV program Columbo. Even those who professed never to watch the show knew about its main character, so ably acted by Peter Falk. His filthy raincoat, his disheveled hair, his nagging wife and his forgetful nature were all part and parcel of a beloved iconic figure.

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