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Online Great Books Podcast


Apr 9, 2020

This week, Scott and Karl are joined by Aristotelian scholar and OGB seminar host, John Pascarella. The trio talks about the not-so-obvious side of Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice. 

Austen’s Aristotelian ethical ideas are often overlooked by the majority of readers, but as Scott points out, "This isn’t a chick book. This is a people book. This is about rational people trying to pursue a rational happiness, making decisions about their life, and taking agency in doing things on their own behalf according to the contents of their mind.” 

Austen wrote her novel in 1813 — you'll find it provides an honest depiction of manners, education, marriage, and money during the Regency era in Great Britain. But it's also a lot more than that. 

John says, “You just don’t see stories written like this anymore. [Now] it’s all about the sentiment and not about the virtue." 

Tune in to hear a fascinating discussion about why a novel that has consistently appeared near the top of lists of "most-loved books" is more than meets the eye.