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The Simpsons Meet the 'Ancients' on March 7 at UW-Waukesha

Timothy Dale will present "The Wisdom of the Ancients and the Virtues of Springfield: Plato, Aristotle, and Homer" on Thursday, March 7 at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha.

WAUKESHA – Timothy Dale will present “The Wisdom of the Ancients and the Virtues of Springfield: Plato, Aristotle, and Homer” on Thursday, March 7 at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha.

The lecture, part of the Visions and Expressions lecture series, will take place at noon in Commons 101. The event is free and open to the public, and free parking is available during the lecture. UW-Waukesha is located at 1500 N. University Drive in Waukesha.

Dale is an assistant professor of political science at UW–La Crosse. He teaches in the area of political philosophy, and his research interests include democratic theory, political messaging in popular culture, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. He is coeditor of Homer Simpson Marches on Washington: Dissent in American Popular Culture (2010)  – along with UW-Waukesha Associate Dean Joe Foy –  and coauthor of Political Thinking, Political Theory, and Civil Society (2009), and the forthcoming collection Homer Simpson Ponders Politics: Popular Culture as Political Theory (2013) – also co-edited by Foy.

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Dale said the Greek philosopher Aristotle would describe episodes of The Simpsons “as stories about a ‘constitution of people,’ which is held together by mutual values, common experiences, and shared friendships.”

“Aristotle would also recognize the community of Springfield as exemplifying many of his observations about political communities, and the virtues and practices that keep them bonded together,” he said. “The community of Springfield is certainly flawed, but Aristotle famously recommends that our political theories must begin with a practical account of those who live within a society, and include an investigation into why political regimes succeed or fail.”

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In approaching Springfield the way Aristotle would, Dale said, “we find that the city is successful because it is held together by common goals and shared values. The adventures of its citizens exhibit Aristotle’s insights about the nature of political regimes, the value of education, and the integral role of friendship for keeping a city intact, and cultivating virtuous citizens.”

UW-Waukesha

UW–Waukesha has the largest enrollment among the 13 UW Colleges campuses.  These freshman/sophomore campuses and UW Colleges Online comprise the UW Colleges. They offer an Associate of Arts and Sciences degree and prepare students of all ages and backgrounds for baccalaureate and professional programs. In addition, UW-Waukesha offers several collaborative bachelor’s degrees through UW-Milwaukee and UW-Oshkosh.

For information about programs, admission or financial aid, contact the Student Services office at 262-521-5040 or visit the Web at www.waukesha.uwc.edu. You can follow the campus on Facebook or Twitter.

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