AFFECTION AND AFFILIATION: SOCIAL NETWORKS AND CONVERSION TO PHILOSOPHY.

The article provides a discussion on the effects of social networks on conversion to philosophy. It argues that conversion to philosophy involves both a personal choice and is affected by a person's social network. The article examines the narratives in Diogenes Laertius's work "Lives of Eminent Philosophers" and the role of affection in motivating individuals to study and choose a school of philosophy. It discusses instances wherein a person converted to philosophy as a result of a personal and doctrinal attraction to a group.