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The Living Philosophy

English, Cultural, 1 season, 67 episodes, 17 hours, 3 minutes
About
The Living Philosophy is all about the exploration of philosophy's big ideas and big characters from the Ancients to the Postmoderns with a side of Psychology and seasoned with a dash of Integral.
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The Prophet — the Archetype of Societal Renaissance

Before the Axial Age the religious archetypes were those of the Priest and the Magician. But with the increased complexity and evolution of society a new archetype emerged: that of the Prophet. This is the archetype of liminal transformation in the midst of a society paralysed by its own success. The Prophet comes in from the edge of inside and shows the society where it has lost its way. ____________________ 📚 Further Reading: - Szakolczai Á (2003) _The Genesis of Modernity_. Routledge studies in social and political thought 36. London ; New York: Routledge. ________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy _________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy ▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9 ▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/ ________________ 🎼 Media Used: 1. Anguish  — Kevin MacLeod 2. Density & Time — Ether Real 3. Mind Scrape — Kevin MacLeod 4. Alone With My Thoughts — Esther Abrami 5. Shores of Avalon — Kevin MacLeod 6. Disquiet — Kevin MacLeod 7. Letting Go — Kevin MacLeod 8. Allegro — Emmit Fenn 9. Evening Fall Harp  — Kevin MacLeod Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic Subscribe to Emmit Fenn https://www.youtube.com/c/emmitfenn _________________ ⌛ Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 01:14 Priests and Magicians 03:33 Prophets 04:13 Power and the Priest 06:11 Refusal of the Call 08:19 Personal Aspect and Revelation 09:16 Exemplary and Ethical Prophecy 11:31 Elitist Exemplarys 12:34 Conclusion
1/28/202414 minutes, 22 seconds
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Justice vs. Vengeance — Is There a Difference?

Philosopher and anthropologist Rene Girard once described justice and public vengeance. Nietzsche expressed the same in his Genealogy of Morals. Why then do we value justice so highly and look down so judgingly on revenge? And what, if this is true, is the purpose of justice? How is it in any way different from vengeance? The answer is that it is profoundly different and in this video we explore why. ____________________ 📚 Further Reading: - Prisoner abuse data: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0032885500080004004 - Death penalty data: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/death-penalty-international-poll - MP support of death penalty: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/big-differences-on-economic-and-social-values-between-mps-and-voters-new-academic-survey-finds/ - Recidivism in Norwegian prisons - 1 year: https://medium.com/wagovernor/how-norwegian-prisons-prepare-inmates-to-become-better-neighbors-534409a90f33 - 3-year Norwegian recidivism: https://www.firststepalliance.org/post/norway-prison-system-lessons - 1980s Norway recidivism: https://www.firststepalliance.org/post/norway-prison-system-lessons - Nietzsche, F. (2000) *Genealogy of Morals* in _Basic Writings of Nietzsche_ ed. by Walter Kaufmann. New York: Modern Library. - Girard R. (1979) _Violence and the Sacred_. Baltimore: Hopkins Univ. Press. ________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy _________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy ▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9 ▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/ ________________ 🎼 Media Used: 1. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod 2. Mind Scrape — Kevin MacLeod 3. Fresh Air — Kevin MacLeod 4. Dreams Become Real — Kevin MacLeod 5. Dark Times — Kevin MacLeod Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic _________________ ⌛ Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 01:33 Rehabilitation vs Punishment 06:29 The Dark Side of Justice 10:15 The Hegemony of Justice 13:26 Further Avenues for Research
12/31/202315 minutes, 4 seconds
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Is Equality the Enemy?

Would you rather live in a better world or a happier one? In this video we are going to explore how equality has made the world a better place but also how, like the Edenic apple of knowledge, it has come with a cost. The world looks better from the outside but seen from the subjective side it seems that things have only gotten worse. This is following up on the recent episode on Nietzsche's concept of ressentiment that we examined in the previous episodes and follows along our explorations in to the social and political radical theme of modern times. ____________________ 📚 Further Reading: - De Botton A (2005) _Status Anxiety_. First Vintage International edition. New York: Vintage International. - Nietzsche FW (2000) *The Genealogy of Morals* in _Basic Writings of Nietzsche_. ed. by Martin Kaufmann. New York: Modern Library. - Orlowski, J. (2020) _The Social Dilemma_ Netflix. - Scheler M (1915) Ressentiment. 1915. - Seligman MEP (2013) _Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment_. Atria paperback edition. New York London Toronto Sydney New Delhi: Atria Paperback. - Tocqueville A de, Bevan GE, Kramnick I, et al. (2003) _Democracy in America: And Two Essays on America_. Penguin classics. London: Penguin. ________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy _________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy ▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9 ▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/ ________________ 🎼 Media Used: 1. Mesmerize  — Kevin MacLeod 2. Despair and Triumph — Kevin MacLeod 3. Long Note Three — Kevin MacLeod 4. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod 5. Dreams Become Real — Kevin MacLeod 6. Letting Go — Kevin MacLeod 7. Fresh Air — Kevin MacLeod Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic _________________ ⌛ Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 2:07 Democracy in America 5:21 The Shadow of Equality 8:21 In the 21st Century 9:59 Medieval Eden 12:00 What to do with Equality 13:48 The Limitations of Meritocracy
12/17/202318 minutes, 33 seconds
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Liminality and the Values of the Left

In The Ritual Process the anthropologist who put Liminality on the map Victor Turner gave a list of contrasts between Liminality and Structure. There is an uncanny resemblance between these values and the values of Leftism. That is what we are going to explore in this episode which in the final episode in our exploration of Victor Turner's work in this field. ____________________📚 Further Reading:- Szakolczai Á (2003) _The Genesis of Modernity_. Routledge studies in social and political thought 36. London ; New York: Routledge.- Turner VW (1995) _The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure_. The Lewis Henry Morgan lectures 1966. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/________________🎼 Media Used:1.  Long Note Three  — Kevin MacLeod2.  Dreams Become Real  — Kevin MacLeod3. Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeod4. Despair and Triumph — Kevin MacLeod5. Permafrost — Scott Buckley6. There’s Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie7.  Ether Real - Density & Time — The Grey RoomSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to Chris Zabriskie https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskieSubscribe to The Grey Room https://www.youtube.com/@TheGreyRoomScott Buckley - https://www.scottbuckley.com.au_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction01:31 Liminality03:39 Leftism05:09 The Liminal Left - Economic/Political07:10 Authority and Liminality 10:07 The Cultural Left and Liminality13:39 Conclusion
11/19/202316 minutes, 14 seconds
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The Homelessness Crisis — Where Individualism Breaks Down

"When all you have is a hammer every problem begins to look like a nail." Good philosophy is always trying to break up and recreate its map of the world. In this episode we are going to break up the Individualist model of the world a little and broaden our map to include the Collectivist perspectives. We talk a lot about Nihilism and the Meaning Crisis as if they are only to be understood as individual problems but the challenges and solutions that face us in the 21st century can't be understood merely from one angle. This episode is a case study in the Homelessness Crisis and how it looks from the vantage points of Individualism and Collectivism. ____________________📚 Further Reading:- Jerusalem Damsas's article for The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/homelessness-affordable-housing-crisis-democrats-causes/672224/- Gregg Colburn and Clayton Page's site with some fascinating graphs and a link to their book: https://homelessnesshousingproblem.com/________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/________________🎼 Media Used:1. Dreams Become Real — Kevin MacLeod2. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod3.  Long Note Three — Kevin MacLeod4.  Despair and Triumph  — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:48 Homelessness: a Collective Problem5:03 A vicious circle6:55 Conclusion
10/22/20239 minutes, 28 seconds
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Liminality X Nihlism — The Real Cause of the Meaning Crisis

Is Liminality the real root of the crisis of Nihilism? In this episode we are going to explore this question and whether Liminality is a better diagnosis of the Meaning Crisis than Nietzsche's Death of God. When looking at Turner's qualities of Liminality the relations between it and Nihilism are striking; if nothing else if provides us an alternative angle on the crisis — a different perspective from which to behold the quagmire we find ourselves in. What is particularly appealing about the Liminality-centred explanation is that it can explain Nihilism AND the value system of the Left from Marx to Social Justice — a theme we'll be exploring in a future video. ____________________📚 Further Reading:- Nietzsche FW and Kaufmann WA (1974) _The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs_. 1st ed. New York: Vintage Books.- Turner VW (1995) _The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure_. The Lewis Henry Morgan lectures 1966. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/________________🎼 Media Used:1.   Dreams Become Real  — Kevin MacLeod2.  Fresh Air — Kevin MacLeod3. Long Note Three — Kevin MacLeod4. Despair and Triumph  — Kevin MacLeod5. Lost Frontier  — Kevin MacLeod6. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction02:38 What is Liminality?05:36 Nihilism09:28 Liminality and Nihilism12:55 Progressivism and the Dangers of Liminality14:34 Curing the Meaning Crisis
10/8/202317 minutes, 23 seconds
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The Last Man — Nietzsche

For Nietzsche The Last Man stood as the opposite of the Ubermensch and the great danger of the "levelling" tendency of modernity. In this episode we are going to look at what Nietzsche meant by the Last Man and how his prophecy has come through. We look at The Last Man in 21st century society and what Nietzsche got right even while we should be cautious of fully embracing his ideal. ____________________📚 Further Reading:- Joseph S (2011) _What Doesn’t Kill Us: The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth_. New York: Basic Books.- McGonigal K (2015) _The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It_. New York: Avery, a member of Penguin Random House.- Seligman MEP (2013) _Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment_. Atria paperback edition. New York London Toronto Sydney New Delhi: Atria Paperback.- Nietzsche FW (1976) *Thus Spoke Zarathustra* in _The Portable Nietzsche_. New York: Penguin Books.- Nietzsche FW and Kaufmann WA (1974) _The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs_. 1st ed. New York: Vintage Books.- Nietzsche FW and Kaufmann WA (2000) _Basic Writings of Nietzsche_. Modern Library ed. New York: Modern Library.________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/________________🎼 Media Used:1.   Long Note Three  — Kevin MacLeod2. There’s Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie3.  Despair and Triumph — Kevin MacLeod4. Dark Times — Kevin MacLeod5. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)Subscribe to Chris Zabriskie [https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie](https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction01:50 The Last Man in Thus Spoke Zarathustra05:13 The Values of the Last Man09:25 The Last Man in the 21st Century
9/24/202314 minutes, 56 seconds
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Liminality — Our World in One Word

We live in an age of Liminality. It's at the roots of the Meaning Crisis of Nihilism and Leftist value structures. Coming from the same Latin word as subliminal (*limin* meaning "threshold") it is a term that has entered the mainstream from its roots in Anthropology with the work of Victor Turner. Victor Turner developed the concept in his work The Ritual Process. In this episode we will be answering the question what is Liminality and we'll be exploring it and its two cousins Marginality and Inferiority and how this trifecta shape the value structure of all society in the interplay between their Communitas/Antistructure with the world of politics economics and law — of status, power and competition — (which Turner calls "Structure"). ____________________📚 Further Reading:- Szakolczai Á (2003) _The Genesis of Modernity_. London: Routledge.- Turner VW (1995) _The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure_. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction2:10 The 3 Types of Antistructure5:59 Liminality10:27 Liminality: Beyond Ritual14:10 Marginality18:50 Inferiority22:17 Overlapping Groups
9/10/202325 minutes, 13 seconds
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Addicted to Apocalypse: Our Psychological Need for the End

Apocalypse is traditionally a religious idea but the secular age has been more alight with an Apocalyptic fervour than any preceding age. In this episode we explore why by looking at predictions through the ages and across cultures in an attempt to triangulate on what it is about the end of the world that is so sticky to the human psyche. We are going to explore the archetypal phenomenon of the end of the world and see why Apocalypse remains so compelling. ________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/________________🎼 Media Used:1.   Lost Frontier  — Kevin MacLeod2.  Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeod3. Permafrost — Scott Buckley4.  Ether Real - Density & Time — The Grey Room5. There’s Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie6. Anguish — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)Subscribe to Chris Zabriskie [https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie](https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie)Subscribe to The Grey Room https://www.youtube.com/@TheGreyRoomScott Buckley - https://www.scottbuckley.com.au_________________⌛ Timestamps:00:00 Introduction03:10 Secular Apocalypse07:06 A History of Prediction08:23 Theme 1: Calendrical Apocalypse11:35 Theme 2: Social Chaos13:09 Social Chaos in the Islamic World13:59 Social Chaos in Christian History15:54 Social Chaos in the 19th Century18:22 Social Chaos in the 21st Century
8/27/202322 minutes, 51 seconds
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Why Jung Hated Philosophers

Jung once described himself as a failed philosopher. Instead he chose the path of science with psychology. It is surprising then to see what Walter Kaufmann calls Jung's "wildly emotional overreaction" to thinkers like Heidegger and Kierkegaard. Is philosophy Jung's Shadow? In this episode we explore what Jung said about the philosophers and why. For this we'll draw on letters written by Jung and look at the tension in him between what he calls his No. 1 Personality and his No. 2 Personality and then we're going to explore whether this hatred of the philosophers might not come from a fault-line in Jung's own psychology. ____________________📚 Further Reading:- Jung, C.G. *Memories, Dreams, Reflections*- Jung, C.G., 2012. _The red book: A reader's edition_. WW Norton & Company.- Jung, C.G., 2015. _Letters of CG Jung: Volume I, 1906-1950_. Routledge- Jung, C.G., 2021. _CG Jung Letters, Volume 2: 1951-1961_. Princeton University Press- Freud, S. and Jung, C.G., 1994. _The Freud-Jung Letters: The Correspondence Between Sigmund Freud and CG Jung_. Princeton University Press.- Nietzsche, F., 1992. _Basic Writings of Nietzsche_. Modern Library. - Kaufmann, W. ed., 1992. _Freud, Alder, and Jung: Discovering the Mind_. Routledge.________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/________________🎼 Media Used:1. Despair and Triumph — Kevin MacLeod2. Dark Times —  Kevin MacLeod3. Long Note Three —  Kevin MacLeod4. Mermerize —  Kevin MacLeod5. There’s Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie6.  End of the Era  — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)Subscribe to Chris Zabriskie [https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie](https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction2:42 Beyond their proper bounds7:21 A bunch of neurotics11:06 The Unlived Jung15:48 Philosophy: Jung's Shadow
8/13/202324 minutes, 20 seconds
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Camino de Santiago: Why I Hiked and What I Learned

A summary of my Camino experience: what I hiked, why I hiked and what I learned. ________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 Discord ▶ https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9_________________⌛Timestamps:0:00 Intro: What the Camino is02:15 What I Hiked08:18 Why I Hiked10:29 Liminality and the Challenges of Communicating the Experience11:51 My Philosophical Reasons for the Hike17:25 What My Journey was Like
7/12/202331 minutes, 11 seconds
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The Rural vs the Far Left — from Marx to AOC

83% of America's counties voted for Trump in the 2020 but these counties account for only 29% of America's GDP. Why aren't this lesser off rural/exurban population voting for the party who theoretically are most aligned with their interests i.e. the Democratic Socialists? The answer might lie with Karl Marx who saw this population as "rural idiots" representing "barbarism within civilisation". For Marx only the urban working class could bring about societal transformation. Every successful Communist revolution had to unlearn this bias of Marx. Looking at the American political situation today we see two Americas: a rural/exurban ocean and a densely populated urban and suburban archipelago. And like Marx rather than his successful revolutionary followers, the Far Left of today dismiss these ruralites as Conservative Reactionaries rather than the most readily mobilisable support. ____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/________________🎼Media Used:1. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod2.  Mermerize  — Kevin MacLeod3.  Dark Times — Kevin MacLeod4.  Despair & Triumph — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:23 The Urban Rural Divide2:55 The Deeper Roots of the Problem5:52 Revisiting America's 21st-century Divide
6/18/20238 minutes, 45 seconds
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Structure vs. Communitas — the Two Modes of Human Society

Anthropologist Victor Turner, who popularised the term Liminality, found that human society has two modes of interrelatedness that function like a yin and yang — mutually dependant and without which human life would be impossible. Structure is the mode of status and hierarchy in society; Communitas of love, compassion and myth. These two modes show up in very interesting ways in our current society. These can be fruitfully mapped over with the religious and scientific mindsets; with the Constrained and Unconstrained Visions of Thomas Sowell's work; with the Order and Chaos of Jordan Peterson's work Maps of Meaning and with the left- and right-hemispheres of the brain in Iain McGilchrist's work. None of these are 1:1 mapovers but there's something rich even in this difference. This episodes marks the beginning of our explorations in this fertile model of human life. ____________________📚 Further Reading:- Turner, V. _The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure_- Turner, V. _Revelation and divination in Ndembu ritual_ ________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/________________🎼 Media Used:1.  There’s Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie2.  Lightless Dawn  — Kevin MacLeod3.  Underwater Exploration - Godmode — Kevin MacLeod4.  Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeod5. Procession of the King — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)Subscribe to Chris Zabriskie [https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie](https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:30 Structure5:30 Communitas6:32 The Communitas Mode of Being10:01 Structured Communitas13:12 Religion and Communitas
5/28/202317 minutes, 14 seconds
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Reactionary: Not Just a Right Wing Phenomenon

The term "reactionary" is associated with the right-wing but like the term radical this term is a concept that transcends the one-dimensional left/right model. That being said it is almost exclusively applied to the right and these days it is used almost exclusively as an insult rather than a self-identifier. It was originally synonymous with right-wing, but it doesn't have to be a right-wing phenomenon, as there are left-wing reactionaries as well. The term has its origins in the French Revolution, where the National Assembly was divided into those favoring revolution on the left and the supporters of the king on the right. The term "reactionary" refers to the political group who wanted to return to pre-modern feudal monarchy. Today, a reactionary is someone who wants to go back to a previous time that was more glorious. While conservatives want to conserve the status quo, progressives want to pull the system towards improvement, and reactionaries want to push the system back. The reactionary idealisation of the past is similar to the Fascist parties of the mid-20th century. Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again" is a pure example of the reactionary spirit, and similar sentiments were present in Britain around Brexit. Left-wing reactionaries can also exist, and they may see something very wrong in the current system, but their solution is backwards towards some idealised past.________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/________________Media Used:1.  Dark Times — Kevin MacLeod2.  Procession of the King  — Kevin MacLeod3.  Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:54 Reactionary Origins in the French Revolution2:51 Reactionism Today5:45 Left Wing Reactionaries7:34 The Evolution of a Term
5/7/20239 minutes, 27 seconds
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What is a Radical? — the Political Archetype of Our Time

Radical is a word that's thrown around a lot these days but whose meaning is left a bit vague. This episode explores the meaning of the term radical and why it is such an accurate finger on the pulse of the Culture Wars. From Trump and Bernie to Marx, Antifa and the Proud Boys our age embodies the spirit of radicalism. This is the first in a new theme on the channel where we're going to unpack more political philosophy terminology and schools of thought. ________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email:________________Media Used:1.  Long Note Three — Kevin MacLeod2.  Anguish  — Kevin MacLeod3.  Despair and Triumph — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:49 The Two Faces of Radicalism4:19 Mobilisation6:13 Closing Remarks
4/16/20238 minutes, 50 seconds
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God is Dead: What Nietzsche REALLY Meant

God is dead - Nietzsche's most notorious line and also one of his most commonly misunderstood. The Nietzsche God is dead statement is a New Atheist sentiment but the warning of a Postmodernist. It is commonly mistaken for a modernist sentiment proclaiming the death of Christianity’s God. But that is not what Nietzsche intended. It was not a declaration of atheism; atheism was already a trivial point of view (if still controversial) by the end of the 19th century. Nietzsche was not echoing a common sentiment but pushing beyond to its unseen implications. Nietzsche was pioneering the postmodern perspective. This is obvious from the aphorism it occurs in. In The Gay Science Nietzsche tells the parable of the madman who declares the death of God. The madman’s audience are not religious believers or members of the Church as one would expect from a declaration of God’s death. The audience was a crowd of jeering non-believers. This points to the real intention of Nietzsche’s statement. In this episode we are going to explore the meaning of this statement in light of this insight and see what exactly Nietzsche meant by his provocative statement that God is dead and we have killed him. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod3. Mesmerise — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... _________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 God is Dead: Introduction1:33 The Madman's Audience5:03 Nietzsche Contra 10:10 The Real Meaning of God’s Death_________________#Nietzsche #thelivingphilosophy #godisdead #philosophy
4/10/202313 minutes, 5 seconds
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A Cure for Nihilism? | Everything Everywhere All At Once

Spoiler Alert - this look at the philosophy of the Metamodern masterpiece Everything Everywhere All At Once deals with the whole movie so there will be spoilers. The Nihilism of the internet age's apology Everything Everywhere All At Once is an amazing movie. It is one of those rare movies that is not only unbelievably entertaining but also incredibly profound. Not only does it give a brilliant exposition of Nihilism but it offers a diagnosis of Nihilism's causes and proposes a way past it. It's a beautiful funny rollercoaster through the multiverse that has so much heart. Like any Metamodern work of art it oozes sincerity beneath its absurd humour. This podcast is my attempt (after many drafts approaching its philosophy from many different angles) at giving voice to the philosophy of this 7x Oscar-winning classic. Hope you enjoy it _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/________________🎶 Media Used:1.  Long Note Three  — Kevin MacLeod2.  Dark Times — Kevin MacLeod3.  Despair & Triumph — Kevin MacLeod4. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod5. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction2:59 The Black Bagel - Nihilism Embodied10:08 Behind the Nihilist Mask13:36 Googly Eyes - the Anti-Bagel15:11 (Rootsy) Love is the Answer
3/26/202319 minutes, 23 seconds
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Vegans vs Carnivores: the Culture War's Strangest Frontier

It's become common to appeal to our evolutionary past to justify present ideologies. In this episode we are honing in on a vegan account of human diet and contrasting it with a less ideologically motivated piece published by The Atlantic. There's a few interesting discoveries to be had. For one it's always interesting to see how subtle warpings of facts can lead to very different perspectives. It's also interesting to contemplate what such work tells us about the worldview of the writer. It's also interesting to see how evolutionary arguments are misused in the name of an agenda. All of this comes into play with this PETA article on veganism but there's a mirror of this sort of ideological work going on among the Carnivore and Paleo subcultures online. ____________________📚 Further Reading:- PETA article: https://www.peta.org/living/food/really-natural-truth-humans-eating-meat/- The Atlantic article: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/02/when-humans-became-meateaters/463305/- A carnivore history article: https://fitawakening.co.uk/2022/08/17/carnivore-history/________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 More from The Living Philosophy▶ Discord https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9▶ 📨 Subscribe with email: https://thelivingphilosophy.substack.com/_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction4:48 The Atlantic Article's History of Human Meat-Eating8:08 PETA's Account17:16 Reflections and Conclusion 
2/26/202322 minutes, 24 seconds
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Ego: A Defence

This episode is an attempted revaluation of the much maligned Ego. Drawing on Jung, Freud, New Age thinking and the myth of Icarus and Daedalus we pick apart the many meanings of Ego as we try to unearth the infamous reputation of Ego in the culture and to restore to it some of its lost dignity. ____________________Further Reading:- Basic Writings of Nietzsche edited by Walter Kaufmann- The Freud Reader edited by Peter Gay________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 Discord ▶ https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9________________Media Used:1.  Long Note Three  — Kevin MacLeod2.  Mesmerize  — Kevin MacLeod3.  Dark Times — Kevin MacLeod4.  Lightless Dawn — Kevin MacLeod5. Despair and Triumph — Kevin MacLeod6. Procession of the King — Kevin MacLeod7. Fresh Air — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic) _________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:50 Ego's Origins3:55 The Heroic Freudian Ego5:40 The Jungian Ego Container9:20 The Evil New Age Ego12:04 The Inflated Mainstream Ego Part 1: Nietzschean Decadence15:59 The Inflated Mainstream Ego Part 2: Icarus and Daedalus
2/5/202322 minutes, 25 seconds
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Nietzschean Spirituality — Dionysus vs. The Buddha

In this episode we are going to explore Nietzschean spirituality in contrast to Buddhist spirituality (and other Ascetic Ideal spiritualities and religions). This topic was prompted by a question from Kevin Sherman on Patreon so thanks to Kevin for the interesting spark. This script kind of poured out of me and it was only afterwards that as I was listening to it again and again in editing that I found myself inhaling through my teeth a bit with the critique of Buddhism. I feel like I was a bit heavy-handed in places and I'm sure many of you will agree. My qualification for this is that I wanted to be a little bit provocative around the spiritual element to cut past a lot of the inflation you find in New Age circles but in hindsight I feel I didn't give enough space for the value of Buddhism. Maybe I need to make an episode explaining why Buddhism is amazing to counterbalance and in what ways it is preferable to Nietzschean spirituality. In the meantime I thought I'd include this qualification here in the description where I'm not quite sure anyone will see it. For those of you who do read the description, hello. ____________________Further Reading:- Basic Writings of Nietzsche edited by Walter Kaufmann (contains full texts of The Birth of Tragedy, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morals and Ecce Homo) - The Portable Nietzsche edited by Walter Kaufmann (contains Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Twilight of the Idols and The Antichrist)________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 Discord ▶ https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction6:01 The Binary of Ascetic Ideal and Worldliness8:33 A Counter-Ideal12:48 Against Enlightenment
1/15/202317 minutes, 33 seconds
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Why it Matters: Nietzsche

Why it matters is back! And this time we're talking about why Nietzsche matters. We're going to look at why I find Nietzsche so important and why you should too. ___________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 Discord ▶ https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9_________________ #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy #nietzsche #existentialism #psychoanalysis
1/3/202311 minutes, 33 seconds
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Friedrich Nietzsche | The Long Version

In this deeper dive into philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche we are going to look at his big ideas and his overall philosophy through the orienting generalisation of his thought as being health vs. decadence. Through this lens we can fruitfully place Nietzsche's "no-saying" work where he critiques Christianity, science and philosophy as well as his "yes-saying" work in Thus Spoke Zarathustra (with Zarathustra's three great ideas of the Ubermensch, the Eternal Recurrence and the Will to Power) and his fascination with the Greek god Dionysus. Nietzsche is commonly known as the Father of Existentialism but he could just as well be called the Father of Psychoanalysis or the Father of Postmodernism. Along with Marx and Freud, Nietzsche is one of the most influential thinkers in the past 200 years. ____________________📖 Further Learning:Videos: If you're interested in learning more about Nietzsche's biography and philosophy, there's a whole playlist of episodes on him here:Books:- Basic Writings of Nietzsche edited by Walter Kaufmann (contains full texts of The Birth of Tragedy, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morals and Ecce Homo) - The Portable Nietzsche edited by Walter Kaufmann (contains Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Twilight of the Idols and The Antichrist)________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 Discord ▶ https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9________________Media Used:1. Despair and Triumph - Kevin MacLeod2. End of the Era - Kevin MacLeod3. Anguish - Kevin MacLeod4.  Long Note Three - Kevin MacLeod5. Lightless Dawn - Kevin MacLeod6. Lost Frontier - Kevin MacLeod7. There's Probably No Time - Chris Zabriskie8. Mesmerize - Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)Subscribe to Chris Zabriskie [https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie](https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:52 The Crisis of Nihilism10:02 Decadence I: Rationality10:58 Decadence II: Morality12:14 The Ascetic Ideal and Slave Morality15:15 False Counter-Ideals: Science and Democracy16:32 Health: Nietzsche's Counter Ideal17:00 Health I: Dionysus and Greek Tragedy18:57 Health II: Zarathustra19:41 Zarathustra I: the Eternal Recurrence20:37 Zarathustra II: the Übermensch 21:36 Zarathustra III: the Will to Power22:09 Nietzsche New Metaphysics25:23 Signoff 
12/14/202225 minutes, 50 seconds
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Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche is commonly known as the Father of Existentialism but he could just as well be called the Father of Psychoanalysis or the Father of Postmodernism. Along with Marx and Freud, Nietzsche is one of the most influential thinkers in the past 200 years. Nietzsche's ideas are famous (and due to much manipulation of his work, infamous) — the Will to Power, the Ubermensch/Overman and the Eternal Recurrence are the three great doctrines of Nietzsche's Zarathustra. They form his positive philosophy. This is the Health side of the equation. But these positive doctrines are only way half of Nietzsche's philosophy. The other side is his critique of Christianity and of Ascetic Ideals in general, his enquiries into the origin of morality and his explorations of the crisis of NihilismIn this brief episode we look at Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy through his distinction between Decadence and Health. This video is a taster of Nietzsche and will be followed up in a future episode by a much deeper dive. ____________________📚 Further Reading:- Basic Writings of Nietzsche edited by Walter Kaufmann (contains full texts of The Birth of Tragedy, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morals and Ecce Homo) - The Portable Nietzsche edited by Walter Kaufmann (contains )
11/30/20225 minutes, 18 seconds
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The Living Philosophy is 2!

The Living Philosophy is two years old! Two years ago the 100 videos in 100 days began. But before there was the Living Philosophy, there was The Living Myth — an Irish mythology podcast with my friend Barry that gave me my first taste of YouTube and podcasting. I thought it'd be nice to mark this second anniversary by looking back at the origins of this channel. It's also an auspicious time because I've been having some cogitations about how it's been going and how I want to take things further and I've decided to spend the month of November making an episode on Nietzsche. Beyond that I've also been thinking about this canonical video approach in general and the Obsidian work so yeah there's a lot moving and right on the point of the third year. So exciting times.Thanks to Matt for the suggestion about making a masterpiece. Check out Ideas Sleep Furiously's revamped Substack publication that's got a lot of exciting things happening at the moment: https://ideassleepfuriously.substack.com/And for those of you interested in the psychology of Irish mythology check out the Living Myth:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1V9H3FdD9mEk-75C6VjyA
11/15/20229 minutes, 23 seconds
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Soren Kierkegaard - Introduction to the Father of Existentialism

This is a deeper dive into the Father of Existentialism Soren Kierkegaard. Following on the 5-minute introduction to Kierkegaard, this episode looks in more depth at the philosophy and life of Soren Kierkegaard and why he is one of the greatest philosophers ever.In this episode we look at the three phases of Kierkegaard's work: the First Authorship (and its masterpieces Either/Or and Fear and Trembling), the Second Authorship (including Kierkegaard's third masterpiece Sickness Unto Death) and the final year of his life where he took the gloves off and directly attacked the church. We also look at the "long foreground" to Kierkegaard's work — the curse on his family and his broken engagement to Regine Olsen. Kierkegaard was one of the most prodigious philosophers. In 1843 he published three books in a single day (one of which Fear and Trembling is commonly placed in the canon of great philosophy). In the space of three years he published sixteen books. These books were written using various pseudonyms with many different stylistic devices. This was all part of Kierkegaard's style of "Indirect Communication". Like Socrates he didn't want to give answers he wanted to awaken the quest for individuality in his readers. Kierkegaard was part of the select group of Christian Existentialism (his most famous peer being Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky). Like Nietzsche he hated the Church. His form of Christianity was about the self-making quest of Faith. This self is forged out of the dizzying Anxiety of choosing. This choice of faith can only be made by the individual and this is why Soren Kierkegaard spent his career trying to call people away from the "levelling" of Modernity which was turning everyone into "The Crowd" and away from the Church which kept its congregation like children. He was calling them to the "highest passion" of faith. He was calling them to forge their own selves and not give into the inauthenticity of Despair. In this introduction to Kierkegaard we take a brief look at the most compelling reasons why Kierkegaard is relevant today.____________________📚 Further Reading:- McDonald, William, "Søren Kierkegaard", _The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy_ (Winter 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2017/entries/kierkegaard/- McDonald, William, _Søren Kierkegaard (1813—1855)_, _Internet encyclopedia of philosophy_. Available at: https://iep.utm.edu/kierkega (more in-depth than the Stanford one. Highly recommend) - Søren Kierkegaard: A Biography by Joakim Graff (https://amzn.to/3Sx1Tm5)- Either/Or by Søren Kierkegaard (https://amzn.to/3DrOVBC)- Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard (https://amzn.to/3TxiNCv)- Sickness Unto Death by Søren Kierkegaard (https://amzn.to/3TxiY0D)The above are Amazon affiliate links that let you get an awesome book AND support the channel (with no additional cost to you)________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎵 Media Used:1.  Long Note Three  — Kevin MacLeod2.  There’s Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie3.  Dark Times  — Kevin MacLeod4.  Mesmerize  — Kevin MacLeod5.  Lost Frontier  — Kevin MacLeod6.  Shores of Avalon — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)Subscribe to Chris Zabriskie [https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie](https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie)
11/1/202220 minutes, 18 seconds
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Soren Kierkegaard in 5 Minutes - The Father of Existentialism

Soren Kierkegaard is commonly known as the "Father of Existentialism". This brief introduction to Kierkegaard looks at why you should care about the Danish philosopher and why his work is still relevant today. Kierkegaard was one of the most prodigious philosophers. In 1843 he published three books in a single day (one of which Fear and Trembling is commonly placed in the canon of great philosophy). In the space of three years he published sixteen books. These books were written using various pseudonyms with many different stylistic devices. This was all part of Kierkegaard's style of "Indirect Communication". Like Socrates he didn't want to give answers he wanted to awaken the quest for individuality in his readers. Kierkegaard was part of the select group of Christian Existentialism (his most famous peer being Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky). Like Nietzsche he hated the Church. His form of Christianity was about the self-making quest of Faith. This self is forged out of the dizzying Anxiety of choosing. This choice of faith can only be made by the individual and this is why Soren Kierkegaard spent his career trying to call people away from the "levelling" of Modernity which was turning everyone into "The Crowd" and away from the Church which kept its congregation like children. He was calling them to the "highest passion" of faith. He was calling them to forge their own selves and not give into the inauthenticity of Despair. In this introduction to Kierkegaard we take a brief look at the most compelling reasons why Kierkegaard is relevant today. ____________________📚 Further Reading:- McDonald, William, "Søren Kierkegaard", _The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy_ (Winter 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2017/entries/kierkegaard/- McDonald, William, _Søren Kierkegaard (1813—1855)_, _Internet encyclopedia of philosophy_. Available at: https://iep.utm.edu/kierkega (more in-depth than the Stanford one. Highly recommend) - Søren Kierkegaard: A Biography by Joakim Graff (https://amzn.to/3Sx1Tm5)- Either/Or by Søren Kierkegaard (https://amzn.to/3DrOVBC)- Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard (https://amzn.to/3TxiNCv)- Sickness Unto Death by Søren Kierkegaard (https://amzn.to/3TxiY0D)________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 Discord ▶ https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9________________🎵 Media Used:1.  Shores of Avalon — Kevin MacLeod2.  Despair and Triumph  — Kevin MacLeod3.  Long Note Three  — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction2:42 The Life of Kierkegaard5:38 The First Authorship6:08 First Authorship - Aesthetical Stage7:36 First Authorship - Ethical Stage9:55 First Authorship - Religious Stage13:50 Second Authorship18:21 Kierkegaard's Final Stage_______________By using the Amazon links you can support the channel with no additional cost to youAs ever thanks for tuning in!_______________#kierkegaard #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy #existentialism #existential #sorenkierkegaard #sørenkierkegaard
10/25/20224 minutes, 47 seconds
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A Psychological Mirror — Jordan Peterson and Olivia Wilde

Immature heroic complexes and us and them dynamics — after reading The Cut's article "Did Olivia Wilde Just Make Jordan Peterson Cry?" something stirred in me that seems quite obvious in hindsight: the two sides of the culture wars are psychological mirrors of each other. Both sides partake of the same ingroup and outgroup signalling. They show a lot of compassion for a certain group and a lot of hatred for the outgroup. There is also the same vein of a hero complex running through both. Each side thinks they are saving the cultures from the demonic Other. In this episode we talk about the immature hero complex operating on both sides and how each is a mirror of the other and a co-dependant mirror insofar as they fulfil each other's needs to continue the drama. _____________Sources:The Cut article: https://www.thecut.com/2022/09/jordan-peterson-cries-responding-to-olivia-wildes-critique.htmlThe Piers Morgan Jordan Peterson video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1612L2FMHo
10/4/202214 minutes, 53 seconds
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Martin Heidegger: His Life and Philosophy

Martin Heidegger is the greatest philosopher of the 20th century for many — from Giles Deleuze to the alt-right and undoubtedly one of the most controversial characters in the history of philosophy. In this episode we are going to look at the life and philosophy of Martin Heidegger and his masterpiece Being and Time. We also explore his lesser-known later philosophy after going through what scholars call 'Die Kehre' or 'The Turn". At this point, we see Heidegger on technology and the dangers the technological worldview presents to us today. We also talk about his association with the National Socialist party in Germany and Heidegger's controversial embrace of them as rector at the University of Freiburg before turning his back on them as being part of the technological problem.Further Reading:Collins, J., 2015. Introducing Heidegger: A graphic guide. Icon Books Ltd.Wheeler, Michael, "Martin Heidegger", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)Frede, D., 1993. The question of being: Heidegger’s project. The Cambridge Companion to Heidegger, 2.
9/21/202225 minutes, 45 seconds
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Why Humanity is Special - de Chardin and the Birth of the Noosphere

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's theory of evolution posits that with the emergence of the Noosphere (the thinking or mind sphere which transcended the Biosphere and in turn the Physiosphere) the Omega Point was now being converged upon. With the Noosphere Life has penetrated a new ceiling unlike any since the birth of life itself. Now evolution wasn't limited to chromosomes but we saw the emergence of a whole new form of evolution: acquired traits. In other words, culture is a new form of evolution but at the Noospheric level rather than the chromosomal level of the Biosphere. Both the Noosphere and the Biosphere of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin have for their substrate what Ken Wilber later called the Physiosphere. With the secret ingredient of complexity, the inert matter of the Physiosphere became vitalised as the living Biosphere. In turn as the complexity of the Biosphere reached a new level, we see the emergence of the Noosphere and with this new emergence, a convergence has begun upon what de Chardin called the Omega Point but which could be called in today's language the Singularity (or as some have called it - the Rapture of the Nerds). ____________________Further Reading:- de Chardin, T. 1956. *Man's Place in Nature*, Fontana Press: London ________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________ 💬 Discord ▶ https://discord.gg/XNd4gTpfu9________________Media Used:1.  Despair & Triumph  — Kevin MacLeod2.  Promising Relationship — Kevin MacLeod3.  Drums of the Deep — Kevin MacLeod4. Long Note Three  — Kevin MacLeod5. Anguish  — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)_________________⌛ Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:28 A Tale of Two Spheres: the Physiosphere and the Biosphere04:04 The Third Sphere: the Emergence of the Noosphere05:12 The Threshold of Reflection07:40 Knitting Together 
9/4/202212 minutes, 31 seconds
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A Conflict of Visions: Thomas Sowell's Constrained vs Unconstrained Vision

In A Conflict of Visions Sowell distinguishes between the two visions that have shaped the landscape of the modern era (and beyond): the Constrained Vision and the Unconstrained vision. From Hobbes's "bloody war of each against all" to Rousseau's "man is born free but is everywhere in chains" we see these visions develop and grow in the modern era, shaping the world we find ourselves in. A Conflict of Visions which Thomas Sowell published in 1987 and has always spoken of as his favourite book is a fantastic exploration of the exact type of historical trend exploration that I'm so fond of. While Sowell's verion of Unconstrained vision suffers somewhat from his Constrained vision bias it is not irreparably so and the whole book has become one of my favourites and one I know I'll be returning to for many years to come. In this episode we are going to review and give a summary of A Conflict of Visions. I hope you enjoy!____________________Further Reading:- Sowell, T., 1987. _A conflict of visions: Ideological origins of political struggles_________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. Dark Times  — Kevin MacLeod2.  Lightless Dawn — Kevin MacLeod3.  There’s Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie4.  Mesmerize  — Kevin MacLeod5.  Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeod6.  Long Note Three — Kevin MacLeod7. Anguish — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)Subscribe to Chris Zabriskie [https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie](https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction2:21 What is a Vision?4:25 Constrained vs. Unconstrained: Human Nature4:47 Constrained Human Nature6:45 Unconstrained Human Nature10:20 Unconstrained: Progress and Change11:42 Constrained Progress: Progress and Change15:15: Summary of the Constrained and Unconstrained Visions16:56 An Attempt at Synthesis: A Developmental Perspective
8/23/202221 minutes, 39 seconds
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How to Become an Übermensch — Nietzsche's Three Metamorphoses

The Three Metamorphoses is Nietzsche's map of the development of Re-Valuers of Values — the Übermensch. At the beginning of Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche's Zarathustra delivers his first discourse — The Three Metamorphoses.In the first 100 days of the channel I made a video exploring this topic. Recently I sat down to transcribe the video and release it in article format on the website. Instead, I ended up overflowing with thoughts and insights. This is one of those incredibly rich corners of Nietzsche that I return to again and again. I wrote draft after draft and ended up with far too much for a short YouTube video (perhaps a lecture someday would be a more suitable format). I pared back the many pages into what you see here.It is fascinating to cover old ground loaded with the learnings from more recent studies and with the Q3 quest that has been taking shape on the channel of late. The creation of this video was one of those weeks (even more than other weeks) where I felt immensely blessed with what this channel has become.In brief Nietzsche's Three Metamorphoses charts the metamorphosis from man into camel; camel into lion and finally lion into the child. The camel submits to a higher law; the lion fights the dragon "Thou Shalt" which creates the space for the child to create a new tablet of values — for Nietzsche's Revaluation of All Values.Thus Spoke Zarathustra and the philosophy of Nietzsche are inexorably bound together. This was the book that Friedrich Nietzsche most believed in and adored (and where the idea of the Übermensch emerged). It transformed his inner world and this story of Nietzsche's Three Metamorphoses is pivotal to that transformation._________________📚 Further Reading:- Nietzsche, F. and Kaufmann, W., 1954. Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The Portable Nietzsche. trans. and ed. Walter Kaufmann. New York: Viking.- Jung, C.G., 1998. Jung's Seminar on Nietzsche's Zarathustra: Abridged Edition (Vol. 99). Princeton University Press._________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________🎶 Audio Used:Despair & Triumph  — Kevin MacLeodDark Times  — Kevin MacLeodThere’s Probably No Time — Chris ZabriskieShores of Avalon  — Kevin MacLeodLong Note Three — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic Subscribe to Chris Zabriskie https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie_________________⌛ Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 0:51 The First Metamorphosis: Man to Camel 3:09 The Second Metamorphosis: Camel to Lion 8:26 The Third Metamorphosis: Lion to Child
8/8/202214 minutes, 7 seconds
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Nietzsche: The Many Uses of the Gods

In the episode on Foucault we touched briefly on the question of what might happen if we combined Jung's analysis of the gods with Foucault's analysis of power. There is a precedent for this question in the work of the philosopher loved by both thinkers: Friedrich Nietzsche. In his book, On the Genealogy of Morals, Nietzsche talks about how the gods can have very different effects on their believers. In the Judaeo-Christian tradition, God is the embodiment of the superego. He is the ideal that judges; we are creatures with Free Will and whether we thrive or fail is on ourselves. In the Greek tradition on the other hand we have the pantheon of bickering gods. If misfortune befalls us it isn't simply because of something we have done but perhaps becuase of some conflict among the gods that we have no power of. In this way the Greeks "used their gods precisely so as to ward off the “bad conscience,” so as to be able to rejoice in their freedom of soul—the very opposite of the use to which Christianity put its God." ____________________Further Reading:-   Nietzsche, F., 1989. On the Genealogy of Morals, trans. Walter Kaufmann. _Basic Writings of Nietzsche_, pp.437-599.-   _The Labors of Hercules_. [online] Available at: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/labors.html________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1.  Allégro — Emmit Fenn2.  Lost Frontier  — Kevin MacLeod3.  Magnetic - Documentary Background MusicSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)Subscribe to Emmit Fenn: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcmssGR3ICxlt_7eV47FUhQ_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction - The Judaeo-Christian Guilt1:49 Herakles and the Greek Relationship to Gods4:15 In the Context of the Recent Episodes_______________#philosophy #thelivingphilosophy #nietzsche #jung #foucault #religion #jordanpeterson
7/24/20226 minutes, 55 seconds
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The Philosopher's Philosopher | Heraclitus of Ephesus | Presocratic Philosophy

The Presocratic Heraclitus of Ephesus is a philosopher's philosopher. His work was beloved by Socrates, Plato, Hegel, Nietzsche and Heidegger. The philosopher from Ephesus is commonly known as the philosopher of fire (thanks to Aristotle) or, for those with a little more nuance, he is known as the philosopher of panta rei or flux — of constant never-ending change. But there is another side of Heraclitus's philosophy that is less talked about and that is his philosophy of Logos. This element of the Presocratic philosopher's work was taken up by the Gospel writer John who opened his Gospel with the line "In the beginning was there was the Logos and the Logos was with God and the Logos was God". John wrote his work in Ephesus and so the comparison with Heraclitus can't be avoided. For Heraclitus Logos is the unchanging eternal principle that is the true nature of reality. That leaves us with something of a paradox in a way that is very similar to Parmenides, who also wrote about the contrast between the world of Being and the world of Becoming. As well as Parmenides we will also be looking at how Heraclitus's work can be situated as part of the tradition of the Perennial Philosophy and can be fruitfully connected with the Eastern philosophies of Buddha Gautama and of Lao-Tzu. ____________________Further Reading:- Curd, P. and McKirahan, R.D., 1996. A Presocratics Reader- Geldard, R.G., 2000. _Remembering Heraclitus_. Richard Geldard.________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_______________Media Used:1.  There’s Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie2.  Lost Frontier  — Kevin MacLeod3.  Juniper — Kevin MacLeod4.  Eastern Thought — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic](https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic)Subscribe to Chris Zabriskie [https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie](https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie)_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction2:06 Aristotle's View4:22 The Other Half of Heraclitus6:52 Heraclitus and the Mystical Tradition_________________#heraclitus #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy #history #ancienthistory
7/11/20229 minutes, 20 seconds
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Power | Michel Foucault's Groundbreaking Theory of Power

For Michel Foucault Power is critical to understanding the world we live in. Foucault's theory of power revolutionised the way we look at power from being a top-down domination to being an omnipresent force of nature. This episode is an introduction to the Foucault theory of power. We'll be explaining Foucault's theory in simple terms using examples from everyday life to show how revolutionary this new understanding of Power truly is. A critical distinction in approaching Foucault's work on Power is the distinction between the Empirical and the Theoretical levels of Power. The empirical level is the study of historical crystallisations of power (for example disciplinary power or biopower). The Theoretical level of power however is the study of power in itself — what is common to power across all historical instantiations. What we end up with is a Foucault theory of power that stands apart from all conceptions of power that went before. Instead of a top-down hierarchical domination hierarchy, Foucault's Power is an immanent, omnipresent force of nature like gravity or magnetism. For Foucault Power is everywhere from the interactions of lovers to those between states or colleagues. The fundamental atom of this force of nature is Foucault's Force Relations. ____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1.     Anguish— Kevin MacLeod2.     Lost Frontier— Kevin MacLeod3.     Despair & Triumph — Kevin MacLeod4.     There's Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie5.     End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod6.     Lightless Dawn — Kevin MacLeod7.     Allegro — Emmit Fenn8.     Juniper — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod [https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic]Subscribe to Chris Zabriskie youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie Subscribe to Emmit Fenn: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcmssGR3ICxlt_7eV47FUhQ_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:59 Empirical vs Theoretical1:57 What Power Isn't3:32 What is Power?4:12 Traits of Power: Immanence5:04 Traits of Power: Intentional and Non-Subjective6:19 Traits of Power: Resistance7:35 Force Relations9:23 Dynamism of Force Relations11:52 The Alliance of Force Relations_________________#foucault #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy #michelfoucault #power #postmodernism #theory #history
6/6/202215 minutes, 34 seconds
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Feminism vs. Womanism — A Revaluation of All Values

In this episode we explore a potential Nietzschean revaluation of all values in the form of a distinction. If we separate the ideas of femininity and masculinity from females and males, we are left with two possible revaluations. There is the fight over the respective value of men and women in society; this is the classical struggle of historical Feminism. In this episode we are going to call this the Womanist struggle.There is another, deeper, struggle that has yet to be wrestled with on a substantial level: the distinction between the values of masculinity and of femininity. With that distinction in mind we can form a distinction between Masculinism and Feminism. Masculinism is the triumph of Masculine values in society. Feminism is the triumph of Feminine values in society. Seen through this lens, Womanism (the historical movement we usually call Feminism) is in fact a Masculinist movement.____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________📖 Further reading and study:* Introduction to ecofeminism: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/ecofeminism-history-and-principles* Charles Eisenstein (interview with Daniel Schmachtenberger): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfNgW-On6hw* Brene Brown’s legendary TED talks:   — The Power of Vulnerability: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o   — Listening to shame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psN1DORYYV0 * Blair Fix (Planet Critical interview): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u51MDOQ9ygo * Jason Hickel (Planet Critical interview): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isjWWCRBJBk * Marion Woodman’s books:     — The Owl Was a Baker’s Daughter :    https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/27245.The_Owl_Was_a_Baker_s_Daughter    — Addiction to Perfection:    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/703515.Addiction_to_Perfection * Gender distribution chart:http://savvystatistics.com/open-sex-role-inventory/ Masculine/Feminine Tests: * Helen Fisher's Personality types: https://helenfisher.com/personality/* Testosterone/Estrogen/Dopamine/Serotonin test: https://theanatomyoflove.com/relationship-quizzes/helen-fishers-personality-test/personality-test-1/ * Introduction to the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BRSI): https://www.britannica.com/science/Bem-Sex-Role-Inventory* BSRI test: https://www.idrlabs.com/gender/test.php * Critiques of Bem Sex Role Inventory:   — https://www.bustle.com/articles/131801-i-took-the-bem-sex-role-inventory-test-from-1974-this-is-what-happened   — https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/he-speaks-she-speaks/202202/what-holds-women-back-realizing-their-ability-and-ambition________________🎵 Music Used:1. Despair and Triumph — Kevin MacLeod2. There’s Probably No Time – Chris Zabriskie3.  Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod4. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod5. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod6. 1812 Overture — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky7. Anguish — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to Chris Zabriskie youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie _________________⌛ Timestamps:00:00 Introduction1:16 Masculine vs Feminine2:23 Industrial Values4:54 Feminism and the FEminine7:13 The Cost of Masculinism13:50 A New Breed of Feminism________________#feminism #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy
5/1/202216 minutes
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The Four Quadrants: A Map of All Knowledge and Human Experience

The Four Quadrants model developed by Ken Wilber is an exceptional map of knowledge and of the human experience. It gives us a language for understanding differing fields of knowledge and why they are approaching the problems that they are and in the way that they are.The Four Quadrants model was developed by Ken Wilber in his book Sex, Ecology, Spirituality and for him it is a map of the Kosmos (that is to say, of the entirety of reality rather than the merely materialist external cosmos). Wilber uses the model to explain the interconnectedness of all things, to show the hierarchy of experience rising up to the higher spiritual experiences and also as a tool for developing the various elements of our life. In this episode however we focus in on where the model is most powerful in the context of this channel: the human element and the potential of this Four Quadrants model for helping us understand the intellectual landscape of the 21st century and for understanding the underlying ontological/epistemological groundings for the cultural conflicts we see today. ____________________Further Reading:• A Theory of Everything – Ken Wilber• Sex, Ecology, Spirituality – Ken Wilber________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. There’s Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie2. Despair and Triumph  — Kevin MacLeod3. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod 4. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod 5. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod6. End of an Era — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to Chris Zabriskie https://www.youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie _________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction: A Map of Reality01:44 What are the four quadrants?2:34 Q1 – Internal Individual3:09 Q2 – External Individual4:22 Q3 – Internal Collective7:07 Q4 – External Collective9:00 As a map of knowledge11:27 As defuser of intellectual conflicts________________#philosophy #thelivingphilosophy #integral #aqal #wilber
3/6/202213 minutes, 48 seconds
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Postmodern Neo-Marxism — Jordan Peterson’s Shadow

Jordan Peterson’s idea of Postmodern Neo-Marxism is a conspiracy theory. It is also the Shadow in the Jungian sense of Jordan Peterson. Nothing whips Peterson into a more passionate frenzy than the Postmodern Neo-Marxist idea. And to hear the way he talks about the “main villains” of the Postmodern Neo-Marxist movement — Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida — this diagnosis becomes all the more obvious. Peterson goes beyond the bounds of reason and strays into the possession of his Shadow. Little wonder then that Peterson’s discourse has captivated all sides of the political spectrum. It constellates the Shadows both of his supporters and of his detractors. In this episode we explore Peterson on Postmodern Neomarxism — his argument, where it's wrong and what it tells us about Peterson.______________Sources: Jordan Peterson Clips1. Jordan Peterson Manning Centre speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf2nqmQIfxc2. Joe Rogan Episode 958 clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCfIuFmULkg3. Postmodernism in a Nutshell – Jordan Peterson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el6TVEMnS3E4. Postmodernism Diagnosis and Cure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4c-jOdPTN85. Jordan Peterson: You’re Oppressed! The Dangers of Postmodernism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-8slOBngqk 6. Interview with John Vervaeke (timestamped to relevant point): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLg2Q0daphE&t=2817s&ab_channel=JordanBPeterson 7. Postmodernism in a nutshell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el6TVEMnS3E 8. Why Postmodernism is so Dangerous https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URktRTE1S0A 9. Foucault the Reprehensible clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBFSDd_5tiE Other sources:1. Jonas Ceika: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHtvTGaPzF42. Jordan Peterson “why the rage bruh” clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EFyADe8B4E&t=5m47s3. Jacobin article on Foucault’s experimentation with neoliberalism https://jacobinmag.com/2019/09/michel-foucault-neoliberalism-friedrich-hayek-milton-friedman-gary-becker-minoritarian-governments 4. Psychology and Religion by Carl Jung https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123636.Psychology_and_Religion 5. Jung 1939 Lecture (source of the bete noire quote) https://carljungdepthpsychologysite.blog/2021/11/30/27-january-1939-psychology-and-yoga-meditation-lecture-10/#.YgFF7Or7S3A 6. Foucault quote about Marxism from Didier Eribon’s biography of him https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1385058.Michel_Foucault 7. Maps of Meaning by Jordan Peterson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2218102.Maps_of_Meaning8. Robert Johnson’s (Jungian psychologist) book on the shadow: Owning Your Own Shadow https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9544.Owning_Your_Own_Shadow 9. French elections and the Communist Party: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Communist_Party#Popular_support_and_electoral_record 10. Conspiracy theory definition: Goertzel T. (1994). Belief in conspiracy theories. Political Psychology, 15, 731–742.____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Audio Used:1. Despair & Triumph — Kevin MacLeod2. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod3. There’s Probably No Time – Chris Zabriskie4. Drums of the Deep — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to Chris Zabriskie youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie _________________⌛ Timestamps:00:00 Introduction04:06 Peterson’s Postmodern Neo-Marxist Argument09:04 Counterargument I: Peterson’s Misunderstandings11:40 Foucault as Peterson’s Shadow Double20:23 Counterargument II: The Neomarxist Conspiracy
2/7/202225 minutes, 54 seconds
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Buddhism Isn't a Philosophy (It's a Religion)

Is Buddhism a religion or philosophy? I have debated many times over the years with people who are fond of Buddhism but tend to dislike religion. Of course anybody who has studied Buddhism in any depth knows that Buddhism is a religion first and foremost. Is Buddhism a philosophy? Yes but in the way that Christianity is a philosophy that is to say that there is a philosophy within it but that is not what defines it. In this episode we examine different schools of Buddhism and their supernatural beliefs in order to answer the question is Buddhism a religion or philosophy. The resounding answer is that yes Buddhism is a religion and no Buddhism is not atheist. We will also be challenging the claims that tend to get piled in with this school of thought: firstly that Buddhism isn't a violent religion and second the question is buddhism atheist. ________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________⌛ Timestamps:00:00 Introduction03:59 Why People Think Buddhism Isn’t a Religion06:23 Theravadin Buddhism08:43 Mahayana Buddhism 11:00 Buddhism and Violence12:28 Final Thoughts
1/30/202215 minutes, 7 seconds
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What is Metamodernism?

Metamodernism might be the most important idea you come this year. According to Hanzi Freinacht, the pioneer of political metamodernism, metamodernism is a new cultural phase that transcends and includes (to use Ken Wilber’s Integral Philosophy language) the previous phase of Postmodernism (which is turn transcended and included the previous phase of Modernity). Hanzi Freinacht is one of a number of pioneering Metamodernist thinkers as well as the Dutch art scholars Robin van den Akker and Timotheus Vermeulen who first sparked the Metamodern phenomenon with their 2010 paper Notes on Metamodernism. In this episode we are going to look at the characteristics of this new Metamodern cultural trend. its relationship to the previous trends of Modernity and Postmodernity and why, in this world in crisis, we need Metamodernism. ____________________Further Reading:• The Listening Society by Hanzi Freinacht• Metamodern Manifesto by Luke Turner http://www.metamodernism.org/• Notes on Metamodernism by Robin van der Akker and Timotheus Vermeulen https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3402/jac.v2i0.5677 ________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. 1812 Overture, — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky2. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod3. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod4. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod5. There’s Probably No Time — Chris ZabriskieSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:00:00 Introduction03:11 The Metamodern Synthesis05:50 What is Metamodernism?07:34 Ironic Sincerity: the Tone of Metamodernism________________#philosophy #thelivingphilosophy #metamodernism #metamodernity #metamodern #metamoderna
1/23/202212 minutes, 31 seconds
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Humanity is NOT a Cancer; We're Bacterial

Is humanity a cancer? It’s a perspective that’s growing increasingly popular. It tells us a lot about humanity’s self-perception in the 21st century that this view is gaining traction. But it’s completely false.In this episode we are going to explore why it is false. The analogy to cancer is a poor one as we’ll see. A much more fruitful comparison can be made with bacteria but even this comparison is a mere finger pointing to a tendency that is common to life on Earth in general. It seems that the propensity to over-consume and overbreed is not a uniquely human trait.The reality is that humanity’s destructiveness derives from its connection to the rest of life. However what is unique about humanity is our potential to do something about it. In facing into the climate crisis, we see two camps emerging which are each allied with uniquely human traits: wisdom and culture/intelligence. ____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. Lightless Dawn — Kevin MacLeod2. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod3. Despair and Triumph — Kevin MacLeod4. Drums of the Deep — Kevin MacLeod5. Anguish — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:00:00 Introduction02:53 The Problem04:05 The Bacterial Lifecycle08:34 The Wolves of Yellowstone12:39 The Rabbits of Australia15:02 Two Paths to Salvation________________#philosophy #thelivingphilosophy #climatechange
1/16/202218 minutes, 36 seconds
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Modernism vs. Postmodernism

Modernism and Postmodernism are two cultural stages with their own worldviews. In this episode we talk about the emergence and differences between these ages and look at the contrast between postmodern philosophy and the Modern philosophy of the Enlightenment that preceded it. This episode is an exploration of the two worldviews whose conflict is so prominent in our world today. ____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod2. There’s Probably No Time – Chris Zabriskie3. Drums of the Deep — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to Chris Zabriskie youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie _________________⌛ Timestamps:00:00 A Tale of Two Worldviews00:47 Modernity05:04 Postmodernity________________#Postmoderism #thelivingphilosophy #modernity #philosophy #postmodernity
1/9/202210 minutes, 46 seconds
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Why Baudrillard HATED The Matrix (And Why He Was Wrong)

Ahead of the release of the Matrix 4 I thought a second run into the world of postmodernism’s high priest was due and so today we look at Jean Baudrillard on The Matrix. Simulation and Simulacra, Baudrillard’s famous book from 1981 was required reading for the entire cast of The Matrix and the Wachowskis even asked Baudrillard to work on the second and third movies. He declined. As it turns out he had nothing but disdain for the movies and in this episode we explore why and look at the 2004 interview he gave to the French magazine Le Nouvel Obsevateur.____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Further Reading:Baudrillard interview with le Nouvel Observateur: https://baudrillardstudies.ubishops.ca/the-matrix-decoded-le-nouvel-observateur-interview-with-jean-baudrillard/Catherine Constable: Adapting philosophy - Jean Baudrillard and  The Matrix Trilogy________________Media Used:1. Lightless Dawn — Kevin MacLeod2. 1812 Overture – Tchaikovsky3. Mozart’s String Quartet No. 15 in D minor4. There’s Probably No Time – Chris Zabriskie5. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod6. Drums of the Deep — Kevin MacLeod7. Despair and Triumph — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to Chris Zabriskie youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie _________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:58 #1 The Misrepresentation of The Matrix5:13 #2 The Matrix would love The Matrix8:23 #3 A Glimmer of Irony10:34 Why Baudrillard is Wrong13:32 Final Thoughts________________#Baudrillard #thelivingphilosophy #thematrix #philosophy #simulation
12/21/202114 minutes, 35 seconds
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Self-Reliance | Ralph Waldo Emerson

Self Reliance, Emerson’s classic essay is one of the gems of philosophical literature. Ralph Waldo Emerson was the leading light of the American Transcendentalism tradition and Self Reliance Emerson’s most famous spark. I have been a fan of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s since my early days of philosophical exploration as a teenager and it’s interesting to read Emerson Self Reliance now in light of the passing of time and to see just how much it has influence my worldview and my perspective on philosophy. With that in mind, I thought that in this week’s video it would be nice to explore this amazing essay and to make a Self Reliance summary and review video. Hope you enjoy it and if you haven’t read it before be sure to check out Emerson’s work at the link below!___________________Self-Reliance full essay: thelivingphilosophy.com/self-reliance/____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Audio Used:1. Americana Aspiring — Kevin MacLeod2. Drums of the Deep — Kevin MacLeod3. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod4. Anguish — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Emerson - Self-Reliance2:23 Greatness vs. Meanness3:28 Self vs. Society5:56 The Dead Past vs. the Eternal Present8:48 Self-Reliance vs. Conformity________________#Emerson #thelivingphilosophy #selfreliance #philosophy #Transcendentalism
12/12/202111 minutes, 26 seconds
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Do We Live in a Simulation? Baudrillard's Simulation and Simulacra

In his 1981 book Simulation and Simulacra, Jean Baudrillard makes the claim that we are all living in a simulation. Baudrillard’s conception of simulation is extremely complex, going beyond The Matrix’s conception of the simulation (a movie that was inspired by Baudrillard’s Simulation and Simulacra) as a virtual reality world in which we all live.Baudrillard says that with the emergence of the postmodern age, we have entered the simulation, a hyperreality in which all access to the real has debarred. The real is decaying away while we ourselves are locked into the hyperreal space without referents. In this episode we will be looking at Jean Baudrillard’s conception of hyperreality and the hyperreal postmodern landscape we now inhabit. In Baudrillard postmodernism meets futurism and sci-fi to paint the terrifying picture of the dystopic landscape we find ourselves in. As we’ve gone deeper into the 21st century this work of Baudrillard has been shown to be more and more prescient, a topic we will dive deeper into in future episode of the Living Philosophy. ____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:35 Simulation and Simulacra5:53 The Difficulties of Defining Simulation8:26 What is Simulation10:32 The Hypermarket Simulation13:12 The Tasaday Simulation15:24 Summary and Conclusion
12/5/202117 minutes, 4 seconds
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What is Structuralism? Levi-Strauss, Barthes and Lacan

What is Structuralism? In this episode, we are going to break down the Structuralist theory pioneered by Claude Lévi Strauss and explored by the likes of Roland Barthes, Michel Foucault, Jacques Lacan and Jean Piaget. We will be looking at the meaning of Structuralism and what the main criticisms of it were from Jean Piaget and from the Poststructuralism angle of Jacques Derrida. The simple answer to what is Structuralism would look at the structural linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure. His work especially the idea of langue and parole as we explore in this video was a pivotal inspiration for the structural anthropology of Claude Levi Strauss and for structural sociology as seen in the work of Barthes and Foucault and in structuralism psychology as seen in the works of Jacques Lacan. There are influential ways of looking at structuralism in literature as we shall see with the works of Joseph Campbell who while not a structuralist was influenced by Claude Lévi Strauss and whose work is the epitome of Structuralism.____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Intro: What is Structuralism 0:34 Ferdinand de Saussure and Structural Linguistics2:08 The Structuralists4:34 Piaget and the Failures of Structuralism as Science7:22 The Poststructuralism Critique by Derrida9:06 Summary and Conclusion
11/28/202113 minutes, 2 seconds
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The Structure of Scientific Revolutions - Thomas Kuhn

Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions was one of the most controversial books of the 20th century as well as being one of the most referenced academic works in history. In this episode we look at what Thomas Kuhn said about the Structure of Scientific Revolutions and how every science falls into three phases. The first stage of Kuhn’s theory is the Pre-Paradigm phase. This is where the field has yet to achieve any consensus and is divided into a number of competing schools. With the second phase in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Kuhn tells us that the field has achieved a certain level of consensus around one paradigmatic theory as has happened for the field of Optics with the work of Newton or of electricity with the work of Franklin. This paradigm sets the research program for the field which sets about the work of normal science.In the course of this normal science, anomalies in the data appear and Kuhn tells us that these anomalies, if not resolved, precipitate a crisis in the field and lead the practitioners to doubt their paradigm. It is this type of crisis that triggers the emergence of the revolutionary science or extraordinary science. In this period a scientist comes up with a solution to this crisis that reorients the field around this new paradigm — setting a new research program and acting as an exemplar for future paradigmatic solutions. Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions changed how scientific development has been perceived forever. In the next episode on Kuhn’s work we will look at the legacy and criticisms of Kuhn’s work.  ____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod2. Drums of the Deep — Kevin MacLeod3. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod4. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod5. Allégro — Emmit FennSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to Emmit Fenn https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC81hioFupMsG2MWMQy78oCw _________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 The Structure of Scientific Revolutions - Intro0:45 Pre-Paradigm3:04 Paradigm – Normal Science5:31 Revolutionary / Extraordinary Science10:03 Summary and Conclusion________________#Kuhn #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy #philosophyofscience #paradigm
11/21/202111 minutes, 36 seconds
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Carl Jung: What is the Collective Unconscious?

Carl Jung's Collective Unconscious is his biggest and most commonly misunderstood concept. The Collective Unconscious Jung tells us goes deeper than the Personal Unconscious in which we find our own personal experiences. The Collective Unconscious is the common layer of the mind in which the instincts of humanity exist and at certain times in our life bubble up into consciousness. This is the realm of the archetypes and the layer of the mind where myths gods and religions draw their source from. In this episode we explore the Carl Jung Collective Unconscious and what it means in the scope of the psyche. We will also be looking at the difference between the personal and collective unconscious and at the contents of the collective unconscious. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 The Misunderstood Collective Unconscious3:56 The Structure of the Psyche5:37 What is the Collective Unconscious10:14 Contents of the Collective Unconscious________________🎶 Music Used:1. There’s Probably No Time — Chris Zabriskie2. Drums of the Deep — Kevin MacLeod3. Allégro — Emmit Fenn4. Despair and Triumph — Kevin MacLeod5. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Chris Zabriskie youtube.com/c/chriszabriskie Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to Emmit Fenn https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC81hioFupMsG2MWMQy78oCw _________________Referenced Clips:Turtle clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYF_vUBFSsA&ab_channel=BBCReddit thread #1: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsItBullshit/comments/8l3mdt/isitbullshit_collective_unconscious/ Reddit thread #2: https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/9eh1ap/is_carl_jungs_theory_of_the_collective/ _________________#jung #thelivingphilosophy #collectiveunconscious #unsconsious #archetypes #archetypalpsychology #psychology #archetype See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
11/14/202112 minutes, 33 seconds
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Why French Postmodernists were Pro-Paedophilia in the 1970s

In the wake of the Paris 1968 student protests, Le Monde published a petition from a group of French intellectuals including Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze and a number of future French ministers that argued for the rights of “12- and 13-year olds” “to have relations with whomever they choose”. In this episode I want to explore why these French intellectuals were on the side of Paedophilia, why the pro-paedophilia lobby was so strong at the time and what philosophical justification they had for this view. This will involve an exploration of what happened with the Paris 1968 student protests. _________________ 📚 Further Reading:• The original petition (in French): https://web.archive.org/web/20200125093636/http://www.dolto.fr/fd-code-penal-crp.html• The Atlantic’s article on the age of consent in France from which many quotes and context about 1968 in this video is derived: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/03/frances-existential-crisis-over-sexual-harassment-laws/550700/• The Guardian’s article on this strange time in French intellectual history: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/feb/24/jonhenley#:~:text=The%20petitions%20were%20issued%20after,Kouchner%20and%20Mr%20Lang%2C%20said.• Wikipedia Article on the petition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_petition_against_age_of_consent_laws_________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod3. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod4. Anguish — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:08 19683:19 The Birth of Active Politics5:30 Analysis_________________#postmodernism #thelivingphilosophy #1968 #philosophy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
11/11/20219 minutes, 21 seconds
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Freud's Id, Ego and Superego Explained

In the work of the great psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, Id Ego Superego form the tripartite structure of the mind. This three-part structure is illustrated by the metaphor of an iceberg by Freud in his 1915 work The Unconscious. This Id Ego Superego structure can be divided between the realms of the conscious and the unconscious. The Id is entirely unconscious, the Ego entirely conscious while the Superego is partly conscious and partly unconscious. In this episode we take the Sigmund Freud id ego superego tripartite iceberg model and map it out looking at the nuances of translation found in Freud’s work. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod3. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod4. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:51 The Id4:21 The Superego6:06 The Ego_________________#Freud #thelivingphilosophy #psychology #philosophy #id #ego #superego See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
11/8/20218 minutes, 43 seconds
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Thomas Kuhn — What is a Paradigm?

Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions was one of the most controversial books of the 20th century as well as being one of the most referenced academic works in history. Paradigm was a specialised term before Kuhn but since The Structure of Scientific Revolutions has been in circulation, Kuhn’s paradigm rears its head in every nook and cranny of our society. From Fortune 500 board meetings to hippy sharing circles, the term paradigm has penetrated every layer of the culture. In this episode we explore what Kuhn meant by the term paradigm and we explore the connected ideas of incommensurability and Kuhn Loss. In the postscript to the second edition of the Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Kuhn distinguishes two definitions of the term paradigm: paradigm as disciplinary matrix and paradigm as exemplar. By disciplinary matrix he means something like the worldview of the scientific community — the collection of beliefs, values, techniques and instruments that they use. By exemplar he means the exemplary solution of a paradigmatic puzzle that we find in the work of the paradigm setting scientist. The idea of incommensurability comes from the inability to compare two different paradigms while Kuhn Loss refers to the loss of knowledge that occurs when paradigms move on. ____________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod2. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod3. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod4. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod5. Magnetic — CO.AG MusicSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction 1:19 The Traditional vs. Kuhnian History of Science 4:42 Paradigm as Disciplinary Matrix 6:08 Paradigm as Exemplar 7:45 Incommensurability and Kuhn Loss 9:25 Different Worlds 10:29 Summary and Conclusion See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
10/19/202111 minutes, 28 seconds
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Why the Masterpiece of Medieval Philosophy was Never Finished

Thomas Aquinas was the shining light of medieval philosophy. He worked on his masterpiece the Summa Theologica from 1265 until the year of his death in 1274. This book — most famous today for its 5 arguments for the existence of God — was the reason for his canonisation as a saint and doctor of the Catholic church fifty years after his death. But the work was unfinished because a few months before Aquinas’s death something happened that caused him to abandon his masterpiece. When his socius (a sort of assistant) Reginald of Piperno begged him to continue his work Aquinas replied: “I can do no more; such things have been revealed to me that all that I have written seems to me as so much straw.”________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod3. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod4. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod5. Mozart's String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, MOVEMENT II, K. 421 https://youtu.be/-DFKPtvT1p86. 1812 Overture • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky https://youtu.be/LAUuXfSeoqYSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:45 The Summa Theologica1:52 Aquinas the Mystic3:05 The Tao That Can’t Be Told5:24 The Mystical Trope8:24 The Way of Catharsis________________#aquinas #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
10/12/20219 minutes, 37 seconds
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The Moth and the Flame: Can Reason Compete with Instinct?

21st-century humanity is threatened by numerous self-generated existential threats to its continued survival. These include socio-political disintegration, ecological collapse and the potential ramifications of AI. The nature of this challenge is comparable to the most prominent scientific hypothesis as to why moths fly into flames — an accidental hijacking of an evolutionary adaptation that leads to the death of individuals. What this hypothesis is and how it relates to the decline of humanity is what we are going to be exploring on this episode of The Living Philosophy. ________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod2. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod3. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod4. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod5. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod6. 1812 Overture • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky https://youtu.be/LAUuXfSeoqYSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusica. Walt Disney’s Moth Production: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YouBj4K7104_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:49 The Flight of the Moth2:30 Disrupted Evolution3:36 Moth-Man6:02 Mothbook________________#thelivingphilosophy #philosophy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
10/7/20218 minutes, 45 seconds
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Ekstasis vs. Catharsis

The etymology of philosophy leads to the love of wisdom. The paths to wisdom can be divided into two: ekstasis and catharsis. Jamie Wheal is a thinker who utilises this distinction in his book Recapture the Rapture and on podcasts (where he includes a third aspect: Communitas — community/sangha). The distinction between ekstasis and catharsis is a powerful one. Ekstasis is the higher perspective; it is being on the mountain and surveying the entire landscape. Catharsis on the other hand is the way under — it is Dante going through Hell and emerging into Heaven. Ultimately both ekstasis and catharsis lead us to the same place: wisdom but the journey is very different. We can see philosophers throughout history leaning more towards one direction or another: Plato, Plotinus, Parmenides and Spinoza lead us towards the high insights of ekstasis; Heraclitus, Nietzsche and Kierkegaard lead us towards the deep wisdom of catharsis. _________________ Learning Resources:• Recapture the Rapture by Jamie Wheal https://www.recapturetherapture.com/• The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries by Gordon Wasson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/186043/the-road-to-eleusis-by-r-gordon-wasson/• The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94578.The_Gay_Science _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod3. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod4. Anguish — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:38 Ekstasis4:40 Catharsis7:57 Conclusion_________________Youtube link: https://youtu.be/fL7onbMkfMc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
9/22/20218 minutes, 44 seconds
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Enlightenment = Higher Cognitive Development? The Piagetian Ken Wilber

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development has an important place in the system of Integral Philosopher Ken Wilber. Wilber’s theory of everything is based around the stages of human development that go from the four stages of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and ascend into the spiritual realms of nondualism that we find in the works of Plotinus and other great spiritual masters. In this episode we explore Wilber’s argument that the higher levels of cognitive development are in fact postformal Piagetian stages of development. _________________ Learning Resources:• The Living Philosophy of Jung’s Psychology of Kundalini Yoga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goZ084pOwuo&list=PL7vtNjtsHReo9K0eH_ii67l0Kp-CF1vEG • Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBmvlTVWjZg • Ken Wilber’s Sex Ecology Spirituality https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177151.Sex_Ecology_Spirituality _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod2. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod3. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod4. Juniper — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:53 Piaget’s Conservation Experiments6:27 Is Wilber Right? 8:07 MHC & Cognitive Complexity10:41 Conclusion_________________#Integral #thelivingphilosophy #Wilber #Piaget #KenWilber
9/12/202111 minutes, 56 seconds
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Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget was the second most referenced psychologist of the 20th century whose work was dedicated to mapping out the stages of human development that is now known as the Piaget Theory of Cognitive Development. Piaget differentiated four developmental stages that humans pass through: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. These stages of Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development take place at different ages with Sensorimotor occurring between 0-2, Preoperation (or preop) between 3-7, Concrete Operational (or conop) between 7-11) and Formal Operational (formop) being found in children over 11. As well as the work of Jean Piaget we touch a little on Post-Piagetian stages such as Michael Commons’ Model of Hierarchical Development (MHC) as well as Ken Wilber who we will be looking at in more depth in the next episode. These are the stages of the Piaget cognitive development theory; we all pass through these stages on our way to adulthood and Piaget’s theories have been tested across cultures across the world. While it has faded from academic prominence it is one of the shaping theories of the field of psychology. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod2. 1812 Overture • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky https://youtu.be/LAUuXfSeoqY3. Mozart's String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, MOVEMENT II, K. 421 https://youtu.be/-DFKPtvT1p84. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod5. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod6. Juniper — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:36 Sensorimotor4:24 Preoperational6:29 Concrete Operational8:55 Formal Operational10:50 Conclusion_________________#Piaget #thelivingphilosophy #psychology #humandevelopment
9/5/202112 minutes, 46 seconds
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Semiotics of Spirituality | What Zen Masters Know that We Don’t

In his masterpiece Sex Ecology and Spirituality, Ken Wilber applies the work of Ferdinand de Saussure in Semiotics to the question of spiritual experiences’ validity. By looking at the Signifier and Signified of Saussure’s linguistic Sign as well as the referent in the context of spiritual experience Integral philosopher Ken Wilber arrives at an interesting hypothesis in Sex Ecology and Spirituality: that spiritual experiences are at a higher level of development than the general public; the difficulties in studying spiritual experience are comparable to the difficulties of a blind community studying colour. This brings in Wilber’s pre/trans fallacy — the distinction between prerational development and postrational development. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod2. 1812 Overture • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky https://youtu.be/LAUuXfSeoqY3. Mozart's String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, MOVEMENT II, K. 421 https://youtu.be/-DFKPtvT1p84. Juniper — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:38 Summary of Semiotics5:32 The Referent of Great Price10:22 Spiritual Evolution13:55 Conclusion_________________#Semiotics #thelivingphilosophy #spirituality #kenwilber #integral
8/22/202115 minutes, 18 seconds
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The Life of Plato

“The European philosophical tradition consists of a series of footnotes to Plato” — A.N. Whitehead. Plato is the greatest philosopher that ever lived and yet the life of Plato is shrouded in myth and mystery. The challenge with Plato’s biography is knowing where the legend ends and history begins. In this episode we explore the various accounts of Plato’s life and try to reassemble the arc of his historical life. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod2. 1812 Overture • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky https://youtu.be/LAUuXfSeoqY3. Mozart's String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, MOVEMENT II, K. 421 https://youtu.be/-DFKPtvT1p84. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod5. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod6. Mesmerise — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:25 The Backdrop4:37 The Family of Plato8:13 Socrates and the Travels of Plato12:37 The Sicily Debacle15:12 The Death of Plato_________________#Plato #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy #history #biography #Socrates #Athens #ancientgreekhistory #ancientgreece #greece
8/15/202118 minutes, 45 seconds
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What is Semiotics? Saussure on Langue/Parole and Signifier/Signified

Semiotics came into being with the publishing of Ferdinand de Saussure’s Course on General Linguistics in 1916. It contained distinctions such as langue vs parole as well as the signifier and signified that make up the Sign — Saussure’s fundamental unit of language. The Semiotics school of thought would go on to be a major influence on the Existentialists such as Sartre, the Structuralists such as Jacques Lacan, Levi-Strauss and Roland Barthes and the Poststructuralists Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault. In this episode we examine what the Semiotics theory is through Ferdinand de Saussure’s distinction between synchronic and diachronic linguistics, his distinction between langue and parole. With this foundation in place we will explore his contributions to this new science of language and what these explained — his definition of a Sign as being a signifier and a signified, the arbitrary nature of these and also the fact that language is a matter of difference and relations between signs in the system rather than naming. All of this will serve to have the basics of Semiotics explained. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:45 Diachronic vs Synchronic3:01 Langue vs Parole6:06 Sign: Signifiers and Signifieds8:40 Arbitrary Language12:04 Language: Differences & Relations13:37 Summary
8/8/202114 minutes, 38 seconds
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How Bertrand Russell Saved Ludwig Wittgenstein's Life

The Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein told his lover David Pinsent that Russell’s words of encouragement at the start of his dabbling with philosophy had been his salvation and put an end to nine years of loneliness and suffering in the constant shadow of suicide. Russell described him as “perhaps the most perfect example I have ever known of genius as traditionally conceived, passionate, profound, intense, and dominating” and said that “he has more passion about philosophy than I have; his avalanches make mine seem mere snowballs”But before all this became clear, Wittgenstein was tortured by the fear that he was destined for failure. He feared he was a dilettante and was a waste of space. Russell’s validation of him allowed him to set aside ‘a hint that he was de trop in this world’. Had he arrived years earlier or later, he may have found a Russell that was less sentimental and more protective of his role in technical philosophy. But due to a number of events in Russell’s life he arrived at the perfect time for Russell to embrace him with open arms (eventually)_________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) 💸 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. Mesmerise — Kevin MacLeod3. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod4. Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeod5. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... _________________⌛ Timestamps:00:00 Introduction1:40 The Preparation of Russell5:38 The Austrian Aristocrat8:35 When Bertrand met Ludwig12:37 The Student Becomes Master15:26 The Fragile Genius_________________#Wittgenstein #thelivingphilosophy #Russell #analyticphilosophy
7/25/202117 minutes, 13 seconds
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Analytic vs. Continental Philosophy — the Schism in Modern Philosophy

The Analytic Philosophy vs Continental Philosophy divide is a faultline running through modern philosophy. In this episode we explore the origins of this divide and why these two paths diverged when their founders were in close contact. Edmund Husserl and Gottlob Frege were the two men that gave rise to Continental Philosophy and Analytic Philosophy respectively and surprisingly they were in close contact — critiquing each other’s work. But despite this closeness, there is a historical backdrop to their concerns that invites us to reconsider this difference. Much like the Empiricism/Rationalist divide of the two centuries before Frege and Husserl, the Continental/Analytic divide ran along the line of the English Channel and seems to have been as much a divide of temperament as of philosophy. The British empiricists and the Anglo-American Analytic tradition are concerned more with a non-human standpoint — what reality is out there and how we can gain purest access to it. On the other the Rationalists and Continentals are more concerned with the human element — what it’s structure is like and what that tells us about the structure and nature of reality. This difference in focus on the human and non-human element widened into an irreparable chasm by the time of Martin Heidegger and Bertrand Russell. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:14 A Tale of Two Schools3:28 The Continental Arising7:18 The Analytic Tradition9:12 A Metaphilosophical Problem?
7/14/202112 minutes, 24 seconds
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What is Empiricism? The Philosophy of Locke, Berkeley and Hume

When asking ourselves what is empiricism in philosophy we cannot help but speak of the  Empiricism vs. Rationalism debate that began with Descartes’s cogito ergo sum of and ended with Immanuel Kant. The Empiricism of John Locke, George Berkeley and David Hume — known as the British Empiricists — developed in the 17th and 18th centuries and was a very influential movement. In contrast to the Rationalists (who believed that knowledge was only possible through reason and the mind), the Empiricists maintained that experience was the only origin of knowledge. Their challenge was to show why it was not unreliable in light of Descartes’s investigations in Discourse on the Method.  So in this episode, we explore all this ground as we seek to answer the question: what is empiricism?_________________📚 Sources:Berkeley, G., 1881. A treatise concerning the principles of human knowledge. JB Lippincott & Company.Berkeley, G., 2012. Three dialogues between Hylas and Philonous. Broadview Press.Hume, D., 2016. An enquiry concerning human understanding (pp. 191-284). Routledge.Locke, J., 1847. An essay concerning human understanding. Kay & Troutman. Secondary:Downing, Lisa, "George Berkeley", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2020/entries/berkeley/Markie, Peter, "Rationalism vs. Empiricism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2017/entries/rationalism-empiricism/Morris, William Edward and Charlotte R. Brown, "David Hume", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2021/entries/hume/Turbayne, C.M., 1985. Hume's Influence on Berkeley. Revue Internationale de Philosophie, pp.259-269.Uzgalis, William, "John Locke", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2020/entries/locke/_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Empiricism vs. Rationalism2:17 John Locke’s Empiricism5:34 George Berkeley’s Subjective Idealism 8:42 Hume’s Sceptical Empiricism
6/27/202113 minutes, 37 seconds
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The Living Philosophy of Simone Weil

Albert Camus called the philosopher Simone Weil “the only great spirit of our times.” T.S. Eliot said she was the greatest saint of the 20th century. Charles de Gaulle said she was insane. But who is she and what is the Simone Weil philosophy?Despite dying at the age of 34, Simone Weil lived a life that rivalled any philosopher. And it was the authentic life of a philosopher following her inner compass. She did not fall in with the intellectual milieu of her time by becoming a public intellectual (which was far from a matter of intelligence — she finished 1st in her class for philosophy at France’s elite university the École Normale Supérieure beating out Simone de Beauvoir in second place). She was born into a Jewish family and raised agnostic and yet found herself drawn towards religion; she fought in the Spanish Civil War and worked in factories for a year to understand the working class.  _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy ________________ 🎶 Music Used: 1.  Magnetic — CO.AG Music 2. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod 3. Mesmerise — Kevin MacLeod 4. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod 5. Americana Aspiring — Kevin MacLeod 6. Memory Lane — Kevin MacLeod Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic Subscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... _________________ ⌛ Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction1:08 Intellectual Development and Factory Work4:51 The Spanish Civil War and Christian Awakening8:54 The Resistant and Her Death12:05 Conclusion_________________ #simoneweil #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy #existentialism #christianity
6/20/202122 minutes, 8 seconds
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What is Phenomenology? The Philosophy of Husserl and Heidegger

The Phenomenology philosophy is a school of philosophy that originated in the 20th century. With Edmund Husserl Phenomenology was born but it was the phenomenology Heidegger innovated that reoriented the course of European philosophy. The Phenomenology of Husserl and Heidegger (whose respective philosophies are called Transcendental Phenomenology and Existential Phenomenology) does not seek after external objective truth—as philosophy and science generally do—phenomenology strives for subjective truth—in Husserl’s case it is an attempt to make a subjective science of consciousness. Husserl developed a method for attaining this truth which involves reducing away the noise so as to isolate the essence of a phenomenon. Heidegger parted from Husserl saying that phenomenology could not be a science with knowledge because the meaning of a phenomenon is context-dependent. Heidegger moves from Husserl’s epistemological project to an ontological program. There is a growing scholarship looking at the connection between phenomenology and eastern philosophy. It is even said that Heidgger was influenced in his conception of Dasein as being-in-the-world through a German commentator on Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu. _________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy _________________📚 Sources:Heidegger, M., 2010. Being and time. Suny Press.Husserl, E., 1999. The essential Husserl: Basic writings in transcendental phenomenology. Indiana University Press.Smith, David Woodruff, 2018. "Phenomenology", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2018 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2018/entries/phenomenology/._________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Intro0:42 History of Phenomenology1:46 What is Phenomenology5:59 Husserl’s Phenomenological Method7:52 Heidegger’s Ontological Twist9:17 Phenomenology and Eastern Philosophy
6/13/202111 minutes, 4 seconds
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Why Nietzsche REALLY Went Mad

There are many legends and lies surrounding the question of why Nietzsche went mad. After the German philosopher had a mental breakdown in a Turin square January 1889, the initial diagnosis was paretic syphilis. But as later investigators point this definitely wasn’t the case. In this episode we are going to explore the “circus-like history of controversies over the syphilis diagnosis”. Nietzsche was diagnosed with the disease despite meeting none of the five core symptoms of paretic syphilis. This initial diagnosis and its early backer—the notorious popular science writer Dr Mobius—was scrutinised by two biographers in the late 1920s but they were completely overshadowed by the account of the psychiatrist Lange-Eichbaum—an admirer of Mobius—who started the myth that Nietzsche had been treated for syphilis in 1867 during his student years in Leipzig. Despite the fact this information came from Mobius (who allegedly heard it from two Leipzig doctors that nobody has ever been able to track down and whose letters informing him of the matter had since been destroyed) it became canonical history. It took 70 years beyond Lange-Eichmann’s work before this narrative was questioned. In his pivotal article on the matter Leonard Sax sums up the situation as a case of:“One man's gossip becomes another man's reference, which in turn becomes a scholar's footnote.”But Nietzsche’s madness was not caused by syphilis and we don’t know the real cause. Sax argues for its being a brain tumour; another author Eva Cybulska argues that it was a result of Nietzsche having bipolar disorder and others again argue its origin was purely psychological. Short of exhuming his body there is no way of confirming for sure. _________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy _________________📚 Sources:Primary Papers:Cybulska, E.M., 2000. The madness of Nietzsche: a misdiagnosis of the millennium?. Hospital Medicine, 61(8), pp.571-575.Sax, L., 2003. What was the cause of Nietzsche's dementia?. Journal of Medical Biography, 11(1), pp.47-54.Further Reading:Breazeale, D., 1991. Ecce Psycho: Remarks on the case of Nietzsche. International studies in philosophy, 23(2), pp.19-33.Hollingdale, R.J., 2001. Nietzsche: The man and his philosophy. Cambridge University Press.Huenemann, C., 2008. Nietzsche's illness. in The Oxford Handbook of Nietzsche. edited by Gemes, K. and Richardson, J.  Oxford University Press.Kaufmann, W.A., 2013. Nietzsche: Philosopher, psychologist, antichrist (Vol. 104). Princeton University Press.Nietzsche, F.W., 1968. Basic writings of Nietzsche. Modern Library Classics.________________🎶 Music Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod3. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod4. Mesmerise — Kevin MacLeod5. Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeod 6. Anguish— Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... _________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Intro0:36 Nietzsche’s Turin Breakdown1:28 Nietzsche’s Diagnosis and Syphilis’s Symptoms 3:13 Why Nietzsche Didn’t Have Syphilis7:26 How the Myth of Nietzsche’s Syphilis Became History10:45 What Did Nietzsche Really Die of?11:38 Conclusion_________________#nietzsche #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy
6/6/202124 minutes, 43 seconds
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Nihilism vs. Existentialism vs. Absurdism — Explained and Compared

What is the difference between Nihilism vs. Existentialism vs. Absurdism? The common ground they share is that they are all responses to philosophy’s timeless clichéd question “what is the meaning of life?” Nihilism came into full bloom in the 19th century as the full implications of modernism came to fruition. Existentialism and Absurdism are two ways of responding to the crisis of Nihilism. So what is Nihilism? It’s the belief that there is no objective meaning, no purpose outside the illusions humanity has created for itself. As science developed and the religious narratives were found to be ineffective and hollow, the religious account of reality was consigned to the trash heap of history but with it went the grounding of our morality and meaning. This is what Nietzsche’s madman is decrying in The Gay Science when he proclaims that God is Dead. Among the ways of facing this crisis, Existentialism vs Absurdism are two promising alternatives. Existentialism says there is no objective/inherent value but there is a potential for a created value. For Jean-Paul Sartre Existentialism is the realisation that existence precedes essence which means that humans have a radical freedom to create our own meaning through how we live our lives, through the acts of our will. The Absurd was first talked about by Kierkegaard but was fully developed by Albert Camus into the philosophy of Absurdism in his book The Myth of Sisyphus. The Absurd is the collision between the inherent human hunger for meaning and the impossibility of satisfying this drive in a meaningless world. Camus says we have three options in facing the Absurd: commit suicide, take a leap of faith and believe in some meaning (like Christianity, Buddhism, Marxism, existentialism) something Camus calls philosophical suicide. The third option is Absurdism. Absurdism is the rebellion against the Absurd. It is to refuse to give in and create a meaning. For Camus Absurdism means holding the space of the absurd, staring into its face and rebelling against it and out of this rebellion flows our freedom and passion. _________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!)▶ Patreon: patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy▶ Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy _________________📚 Further Reading:Primary:Camus, A., 2013. The Myth of Sisyphus. Penguin UK.Camus, A., 2013. The Outsider. Penguin UK.Sartre, J., 1960 Existentialism is a Humanism Secondary:Aronson, R,. 2017. “Albert Camus”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy , Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = (https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2017/entries/camus/).Crowell, S,. 2020. “Existentialism”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = (https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2020/entries/existentialism/).Foley, J., 2014. Albert Camus: From the absurd to revolt. Routledge.Hassall, D,. 2017. “Finding Meaning in the Lack Thereof: An Analysis of Nietzsche's and Sartre's Responses to the Problem of Existential Nihilism” Honors Theses. 493. URL = (https://encompass.eku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1476&context=honors_theses) _________________⌛  Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:48 Nihilism: Meaning and Origins5:15 Existentialism: Definition and its Solution 8:25 Absurdism9:24 Camus’s Three Responses to the Absurd11:45 Why Sisyphus is Camus’s Ideal13:31 Summary and Conclusion
5/30/202114 minutes, 5 seconds
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Albert Camus vs. Jean-Paul Sartre

The friendship of Camus and Sartre went from bromance to bitter hatred. The two giants of 20th-century philosophy first became friends during WW2 but the friendship was doomed to fail. The conflict of Camus vs. Sartre boils down to their political philosophy. The philosophy of Albert Camus was one of peace and valued the individual human being; the philosophy of Jean Paul Sartre on the other hand emphasised the need to end oppression and colonialism. Sartre and Camus falling out was one of the major events of 20th century philosophy. It represented two paths forward in the world. In this episode of the living philosophy we explore the friendship of Camus and Sartre and the bitter feud that brought it to an end. _________________📚 Further Reading:Camus, A., 2013. The Myth of Sisyphus. Penguin UK.Camus, A., 2012. The rebel: An essay on man in revolt. Vintage.Camus, A., 2013. The outsider. Penguin UK.Sartre, J., 1960 Tribute to Albert Camus http://faculty.webster.edu/corbetre/philosophy/existentialism/camus/sartre-tribute.htmlSecondary:Aronson, R., 2004. Camus and Sartre: The story of a friendship and the quarrel that ended it. University of Chicago Press.Foley, J., 2014. Albert Camus: From the absurd to revolt. Routledge.Todd, O., 2015. Albert Camus: A Life. Random House.________________⌛  Timestamps:0:00 Intro1:20 The Friendship 4:03 The Shadows of Conflict5:58 Camus’s The Rebel and the Explosive Feud9:36 Their Conflicting Responses to the Algerian Crisis 14:44 Camus’s Death, Sartre’s Obituary and Disdain for Camus17:08 Conclusion: Camus vs. Sartre
5/23/202119 minutes, 40 seconds
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Nietzsche's Surprising Love of Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nietzsche and Emerson don’t seem like they should go together. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a spiritual nature-loving Transcendentalist and Friedrich Nietzsche was a self-proclaimed Antichrist. But the truth is that Nietzsche loved Ralph Waldo Emerson and while he was far from agreement with him on many points, he felt that Emerson was a “twin soul” and only wished that he could go back and give this great nature a proper education. When you cut past the superficial differences the beating heart of both philosophies are deeply related—both throw aside the revelations of other authorities in order to form a personal relationship with truth, both believe in the power of the individual and the importance of genius. At the core of the philosophy of Nietzsche and of Emerson’s philosophy was the conviction that philosophy was something that you lived. Nietzsche first read the philosophy of Emerson as a 17 year old schoolboy and his relationship with Emerson spanned a quarter century all the way to the end of his career in 1889. In this episode we explore this strange but potent connection between Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nietzsche. _________________📚 Further Reading:Nietzsche:Nietzsche, F., 1974. The Gay Science: with a prelude in German rhymes and an appendix of songs (Vol. 985). Vintage.Nietzsche, F., 1977. Thus Spoke Zarathustra  in The Portable Nietzsche. Penguin Routledge.Nietzsche, F., 1968. The Birth of Tragedy  and Ecce Homo in Basic writings of Nietzsche . Modern Library Classics.Secondary:Andler, C., 1920. Nietzsche, sa vie et sa pensée (Vol. 1). Éditions Bossard.Cavell, S. (1991). Aversive Thinking: Emersonian Representations in Heidegger and Nietzsche. New Literary History, 22(1), 129-160. doi:10.2307/469146Hummel, H., 1946. Emerson and Nietzsche. New England Quarterly, pp.63-84.Zavatta, B., 2019. Individuality and Beyond: Nietzsche Reads Emerson. Oxford University Press._________________🎶 Music Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod3. Mesmerise — Kevin MacLeod4. Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeod5. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod6. Memory Lane — Kevin MacLeod7. Americana Aspiring — Kevin MacLeod Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... _________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Intro1:56 Nietzsche Long Love for Emerson5:45 Nietzsche Contra Emerson7:15 Emerson’s Influence in Nietzsche’s Work10:40 The Biographical Explanation for Their Affinity_________________#nietzsche #thelivingphilosophy #emerson #philosophy
5/16/202119 minutes, 9 seconds