Professor Kozlowski Lectures

In a fit of spite, Professor Kozlowski condenses his discussion of landmark British political philosophers Hobbes and Locke - forerunners of the American constitution - into a single joint lecture. We'll compare and contrast the two states of nature proposed by these thinkers, examine their divergent attitudes toward the authority of government, and root their philosophical conclusions in the tumultuous history of the English Civil War.Hooray for English philosophers - no translations necessary for these texts! Here are the Project Gutenberg texts of Hobbes' Leviathan, and Locke's Second Treatise Concerning Government.Additional readings for this lecture include some more 17th-century English classics: Bacon's scientific Utopia, New Atlantis; Milton's epic masterpiece, Paradise Lost; and Swift's satirical classic, Gulliver's Travels. Finally, for my video gamers, I recommend the colonization-based management sim/city builder Anno 1404 (it may not be the most period-appropriate game in the series, but I think it is the best mechanical representation of this era without the industrialization mechanics of Anno 1800).If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects, check out his website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

Professor Kozlowski ventures into the modern era of political philosophy with a look at two titans of early-Renaissance era political philosophy: Ibn Khaldun, the great Islamic historian and proto-sociologist/economist writing in the post-Mongol Invasion Abassid Caliphate, and Machiavelli, the political philosopher so famous that "Machiavellian" has become synonymous with pragmatic-to-the-point-of-being-a-jerk. We will look at their methods, their observations, their conclusions, and - importantly - their legacy.Readings today originate in the Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldun and Machiavelli's The Prince (as found in the Cohen textbook).Now that we've entered the modern era, additional readings will be plentiful, especially now that people are writing Utopian literature! For today, there is Machiavelli's other landmark work of political philosophy: Discourses on Livy, the tale of "The City of Brass" from the 1001 Arabian Nights, Sir Thomas' More's Utopia, and Tommaso Campanella's City of the Sun. Finally, my video game recommendation is Homeworld: Deserts of Kharnak, as a rough science-fiction approximation of the nomadic Bedouin virtues and problems laid out by Ibn Khaldun. If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects, check out his website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

Today Professor Kozlowski takes on the political philosophy of the Medieval (and early modern) Christian world, as a cross-section of ideas and interpretations made by Christian political philosophers. Our readings for today hail from:City of God by Augustine of HippoSumma Theologica by Thomas Aquinas"Temporal Authority: To What Extent it Should be Obeyed" by Martin Luther (requires a free Internet Archives account to borrow)Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin (Chapter XIX: par. 15 and Chapter XX: On Civil Government, par. I, II, III, and XXIX)Along the way we'll encounter a wide variety of different interpretations of Biblical theology, and an even wider variety of applications for Christians trying to figure out how to live their lives in secular society. And we might even find some surprise cameos by ideas thought to originate in later, less Christian times.Additional readings this week mostly surround historical events, but I recommend Dante's De Monarchia and, for my gamers, Crusader Kings II (I haven't played III yet, but it's probably also good...)If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects, check out his website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

Professor Kozlowski embarks on yet another discussion of politics and the Bible. Here we will look at the basic outline of the gospel, as well as key passages from Genesis, Deuteronomy, Judges, 1 Samuel, Matthew, Acts, and 1 Timothy that illuminate the Biblical perspective on politics and government - if there is one.https://www.biblegateway.com contains a wide variety of Biblical translations, including all the passages discussed in this lecture. I recommend the ESV for beginners.No official additional readings for today, though I do recommend and make reference reference to other Biblical, apocryphal, and related texts, like: 1 & 2 Kings, Acts, 1 & 2 Maccabees, and Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews and Wars of the Jews. For my gamers, I'll recommend Afterlife - but mostly as a joke.If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects, check out his website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

Today Professor Kozlowski takes on the Roman Empire - its legacy (historical and mythological), its organization, and the ideas of some of its most influential thinkers: Cicero and Polybius. Many great political thinkers take Rome as the closest thing to a perfect government ever created - hopefully we can reach some conclusions about what made Rome work, and why this obsession with Rome might be a result of the greatest propaganda campaign in history.Readings today come from Cicero's De Legibus and Polybius' Universal History, Book VI.Additional Readings include Virgil's Aeneid, Livy's Ab Urbe Condita, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, the writings of Seneca, and Rome: Total War for my gamer fans.If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects, check out his website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

Professor Kozlowski presents a woefully inadequate look at some key ideas in the political philosophy of China and India, specifically:Lao-Tzu's Tao Te ChingThe Analects of ConfuciusMo-TzuThe Laws of ManuAlong the way we'll talk about the differences between Eastern and Western attitudes toward virtue, rule, and government, as well as how these texts take on a very different perspective from those we've seen in Ancient Greece....and then we won't talk about them again until the 20th century or so. Alas - we still need to make room for all that Marx and Hobbes.I will (one day) upload the document I've produced for my students, which excerpts each of the above texts, to my website, so you may be able to find it there.Additional readings include: Mencius, Sun-Tzu's The Art of War, Intrigues of the Warring States, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Bhagavad-Gita, and Fire Emblem for my gamer fans.If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects, check out his website: ⁠⁠⁠professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

CW: Slavery (but not racism); Tyrannical Tactics, w/ examples from Hitler, Stalin, etc.Today Professor Kozlowski turns from Plato's Republic to the other great masterpiece of Greek political philosophy - Aristotle's Politics. Typical of Aristotle, we'll discuss his basic assumptions about government, his understanding of different forms of government, and the ways that revolutions, demagogues, and dissension can undermine democracies, oligarchies, and tyrannies. (Or preserve them, if you happen to be a tyrant looking for hints on keeping your crappy government going as long as possible before the inevitable crash.)You can find the full text of Aristotle's Politics for free at: ⁠https://sacred-texts.com/cla/ari/pol/pol05.htm⁠Additional readings include: Sophocles' Antigone, Thucydides' The Peloponnesian War, Plato's Protagoras, and Impressions Games' Zeus + Poseidon for my gamer fans.If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects, check out his website: ⁠⁠professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

CW: Incest, Infanticide, and Misogyny as philosophical ideas and historical realitiesProfessor Kozlowski tackles the rest of the Republic by ranging over the three excerpts in the Cohen textbook and several excluded passages. On the docket:Equality for women (yay!)Open marriages (yay!?)Communal child-rearing (wut?)Eugenics (boo!)The Allegory of the Cave (yay!)How governments fall apart (Aristotle to follow)The Myth of Er (w00t)Professor Kozlowski apologizes in advance for how much brutally heinous s#!t will be discussed in these lectures. Especially when we get to Fascism and Social Darwinism.You can find the full text of Plato's Republic for free on Project Gutenberg; this lecture uses Lane Cooper's translation in Princeton Readings in Political Thought ed. Mitchell Cohen.If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects, check out his website: ⁠professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

Professor Kozlowski tackles the origins of Plato's Republic proper - following Socrates as he describes the earliest organization of government through its growth into a "fevered" state of luxuries and wealth. And, bonus - we get a ten-minute tangent on the Laws of Lycurgus! - which influenced many ancient thinkers (including Plato and Aristotle) and will continue to haunt us for the rest of the class.You can find the full text of Plato's Republic for free on Project Gutenberg; this lecture uses Lane Cooper's translation in Princeton Readings in Political Thought ed. Mitchell Cohen.If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects, check out his website: ⁠professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

For the first reading in History of Social Thought, Professor Kozlowski *finally* tackles that greatest of philosophical classics: Plato's Republic. Today we'll look at the famous opening argument and get some preliminary answers to the question "What is Justice?" as well as Plato's practical example for dealing with Internet edgelords trying to win debates rather than understand truths.You can find the full text of Plato's Republic for free on Project Gutenberg; this lecture uses Lane Cooper's translation in Princeton Readings in Political Thought ed. Mitchell Cohen.If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects, check out his website: professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

Professor Kozlowski embarks on a new scholastic project: preparing an introductory course on political philosophy for the fall semester. Several months and dozens of books later, he might not have much in the way of knowledge or answers, but he'll spend three hours talking about it anyway.Follow Professor Kozlowski's other projects online at his webpage: professorkozlowski.wordpress.comAnd please contribute to the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorKozlowski

Professor Kozlowski welcomes his new students to the summer session of the Philosophy of Love and Friendship...with a two-hour long lecture about how the class is going to work.Enjoy!

Today, apropos of nothing, Professor Kozlowski tackles one of his favorite books: Joseph Heller's popular, stylish, satirical masterpiece - Catch-22. We'll look at its legacy, its themes, and the message it offers to our own absurd systemic hellscape here in 2025. (And maybe one day we'll tackle some other favorite re-reads as well!)If you want more lectures like this, contribute to the Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorKozlowskiOr go visit my website! - https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ - to see what else I'm up to!

Professor Kozlowski, concluding his serious of insanely ambitious General Humanities I videos, attempts to cram the whole thousand-year history of Medieval Europe into ninety minutes.

Professor Kozlowski concludes his General Humanities lecture series with an analysis of two Medieval lays - Sir Orfeo and Sir Launfal. Here we'll see how the Medieval writers adapt and understand the pagan traditions underlying their own culture as a part of their Christian faith.

Professor Kozlowski here expresses his very limited knowledge and very uninformed interpretation of the Qu'ran, especially as it pertains to Jews, Christians, and the afterlife. He then goes on to explore Ibn Sina's thoughts on the afterlife as presented in The Book of Healing. None of this should be considered authoritative or rooted in expertise. Professor Kozlowski is absolutely still a novice in his study of Islam and Islamic theology, and this very much represents an interested outsider searching for and speculating about context, rather than an informed opinion. But it's better than nothing, hopefully

Professor Kozlowski wanders well out of his comfort zone and scholarly experience to discuss the history of the two great powers of the medieval world: the Byzantine (Roman) Empire and the Islamicate World. He apologizes for the roughness of his knowledge and understanding, but hopes that he can help make this discussion a more integral part of the study of world history.

Today Professor Kozlowski tackles another favorite philosophical work in Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy - a foundational text of medieval Christian philosophy and one of the most articulate discussions of virtue, the character of God, and the Problem of Evil in Christianity's history.

Professor Kozlowski tackles the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount, the veiled allusions of the Kingdom of Heaven parables, and the moral quandary of identifying hypocrisy in the Gospel of Matthew.

Professor Kozlowski takes a stab at unraveling one of the most famously knotty wisdom texts in the Old Testament: Ecclesiastes. Is it wisdom? Is it nihilism? Does it have a pat moral? Let's find out.

Professor Kozlowski tempts the wrath of the Internet by discussing the history of Judaism and Christianity by recounting the major events and themes of the Christian Bible. Along the way we'll revisit some important moments in ancient history, bump into some early Christian heresies, and talk about different perspectives on Christian teaching. ...hopefully without starting any flame wars... If you have good-faith follow-up questions about any of these topics, feel free to e-mail me at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com

Professor Kozlowski tackles the classic of 2nd century stoicism, Epictetus' Enchiridion. Along the way we'll discuss the virtues (and vices) of stoicism, outline its similarities to Buddhism, and contextualize the stoics against the Roman political world in which it developed - and the contemporary world that it continues to influence and shape.

Professor Kozlowski somehow crams everything a General Humanities student needs to know about Plato and Aristotle into one hour-and-a-half-long lecture. Which is nonsense. Go read more Plato and Aristotle.

Professor Kozlowski takes on a triple threat of Bronze-Age(ish) underworld stories, namely: The Egyptian Book of the Dead, Inana's Descent to the Underworld (Sumerian), and the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Along the way, we'll try to make some sense and find patterns among these dense, difficult, and disparate texts, and set the foundation for the later Greek and Roman (and Christian) understandings of the Underworld to come.

Professor Kozlowski kicks off his historical study in General Humanities I with a survey of the ancient Bronze Age cultures of the Near East (Babylon, Egypt, and Greece), as well as their legacies and inheritors in the wake of the Bronze Age Collapse.

Professor Kozlowski concludes his week-long analysis of Homer with an examination of Achilles through the last chapters of the Iliad and his reappearance in the Odyssey.

Professor Kozlowski tackles the Iliad and Odyssey from a bird's eye perspective, looking at the trajectory of Achilles' rage and his missteps in the search for honor.

Professor Kozlowski discusses the syllabus and expectations for the Spring 2025 section of General Humanities 1.

Professor Kozlowski kicks off his series on Pre-Socratic Philosophy with an examination of the forerunners to Pre-Socratic philosophy: Greek and Babylonian mythological traditions like Homer, Hesiod, and the Orphics; odd ducks like Pherecydes; and some questions about what does and does not constitute "philosophy" proper. If you liked this lecture, please consider contributing to Professor Kozlowski's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ProfessorKozlowski For more of Professor Kozlowski's Internet Doings, please visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com

Today we're talking about...money. A lot has happened in the past few months, and Professor Kozlowski Lectures has a very uncertain future. Today we'll discuss that uncertainty, what projects we hope to attempt in the next year, and what you can do to help that process. Specifically, contribute to the Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/c/ProfessorKozlowski Or go visit my website! - https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ Or Like, Share, and Subscribe! Every little bit helps - I'd like to dedicate more of my time and energy to these projects, and the more money you contribute, the more possible that becomes!

Professor Kozlowski produces an odd, unfocused lecture for an odd, unfocused topic.

Professor Kozlowski goes over the syllabus for the online Summer '24 session of Love and Friendship.

CW: Suicide and Mental Illness Professor Kozlowski concludes his discussion of Goethe's The Sufferings of Young Werther by examining the causes (and the effects) of Werther's death. Goethe's treatment of Werther's case is careful and multifaceted - we'll look at some of the different perspectives Goethe offers us for understanding why Werther kills himself, and how we should interpret this act.

CW: Mental Illness and Suicide Professor Kozlowski discusses the first half of Goethe's The Sufferings of Young Werther, including character introductions, an examination of typically Romantic characteristics, and discussion of mental illness and suicide.

Professor Kozlowski examines the final speech of Plato's Symposium and examines some of the *many* ways it might be interpreted as a contribution to Plato's understanding of love.

At long last, it's time to hear Socrates' justly-famous theory of love.

Professor Kozlowski takes on the justly famous speech-myth of Aristophanes and how it appeals to modern audiences. (Also Eryximachus and Agathon...)

Professor Kozlowski discusses the opening and first two speeches of Plato's Symposium, examining not just the content of the speeches, but the context Plato offers to provide depth to the characters' understanding.

In our first Patron-requested topic of the summer, Professor Kozlowski throws caution to the winds and addresses the contemporary state of American Christianity in politics and society: How did we get here? Why do Christians believe what they believe? Are these beliefs consistent? Can these convictions be changed, and how might we go about changing them? To challenge Professor Kozlowski to a duel, threaten his well being, or otherwise demand that he stop making podcasts, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com. (I'm not really worried. I assume I'm too boring and long-winded to make anyone really mad at me.)

A brief discussion of what you can expect from Professor Kozlowski Lectures in the coming months and years. To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com.

Professor Kozlowski concludes his discussion of Dostoevsky's Demons and his series on Russian Nihilism. To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com.

Time to party with the Demons. To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com.

Finally we get to see Pyotr Stepanovich bustle about and put his dubious plans into motion. Today Professor Kozlowski contrasts the careers and adventures of Pyotr Stepanovich and Stavrogin, examines the literary origins of each, and considers the censored "At Tikhon's" chapter as it reflects on our understanding of these characters.

Professor Kozlowski continues his discussion of Dostoevsky's Demons by deeply examining the newly-revealed characters of Nikolai Vsevolodovich Stavrogin and Pyotor Stepanovich through their interactions with many of the other radicals and townfolk. To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com.

Professor Kozlowski continues his discussion of Dostoevsky's Demons with an examination of many of the minor characters introduced so far, and how their relationships are revealed, piecemeal, through careful details and subtle interactions. To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com.

Today Professor Kozlowski discusses the first two chapters of Dostoevsky's Demons, introduces three of our primary characters, and connects them to their archetypes in 1860s Russian society. Also jokes. To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com.

Professor Kozlowski attempts to recount the developments in the Russian literary world between 1864 and 1871 (when Demons is written), including a brief summary of Crime and Punishment and its relevance to the literary representation of Russian Nihilism at the time. To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com.

Professor Kozlowski tackles the second half of Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground, with special attention to exploring the references to 1840's Russian literature (and to Chernyshevsky's What is to Be Done?) found throughout this section. To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com. And please consider contributing to Professor Kozlowski's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorKozlowski - where you'll also be able to vote for and suggest new topics for future lectures.

At long last, Professor Kozlowski confronts Dostoevsky's most widely discussed and controversial creation: Notes from Underground. Come for the tortured consciousness of the underground man, stay for the literary skullduggery and speculations about censorship. To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com. And please consider contributing to Professor Kozlowski's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorKozlowski - where you'll also be able to vote for and suggest new topics for future lectures.

Professor Kozlowski muses on the Utopian hopes and missing realities of Chernyshevsky's promised revolution at the end of What is to Be Done? To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com. And please consider contributing to Professor Kozlowski's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorKozlowski - where you'll also be able to vote for and suggest new topics for future lectures.

Now that we've gotten all the rage sweats cleaned up, it's time for Professor Kozlowski to take a deep dive into Chernyshevsky's convictions and ideology, both to appreciate the merit of those convictions, and to examine the similarities between radical idealism of the 1860s in Russia and in the years since. Hopefully this will be a bit more even-handed than last time, but we're never going to have *no* angry biased grumpiness. To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ or contact him directly at profbkozlowski2@gmail.com. And please consider contributing to Professor Kozlowski's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorKozlowski - where you'll also be able to vote for and suggest new topics for future lectures.