The Cunning of Geist

It is estimated that over 2 billion stars in our own Milky Way galaxy have planets orbiting them that could sustain life.  Are we on planet Earth a lottery winner, a one in 2 billion chance for establishing life and intelligent beings?  The odds suggest life exists elsewhere.  However, although it took billions of years to life on Earth to evolve to where we are today,  there are stars are much older that our own sun.  Several billion years older in fact.  Why no evidence of extraterrestrial life?  No radio signals, no unmanned probes, no hard evidence of visitations.  Why not?  Could we be alone?Hegel teaches that rationality and Spirit is paramount, what is real. If so, it most be universal, across the cosmos.  Are we the only place where it has actualized?  This episode explores.  Support the show

"Creation ex nihlilo (creation out of nothing) or "Ex nihilo nihil fit" (from nothing comes from nothing)?The notion of a creator God is fundamental to Western religions.  But is it true?  The opening of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, studied so long and hard by the Kabbalists suggests so, and the Big Bang theory gave reason for many to believe the cosmological argument for God (everything that began to exist has a cause). But the newest scientific data suggests something preceded the Big Bang.  And in our secular age, many prefer to follow the science, rightly so.Planet Earth, the sun, our galaxy, and the universe itself, like all of us, is headed for the graveyard.  But cycles of nature appear everywhere. Could this also be true of the universe itself?  Does the universe resurrect? This episode explores the question in detail.  Support the show

Hegel's "triad" of Being, Nothing, and Becoming are central to his ontology.  And it can also be used as a framework for personal achievement.  This episode explains how. The Being/Nothing/Becoming dialectic comes first in Hegel's Science of Logic, but it also presents the pattern for his overall project of Mind (Idea), Nature, and Spirit (Geist).  And it is just this framework that one must use in pushing to new heights of success in life.   The basic approach is goal setting (Mind), assessing the path to take, including the obstacles to overcome (Nature), and boldly embarking on one's action plan in the world (Spirit).   The correspondence of Hegel's triad  to real life achievement is the subject of this episode. Support the show

Hegel famously said  in his Phenomenology of Spirit, "Everything turns on grasping and expressing the True, not as Substance, but equally as Subject." (Miiler trans., ¶17).  That the true - truth - is equally substance and subject.  He makes this explicitly clear in the following statement, “What seems to take place outside it, to be an activity directed against it, is its own doing, its own activity; and substance shows that it is in reality subject” (Ibid, ¶37).Meaningful coincidences, Jung's synchronicity, are a demonstration of this truth.  And the mediation of the mental and material takes place in the immediacy of the present moment.  As Hegel said, "There is nothing, nothing in heaven, or in nature or in mind or anywhere else which does not equally contain both immediacy and mediation" (Science of Logic, Miller trans., pg. 68).Episode 78 explores this important notion.Support the show

Does Spirit evolve?  How about God?And what exactly does the term panentheism mean?This episode takes a deep dive into process philosophy, process theology, and the evolutionary nature of "becoming."  The pioneer work of Charles Hartshorne, Alfred North Whitehead, Charles Sanders Peirce, and of course Hegel, all in a way process philosophers, is addressed. Support the show

Wittgenstein is often mention as the most influential philosopher of the 20th century.  His focus on the meaning of words became an integral part of the so-called "Analytic" branch of the discipline.   The later Wittgenstein contended that words are but tools, defined by their use within the context of the “language game” of the arena they are used, which is societally based and can evolve.  One of these sandboxes is philosophy, as well as science and religion.  And the language of one space does not necessarily hold water in another.  That there is not one underlying true meaning of the word beneath all of the different areas;  only how a word or phrase is used in context of the realm of "game" in which it is being used.But cannot words be used to point outside of the realm in which they are used to Spirit, a higher power and purpose, and to the truly infinite?  And isn't this the purpose of art, religion and philosophy?  This episode explores.   Support the show

Is philosophy just mental masturbation?  Nothing but air?Many today see no value in philosophy because there seems to be little agreement among philosophers on anything, and much of what they say seems to have little or no impact on one's life, or society in general.  Is this the case?An examination of the major pillars upon which society stands - political systems, the law, science, and its moral base - shows just the opposite.  Holding each of these institutions up is a philosophical position.  In most cases, these are stances that have been analyzed for over two thousand years by the likes of Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Locke, Hume, and Hegel. As the 20th century demonstrated, the philosophy that nations choose to embrace can lead to the death of millions. And as citizens of the world, we do not have to blindly accept the doctrines that are handed us. We can, as Steve Job said, "change it, influence it, mold it."  This episode shows the major impact philosophy has had on all aspects of life.  Support the show

The behaviorism of B.F. Skinner took the psychology world by storm.  His 1971 book "Beyond Freedom and Dignity" was hailed as the most important psychological publication of the 20th century.  And this was from someone who denied mind and free will. It was an attempt to dignify psychology as a hard science, based on experiments and what can be observed, rather than what people think or feel, a direct contradiction to the root meaning of word psychology - "a study of mind."  He claimed that reason, values, concepts,  judgment, and purpose simply do not exist.  To him, all actions are based on conditioning. Hegel laid the groundwork for the unconscious, calling it soul, and saying it is from what consciousness itself comes.  Famed psychologists Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung built on this with their brilliant conceptions - the reality of the unconscious mind on Freud's part and the collective unconscious from Jung.  This episode discusses all this as well as Novak's personal interactions with Skinnerism in the university setting of the early 1970s. Support the show

Developing one's own philosophy of life can be one of the most rewarding experiences. ll can serve as the basis for a productive and happy experience in this world.  What many don't realize is that our beliefs, values, and actions are based on a grounding in a particular philosophy, whether we understand it or not. Examining the underpinnings of our concept of self and the world can be a fruitful exercise. It is better to actively choose one's philosophy of life rather than have it handed to us by others, or by unconsciously absorbing it from the environment of family and friends.  The default position often produces conflicting and random direction, which can lead to doubt, frustration, a lack of fulfillment, and loss of meaning in one's life. This podcast episode demonstrates how we are handed a philosophical outlook starting in childhood, continuing through our education, and examines the current paradigms upon which this pedagogy is based. It discusses key philosophical questions that should be actively pondered, and dives into current topics such as sexual orientation, political affiliation, identity groups, and individualism vs. collectivism. Lastly it is shown how many of the casual cliches we use in speaking are actually statements of profound philosophical positions.Support the show

This episode explores psychologist Carl Jung's conception of the psyche, from the ego and the persona it shows to the world, down through the personal  and collective shadow, finally reaching the two core archetypes of the collective unconscious - the anima and the animus.  This fundamental polarity is seen in myths and narratives throughout the ages, including the yin/yang symbol, heaven and earth of the Bible, Hegel's being and nothing, and even the left and right brain hemispheres, with it two distinct approaches to thinking.While this polarity is often expressed as masculine/feminine, it is not dependent on the body, but on a host of psychological attributes that differ in their application.  The anima is more receptive, social, and connecting, whereas the animus is more divisive and abstract.   The aspects we identify with and put forward mean their opposites are kept below in the unconscious.  But both sides exist in all of us, whether implicit or explicit.  This episode explores the collective unconscious from several standpoints, including the mystical tree of life from the Kabbalah.  Support the show

The duality of Mind and Body has been debated for millennia.  This has resulted in two polarized camps - Realists vs. Idealists.  Realists contend that there is a world existing out there whether we are here or not, whether we are observing it or not, whether we are thinking about it or not.  Idealists contend that ultimately only Mind exists, and the physical world around us is just an illusion, an unreal fantasy of the Mind.But there is a third camp.  Many mistakenly classify Hegel as an Idealist,  However, he actually proposed a tripartite system with Mind and Nature coming together and evolving in one process of Becoming.  He referred to this as the historical advance of Spirit.  Interestingly, Bergson postulated a way that Mind and Body are linked through perception and memory.  As did Jung, with his collective unconscious.  This episode explores this topic in depth.    Support the show

Can't we all just get along?  The world today is increasing fractious.  The Electronic Age has fueled a return to tribalism, as the individualistic linear emphasis of the print age gave way to finding identity though emotionally connected groups.  And these groups are often based more on hatred of the "other" than on what they stand for themselves. What can be done?  As Hegel and others have pointed out, it starts with a recognition of Spirit within us all.  A freedom that humans alone can call their own.  And without this recognition in others, we cannot know it is within us.  This episode reviews the issue from different standpoints, include a look at the Lordship/Bondage and Beautiful Soul portions of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, as well as Žižek's Hegelian take on forgiveness. Support the show

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google parent company Alphabet, has said  that artificial intelligence (AI) could have a more profound effect on humanity than fire and electricity.   Quite a statement.New AI technologies are being produced, Including ChatGPT, that are conversational and can write better and communicate more clearly than most people.  And they provide fast, almost immediate, answers to any question.  While it is has not yet been perfected, and flaws have been noticed, the question has been raised as to whether such programs can self-learn on their own, and program themselves.  And importantly, when fully developed, whether they should be considered conscious entities.  Like a human being.   There seems to be two camps here. One group believes that it AI is just an algorithm at the end of day, and does not possess anything beyond the information and formulas put into it by the programmers.  The other group feels we are on the verge of a creating a digital super intelligence, a digital god. What has philosophy and psychology to say about this?  This episode explores. Support the show

The great psychologist Carl Jung was a leading pioneer in psychological type analysis.  In fact, he coined the terms "extrovert" and "introvert."  His work spawned a whole industry of personality analysis which is as strong today as ever.  And key to his psychological type system was his recognition of Intuition, or the "small still voice within."  This function has direct correspondence to Hegel's notion of Spirit.  In a 1933 lecture on proto-psychologists in philosophy, Jung thought that had a scientific study of psychology existed back in Hegel's time, Hegel would probably have been a psychologist.   This episode reviews Jung's work, relates it to Hegel, and offer a new dimension based on Jung's work - the Creative/Receptive.  Support the show

Biologist Richard Dawkins is the poster child for the materialist doctrine and the new atheism.  His paradigm boils down to a mechanical replicator, that somehow appeared by chance, which no one can explain how (a miracle?), that goes by the name "gene."  He sees us all as mere robots, zombies, propagating the gene's replication.  The materialist doctrine stands on three assumptions - that all is matter, that the laws of nature are fixed, with us from the beginning, and that there is no inherent purpose in matter.  While this may be true for matter, what about Mind? Materialists use their doctrine as a sword against religion and philosophy.  Yet their paradigm is misguided.  There is a huge difference between being true and not being proven false.  Hegel showed how matter and mind are combined, both a part of Geist, Spirit, and are one fundamentally.  This episode explores the many problems with the pure materialist doctrine. Literary Guise Podcast: A Book Club for Modern MenA cocktail-infused book podcast, examining positive and toxic portrayals of masculinity.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

19th century Danish theologian and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard was a towering figure not only in philosophy and religion, but in psychology as well.  He is commonly considered to be the father of Existentialism, with the importance he place on individual subjectivity in finding meaning and truth.  He was also a fierce critic of Hegel.  By examining the differences between the two, one can hopefully see the distinctiveness of each.  This podcast episode will examine two main themes of Kierkegaard, that of subjectivity and the "leap of faith," to show where some commonalities exist, where their difference was a matter of emphasis, and where there exists an unbridgeable gap between the two.  I hope to show how their differences cannot be reduced to the old "individual vs. society" or "head vs. the heart" debate; but what I believe to be a faulty/incomplete portrayal of Hegel's philosophy by Kierkegaard.  Support the show

America went through a profound spiritual awakening in the 19th century, most commonly referred to as "New Thought."  Many leaders at this time credited Hegel  for laying the groundwork.  This episode explores several of the early developments in America, but such movements have also occurred across the globe at different times in various cultures. And there are many themes of this movement that echo Hegel, including: - There exists Infinite Intelligence, or the Absolute Idea as Hegel calls it,  - There is divinity or Spirit within each person,  - Mind and Nature are linked in Spirit, - Aligning your thoughts with Spirit is beneficial to oneself and the world, - Progress of Spirit in the world is historical. This New Thought movement continues today in various forms and incarnations the world over, and it has never been stronger.  And Hegel was one of its earliest pioneers.  But there is still much work to do.  This episode explores. Support the show

Free speech is of course linked to freedom.  And freedom is the cornerstone of Hegel's philosophy.  Today free speech is an issue with respect to social media platforms, which are used by literally billions of people over the world.  Yes billions.  And who exactly controls what can be said on these platforms?  Up to now it has been a handful of executives.  And some claim that free speech has been curtailed to a degree favoring the views of these executives.  Most nation-states have laws that govern the limits of free speech, such as libel, fraud, incitement, and sedition.  Do these laws apply the Internet?  Hegel had things to say about free speech.  In his Elements of the Philosophy of Right he discusses it, and notes that it is the state that gives freedom to individuals, and if the state is destroyed, so is freedom, including free speech.  But he saw the problems inherent in democracies of competing factions.  And these problems are still being worked out some 200 years later.This episode explores the issues surrounding free speech from an historical, philosophical, and Hegelian point of view, in light of the new Internet environment. 

The word "spirit" has so many connotations. Per the thesaurus: character, courage, energy, enthusiasm, essence, heart, humor, life, mood, morale, quality, resolve, temperament, vigor, vitality, warmth, and will. Hegel had a different interpretation: God.  And he said it as clear as day.  He defines God as the timeless Absolute Idea, the idea of ideas, self-thinking thought.  But is doesn't end there.  The Absolute Idea freely others itself in Nature, and enters this finite world as Spirit.  It does so to become actual, real, not just abstract truth.  This episode reviews the etymology of the word "spirit" across different cultures - Greek, Latin, Hebrew, even Proto-Indo-European, up to the present day.  And then explores how spirit relates to Hegel's tripartite system, and finds its fulfillment in what Hegel calls True Infinity.  Listen to The Bearded Mystic Podcast Creating a community to deepen our understanding of Non-Duality in Hinduism Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

The term "paradigm "and "paradigm shift" were made famous by Thomas Kuhn in his landmark 1962 book, "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions". Steven Covey describes a paradigm as "frames of reference, worldviews, . . through which we see everyone and everything, including ourselves.  . They affect the way we interpret what we see and experience, and how we interact and relate with others.”The current naturalistic materialism paradigm of science (and much of the educated world) is beginning to show anomalies, particular in physics where the micro does not jibe with the marco.  And quantum physics itself does not have a consistently accepted theory underlying it. Hegel's philosophy has been called "a total system of the world, which included not only physics and the sciences, religion, ethics, but even a history of the world; . .  It was truly a theory of everything— We could really say this was the last great system,” (T. Cahoone).  Does Hegel's framework represent the true paradigm we should be moving toward?  This episode explores. 

Hegel saw the Absolute metaphorically as a "circle of circles" (SL, pg. 842, Miller trans.).  He also said philosophy itself "forms a circle" (PR, Wood, ed.,  Nisbet trans., pg. 26, ¶2).Yet religions sees a creation event in our past, and modern science has embraced the Big Bang as the beginning of it all.  The universe is expanding and current theories show an eventual fizzle out into a "heat death."  Nothing will survive.  The end.  Full stop. Yet there is another scientific theory, proposed by Nobel prize winning physicist Roger Penrose, that suggests that this is all part of a cyclical process.  From the "death" of the finite universe a state of "infinity" will be reached and a new Big Bang will emerge.  Any correspondence here to Hegel's circle?  This episode explores.  

It is said that French philosopher Henri Bergson was the best known philosopher in his day during the early 20th century.  In fact, when giving a lecture in New York City, he caused the first traffic jam the city had ever seen.  Although presently he is less prominent, there was much reason for his positive perception back then in philosophy circles. His concepts of duration, intuition, élan vital, and memory took on the established determinism of the day.  And Bergsonism is just as relevant as ever, as unfortunately naturalistic materialism remains the solidly entrenched dominant position.  He was even one of the very few philosophers bold enough to broach the subject of comedy (Hegel also bravely ventured into this territory as well).  All this is reviewed in the current episode.  Plus some thoughts on Bergson by my comedian daughter Jacqueline. 

To me, the goal of meditation is to escape the left-brain world of analyzing, breaking things down, either/or judgmental thinking, and to get in touch with life itself.   Thoughts tend to come to the foreground, but there remains a background.  In meditation, thoughts can be viewed like passing clouds in the sky, and the goal is to experience the sky, and not get hung up on the clouds. The notion of Being and Nothing is central to Hegel's philosophy.  And Hegel is clear - focusing on just "being" and not "nothingness" as well, misses the point.  Becoming is the truth, which contains both being and nothing as moments.  For Being to "be there" (determinate) it must contain both notions.   The goal of meditation is not to ignore or eliminate being, or thought.  It is just to spend some time each day to quietly sense the complete picture, both the sky and the clouds.   This episode explores meditation from this standpoint, with commentary on Buddhism as well, noting that equating Buddhism with a nihilism of pure nothingness is a mistake.  

"Becoming" is addressed very early in Hegel's Science of Logic.  And it provides a foundation for all that follows in his project.  But the concept of becoming is much more than an abstract philosophical term.  It is the foundation of growth, evolution, and all development processes.  Nietzsche recognized how important Hegel's concept of becoming was.  Hegel of course preceded Darwin,  and Nietzsche knew that Hegel, with his notion of becoming, had planted the seed for the idea of evolution among European thinkers when he claimed “No Hegel, no Darwin” (Gay Science §357),  And Nietzsche goes on in same page to say that the notion of becoming, as a process of conceptual development, is a superior notion to just looking at "what is” in isolation.  This has direct correspondence to the left brain/right brain dichotomy discussed here so often.  As well as to the meanings of the German words "verstand" (common understanding) and "vernunft" (holistic reasoning).  This episode explores Hegel's notion of "becoming" from several standpoints. 

"Good and evil" is a core philosophic and religious issue.  Perhaps the most important issue.  Where did this concept originate?  Why do we often see God, or Karma, as seeking  retribution and causing our misfortunes?The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is one of the oldest, if not the oldest myth out there to explain what is going on.  And there are two different takes on this.  Traditional religion says, in the Old Testament, that our eating of the forbidden fruit is the cause of our separation from God; and if one believes in the New Testament, Jesus was the reconciliation and now we were forgiven. But Hegel has a different interpretation.  This episode explores.  

Is it easier to do Sunday's crossword puzzle on Monday morning?  If so, the Collective Memory may be the reason.  Many believe minds are joined at a very deep level.  Hegel taught that "Substance is Subject."  Not only minds but matter as well.  But Hegel's project is more:  subject is also Spirit, and Spirit is an historical process.  Enter Memory.This episode explores memory from several standpoints in addition to Hegel 's - Plato's reincarnation and anamnesis, Jung's collective unconscious, Theosophy's Akashic records, and Rupert Sheldrake's morphic resonance.  

In the film "2001, A Space Odyssey," H.A.L., an artificial intelligence character, loses its mind and begins killing people.  Did H.A.L. act on his own accord?  Interesting question.Everyday we hear more and more how artificial intelligence programs will soon be the equivalent of human beings and perhaps even smarter.   Is this true?Some theorists believe Hegel's dialectical approach, when added to a computer's binary operation, can provide a degree of self awareness to the machine.  But is this true self-awareness or just simulated self-awareness?This episode explores these questions and more. Listen to The Bearded Mystic Podcast Creating a community to deepen our understanding of Non-Duality in Hinduism Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

The Electronic Revolution has dramatically changed how the world receives and processes information.  The previous print revolution helped usher in the Enlightenment, the Scientific Revolution, nation-states, and individual rights through its emphasis on visual, linear thinking, i.e. left-brain thinking.However, the Electronic Age reintroduced the audio factor to mass communications beginning with radio.  This was followed by television bringing a return of both audio and visual in one package.  And this resulted in a step toward a nouveau-tribalism, harkening back to ancient tribal societies where the spoken word interacted with nature in one environment.The Internet added more fuel to the fire.  This has meant, among an increasing percentage of citizens, a loss of the ability to find much meaning in a big tent nation-state.  The fragmentation and specialization of media and politics has put identity groups, "tribes," as a driving force today in many places.  History has shown that tribal societies often fought brutally for recognition, and the new tribes are increasingly doing so today.  Hegel, a pre-electronic literary man of letters, foresaw this problem.  And I believe his speculative philosophy, one that recognizes identity within differences, with its focus on the whole (right-brain) as well as the parts (left brain) can provide a useful guide for these trying times.   

A question for the ages -  are we free?A recent survey of over 1,700 philosophers worldwide found that over 50% hold a compatibilist view, that both determinism and free will co-exist.  Hegel was a champion of freedom and made it the cornerstone of his philosophy.  He also recognized that much of our lives are also pre-determined.  In this episode I will argue that free-will  occurs in the present moment, where we have some degree of freedom to choose between alternative paths that we can envision.  Only humans have this capability of thought to look to the future.   Without  free-will, the universe becomes dead, with no purpose or no rationality behind it.   As Charles Peirce as well as Hegel have posited, this freedom is baked into the core of the cosmos itself.   The current episode discusses this important question from several different standpoints, including time, randomness, reason, purpose, and evolution.Transcript is available on the podcast's Facebook page, @cunningofgeist.

We all have experienced synchronicity, where causally unconnected events have a unique meaning to us.  Psychologist Carl Jung proposed that there was indeed an acausal connecting principle behind such occurrences. In fact, "meaning" may indeed be fundamental to the cosmos.  American philosopher C.S. Peirce believed it was so.  And Hegel did as well, epitomized by his famous dictum, "Substance is subject."  Even on an existential basis, many have argued that one must create their own meaning and purpose in life in order to thrive.  One such example is the best-selling book "Man's Search for Meaning" by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl about his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp and what he learned about survival. He developed a therapeutic approach called Logotherapy based on this.  This podcast explores this question from the persective of Jung, Peirce, Frankl, and Hegel. 

Hegel was clear: history is a slaughter-bench.  Depressing?  Of course.  But does history also allow the increase of rationality and freedom?  Indeed it does. This is often accomplished by world historical figures who inspired great battle victories such as Alexander, Washington, Lincoln, and Churchill.  And it was often unknown to themselves just what great forward progress they enabled.This episode discusses war from the standpoint of conflict resolution resulting in a better outcome. The opposite being a regression, not a progression. .Freedom is not something to just shout from the mountain tops,  It must be earned, fought for.  And those cultures that embraced it often had the upper hand in warfare, starting with the Athenians at Marathon.  They had a purpose - a reason - not just an order.  

The tragic events in Ukraine have brought to the surface many old quandaries of war.  The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 caused some to believe that a new world order had arrived.  A few scholars even claimed it to be the "end of history." Francis Fukuyama published his book "The End of History and the Last Man," in 1992, where he presents the thesis that humanity had reached "not just ... the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: That is, the end-point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government." (National Interest, #16).  His work his based largely on Hegel's philosophy. Fukuyama has since backed down from this claim, given the rise of identity groups fueled by the Internet.  And it appears that  the WWII-style invasion of Ukraine by Russia is the final nail in the coffin of this theory.  This episode explores the philosophy of war with a review of Clausewitz's work, a contempory of Hegel, as well as an analysis of how Hegel actually viewed war.  

"Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men? . . . The Shadow knows" began a famous U.S. radio show from the 1930s and 40s.  The Shadow is also a psychological term used by Carl Jung to describe those parts of us  that we do not want to recognize in ourselves and in effect, bury.  While it is most associated with our baser instincts and unattractive parts of our personality, we can repress worthy aspects as well.  This can lead to projection of these traits on to others.  The notion of the Shadow involves an unconscious part of our mind.  Jung held that a process of "individuation" would benefit individuals by bringing some of these unconscious elements to light and intergrating them in one's personality.  He felt this would allow personal growth of the individual psychologically.  In a way this is similar to Hegel's account of sublation, where notions are negated, and then transformed by bringing the notion and its negation together on a higher level.  From a broader perspective, this is occurring in history, as conscious humans strive, within unconscious Nature, for greater freedom, consciousness, and rationality.  This episode explores the Shadow from personality theory, the collective unconscious, projection, and Hegel's Lordship/Bondage dialectic.  

Hegel foresaw a problem with the advanced liberal democracies of his day.  It is when the self interests of groups within the nation become more important than the principles that uphold the state itself.  He called it a "knot" that will need to worked out in the future.Well the future has arrived and the problem remains. In fact it is much worse than in Hegel's day.  The Internet has fostered a return to tribalistic identity groups that threaten the very concept of the nation-state.Media scholar Marshall McLuhan also saw this trend occurring, as the individual of the print age loses out to the group-think of the electronic age.  This episode explores how and why this is occurring, and what we can do about.  

Does Hegel have in mind a systematic procedure, technique, process, or plan underlying his philosophy?  Some say yes, others say no.It is my belief that there is in fact a method; and it is the movement, the life, the evolution of thought itself.  Hegel referred to this a dialectics.  And his important notion of sublation plays a crucial role in dialectical thinking.  Some say Hegel's method develops as his logic unfolds, but that at the beginning of his Science of Logic  Hegel's philosophy is presuppositionless.  While this is true in a certain sense this beginning is also the result of a sublation of immediate  consciousness and reason.  So the dialectic is there at the beginning.  If there is a "method" in Hegel's philosophy it is this.This episode explores what Hegel has to say about this in detail. 

This episode explores three elements of Charles Peirce's philosophy and how it relates to Hegelianism.Peirce held that Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness are core functions of the Cosmos itself, three "worlds" if you will.  This has obvious parallels to Hegel's triadic approach of Logic, Nature, and Spirit.Peirce's notion of Tychism is also examined, that the universe contains a degree of pure randomness, foreshadowing the findings of quantum physics. How this relates specifically to Hegel's core concept of Freedom is covered.And lastly, Peirce's Evolutionary Love is discussed, which teaches that the universe is one continuous whole, and in addtion to rationality, also contain love or Agapism as he calls it, as a fundamental aspect.  This is similar in respect to Hegel's famous dictum, "Subject is Substance." 

Philosophers and scientists speak of the "hard problem of consciousness." But what exactly is the problem?  The issue seems to be more with the narrow view of naturalistic materialism, that excludes "everything mental - consciousness, meaning, intent or purpose" (Nagel). At the center of the disagreement is what is now termed "qualia" (a variation of this term was first used by Charles Peirce). This is the experience of seeing the color red, hearing a robin sing, or tasting a glass of wine. This actual quality is difficult for the pure physicalist to explain, when they have removed "mind" from their paradigm.But some contemporary philosophers beg to differ with the materialistic conception, including Thomas Nagel, David Chalmers, and John Searle. And of course, before them there was Hegel, who puts subjectivity right at the core of being, with his famous expression, "substance is subject." This episode explores.  

As author Og Mandino states, Paul the Apostle was perhaps the "Greatest Salesmen in the World" in bringing the "good news" to Jew and Gentile alike.  And what is very interesting is that Paul's views correspond in several respects to Hegel's unique take on Christianity.This episode discusses one of the "New Perspective of Paul" interpretations by Pauline scholar N.T. Wright.  And that both St. Paul and Hegel recognized that Spirit's work is to be done here on Earth, and not in some separate domain.   To round out the episode, the unique symbolism of the Christmas holiday is analyzed as well.

Hedge fund head Ray Dalio, in his book "Principles" states, "To be 'good,' something must operate consistently with the laws of reality and contribute to the evolution of the whole; that is what is most rewarded. Evolution is the single greatest force in the universe; it is the only thing that is permanent and it drives everything." Dalio is not a trained philosopher but has plenty of street smarts.  And street smarts should never be discounted.  American pragmatic philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce put evolution at the core of his philosphy. Regarding Peirce and Hegel, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states, "These thinkers, of course, all have a single theme in common: evolution.  . . both Hegel and Peirce make the whole evolutionary interpretation of the evolving phaneron (world of appearances) to be a process that is said to be logical, the 'action' of logic itself.” Peirce had access to Darwinian evolution which Hegel did not. And importantly, Peirce incorporates Darwinism in his theory of evolution and yet goes beyond. Hence his philosophy is an update of sorts of Hegelianism, particularly regarding Nature. This episode explores.  

Once again Hegel's "true infinity" is the focus an episode.  This time, there is new attention paid to several areas, including, - a better definition of "bad infinity,"- how true infinity corresponds to right-brain reasoning, - how bad infinity corresponds to left-brain understanding, - how true infinity relates to societal issues at large,- how business innovation develops through true infinity,- how gratitude can serve as a lever for true infinity.Also covered in this episode are "Hilbert's Hotel," an exercise in bad infinity, the creative mind versus the competitive mind, Mcluhan's view on communism, how tech billionaires may be channeling the cunning of geist, and how gratitude can lead to greater attunement with Spirit. 

One of the original self-improvement books, "The Science of Getting Rich," (Wattles, 1910), was based on Hegelian principles.  And no, it is not about money, but about achieving what one needs so one can accomplish what one is capable of in contributing to the goal of life itself.   Wattles states, "The object of life is development; and everything that lives has an inalienable right to all the development it is capable of attaining."  And also, "the man who owns all he wants for the living of all he is capable of living is rich."   The hugely successful 2006 book, "The Secret," was based on Wattles teachings. In addition to Wattles book, this episode explores three other self-help motivational books in  light of Hegel's philosophy:- Think and Grow Rich, (Napoleon Hill, 1938)- The Greatest Salesmen in the World (Og Mandino, 1968)- Awaken the Giant Within (Tony Robbins, 1991)The core Hegelian principle that there is an Absolute, and that life is about development, becoming and betterment is explored.- 

Reincarnation is one of the most widely held beliefs in the world today.  It is quite logical, and it explains much about why some suffer.  It offers a reasoning and reward for moral and ethical behavior.  But is it true?  Does one have a separate soul that moves from body to body over time?This episode will explore this question from the standpoint of Hegelian philosophy regarding the finite and true infinity, and the historical movement of Spirit within the world.  In addition, the important concept of memory will be examined from a psychological standpoint.  Humanity's collective memory may have evolved in a way similar to our physical evolution.  And this could be the underlying cause of beliefs in reincarnation and past lives recollection.  How Jung's concept of the collective unconscious provides the basis for this understanding will be demonstrated, including possible support for this from two new interesting speculative theories,  Rupert Sheldrake's "morphic resonance," and Lee Smolin's "principle of precedence."

The Creation of the Cosmos by God is fundamental to Western religions.  And the scientific Big Bang event has been pointed to by some as evidence that this did in fact occur.But did it?  New scientific evidence shows that something did precede the Big Bang.  And In the East, a different notion holds, that of the cyclical nature of reality.  And there are different interpretations of whether Hegel believed a creation event occurred or not.  This episode shows support for the cyclical position from a scientific as well as Hegelian standpoint.  In addition, Lurianic Kabbalah is called on to show how this might actual proceed.  

For many people, philosophy is of little interest.  Some see it only as thinking about thinking, and who needs that?  Others compare it to contemplating one's navel.  And few people understand how philosophy can actually have any meaning in one's day-to-day activities.This episode takes the other side.  It first shows why philosophy is needed for a rigorous, articulate, systematic, logical, and critical examination of the big questions in life. Next reason itself is discussed, and how it is often downplayed today.  But reason itself cannot be used to denigrate reason, leading to a contradiction. Reason is therefore not relativistic, person to person, but foundational to all. Lastly, an examination of Hegel's full project is provided, showing how his system provides meaning, purpose, and a rational foundation to life; how this purpose is unfolding through an historical process; and how it is relational and holistic, not divisional.  And what this means in terms of living your life.

This episode looks again at the left brain/right brain dichotomy, and how so much is missed when the left brain view dominates, which it does in today's world almost exclusively (polarization, either/or, us versus them type thinking).   With left brain thinking alone, one misses the big holistic picture.  The right brain sees relations, movement, processes, and life.  While the left brain creates a map, the right brain is living in the territory.  Right brain thinking understands that every stick has two ends, and that without the stick neither end can exist.  Both types of thinking are of course needed and necessary, but when left brain thinking is exclusively used, creativity and intuition are stomped out.  And so is the ability to practice true reason (vernunft).  While brain hemisphere research came after Hegel's time, he was very much aware of this difference in thinking, the common understanding (verstand) versus reason (vernunft).  This episode explores the difference, with several contemporary examples to bring this difference to light. 

Hegel called sublation one of the most important concepts in all of philosophy.  Hegel scholar Stephen Houlgate calls it "the absolute immanent 'method' of speculative philosophy."The English word "sublation" is a translation of the German work "aufhebung."  But the English term is more or less a placeholder for the Hegel's German word, as there is no direct equivalent term in English.  That is because it has two definitions: to preserve, to maintain, as well as to cease, to end.  How does such apparent contradiction get resolved into a key concept of all philosophy?  This podcast episode explores this important notion from several standpoints.  

Is there a difference between a belief having been proven correct versus a belief that while not proven, is still warranted, and not irrational?  Contemporary philosopher Alvin Plantinga believes there is.  And his method of establishing this speaks directly to Hegel's Spirit (Geist).Plantinga is also known for his controversial theory the "Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism" (EAAN). It goes like this: If our thinking is a product of blind naturalism, how can we trust it?  Putting this in Hegelian terms, unless one believes in Spirit, can one fully put stock in thought?  It can't, because thought from blind Naturalism has no basis in truth. In other words, one that rejects Spirit cannot use thought to come up with the reason for denying Spirit.Plantinga does not deny evolution, and believes that the conflict actually lies between Naturalism and rationally based science. This episode explores all this and more, including the remarkable apparent fine-tuning of the universe for life and how this may align with Hegel's project.  

Psychologist Carl Jung identified the quaternity (union of four) as a symbol of wholeness.  He used it in portraying his four primary cognitive functions: intuition, sensation, thinking, and feeling (emotions).Similar to this is Russian esotericist George Gurdjieff's system of harmonious development, called “The Fourth Way,”  His “Work” centered on simultaneously developing the body, the emotions, and the mind so one can develop a fourth function - the soul.  He used the quaternity metaphor of the horse-drawn carriage to visualize this, with a carriage,  horse,  driver, and a master inside the carriage.This podcast episode explores these topics in-depth as well Jung's notion of the collective unconscious, and how it relates to Hegel's historical development of the World-Spirit.  

Hegel famously stated that "What is real (actual) is rational, and what is rational is real (actual).  What does this statement mean?   The question of just what constitutes "reality" will be examined from four different standpoints - from a scientific viewpoint, from the perspective of one strand of Eastern philosophy, from a particular New Age tome, and, of course, from an Hegelian point of view.Hegel postulates Absolute Spirt as the ultimate reality.   This does not refer to some static, separate condition or separate being, but it is an ongoing, active, rational process that works itself out - comes to know itself - dialectically, through history.   Referring to Hegel's statement above,  there is a key difference between the real and the actual.   The abstract Logic may be real, but it needs to manifest through its other, Nature, in order to become actual.  This podcast episode explores all this and more.   

The great enlightenment document, the U.S. Declaration of Independence, pronounced that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,  that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  Yet the United States also kept portions of its population enslaved at that time.  How were these ideals and the facts at hand kept compatible?New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie has an the answer, “Racism as we understand it now, as a socio-political order based on the permanent hierarchy of particular groups, developed as an attempt to resolve the fundamental contradiction between professing liberty and upholding slavery. . .  It took the scientific thought of the Enlightenment to create an enduring racial taxonomy and the 'color-coded, white-over-black' ideology with which we are familiar." This episode explores this dark-side of the Enlightenment.  While some statements of Hegel's may be seen as racially insensitive by today's standards, he condemned slavery in the strongest terms and found no rational at all in judging people by how they looked.  "A judgment based on physiognomic expression has accordingly only the value of an immediate judgment, which can just as well be untrue as true.  . . Man is known much less by his outward appearance than by his deeds. (Encyclopaedia, III, §411, Addition).     

The Scientific Revolution brought tremendous benefit to humanity.  But when the scientific method becomes more than a defined procedure of rational inquiry and prediction, and morphs into an ideology with its own set of dogmas, problems can appear.  And this is precisely what has happened in today's world.  Scientism is the name given to this world-view.  It holds that nature is wholly material and mechanical, with no purpose - and that life itself is a mistake that occurred when a RNA molecule accidentally mutated and was able to replicate itself. Where is mind in this world-view?  Where is purpose?  Hegel's philosophy presents an entirely different vision - that mind, freedom, and  purpose are central to the Cosmos.  Interestingly, several 20th century scientific pioneers agreed with Hegel on this.  This episode explores.