Podcasts about human understanding

What a lot of fun I had talking to Zena Hitz about Gulliver's Travels. As well as discussing Swift, slavery, genocide, rationality, Christianity, and science, Zena told me that good philosophy is like a box of cake mix and that a liberal education requires you to be freed of false expertise. I also took Zena on a detour to discuss Iris Murdoch, the Catherine Project, and modern philosophy. TRANSCRIPTHENRY OLIVER: Today I am talking to Zena Hitz. Zena is a tutor at St. John's College. She is a philosopher, the author of Lost in Thought. She runs the Catherine Project. She's famous on Twitter. We don't know how she does it all. Zena, welcome.ZENA HITZ: Thank you, Henry. It's great to be here.OLIVER: And we're talking about Gulliver's Travels because it is 300 years since it was published, and it's a book that you love.HITZ: A book that I've loved for a long time.First Encounter with Gulliver's TravelsOLIVER: So tell me, when did you first read it?HITZ: Well, it was an important moment for me. I was in high school, and I was admitted to a scholarship summer program which offered college courses at different campuses. There were some normal-looking college courses at normal-looking colleges. And then there was this course at St. John's called Science as Literature, Literature as Science. [laughs] It had this description that was just unbelievable. And I thought to myself, “This is the one, obviously the one to go to.”So I went, and we read books that no one in their right mind would assign to high school students now, and maybe not then. The fragments of Parmenides, Plato's Timaeus, selections from Aristotle's Physics, Gulliver's Travels. After reading a number of—preface to Ptolemy's Almagest, geocentric astronomy. And we read Gulliver's Travels after reading selections from Hooke's Micrographia, so the inventor of the microscope, and Galileo's Starry Messenger, which is one of the great first uses of the telescope to discover the nature of the moon and the satellites of Jupiter.So then we read Gulliver's Travels. We also read Emma and Flannery O'Connor and various other things. And one of the faculty who was running it said at one point, “Well, we thought we'd throw a bunch of things together and see what you could do, what you could make of it. We didn't actually have an idea of how these all fit together,” which I think was probably true.At any rate, I think I came to Gulliver's Travels thinking about these scientists who were looking at very large things and very small things, and thinking in general about the follies of human perception, whether that was shown in literature or philosophy or what have you, the ways in which human perception and knowledge don't work very well. And I think Swift is still one of the best people to—Gulliver's Travels is still one of the best books about that because it's in the mode of a travel diary, an eyewitness account.Gulliver is trained as a surgeon, by his own account. He at one point says he was a bit of a projector in his younger days, someone who undertook scientific projects. And he's a terrible observer, the worst imaginable observer, and Swift so brilliantly lets us see through his eyes, lets us see all the things he doesn't see. And I think it's not just about seeing and knowing. It has a very profound, I think, moral and political set of commitments. So it's a very humane book. It's social criticism, but from a point of view of a very deep humanity. So I've always loved the book for these reasons since then.I came back to it more recently because it is part of the curriculum at St. John's. So when I came back to teach there, I began to reread it. The other experience I had was that I wrote a long essay on it when I was an undergraduate. So those are my—I'm not any kind of expert. My knowledge of the historical context of the book is limited. It's not zero, but it's limited. But I have always loved it as an account of human understanding and its failures and the way that might impact how we live and how happy we can be.The Houyhnhnm ProblemOLIVER: Have you changed how you think about it as you've taught it?HITZ: I have not really changed the way I think about it. It gets more—like all of these books, the more you read them, the more comes out of them, the more details come up. Hilarious. The more jokes you get, the more . . .I think the one more recent insight I had was, I hadn't understood the full horror of the Houyhnhnms in the last book until relatively recently. I think that took me some time to really take on. It's one of the cases where Gulliver's misperceptions are a bit harder to see, and I think many readers just assume that Swift is endorsing the praise of the Houyhnhnms in some sense or other.OLIVER: There are some very serious critics in the past who have called them Swift's ideal beings. Which at this point in history seems unthinkable, but it has been a belief among serious readers.HITZ: Yes, yes. And also common among students. Yes, it's absolutely one of the wrongest opinions you could have about anything, I think.OLIVER: Why does Swift allow us to make that mistake? Are we bad readers out of the context, or has he made too good a job of his diversions and concealments and ironies?HITZ: That's a great question, and I'll just take a stab at it. I think that he has hit on a mode of misperception which is very deep to us, and it's something that we're much more guilty of. We could imagine that if we were in a place where everyone was small or everyone was large, we might make mistakes like Gulliver makes. But we all live, I think, in communities that are a bit like the Houyhnhnms. And so we are all very subject to these kinds of deceptions, and I think that's how he gets us.That's not to really excuse the bad readings because, you know, Gulliver does leave the land of the Houyhnhnms with a boat made out of human skin, which should—I think that moment should make you realize, if you haven't yet, that something is very seriously wrong with Gulliver. Gulliver has been kind of destroyed as a person by his travels, and especially by this last trip. But if you pass over that little detail, maybe you think, “Oh, wow, he found some very simple beings.”OLIVER: Well, there's also the great council where they debate the genocide of the Yahoos.HITZ: [laughs] Yes.OLIVER: And it directly contradicts several things Gulliver has come to believe about the Houyhnhnms, about the Yahoos, and about himself. And he's completely unaware of these contradictions and so in awe of the Houyhnhnms that he doesn't quite understand, I think, that he's accounting a genocide.HITZ: That's right. That's right.OLIVER: Even though he uses a phrase from Genesis that's very unmistakable. It's a sort of remarkable moment of—particularly to us, having had the 20th century. I think that's why Swift came back into favor in a way, because people used to say, Swift's unbearable view of human nature . . .This is a great bit in Boswell's Life of Johnson where, when they're traveling through Scotland, they're with a lady, and she says to Johnson, “Is any man naturally good?” And Johnson says, “No, no more than a wolf.” And Boswell says, “Well, sir, what about ladies?” And Johnson says, “God, no, absolutely not.” And this woman says, “Oh my God, this is worse than Swift,” utterly horrific view of human nature.But of course, we can actually say, did he go far enough? [laughter] I mean, Swift clearly understands something very real and deep. The council of genocide is horrifyingly familiar to us. And I think that's much to Swift's credit that he can see that, and to show that Gulliver would blind himself to it. And people still blind themselves to it, right?HITZ: That's right. And I wonder—you would know more about this than me because it is a bit of a historical question, but my understanding is that quite a lot of the savagery, the worst parts of rule over men that we see in Gulliver's Travels are pictures of Ireland in the 17th, 18th centuries. And I wonder if that took some time to reveal itself to the British, and in some ways it's still not really as known as it might be. We think of the colonial project as being something that was directed at India and Africa—OLIVER: Faraway countries.HITZ: —faraway countries where people looked really different. And we're not as familiar with the kinds of things that were done to the cuddly Irish with their nice music, and who we don't think of as being people that you would savagely oppress like that. So I think—OLIVER: So, I think partly the English are not interested in their own history in the way that they are expected to be. And partly the English interest in Irish history has become very focused on the more recent events. And it's very hard to get back past that. And it all becomes very complicated, and it's a sort of different country. So there's some of that, but I think generally we don't want to know what we did, yes.HITZ: Well, and I think in anglophone countries in general, there's going to be a history of something like that. To attribute it to the British is not to say that—I mean, Americans have chattel slavery and the genocide of the natives, and the Australians have their own situation. All of the anglophone countries have something like this on their conscience.I think that obscures the meaning of that final book. I think we don't recognize—and that's really to Swift's credit, to have a social critique that is so real and so deep that you may not even recognize yourself in the picture.Slavery in Gulliver's TravelsOLIVER: Yes. When I read it again—I read it as an undergraduate, but I really was actually more interested in the other parts of Swift's work. And I thought it was brilliant, and then I read it again. And it was more recently that—I didn't understand how I couldn't have seen it, but it's basically a book about slavery, as I come back to it.And in each of the books there is enslavement of a different sort. So, to begin with, Gulliver is the one being kept in a box or kept in a house, or he's chained up by the Lilliputians or Glumdalclitch.HITZ: Right. That's right.OLIVER: She's a very nice sort of master, as it were, [laughter] but he has that box that can be sealed, and the dwarf has him swiping at the wasps. And then the enslavement that the flying island has of the country below is like England and Ireland. And then in the final book, you know, the Houyhnhnms are whipping the Yahoos.HITZ: That's right.OLIVER: The slavery thing gets worse and worse as the book goes on. And one of the things that's clever is that it's funny when Gulliver is enslaved, right? When the wasps are let out and he has to—and Swift sort of does that clever thing where he undermines things by making it a joke at the end. By the book of the Houyhnhnms, there is really very little humor. And the twist at the end is always dark.Gulliver can't see that—he can see that he's a bit like the Yahoos. But he can't see that they've been enslaved in the way that he—the farmer wanted to take him around the kingdom and show him off, and he says, “I couldn't possibly have had children in that condition because I couldn't have it on my conscience that I had begotten a slave, someone born into slavery. I couldn't do that.”HITZ: Right.OLIVER: Then he's in the Houyhnhnms and he can't—it's quite remarkable.HITZ: [laughs] Yes. I don't think it's quite true that in the end there's no humor. I read it with some Catherine Project group a couple of years ago, and one of the readers pointed out that it's not obvious Gulliver isn't leaving his home and sitting out in the ocean and always landing on England every single time; just every time, he lands there.And there's something hilarious about an Englishman that discovers a place where there's all horses, [laughter] and his love of horses overwhelms him, and he becomes persuaded that they're the only rational beings that there are. I mean, that is funny.OLIVER: Yes, I agree. There's a lot of irony and stuff. But I think it's in Lilliput when he describes their manner of writing. And he says they don't write from left to right as we do in England, or from right to left, or up-down like the Chinese, but from one corner to the other, as the ladies do in England. This is very funny, dry humor, and that sort of thing is gone. And the things that surprise you at the end of a sentence or a paragraph are more like, “Oh, and of course I used Yahoo skin to cover the boat.” And you're like, oh my God, this is not a joke anymore.You know, in A Modest Proposal, he makes real humor out of those kind of horrors. And with the Houyhnhnms, I think he actually refuses the joke to make you feel the disgust, in a way.HITZ: Yes, that might be right. That might be right.Swift and PhilosophyOLIVER: What do you think about the idea that the Houyhnhnms are drawn from the Phaedrus and Socrates's idea of the soul with the two horses? And there's the good, rational horse and the vulgar, passionate horse, and the Yahoos are the other horse. You see what I mean?HITZ: Yes, yes.OLIVER: Is Swift showing us the two sides, and Gulliver's mistake is to prefer the one and not the—HITZ: Right, I think I have heard something like this before. I'm a bit skeptical. Swift doesn't strike me as someone who uses philosophy in quite that way. I think he's much more interested in Gulliver's—the Houyhnhnms' self-deception about the kinds of beings they are. They do not say “the thing which is not,” yet Gulliver's master hides from him this conversation about the genocide for quite some time. And maybe we don't know if he tells him quite the whole truth about it. So there's—OLIVER: And he also conceals the fact that the others don't like Gulliver because he's a partial—a reasonable Yahoo, as it were.HITZ: Right. So their self-deception, Gulliver's being taken in by their self-deception, the ways in which they—this is one of the ways that I think it's profound about the nature of slavery. And to cheer us all up, I'll make a Holocaust analogy, as you also did.When I was traveling in Germany some years ago, in one of their Holocaust museums, there was an image from a Nazi-era German newspaper of Jewish people living in complete squalor in the ghetto. And of course, they had forced them into squalor. But somehow they forced them into squalor, and then this reinforces the sense that they're these rat-like beings.And there's something very similar that the Houyhnhnms do to the Yahoos. They force them into this animal state, and then they say, “Oh God, look, these people are disgusting. They just don't know how to act.” That seems to me the kind of level at which Swift is working. He is interested in the nature of a human being, but not in the abstract Platonic sense, I don't think.He strikes me as someone who believes in common sense, common decency, basic freedom, and basic use of reason. And he finds in his time that there's distorting teachings, distorting ways of behavior that have gotten people far off track. To me, that's what it feels like it comes from. It doesn't feel like Plato is in the background to me.OLIVER: Is there an extent to which, though, it's a work of sort of anti-philosophy? As you say, Swift, he likes common sense. He likes ordinary reason, and he likes what he would call the revealed truth of Christianity. So he talks, in his sermons about people, it comes to you from God like a light. It's revealed to you. And he doesn't like this idea that the philosophers can work it all out.And in a way, that's the same sort of mistake that the scientists think they can discover all this stuff, and they go in these crazy ways. And the Houyhnhnms are a bit like that. If you had philosopher-kings, they would end up being perverted examples of rationality because they're ignoring the—so do you think it's anti-philosophy in a way? The book is saying, “No, no, I don't want philosophers”?Criticizing Elite Intellectual CultureHITZ: That's definitely a plausible reading. But it's hard to tell whether it's anti-philosophy or anti a particular style of thinking. It's worth pointing out, in that light, that Gulliver, when he arrives in the land of the Houyhnhnms, before he even meets a horse, he sees a Yahoo who, from what I can tell from the text, is trying to wave at him and say hello, who recognizes him. And he's horrified. He sees him instantly as a monster.So I think immediately upon landing, he sees the Yahoos as monstrous, and that tells me that he must already be off kilter. So he's not just corrupted by the Houyhnhnms; he's been somehow led off track, away from the capacity to recognize fellow human beings before that.And he's come from this—the third book is all about various kinds of inquiry, scientific endeavors, practical endeavors, talking to the greats of the past, necromancy, and various kinds of inquiry into wisdom or things like wisdom. And somehow that's the thing that seems to push him to the point where he can no longer tell what a human being is.OLIVER: One of my favorite parts is when he's with the wizards, and he asks to be shown Homer and Aristotle and all their commentators. And he says that there were vast rooms full of these commentators, endless numbers of them. But Homer and Aristotle didn't recognize any of them because they were all so ashamed of the terrible things they'd said about these great men's works that they kept themselves forever in a different part of the underworld. They couldn't bear the shame of being revealed to having told lies and said second-rate things.It's very, very funny. And I think that's another sort of angle on which the book says, “You're so tempted to make a comment and have an idea and be a philosopher, and you should just accept the revealed truth of what is known. Just stop it. Just stop it.” [laughter]HITZ: Well, I suppose maybe I would also put it this way, that Swift sees the condition of 18th-century Ireland, which is quite poor, very bad. And it's ruled in a savage way by the English, who have a quite flourishing intellectual culture, as it happens, at this time.So I think what he might be is not a critic of philosophy so much as a critic of intellectual culture. Because intellectual culture seems to not only not help with existential concerns like slavery and oppression and savage poverty, but even serves to mask and hide and create illusions behind it.So that's, I guess, how it strikes me, as a book that's hostile to what you'd now call elite intellectual culture. And I don't know how fundamental that critique is, in light of its inability to solve problems for real human beings or to obscure the causes of what's going on with real human beings.OLIVER: I think it's quite fundamental because outside of Gulliver's—I think this comes into Gulliver's Travels, but what he might have said more explicitly elsewhere is, there are people starving in the streets of Dublin. And we've got corrupt politicians and intellectuals saying all these things, but you know, here she is starving. You don't need to work that out. [laughter] There's no question—the reveal—just be a Christian and, like, for goodness' sake . . .HITZ: Yes.OLIVER: And when, for example, he talks to the king of Brobdingnag, and there's that wonderful satire of the English government and everything. And he says, “Those people understood mathematics and poetry and whatever, but I could never drive into their head any sense of the abstract or any of these speculative—they simply didn't know what that was. They didn't know what I was saying.” [laughter]And so in a way, his ideal government is anti-philosophical because it would just look at the human problem in front of it. It wouldn't do speculative science. It wouldn't think of itself as rational, all this Platonic stuff. It would just—she's in rags, she has bare feet, you know?HITZ: Yes, that's right.OLIVER: What do we need a philosopher-king? Like, what are you talking about?HITZ: Exactly.OLIVER: The priest understands this because he's there in the city doing it. And is there something of that in the book, that constant resistance of the cleverness of people who cannot see daily life?HITZ: I think that's absolutely true, and I think it's probably one of the things I love about the book, because I think this somehow gets to something in my own heart. Even though I'm a professional intellectual—I have been my whole life—the distance between the concerns of professional intellectuals and the concerns of living, real people in various parts of the world is very large.And it's even worse when, as it was when I was coming up in grad school, there's a ton of explicit concern and various operations underway to improve life for others, which have zero connection with anything that anyone actually does. So I think the Laputans, which is the beginning of the third book, when Gulliver—OLIVER: The flying island.HITZ: Yes, when Gulliver visits the people on the flying island, who have one eye towards the heavens and one eye pointed inward. And they study music and mathematics, and they live in a giant flying saucer, which has the—OLIVER: And the flappers.HITZ: That's right. [laughter] When someone needs to talk to them, someone flaps their ears so that they pay attention. And their wives all run off with working people because they can't bear to be treated the way they are by men like this. And the flying saucer is not just distant. It also has the power to crush the towns underneath it if it judges them to be rebellious.This image will stick with you for the rest of your life. I mean, it's absolutely perfect, and the perfect image of bad government of a kind when intellectual culture is prized. And it's hinted early on in the book in Lilliput, when the rulers in Lilliput have to do these elaborate dances with ropes.OLIVER: Oh, with the king and the chief minister hold the pole, funny angles, and if you get under it, you get a green ribbon or a red ribbon.HITZ: Exactly. [laughter] And they have these athletic contests of grace and various colored ribbons, and that determine how far you get in the halls of power.OLIVER: Yes. Are you a cabinet minister or a junior minister? Yes, yes.HITZ: Exactly. So there, it's all just a funny joke. But it develops, I think, into the Laputans, people who have kinds of expertise that are actually hostile to them doing any kind of humane governing. So yes, that seems right to me.Christianity in GulliverOLIVER: To what extent is it a Christian book?HITZ: That's an interesting question. I've never found a strong Christian element in it myself. There are satires of religious wars, both in Lilliput, where Lilliput's at war with its neighboring city. Oh, wait a second, there's two different disputes in Lilliput. One is about what side you cut your egg on.OLIVER: There are the Little-Endians and the Big-Endians,HITZ: Right. And then there's also one about heel size. So there's two different kinds of disputes.OLIVER: With the marvelous image that the king is a Short-Heeler. But they think that the heir to the throne might be favorable to the High-Heelers because he has one heel slightly higher than the other, and he walks with a wobbly gait.HITZ: [laughs] That's right. This, again, in Lilliput is just utterly hilarious, outrageous, very silly, obviously a parody of religious wars between different kinds of Christians. But it resurfaces towards the end. It's the Houyhnhnms, where he talks to the Master Horse—OLIVER: And the horse sort of pretends to this great rationality, simply can't understand that men would kill each other over the question of whether flesh is bread or bread is flesh.HITZ: That's right. That's right. That's right. So there's definitely disparaging remarks about religious wars. And as you're talking about it, where along with Swift's praise of common sense, there's a kind of basic Christian morality, which is that the poor and the suffering need attention. That all strikes me as Christian. Apart from that, I'm not sure. If you have a religious take, I'd be interested to hear it.OLIVER: I find it very interesting that Swift had quite strict beliefs. He was not in favor of Catholics. He thought Dissenters should be tolerated, but he wanted the Test Act. He was very particular about all these things. And in his other works, he's quite direct about that. But in this book, he achieves a kind of high ambivalence. And he's not a Little-Ender or a Big-Ender.HITZ: That's right.OLIVER: And he says the religious text on which this is based simply says that you must break the egg at the most convenient end.HITZ: [laughs] That's right.OLIVER: Now, of course, in reality, he's a Little-Ender, and he's very committed to the Reformation, and he thinks it's all terrible that they're not. And it's interesting that someone with such angry, insistent beliefs on the Anglican Church would take this ambivalent position.And he satirizes so much. But the anti-slavery stuff, the description of the Laputans bringing the island down, and then he says, “I've never seen so much want and misery, and there's a wild look in their eyes, and they're wearing rags.” I mean, this is Dublin, right? This is just, along with the slavery, this basic Christian concern for the oppressed, the poor, the suffering.HITZ: Yes, that's right.OLIVER: And so I don't quite know. It's almost like the book is saying, again with this anti-intellectual thing, all these doctrinal disputes and which church this and who believes that. And here we have slaves and poor people and beggars and starving people.HITZ: Right.OLIVER: Christianity should deal with that first. So is the implicit criticism of his fellow Christians, in a way, that they're more interested in these disputes than in the fact that there are enslaved people and suffering people and—you see what I mean?HITZ: Yes, that's right.OLIVER: And Gulliver—the Houyhnhnms are highly rational but not Christian, which is a significant omission. And by the end, are you supposed to wonder if Gulliver actually isn't very much of a Christian? Because he can see this suffering and not respond to it at all.HITZ: Right, when maybe the—is the best person in the book the King of Brobdingnag? Does that seem right? The person with the—at least who says the best things?OLIVER: He says the best things. I think the best person is Glumdalclitch. She shows real charity and real love towards him.HITZ: What about the Houyhnhnm, the one who likes him, who says, “Fare thee well, gentle Yahoo”? It's tear-jerking—OLIVER: Oh, the sorrel nag.HITZ: The sorrel nag. I can literally weep at that moment when she says, “Fare thee well, gentle Yahoo.”OLIVER: That's true. That's true. She and Glumdalclitch are maybe more similar characters. Yes, yes, yes.HITZ: They're similar characters. Okay.OLIVER: And they have that basic, you don't need to call it Christian. You don't need—it doesn't need theology.HITZ: Humane. I would call it humane. Yes.OLIVER: They have that basic love of their fellow. You know, Glumdalclitch doesn't say, “Oh, how amusing this little man is, or how entertaining, or I can make—” She says, “He must be cared for. He looks a bit like me. He must be cared for.”HITZ: Right.OLIVER: And the sorrel nag, again, has the love of the fellow creature.HITZ: That's right. That's right.OLIVER: So I think Swift might be bringing in this, what he thinks of as the revealed truth of Christianity. Like, you shouldn't need telling, you shouldn't need to argue. It's there.HITZ: Right. This is just me making things up, which is what I'm here for. We're podcasting. Yes.OLIVER: Yes, of course. Also, is that not what the philosophers would do? That's what Swift would say.HITZ: But if I was going to make something up, what I would say is something like this: that Swift to me, from the testimony of Gulliver's Travels, which is the book of his I really know the best. I don't know much about the rest of it. He has a level of self-awareness and sophistication. So, he knows that that religious difference is being used as a pretext. He knows that it is obscuring the suffering of these people. So, for the purposes of the book, he says, “Look, if you're a smart person, if you're a smart ruler, if you're an actually humane, intelligent, commonsensical ruler, you know that the fact that they have the wrong religious views is not a reason for them to be enslaved and oppressed and starved.” So that would be my suspicion.And that's why I think, to me, the religion is so light, because it's not really a religious problem. It's actually just a human problem and a political problem that is, how do you run your country so that these subject peoples are allowed to be free and develop themselves and be full human beings? That would be my made-up guess.Students' Views of GulliverOLIVER: What do undergraduates think? What is it that they find interesting in the book, and what do they like or dislike?HITZ: It's been a couple of years. I think they like this idea that—we all think travel is very broadening, a great way to think about the world. You know, you can learn so much about one's fellow human beings. And whatever else is going on in Gulliver's Travels, travel does not necessarily produce enlightenment.So I think they like the attention to the ways in which, even when we are trying to learn, we fail to learn. And the ways in which structures of learning, like traveling or studying science, might actually make you worse and not better, things like that. But it's not a book—I think it's fair to say it's not one of the favorite books of the undergraduates.OLIVER: Okay.HITZ: I think they find it a little bit distant, and I'm not sure why that is.OLIVER: Is it because it sort of looks like a novel, but it's not what we have come to expect a novel to be? And it sort of has that—HITZ: I think that's right.OLIVER: The pre–Jane Austen novel is kind of weird to us now.HITZ: Well, they love Don Quixote.OLIVER: Okay.HITZ: And that is a challenge of a similar kind. It's a novel which doesn't quite read like a novel, and the humor is kind of old. I mean, it's also true—undergraduates, in my experience, in general—I hope they'll forgive me for saying this on a podcast—they're not always good at comedy. They tend to think that serious things must be tragic.OLIVER: You can't get an A by making a joke.HITZ: Well, more that they have a sense that an intellectual life is something serious. It's serious.OLIVER: Oh, yes. Okay. And the syllabus slightly reinforces that, doesn't it?HITZ: Well, it's sort of self-reinforcing because we used to read more Aristophanes. We used to read Rabelais.OLIVER: If you do Shakespeare, it'll be the tragedies.HITZ: No, no, we do Shakespeare comedies.OLIVER: Oh, you do? Okay.HITZ: Yes. We have As You Like It and The Tempest. And do we have more tragedies? Maybe one more tragedy than comedy, but not a terrible imbalance.OLIVER: Well, that's good.HITZ: It's not Shakespeare-type comedy that's—maybe, correct me if I'm wrong, a Shakespeare comedy is something that ends in a marriage, more or less.OLIVER: More or less.HITZ: It's things that are funny—they don't necessarily think that humor is a way of thinking.OLIVER: Do they struggle with irony?HITZ: No, not usually. As long as it's serious irony, Anyway, I'm not sure why. I think I'm making things—I'm going too far out of the grounds for drawing conclusions.Favorite Parts of the BookOLIVER: Sure. Do you have a favorite passage?HITZ: One of my favorites is the part—is it Balnibarbi where they have people who try to speak with objects?OLIVER: Oh, yes, yes, yes.HITZ: And they have to carry around wagons full of things because they never know what you might want to talk about. [laughter] That's so weird. Because I think I spent a lot of time studying with philosophers, there's a bit of—something's on the nose about this.OLIVER: Yes.HITZ: You know, it's like, “No, you've got to say exactly—no, that's too imprecise. You have to say exactly what you mean.” Bernard Williams, the great philosopher, has something complaining about how contemporary philosophers are very controlling of their readers. They don't want anyone to make the slightest mistake about what they mean by a particular word. That's how the people who speak by objects strike me.OLIVER: Do you think that is a problem of contemporary philosophy?HITZ: Oh, sure. Yes, absolutely. Yes. The way Williams puts it is that when you write something, it should be like a cake mix, and the reader should be able to put their own egg and bake the cake themselves.OLIVER: Oh, I see. You mean like a box of mix, yes.HITZ: Yes, yes, exactly. It's like a box of cake mix. Whereas making the cake painstakingly and force-feeding it bite by bite to the reader is not actually an—OLIVER: Telling them how it tastes.HITZ: Telling them how it tastes is not an educational endeavor.OLIVER: When does this become too dominant in philosophy?HITZ: It's a feature of 20th-century analytic philosophy to be very careful with the meanings of words. And it's by no means universal; it's just a natural vice to the territory.Iris MurdochOLIVER: Is this a problem for someone like Iris Murdoch, or is it more the A. J. Ayer type?HITZ: No, it's the A. J. Ayer type, not Iris Murdoch. No, Iris Murdoch is heterodox outside of the—OLIVER: Do you like her philosophy?HITZ: I do, yes.OLIVER: What do you like about it? Platonic?HITZ: Now, see, I came here to talk about Swift. [laughter]OLIVER: I know, but you made such a good point about the satire of philosophers.HITZ: I like her writing for a more general educated audience, her not making assumptions about the philosophical training of her readers, and her use of Plato for sure, which is quite interesting and creative. She sort of ingests Plato and does something with it that I think is very interesting.OLIVER: Is she properly appreciated as a Platonist, or do you think there's more attention to be paid?HITZ: There's probably more attention to be paid, but she gets some attention. She gets some attention. I also don't think it was particularly helpful, these two books that came out a couple of years ago about Murdoch, Foot, Midgley, and Anscombe.OLIVER: Oh, yes, yes, yes. I only read one of those. It was quite good.HITZ: It might be quite good, but those four women are quite different from one another. So it's an example of where attention to identity could obscure as much as it—OLIVER: Well, one of the books was more about the ideas—they were both obviously about the ideas—and one of them was more about the fact that they were together in Oxford. And that they benefited from hanging out, talking, doing different sorts of work, sleeping with each other's husbands, et cetera.HITZ: Yes, all the good stuff.OLIVER: And from the more sociological point of view, it was very interesting to see that, actually, a lot of what Murdoch did was bound up with her friendships and relationships, in that the argument basically is, A. J. Ayer and the others get sent away because of the war. So these four women are actually—they've been banned from this seminar and told they're not allowed.Well, now they can sit around and do what they want to do. And it worked, and they all produced very interesting things. So from that point of view, I think it was—but I agree with you, Elizabeth Anscombe and Iris Murdoch are not the same. [laughter]HITZ: Not even particularly similar. I also feel like I've read enough of Murdoch's novels to have a sense of what the sociological situation was like.OLIVER: You like the novels?HITZ: I do like them, yes.OLIVER: Do you have favorites?HITZ: I can't remember the name of my favorite because I haven't read them for years. It's one of the things I read years ago, the one—I'd remember it if I saw the title. There's an LSD trip at the beginning of it.OLIVER: Oh, The Good Apprentice. I love that book.HITZ: The Good Apprentice, yes. I think that was my favorite. But I never fell in love with it. I just liked it, and I found it interesting, and I found the sociology interesting. Okay, this is what academics at this time period were doing.What to Pair with SwiftOLIVER: We got diverted.HITZ: “We” got diverted. [laughs]OLIVER: We did. If Swift is on a great books syllabus, what is it good to pair him with? If people are reading Swift, on or off a syllabus, do you think there are other—Hooker, you said, which I think would be interesting.HITZ: No, Hooke. It's Hooke.OLIVER: Hooke. Hooke. That's a very good point.HITZ: The guy who wrote Micrographia, who has the enormous picture of the flea.OLIVER: Yes, yes, yes. So that would be good. But any other? Is it worth reading Plato alongside him?HITZ: Well, I like to—he's on the list for something we called Life of the Mind Seminar at Catherine Project, which is our introduction to the life of the mind.OLIVER: And just to tell people, the Catherine Project—this is not a university. Anyone can join a seminar.HITZ: That's right. It's an open online readers community. Consists of small, high-quality conversations, mostly on Zoom, some in person.OLIVER: You could be some kid, an accountant, a dentist, whatever, and you come and do a—you've got a PhD running a seminar, and you get that experience.HITZ: Right. Some of them are peer led, so they're not necessarily PhDs running them. The reading groups are not necessarily run by PhDs. But the core program in which the Life of the Mind Seminar is—either a PhD or an ABD [all but degree] or someone with some academic experience is usually leading that. We have it there, and we have it there with a set of books that are meant to disorient rather than to orient.So one of the difficulties with reading great books with more or less random selections of adults is that people feel uncertain, out of place. And they bring expertise, real or fake, to the table, which makes it very difficult to have a conversation. It's usually fake expertise, for what it's worth.OLIVER: Give us an example of what you mean by fake expertise.HITZ: Well, so someone will have—we'll be, say, reading Hamlet. Someone will have taken a class on Shakespeare in college, and they'll say, “Actually, we're asking this question. But what I learned, my professor told me, is that Hamlet actually symbolizes—he has an Oedipus complex and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and then this is what this means, and this is what that means.” And then your conversation's over, because you need to focus just on the text that's shared between the—OLIVER: It's not a crossword puzzle.HITZ: Exactly. It's not a crossword puzzle, and it's not something where—or the other—people often, again, they feel a bit on their back feet. So they'll google a bunch of stuff about the author, and they'll start tossing out random facts about the book or about the author, about the context. And again, you don't get really into the meat of the book that way.So, Gulliver's Travels is there to help us think about ways in which we might not be expert in things we're expert. Ways in which we might think we understand something and not understand it. And ways in which people who, with every appearance of seriousness and scientific principle, can just say unbelievably stupid things.So it's a very, very good book for that, where in that sense, it's I think very good for any liberal education program. It's liberating that way. One of the things we need to be liberated from is false expertise.OLIVER: You're talking really about these secondhand opinions that you haven't interrogated and come to understand yourself.HITZ: Exactly. Exactly, exactly, exactly.OLIVER: This is what Mill says. Everything is new to someone, and the real genius is that you find it out.HITZ: Exactly.OLIVER: You don't get taught it. Yes, yes.HITZ: Exactly, exactly. So real learning is things you find for yourself. Anyway, that's what I like it with. As for pairing it, yes, I think it would just depend on what you were—I don't have a clear thought about that. I think it'd be good to pair it with Galileo's Starry Messenger and preface to Hooke's Micrographia.But you could also pair it with Emma. Be quite good, actually, because Emma is also about someone who really doesn't know what they're doing and has no idea. Thinks they know what's going on; they really have no idea what's going on.OLIVER: Yes. Hamlet as well, in fact.HITZ: I guess so. Does he not know what's going on?OLIVER: Who's diverting now? [laughter] Well, there's an interesting question, isn't there, about whether Hamlet has legitimate doubts. So he says, “This ghost could be a demon. I should be careful. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm going to pretend to be mad. I'm going to find out.” Or whether he just doesn't want to see the truth in front of him, and he quote-unquote “delays” because of that. I don't know if you have a view.HITZ: I don't think he's deluded. I think the problem is something different, but I haven't thought enough about it recently to know what his volitional obstacle is. But I don't think he's deluded. I think he sees what's going on, but there's something about acting that doesn't work for him.OLIVER: An internal—HITZ: Something internal. Something internal. In a way, I find the play very hard. I don't know what, for instance, what does that obstacle have to do with Ophelia? What's going on with that? Anyway, he's very mysterious, but I don't—yes, that'd be my sense, is that he's not—OLIVER: Do you buy this idea that he's a nihilist?HITZ: No, although he's definitely faced with something like nihilism. He has to look at it. And of course, the play does end with everyone dead, [laughs] so it's not obvious that he's wrong.Sympathy for GulliverOLIVER: This question hangs over Gulliver as well. Is the problem by the end that he's basically become a nihilist? His response to the Yahoos is to deny meaning, deny the possibility of meaning, to shut himself away.HITZ: He is a true misanthrope. He hates human beings and refuses to interact with them and in that sense, in some way, removes himself from any further mistakes. In another way, the mistake that he's in is so massive that that hardly seems like a consolation. But yes, he's definitely stuck, and he's stuck in a place where who he is—because he's a human being. We have to remember that.So he's in a place of total self-hatred and the hatred of his neighbor, what you'd call from the Christian perspective a total loss of charity. Is that nihilist? I don't know, but it's definitely bad. It's not a good state to be in. Maybe I don't know what you mean by nihilism exactly.OLIVER: Are we supposed to disapprove of him at the end or sympathize with him?HITZ: Disapprove, I think.OLIVER: Yes? You don't feel sorry for him?HITZ: I do a bit.OLIVER: But not much.HITZ: Well, should I?OLIVER: I have come to believe—yes, this is what I've come to feel in subsequent readings, is that Gulliver, as you say, is very mistaken. He thinks he understands things that he does not understand. He has the sort of pretense of rationality, but he lacks any sort of meta rationality to see what his limits are.And he becomes, therefore—he doesn't advocate genocide, and he doesn't take any pleasure in using Yahoo skin, but he's just completely null to it. There's a sort of void there where human feeling ought to be. And it's tragic for him. It's a tragic ending that he is so isolated. And we can't sympathize with him, as it were, but we can feel sort of awful that he's shriveled into this state rather than judging or blame.I think one of the persistent themes of the book is, as I say, this kind of basic love of fellow creature, the Glumdalclitch or the sorrel. And if you take that from the book, you will wish you could bring Gulliver back.HITZ: Right. What you're saying reminds me that there is an interesting parallel in Plato's dialogues that I hadn't thought of before, Plato's Parmenides, which is perhaps the most difficult Plato's dialogue. So it's a conversation between young Socrates and the philosopher Parmenides. The first third of it is relatively clear, some arguments against what people think of as Plato's theory of forms.Then there's an extensive, insane dialectical process where various theses about the connection between being and oneness are both argued for and then refuted, and argued for and then refuted, pages and pages and pages and pages of it. So this seems to be—it's Parmenides and Zeno who are running Socrates through this ringer.And the person at the very beginning of the dialogue who they have to go find, to tell him the story of how Socrates met Parmenides, used to study philosophy. But now he just trains horses. [laughs] One of my teachers pointed this out to me, and I've never been able to get over it, that he spent this time doing philosophy, and he's like, “You know what? I'm going to work with horses for the rest of my life. If I never hear another human voice, that's fine with me.”So I think that is an interesting parallel. And I think it is not really that uncommon to see people who are totally disillusioned with relating to humans, who then relate to animals instead, like they devote themselves to animals.OLIVER: But on that reading, it might be a disillusionment with philosophical humanity. It might be philosophy that's killed Gulliver's human feeling.HITZ: That's right. Well, I think that's one possibility, one very strong possibility. That's why I think the Houyhnhnms come after the Laputans. Going to the furthest reaches of his intellectual interests just destroys his humanity.But it doesn't seem like exhaustion in the same way that whoever, I can't remember his name, the character who relates the Parmenides, where you just think he must be exhausted from having heard more than one conversation like this. [laughter] And just in the stable with the horses eating oats, I mean, it's just delightful. It's just so peaceful, you know?OLIVER: Bucolic, pastoral, yes.HITZ: Yes, exactly. Exactly. Maybe you're right that we should be more sympathetic to someone in that situation.OLIVER: Well, next time you read it, you can tell me if you change your mind.HITZ: All right. I will tell you if I change my mind.OLIVER: Very good. Zena Hitz, thank you very much.HITZ: Thank you very much, Henry Oliver. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.commonreader.co.uk

Sam Arbesman is a complexity scientist, writer, and Scientist in Residence at Lux Capital, known for his books The Half-Life of Facts, Overcomplicated, and The Magic of Code. In this episode, we explore human understanding, its limits, the power and unpredictability of technology, our relationship with machines, coding, AI, and sci-fi, and how to navigate an increasingly complex and entangled world. Connect and Learn MoreWebsite: arbesman.netBooks: The Half-Life of Facts  ·  Overcomplicated ·  The Magic of Code ResourcesBooksWhy Greatness Cannot be Planned by Kenneth Stanley and Joel LehmanGamesMinesweeperSimCitySimCity 2000PeopleDanny HillisJoel LehmanKenneth StanleyLarry Wall Richard FeynmanRobin Sloan

Jackie Kanarvogel and Brendan Belluardo of Human Understanding and Growth Services Inc joins Heart of The East End with Gianna Volpe on WLIW-FM on National Fentanyl Awareness Day Listen to the playlist on Apple Music

Today we're going to become Humean, All Too Humean. This is an introduction to David Hume's life and works, brief consideration of his influences, and deep dive into Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding - the work that woke Kant from his dogmatic slumber. In our analysis we discuss: Hume's 'two species of philosophy'; Hume's distinction between ideas & impressions, and between relations of ideas & matters of fact; his critique of causality; his explanation of habit, or custom as a 'guide to human life'; a brief look at his comments on probability, on free will, on miracles; and Hume's moderate skepticism versus what he calls, Pyrrhonism.

We're back this episode for our second timely interview focusing on political polarization, wrapping up in conversation with Dr. Kurt Gray, professor of moral psychology and neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill, and the director of the Deepest Beliefs Lab in the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. Moral psychology is the descriptive understanding of our moral judgments, or concern with not just how people should make moral decisions, but how they actually do. Why does this matter?  In Dr. Gray's words: "To understand our contentious and divided political moments where people are unwilling to discuss politics across the aisle or entertain even that the other side is a reasonable human being in the way that you feel about yourself and your own side. We do disagree already when it comes to politics. But where does this political disagreement come from? …Once you get that, then you can understand where this political animosity comes from. But it's really a question of moral disagreement. And for that you need to understand our moral psychology." Read the transcript of this episode
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Send us a textIn this enlightening conversation, Dr. Moazzem Hossein and Yanik explore the complex relationship between artificial intelligence and human understanding. They discuss how technology has historically shaped civilization, the potential benefits and drawbacks of AI, and the importance of maintaining human values in an increasingly automated world. The dialogue emphasizes the need for balance between technological advancement and human connection, urging listeners to invest in human development to foster harmony in diversity.===Enroll now: the-ykm.com/courses/hidDr. Moazzem Hossain is the Founder & Chairman of Harmony in Diversity, Brigadier General Dr. Hossain is a distinguished scholar and author of Military History of Ancient Bengal. With a career bridging strategic command and academic inquiry, Dr. Hossain is renowned for his deep commitment to intercultural understanding, peacebuilding, and the exploration of full-spectrum security in a multipolar world.Get his book here: https://www.amazon.ca/Military-history-Ancient-Bengal-fortifications/dp/8173056684===Harmonize your lifeforce! Enroll NOW: programs.the-ykm.com/collections theykm.com the-ykm.com whyknowledgematters.comprograms.the-ykm.comtheykm.comthe-ykm.comwhyknowledgematters.com#whyknowledgematters #podcast #theykm #livelearnlove#education#motherofeducationalmindfulnessthe ykm: That's WhyKnowledgeMattersSupport the show

In this teaser, Jeremy and Henrik debrief their conversation with Mikkel B. Rasmussen, founder of the Human Activity Laboratory. They expected a conversation about AI's limitations, but got a rethinking of insight itself. They explore Mikkel's definition of insight as the gap between how we think the world is and how it actually is, why surprise is a critical signal, and how pain often precedes clarity. They also touch on Mikkel's experiments with AI interviewers that sometimes outperform human researchers, and why this episode challenged how they think about narrative, understanding, and the role of AI. Full episode LIVE NOW. For more prompts, tips, and AI tools. Check out our website: https://www.beyondtheprompt.ai/ or follow Jeremy or Henrik on Linkedin:Henrik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/werdelinJeremy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyutley Show edited by Emma Cecilie Jensen.

The Mature Embrace Christ-Centered Wisdom . . . I. They Recognize the Difference Between Worldly Wisdom and God's! (6-9) II. They Base their Wisdom on God's Revelation not Human Understanding or Eloquence! (10-13) Practical Implications o What lens/wisdom most informs your daily life? o How often are you spending meaningful time in the word? o Prepare for Supper: (Warning, Welcome, Worship)

Send us a textDarkness has many faces—some human, some decidedly not. What happens when evil transcends mere human capacity? When does hatred cross the line into demonic territory?Drawing parallels between historical atrocities like the My Lai Massacre, Hitler's Holocaust, and the Rwandan genocide, Certain evils simply cannot be explained away as human failings alone. "If you look at the My Lai Massacre and walk away saying that was just human beings messing up, you're out of touch with reality.”We journey into present-day Nigeria, where three million Christians face systematic extermination by Islamic terrorists crossing unprotected borders. Through harrowing firsthand accounts of survivors describing attackers shouting "Allahu Akbar" while slaughtering entire families, the spiritual dimension of this conflict becomes unmistakable. This isn't just political or ethnic tension—it's spiritual warfare manifesting in our physical world.The conversation takes a fascinating turn as we examine the tension between God's sovereignty and human free will. Using Biblical examples like Pharaoh and Judas. Yet this freedom comes with accountability—we remain responsible for our choices and will face judgment accordingly. This delicate balance between divine foreknowledge and human agency provides a framework for understanding both personal temptations and global evils.Whether you're battling your own spiritual struggles or seeking to understand the darker forces at work in our world, this episode offers both wisdom and warning. As C.S. Lewis cautioned, we can err by making too much of the devil—or dangerously underestimating him. Join us in this crucial conversation, and learn how to recognize, confront, and overcome the spiritual battles we all face. The darkness is real, but so is our authority in Christ to stand against it.Support the show

In this powerful message, Pastor Sijo, reminded that faith is not just for tomorrow but for today. God is still able to resurrect what seems dead, restore what feels lost, and release blessings that overturn every curse. As sons and daughters, we approach Him with boldness, knowing we are forgiven, covered, and chosen. This is a call to rise in confidence and declare: I still believe!

Life often feels like a carefully planned play, where we prepare, strategize, and expect things to unfold according to our vision. Yet, just as a quarterback can call an audible and change the play at the last second, God sometimes redirects our lives in ways we never anticipated. My own journey as a planner—both in my career as a fire chief and in my personal life—was upended when my wife Deanna went home to be with the Lord. All my meticulous plans were suddenly irrelevant, and I was left to wrestle with the reality of whether I truly trusted God with all my heart, or if I had been relying on my own understanding all along.Proverbs 3:5-6 became a lifeline: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” These words are simple, but their depth is profound. It's easy to say we trust God, but when life's foundation is shaken, we discover the areas we've kept for ourselves, the places where we've asked God to bless our plans rather than seeking His will first. True faith means surrendering every area—family, work, finances, relationships, even our very purpose—to God's direction, making Him the center of our lives rather than just another part.A God-centered life is not about the absence of suffering or loss, but about trusting that God's purposes will prevail, even when we don't understand. We are called to seek Him in all things: through prayer, through the counsel of the Holy Spirit and the community of believers, and through obedience to His Word. God's will is not a mystery reserved for the few; it is revealed as we humble ourselves, relinquish control, and walk in daily dependence on Him. Even in our pain and confusion, God is working all things together for good, drawing us and others closer to Himself.Ultimately, our lives are not about our own achievements or plans, but about glorifying God, growing in Christ, and serving others. The gospel—the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection—is the centerpiece of God's plan, the ultimate expression of His love and purpose for us. We are invited to trust Him fully, to let go of the exhausting burden of trying to be in control, and to rest in the assurance that He is the perfect planner, guiding us every step of the way. Chapters[00:00] - Welcome[01:30] - Life's Audibles and Lost Control[02:34] - The Planner's Dilemma[06:46] - When God Changes the Plan[10:20] - Faith Tested in Loss[13:11] - Proverbs 3:5-6: Trusting God Fully[15:42] - Blind Spots and Complacency[18:10] - The Limits of Human Understanding[19:39] - God's Perspective vs. Ours[22:36] - Surrendering to God's Wisdom[25:23] - God-Centered vs. Self-Centered Life[27:07] - Living Out God's Will in Relationships[29:06] - Identity and Ministry in Christ[30:37] - Seeking God's Will: Practical Steps[34:18] - Daily Dependence and Obedience[36:20] - God's Strategic Plan and Our Suffering[38:13] - The Gospel: God's Ultimate Will[43:58] - Letting Go and Enjoying the Journey[45:21] - Created for Relationship and Love[47:48] - The Bible: God's Plan for Restoration[48:31] - The Cross: Centerpiece of God's Will[49:21] - Closing Prayer and Invitation

Jan Overwijk discusses critical systems theory, sociologies of closure and openness, and cybernetic capitalism.   Shownotes Jan Overwijk at the Frankfurt University Institute for Social Research: https://www.ifs.uni-frankfurt.de/personendetails/jan-overwijk.html Jan at the University of Humanistic Studies Utrecht: https://www.uvh.nl/university-of-humanistic-studies/contact/search-employees?person=jimxneoBsHowOfbPivN Overwijk, J. (2025). Cybernetic Capitalism. A Critical Theory of the Incommunicable. Fordham University Press. https://www.fordhampress.com/9781531508937/cybernetic-capitalism/ on the website of the distributor outside of North America you can order the book with a 30% discount with the code “FFF24”: https://www.combinedacademic.co.uk/9781531508937/cybernetic-capitalism/ on Niklas Luhmann: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niklas_Luhmann Baraldi, C., Corsi, G., & Esposito, E. (2021). Unlocking Luhmann. A Keyword Introduction to Systems Theory. transcript. https://www.transcript-verlag.de/978-3-8376-5674-9/unlocking-luhmann/ Fischer-Lescano, A. (2011). Critical Systems Theory. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 38(1), 3–23. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0191453711421600 Möller, K., & Siri, J. (2023). Niklas Luhmann and Critical Systems Theory. In: R. Rogowski (Ed.), The Anthem Companion to Niklas Luhmann (pp. 141–154). https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/anthem-companion-to-niklas-luhmann/niklas-luhmann-and-critical-systems-theory/982BC5427E171D2BA0D14364377A40F5 on Critical Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_theory on Cybernetics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybernetics Future Histories explanation video on cybernetics (in German): https://youtu.be/QBKC9mM8-so?si=64v0OgBKV3xjXvLl on Humberto Matuarana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humberto_Maturana on Francisco Varela: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Varela Maturana, H. R., & Varela, F. J. (1992). Tree of Knowledge: The Biological Roots of Human Understanding. Shambhala. https://uranos.ch/research/references/Maturana1988/maturana-h-1987-tree-of-knowledge-bkmrk.pdf on Ferdinand de Saussure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_de_Saussure on Post-Structuralism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-structuralism on the differentiation of society into subsystems: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differentiation_(sociology) on Jaques Derrida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Derrida Bob Jessop on Luhmann and the concept of “ecological dominance”: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318543419_The_relevance_of_Luhmann%27s_systems_theory_and_of_Laclau_and_Mouffe%27s_discourse_analysis_to_the_elaboration_of_Marx%27s_state_theory Jessop, B. (2010). From Hegemony to Crisis? The Continuing Ecological Dominance of Neoliberalism. In: K. Birch & V. Mykhnenko (Eds.). Rise and Fall of Neoliberalism: The Collapse of an Economic Order? (pp. 171–187). Zed Books. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318524063_The_continuing_ecological_dominance_of_neoliberalism_in_the_crisis on Surplus Value in Marx and Marxism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surplus_value on Louis Althusser: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Althusser Althusser, L. (2014). On the Reproduction of Capitalism: Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses. Verso. https://legalform.blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/althusser-on-the-reproduction-of-capitalism.pdf on Stuart Hall: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Hall_(cultural_theorist) on Capital Strikes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_strike on the concept of “rationalization” in sociology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalization_(sociology) on Max Weber: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Weber Weber, M. (2005). The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Routledge. https://gpde.direito.ufmg.br/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MAX-WEBER.pdf Zuboff, S. (2019). The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. Profile Books. https://profilebooks.com/work/the-age-of-surveillance-capitalism/ on Surveillance Capitalism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism on Herbert Marcuse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Marcuse Marcuse, H. (2002). One-Dimensional Man. Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society. Routledge. https://files.libcom.org/files/Marcuse,%20H%20-%20One-Dimensional%20Man,%202nd%20edn.%20(Routledge,%202002).pdf on Jürgen Habermas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Habermas on Jean-François Lyotard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Lyotard Lyotard, J.-F. (1988). The Differend. Phrases in Dispute. University of Minnesota Press. https://www.upress.umn.edu/9780816616114/differend/ on Thermodynamics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamics on the Technocracy Movement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technocracy_movement Bauman, Z. (2000). Liquid Modernity. Polity. https://giuseppecapograssi.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/bauman-liquid-modernity.pdf on New Materialism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_materialism on Gilles Deleuze: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_Deleuze on Bruno Latour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Latour on Donna Haraway: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Haraway for criticisms of new materialism and associated tendencies and authors: Malm, A. (2018). The Progress of this Storm. Nature and Society in a Warming World. Verso. https://www.versobooks.com/products/574-the-progress-of-this-storm Brown, W. (2019). In the Ruins of Neoliberalism: The Rise of Antidemocratic Politics in the West. Columbia University Press. https://www.social-ecology.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Wellek-Library-Lectures-Wendy-Brown-In-the-Ruins-of-Neoliberalism_-The-Rise-of-Antidemocratic-Politics-in-the-West-Columbia-University-Press-2019.pdf Hendrikse, R. (2018). Neo-illiberalism. Geoforum, 95, 169–172. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016718518302057 on N. Katherine Hayles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._Katherine_Hayles Deleuze, G. (1992). Postscript on the Societies of Control. October. Vol. 59. (Winter 1992), 3-7. https://cidadeinseguranca.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/deleuze_control.pdf Brenner, R., Glick, M. (1991). The Regulation Approach. Theory and History. New Left Review. 1/188. https://newleftreview.org/issues/i188/articles/robert-brenner-mark-glick-the-regulation-approach-theory-and-history.pdf on the “Regulation School”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulation_school Chiapello, E., & Boltanski, L. (2018). The New Spirit of Capitalism. Verso. https://www.versobooks.com/products/1980-the-new-spirit-of-capitalism Hardt, M., & Negri, A. (2000). Empire. Harvard University Press. https://monoskop.org/images/9/95/Hardt_Michael_Negri_Antonio_Empire.pdf on the Tierra Artificial Life Program: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tierra_(computer_simulation) on Gilbert Simondon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Simondon on Karen Barad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Barad on Post-Fordism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-Fordism on Taylorism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_management Srnicek, N. (2017). Platform Capitalism. Polity. https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=platform-capitalism--9781509504862 Hayek, F. A. (2014). The Constitution of Liberty. Routledge. https://ia600805.us.archive.org/35/items/TheConstitutionOfLiberty/The%20Constitution%20of%20Liberty.pdf van Dyk, S. (2018). Post-Wage Politics and the Rise of Community Capitalism. Work, Employment and Society, 32(3), 528–545. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0950017018755663 on Rosa Luxemburg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Luxemburg on Luxemburg's thought on imperialism: https://www.rosalux.de/en/news/id/44096/rosa-luxemburgs-heterodox-view-of-the-global-south Fraser, N. (2022). Cannibal Capitalism. How our System is Devouring Democracy, Care, and the Planet and What We Can Do About It. Verso. https://www.versobooks.com/products/2685-cannibal-capitalism on Mariarosa Dalla Costa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariarosa_Dalla_Costa on the “Wages for Housework” Campaign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wages_for_Housework Moore, J. W. (2015). Capitalism in the Web of Life: Ecology and the Accumulation of Capital. Verso. https://www.versobooks.com/products/74-capitalism-in-the-web-of-life on Stafford Beer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_Beer Pickering, A. (2010). The Cybernetic Brain: Sketches of Another Future. University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo8169881.html Foucualt's quote on socialist governmentality is from this book: Foucault, M. (2008). The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1978-1979. Palgrave Macmillan. https://1000littlehammers.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/birth_of_biopolitics.pdf Groos, J. (2025). Planning as an Art of Government. In: J. Groos & C. Sorg (Eds.). Creative Construction. Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond (pp. 115-132). Bristol University Press. https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction   Future Histories Episodes on Related Topics S03E30 | Matt Huber & Kohei Saito on Growth, Progress and Left Imaginaries https://futurehistories-international.com/episodes/s03/e30-matt-huber-kohei-saito-on-growth-progress-and-left-imaginaries/ S03E29 | Nancy Fraser on Alternatives to Capitalism https://futurehistories-international.com/episodes/s03/e29-nancy-fraser-on-alternatives-to-capitalism/ S03E19 | Wendy Brown on Socialist Governmentality https://futurehistories-international.com/episodes/s03/e19-wendy-brown-on-socialist-governmentality/ S03E04 | Tim Platenkamp on Republican Socialism, General Planning and Parametric Control https://futurehistories-international.com/episodes/s03/e04-tim-platenkamp-on-republican-socialism-general-planning-and-parametric-control/ S03E03 | Planning for Entropy on Sociometabolic Planning https://futurehistories-international.com/episodes/s03/e03-planning-for-entropy-on-sociometabolic-planning/ S02E31 | Thomas Swann on Anarchist Cybernetics https://futurehistories-international.com/episodes/s02/e31-thomas-swann-on-anarchist-cybernetics/   --- If you are interested in democratic economic planning, these resources might be of help: Democratic planning – an information website https://www.democratic-planning.com/ Sorg, C. & Groos, J. (eds.)(2025). Rethinking Economic Planning. Competition & Change Special Issue Volume 29 Issue 1. https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ccha/29/1 Groos, J. & Sorg, C. (2025). Creative Construction - Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond. Bristol University Press. [for a review copy, please contact: amber.lanfranchi[at]bristol.ac.uk] https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction International Network for Democratic Economic Planning https://www.indep.network/ Democratic Planning Research Platform: https://www.planningresearch.net/ --- Future Histories Contact & Support If you like Future Histories, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/FutureHistories Contact: office@futurehistories.today Twitter: https://twitter.com/FutureHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehpodcast/ Mastodon: https://mstdn.social/@FutureHistories English webpage: https://futurehistories-international.com   Episode Keywords #JanOverwijk, #JanGroos, #Interview, #FutureHistories, #FutureHistoriesInternational, #futurehistoriesinternational, #NiklasLuhmann, #FrankfurtSchool, #CriticalTheory, #SystemsTheory, #Sociology, #MaxWeber, #Economy, #Capitalism, #CapitalistState, #Cybernetics, #Rationalization, #PoliticalEconomy, #DemocraticPlanning, #DemocraticEconomicPlanning, #Governmentality, #Ecology, #NewMaterialism, #Posthumanism, #CyberneticCapitalism, #Totality

Steve and Ron discuss how our human nature and understanding effects our view of the paranormal

My guest today is Gustav Söderström. Gustav is the Co-President, Chief Product Officer & Chief Technology Officer at Spotify. Gustav lets us behind the scenes on how Spotify thinks about the future of audio and video, and what leadership lessons he's learned from making mistakes and taking risks in a rapidly changing technological landscape. He shares fascinating insights on their synchronized team structure and how they have positioned themselves as "the R&D department" for the entire music industry. We discuss their integration of AI, their unique "bets board" process for allocating resources, and how they've evolved from a music service into a multimedia platform with over 650 million users. Please enjoy my conversation with Gustav Söderström. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page⁠ here.⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠ Ramp⁠. Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠ Ramp.com/invest⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. –  This episode is brought to you by⁠ AlphaSense⁠. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at⁠ Alpha-Sense.com/Invest⁠ and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster. – This episode is brought to you by⁠ Ridgeline⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to⁠ ridgelineapps.com⁠ to learn more about the platform. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:05:27) Spotify's Journey Through Technological Shifts (00:06:28) The Impact of Generative AI on Consumer Products (00:09:36) AI in Coding and Productivity (00:11:11) Consumer Engagement and AI Playlisting (00:14:43) Strategic Frameworks and Decision-Making at Spotify (00:19:39) The Bets Process: Structured Innovation (00:31:11) The Future of AI and Business Models (00:44:31) The Future of AI and Inference Costs (00:46:21) The Concept of Computronium and Infinite Computing (00:47:02) David Deutsch and the Beginning of Infinity (00:48:55) The Power of Explanations and Human Understanding (00:54:03) Spotify's Free Tier and Consumer Needs (00:56:45) Spotify's Relationship with the Music Industry (01:03:03) The Rise of Podcasting and Audiobooks (01:15:45) Personal Interests and Continuous Learning (01:20:32) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done For Gustav

We're back this episode for our second timely interview focusing on political polarization, wrapping up in conversation with Dr. Kurt Gray, professor of moral psychology and neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill, and the director of the Deepest Beliefs Lab in the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. Moral psychology is the descriptive understanding of our moral judgments, or concern with not just how people should make moral decisions, but how they actually do. Why does this matter?  In Dr. Gray's words: "To understand our contentious and divided political moments where people are unwilling to discuss politics across the aisle or entertain even that the other side is a reasonable human being in the way that you feel about yourself and your own side. We do disagree already when it comes to politics. But where does this political disagreement come from? …Once you get that, then you can understand where this political animosity comes from. But it's really a question of moral disagreement. And for that you need to understand our moral psychology.” Read the transcript of this episode
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I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Greg Bottaro, a Catholic psychologist and founder of the Catholic Psych Institute. We delve into the complexities of identity, particularly in the context of gender dysphoria, and explore the importance of compassion in addressing these sensitive issues. Dr. Bottaro emphasizes the need for a blueprint for understanding the human person, which he believes is rooted in Catholic teachings. For a deep dive into this blueprint check out our other conversation in episode 152.We discuss how the Catholic vision of the human person can inform our approach to mental health and well-being. Dr. Bottaro shares insights on the unity of body and spirit, and how this understanding can help individuals who feel at odds with their identity. We also touch on the historical role of the Catholic Church in preserving knowledge and culture, and how this legacy can guide contemporary discussions about ethics and psychology.Throughout our conversation, we aim to explore critical questions: How can we approach those struggling with their identity with both compassion and truth? What does it mean to have a healthy understanding of personhood? And how can the principles of Catholicism provide a framework for healing and thriving in today's complex world? Join us as we navigate these profound topics and seek to understand the intersection of faith, reason, and mental health.Dr. Greg Bottaro is a Catholic psychologist, founder of the CatholicPsych Institute and creator of the CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism (CPMAP). He received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, and works to integrate Catholic philosophy and theology with relevant psychology. He leads the CatholicPsych Institute's mission to, "Create a Catholic Standard for Mental Health."Before becoming a psychologist, Dr. Bottaro discerned a religious vocation with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFRs). He lived in the Bronx for four years following the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. Under the mentorship of Fr. Benedict Groeschel, this experience formed him in the spirituality of Abandonment to Divine Providence, which he now integrates with his model of psychology, along with the discernment of God's will he learned from Fr. Benedict.In 2012, Dr. Bottaro returned to New York as a psychologist and founded the CatholicPsych Institute, which has continued to grow and serve clients around the world. Most recently he launched the CPMAP Certification to train others in their model of integrated accompaniment.He lives in Connecticut with his wife Barbra and their seven children. 00:00 Start[00:00:10] Compassion in identity struggles.[00:05:37] Civilization saved by Catholic Church.[00:10:03] Resurrection and its implications.[00:12:33] Eucharistic miracles and their significance.[00:19:40] Catholicism and Human Understanding.[00:22:12] Faith versus science paradox.[00:26:22] The ideal human person.[00:30:29] Fatherlessness and its impact.[00:34:02] Compassion in conservative approaches.[00:37:03] Spiritual identity and personhood.[00:40:18] Identity and body connection.[00:45:00] Complexities of therapeutic relationships.[00:49:39] Eternal communion with divinity.ROGD REPAIR Course + Community gives concerned parents instant access to over 120 lessons providing the psychological insights and communication tools you need to get through to your kid. Use code SOMETHERAPIST2025 to take 50% off your first month.TALK TO ME: book a meeting.PRODUCTION: Looking for your own podcast producer? Visit PodsByNick.com and mention my podcast for 20% off your initial services.SUPPORT THE SHOW: subscribe, like, comment, & share or donate.ORGANIFI: Take 20% off Organifi with code SOMETHERAPIST.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order.SHOW NOTES & transcript with help from SwellAI.MUSIC: Thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude & permission. ALL OTHER LINKS HERE. To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode Title: The Future of Work, Transformation, and Contagious Identity with Kevin Britz   Guest: Kevin Britz Host: Amb. Elisha   ---   Episode Summary:   In this enlightening conversation, Amb. Elisha sits down with Kevin Britz, an expert in personal and professional transformation, to discuss the evolving nature of work, leadership, and human potential.   Kevin shares profound insights from his book The Future of Work is Human, where he explores the critical skills needed to navigate the changing workforce.   He also introduces Contagious Identity, his upcoming book, which delves into how individuals can develop an authentic presence that naturally influences those around them.   Through engaging stories, deep reflections, and a thought-provoking discussion, this episode sheds light on how self-investment, critical thinking, and personal growth shape both individual success and the future of work.   ---   Key Takeaways:   ✔ The Power of Self-Investment – Why personal growth attracts opportunities and recognition. ✔ The Future of Work is Human – Understanding the five critical skills necessary for professional success. ✔ AI vs. Human Intelligence – How artificial intelligence will reshape work without replacing human connection. ✔ The WINGS Model – A breakdown of the Work Industry Neutral Growth Skills for adaptability in any career. ✔ Contagious Identity – The hidden traits of transformational leaders and how to develop an influential presence. ✔ Final Message – Kevin's empowering advice: You can impact your life more than you think.     ---   Connect with Kevin Britz:  

We speak with Sakana AI, who are building nature-inspired methods that could fundamentally transform how we develop AI systems.The guests include Chris Lu, a researcher who recently completed his DPhil at Oxford University under Prof. Jakob Foerster's supervision, where he focused on meta-learning and multi-agent systems. Chris is the first author of the DiscoPOP paper, which demonstrates how language models can discover and design better training algorithms. Also joining is Robert Tjarko Lange, a founding member of Sakana AI who specializes in evolutionary algorithms and large language models. Robert leads research at the intersection of evolutionary computation and foundation models, and is completing his PhD at TU Berlin on evolutionary meta-learning. The discussion also features Cong Lu, currently a Research Scientist at Google DeepMind's Open-Endedness team, who previously helped develop The AI Scientist and Intelligent Go-Explore.SPONSOR MESSAGES:***CentML offers competitive pricing for GenAI model deployment, with flexible options to suit a wide range of models, from small to large-scale deployments. Check out their super fast DeepSeek R1 hosting!https://centml.ai/pricing/Tufa AI Labs is a brand new research lab in Zurich started by Benjamin Crouzier focussed on o-series style reasoning and AGI. They are hiring a Chief Engineer and ML engineers. Events in Zurich. Goto https://tufalabs.ai/**** DiscoPOP - A framework where language models discover their own optimization algorithms* EvoLLM - Using language models as evolution strategies for optimizationThe AI Scientist - A fully automated system that conducts scientific research end-to-end* Neural Attention Memory Models (NAMMs) - Evolved memory systems that make transformers both faster and more accurateTRANSCRIPT + REFS:https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gflcyvnujp8cl7zlv3v9d/Sakana.pdf?rlkey=woaoo82943170jd4yyi2he71c&dl=0Robert Tjarko Langehttps://roberttlange.com/Chris Luhttps://chrislu.page/Cong Luhttps://www.conglu.co.uk/Sakanahttps://sakana.ai/blog/TOC:1. LLMs for Algorithm Generation and Optimization [00:00:00] 1.1 LLMs generating algorithms for training other LLMs [00:04:00] 1.2 Evolutionary black-box optim using neural network loss parameterization [00:11:50] 1.3 DiscoPOP: Non-convex loss function for noisy data [00:20:45] 1.4 External entropy Injection for preventing Model collapse [00:26:25] 1.5 LLMs for black-box optimization using abstract numerical sequences2. Model Learning and Generalization [00:31:05] 2.1 Fine-tuning on teacher algorithm trajectories [00:31:30] 2.2 Transformers learning gradient descent [00:33:00] 2.3 LLM tokenization biases towards specific numbers [00:34:50] 2.4 LLMs as evolution strategies for black box optimization [00:38:05] 2.5 DiscoPOP: LLMs discovering novel optimization algorithms3. AI Agents and System Architectures [00:51:30] 3.1 ARC challenge: Induction vs. transformer approaches [00:54:35] 3.2 LangChain / modular agent components [00:57:50] 3.3 Debate improves LLM truthfulness [01:00:55] 3.4 Time limits controlling AI agent systems [01:03:00] 3.5 Gemini: Million-token context enables flatter hierarchies [01:04:05] 3.6 Agents follow own interest gradients [01:09:50] 3.7 Go-Explore algorithm: archive-based exploration [01:11:05] 3.8 Foundation models for interesting state discovery [01:13:00] 3.9 LLMs leverage prior game knowledge4. AI for Scientific Discovery and Human Alignment [01:17:45] 4.1 Encoding Alignment & Aesthetics via Reward Functions [01:20:00] 4.2 AI Scientist: Automated Open-Ended Scientific Discovery [01:24:15] 4.3 DiscoPOP: LLM for Preference Optimization Algorithms [01:28:30] 4.4 Balancing AI Knowledge with Human Understanding [01:33:55] 4.5 AI-Driven Conferences and Paper Review

The first theme of the talk shed light on the league tables of the top 100 Hungarian schools, initiated by MCC and the Education Authority. Participants also discussed the idea of a conservative curriculum and the introduction of the first English National Curriculum. Last but not least, history education in the 21st century was also mentioned as a significant field for preserving our roots and strengthening our connection to local and national communities.Dr. Nicholas Tate, historian and education expert, adviser in the Learning InstitueDr. János Setényi, director of the MCC Learning InstituteRichard Fodor, Head of Research at the Learning InstituteAz MCC Podcast adásaiban érdekes emberekkel izgalmas témákról beszélgetünk. Feldolgozzuk a közélet, a gazdaság, a társadalom fontosabb aktuális történéseit, de olyan kérdéseket is napirendre veszünk, mint például a művészet, a család vagy a vallás. Vendégeink között oktatóink, kutatóink, vendégelőadóink kapnak helyet. Mindenkinek kellemes időtöltést és szellemi feltöltődést kívánunk.

In this episode, we dive into an often overlooked topic: provider trauma in labor and delivery (L&D). We explore what provider trauma is, how the high-pressure environment of L&D impacts healthcare workers, and why acknowledging their trauma is crucial for improving patient care.Join us as we discuss the intersection of provider trauma and birth trauma, the challenges providers face, and the importance of creating a supportive system that fosters healing for both caregivers and patients.Whether you're a healthcare provider, birth worker, or someone impacted by birth trauma, this episode sheds light on the emotional toll of L&D and why healing must happen on both sides of the birth experience.Busch, I. M., Moretti, F., Campagna, I., Benoni, R., Tardivo, S., Wu, A. W., & Rimondini, M. (2021). Promoting the Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Providers Facing the Burden of Adverse Events: A Systematic Review of Second Victim Support Resources. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(10), 5080. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105080Finney RE, Torbenson VE, Riggan KA, et al. Second victim experiences of nurses in obstetrics and gynaecology: A Second Victim Experience and Support Tool Survey. J Nurs Manag. 2021; 29: 641–651. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13198Collings R, Potter C, Gebski V, Janda M, Obermair A. The impact of surgical complications on obstetricians' and gynecologists' well-being and coping mechanisms as second victims. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2025 Jan;232(1):104.e1-104.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.07.043. Epub 2024 Aug 5. PMID: 39111518.For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

Are your needs shaping your life in ways you don't realize? In this episode, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros unpack six human needs and reveal how your unique order could hold you back or propel you forward. Learn how to align your actions with what truly matters and identify constructive versus destructive ways of meeting your needs. Whether building stronger relationships, growing your self-worth, or enhancing your contribution to the world, this episode is your guide to personal growth.Links mentioned:Next Level Dreamliner: https://a.co/d/9fPpxEtSubscribe & follow -  https://www.buzzsprout.com/742955/share______________________NLU is not just a podcast; it's a gateway to a wealth of resources designed to help you achieve your goals and dreams. From our Next Level Dreamliner to our Group Coaching, we offer a variety of tools and communities to support your personal development journey.For more information, please check out our website at the link below.

Discover how top marketers bridge the gap between data and human understanding with insights on data literacy, leadership, storytelling, and a cookie-less future in this special, year-end clips episode!  SHOWPAGE: www.ninjacat.io/blog/wgm-podcast-bridging-the-gap-between-data-and-human-understanding  © 2024, NinjaCat

Can the wisdom of God really triumph over human understanding? Join us for an insightful journey into 1 Corinthians, Chapter 1, as we explore how Paul, guided by divine will, addresses the early church in Corinth with a message that challenges societal norms and calls for unity. With our special guest, we dissect Paul's teachings on embracing the gifts bestowed upon believers, the transformative power of the gospel, and the profound contrast between divine wisdom and human knowledge. Discover why Paul urges the Corinthian community to avoid divisive allegiances and focus instead on the unifying message of the cross, which, though seen as foolish by some, stands as an emblem of God's immense strength and wisdom.Throughout this episode, we reflect on how Paul's words encourage believers to live with humility, recognizing that everything they possess is a gift from God. Listen as we examine the role of divine wisdom in shaming the so-called wise and powerful, inverting societal values, and calling us to boast only in the work of Christ. With compelling discourse and scriptural insights, this episode aims to inspire and challenge you to re-evaluate where you place your trust and allegiance. Tune in to be reminded that in the grand tapestry of faith, it is not our accomplishments that define us, but the grace and wisdom we receive through Christ Jesus.Support the showThe American Soul Podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe

Does Searle's Chinese Room show that AI is not intelligent or creative? Does AI learn the way humans do? And could AI ever be capable of truly creative thought? [00:00] Introduction to the Chinese Room Argument [03:55] The Evolution of Human Language [05:58] ChatGPT's Capabilities and Limitations [12:09] Human Understanding vs. AI Responses [15:33] The Complexity of Human Desires [20:24] The Nature of Human and Machine Intelligence [30:58] AI and Creativity: A Writer's Perspective [33:08] The Limits of AI Creativity [35:01] The Future of AI and AGI [36:05] Thermodynamics and Human Creativity [39:13] Live Experiment: AI Poetry [42:40] AI's Impressive Achievements [49:42] The Debate on AGI [59:53] Final Thoughts

Send us a textDr. Christian Davenport, the Mary Ann and Charles R. Walgreen, Jr., Professor for the Study of Human Understanding, Professor of Political Science at University of Michigan, Professor of Political Science & Public Policy, University of Michigan, Research Professor, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO),Fellow, American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAAS) joins Bill Bartholomew to discuss his work and recent participation at the University of Rhode Island's Honors Colloquium "Democracy in Peril"Support the show

Pour l'épisode de cette semaine, je reçois Nicolas Vandenberghe, cofondateur et CEO de Chili Piper.Chili Piper est une plateforme SaaS spécialisée dans la gestion des rendez-vous et des interactions client, en optimisant le routing des leads et l'automatisation des processus pour les équipes de vente. Fondée en 2016 avec sa femme Alina, l'entreprise s'est imposée en pionnière dans l'amélioration des processus de prospection, en simplifiant la prise de rendez-vous pour les commerciaux.Au cours de cet épisode, nous avons discuté du parcours entrepreneurial de Nicolas, depuis ses débuts inspirés par une rencontre avec Steve Jobs, jusqu'à la création de Chili Piper après plusieurs autres aventures tech. Nicolas nous a expliqué comment l'idée de Chili Piper est née d'une observation simple sur l'inefficacité de la prise de rendez-vous, et comment ils ont développé une solution qui a immédiatement trouvé son marché.Nous avons également parlé des défis du bootstrapping, du passage à l'Enterprise après avoir commencé avec des entreprises de taille moyenne, ainsi que de l'expansion récente avec des solutions comme ChiliCal.Nicolas a partagé sa vision unique de la culture d'entreprise chez Chili Piper, qui repose sur un modèle de travail à distance depuis sa création, et sur une organisation fondée sur la transparence et l'auto-organisation. Il a aussi mentionné son intérêt pour la "communication non-violente" et comment cela a contribué à façonner leur culture interne.Vous pouvez suivre Nicolas sur LinkedIn.Bonne écoute !Mentionnés pendant l'épisode :Les mots sont des fenêtresThe Enigma of Reason: A New Theory of Human Understanding de Hugo Mercier et Dan SperberNot Born Yesterday: The Science of Who We Trust and What We Believe de Hugo MercierEpisode #96 de SaaS Connection avec Philippe Pinault, cofondateur de TalkspiritPour soutenir SaaS Connection en 1 minute⏱ (et 2 secondes) :Abonnez-vous à SaaS Connection sur votre plateforme préférée pour ne rater aucun épisode

To quote Crowley: “Hume said that causal connexion was not merely unprovable, but unthinkable; and, in shallower waters still, one cannot assign a true reason why water should flow down hill, or sugar taste sweet in the mouth.” We'll take our first Deep Dive into David Hume's ‘Enquiry into Human Understanding' to learn more about his take on causal connection.

In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, we look at the often-misunderstood and surprisingly common Dunning-Kruger effect with an interview featuring one of the researchers who first identified it, David Dunning.But we start with the story of Cecilia Jimenez, the humble Spanish grandmother and amateur landscape painter who took it upon herself to restore a fresco in her local church. The results made international headlines—and briefly made Ceclia Jimenez a household name—for all the wrong reasons.Andrew Flack has a lot of compassion for Cecilia. He met with her several times in the process of writing an opera with composer Paul Fowler called Behold the Man about Ceclia's ill-fated but ultimately beneficial project. Next, David Dunning explains how—contrary to popular belief—we are all at the mercy of the Dunning-Kruger effect from time to time, and that we should be more humble in recognizing what we don't know about what we don't know.David Dunning is the Ann and Charles R. Walgreen, Jr., Professor of the Study of Human Understanding at the University of Michigan. The paper "Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments," co-authored with Justin Kruger, led to the bias being named The Dunning-Kruger effect.  Important DisclosuresThe comments, views, and opinions expressed in the presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Charles Schwab.Data contained herein from third party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable source. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed and Charles Schwab & Co. expressly disclaims any liability, including incidental or consequential damages, arising from errors or omissions in this publication. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions.All names and market data shown above are for illustrative purposes only and are not a recommendation, offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Supporting documentation for any claims or statistical information is available upon request.Investing involves risk including loss of principal.The book How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.). Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.) has not reviewed the book and makes no representations about its content.(0824-M9R6)

This lecture discusses key ideas from the modern empiricist philosopher David Hume' Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding It focuses specifically on his discussion in section 1 of the work, specifically the range of matters that moral philosophy, as Hume understands it, studies, which includes not just ethics, but also human psychology, motivations, the emotions, and ways in which we acquire and associate ideas To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Hume's Enquiry - https://amzn.to/3by4R6n

This lecture discusses key ideas from the modern empiricist philosopher David Hume' Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding It focuses specifically on his discussion in section 1 of the work, specifically where Hume notes that too many people in his time wish to reject "metaphysics" entirely, leading him to plead the case of metaphysics, providing justifications for why at least some people ought to engage in it To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Hume's Enquiry - https://amzn.to/3by4R6n

This lecture discusses key ideas from the modern empiricist philosopher David Hume' Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding It focuses specifically on his discussion in section 1 of the work, specifically the distinction Hume makes from the very first paragraph between two different modes of engaging in moral philosophy. One of these is what he calls "easy" and "obvious" philosophy, intended for the broad public, lacking rigor but suited for guiding the live of activity, business, and sociability. The other is what he calls "abstruse", "abstract", or "accurate" (and sometimes "metaphysics"), does have much more rigor, but will always be less popular and pertains to us as reasonable beings. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Hume's Enquiry - https://amzn.to/3by4R6n

This video introduces Substrate—An Open-source Framework for Human Understanding, Meaning, and Progress.  Substrate is a crowdsourced project designed to enhance understanding, communication, and action in order to move humanity forward. Read the Article:

In this episode of the Schofield Chiropractic Training podcast, Dr. Fred Schofield rings the bell, a nostalgic nod to his boarding school days, to kick off a thought-provoking discussion. Dr. Fred reflects on how his boarding school teacher and coach made a profound impact on his life during a time of personal chaos. He shares that everyone faces storms in life, but it's how we adapt and find balance that matters most. Dr. Fred dives into the concept of Functional Analysis, exploring the idea that "input equals output." He references the book The Tree of Knowledge: The Biological Roots of Human Understanding by Humberto R. Maturana and Francisco J. Varela, discussing the notion of autopoiesis and the importance of internal organization and coherence. In this episode, Dr. Fred emphasizes the need to understand and maintain our physiological adaptation range. He explains the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, highlighting the significance of achieving an autonomic, balanced state. Whether you're too pumped up or too relaxed, finding that balance is key to optimal health. Dr. Fred challenges listeners to make a paradigm shift from focusing on symptoms to understanding the underlying causes of dysfunction. He underscores the body's innate ability to heal itself when in alignment and encourages embracing a systems approach to life. Tune in to learn how to enhance your adaptability and strength, and gain insights into the amazing technology of the human body. Don't miss this enlightening episode with Dr. Fred Schofield! Ask a Question for a Future Episode! Apply to work with our coaches! Join Susan's monthly CA webinars Join us at our next seminars! Join the Rhino Digital Training!

There is a list of Jesuit giants through history you hear over and over. That list starts with Saint Ignatius and his companions, of course, then includes to other Jesuit saints and blesseds to more modern Jesuits who are often called by just one name: Rahner. Hopkins. De Lubac. Teilhard. Arrupe. Dulles. Ellacuria. Bergoglio. And today's episode is about one more on this list: Lonergan. Bernard Lonergan was a Canadian Jesuit philosopher and theologian who lived from 1904 to 1984. And to be honest, his work is intimidating. He was pretty clearly a genius and wrote volumes on volumes of work on topics like epistemology, the philosophy of science, economic and political theory, and so much more. His most significant work is a 1957 book called “Insight: A Study of Human Understanding.” Whatever Lonergan was up to during his life was so important that there are scores of scholars who devote their careers today to studying and responding to his work. Today's guest is one of these scholars: Jonathan Heaps is the director of the Bernard J. Lonergan Institute at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, and the author of the recent book The Ambiguity of Being: Lonergan and the Problems of the Supernatural. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Jonathan to introduce Lonergan to us and explain why there is this whole cottage industry around Lonergan's thought and why he's still important today. Jon did a great job translating some of Lonergan's big ideas into language even Mike could understand. We think you'll enjoy the chance to get this accessible introduction to one of the most influential North American Jesuits ever. Jonathan Heaps: https://www.jonathanheaps.com/ Lonergan Institute: https://www.shu.edu/lonergan/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

The invisible human. Understanding our social code.

In this thought-provoking episode of the Crazy Wisdom podcast, I, Stewart Alsop, delve deep into the evolving world of artificial intelligence with my guest, Kendra Koch. Together, we explore the nuances of AI's capabilities and its profound implications on human thought, sensory perception, and creativity. Kendra, a seasoned entrepreneur and wellness advocate, brings her rich experience and unique perspectives on how AI intersects with health and human psychology. For those interested in exploring more about Kendra Koch's work or looking for resources mentioned in the podcast, you can visit her platform focused on sensory wellness at Get Touchy Feely. This site serves as a hub for exploring tools and information designed to support individuals with sensory sensitivities, offering both a deep dive into content and practical solutions. Check out this GPT that we trained on this converation Timestamps 00:05:00 - The practical use of AI in creating content drafts and the limitations in capturing human essence in writing. 00:10:00 - Discussion on AI's impact on employment and its ability to adapt to societal changes. 00:15:00 - The influence of AI on information accuracy and the ethical considerations in AI training. 00:20:00 - Exploring human senses beyond the typical five and their implications for AI perception. 00:25:00 - The role of AI in leveling the playing field in technology and education globally. 00:30:00 - The nuances of language, culture, and the adaptive use of AI in language learning. 00:35:00 - The potential of AI in personalizing content creation and its impact on the authenticity of storytelling. 00:40:00 - Philosophical considerations on the essence of human creativity and AI's role in capturing human experiences. 00:45:00 - Kendra's current projects focusing on sensory wellness and leveraging AI to enhance user experiences in this area. Key Insights AI as a Double-Edged Sword for Cognitive Work: Kendra Koch shared that working with AI challenges the common misconception that technology simplifies cognitive tasks. Instead, she found that AI requires deeper thinking and precise communication, much like delegating tasks to humans. This insight suggests that AI's value lies not in replacing human effort but in enhancing our capacity to think and articulate clearly. Sensory Perception Beyond the Traditional Five Senses: The discussion highlighted that humans have more than the commonly acknowledged five senses, with Kendra mentioning proprioception and interoception among others. This expanded view of human sensory experience can inform how we develop AI technologies, emphasizing the need for AI systems to account for a broader spectrum of human sensory inputs. AI's Limitations in Content Creation: Despite advancements, AI still struggles to replicate the depth and nuance of human-generated content. Kendra noted that while AI can produce a competent first draft, it lacks the ability to fully capture the 'spark' or emotional depth that characterizes compelling human writing. This underscores the ongoing challenges in AI's application in creative fields. The Impact of Training Data on AI Output: Kendra discussed how the quality of AI-generated content is heavily dependent on the training data. If AI is trained on a dataset with a high proportion of poor-quality content, the output is likely to be similarly affected. This raises important considerations for how AI models are trained, particularly in ensuring a high standard of input data. AI and the Nuance of Human Language: The episode explored how AI handles language nuances, particularly in translating unique cultural phrases or concepts. Kendra pointed out that certain expressions or nuances can be lost in translation by AI, reflecting the machine's current inability to fully grasp context and cultural depth in language. The Ethical and Social Implications of AI: Kendra and Stewart discussed the potential social implications of AI, such as job displacement and the ethical considerations of AI training. The conversation brought to light the importance of thoughtful and inclusive development of AI technologies to mitigate negative impacts and enhance societal benefits. The Future of AI in Personal and Professional Development: Looking ahead, the podcast touched on the potential for AI to democratize learning and development opportunities, particularly in coding and other technical skills. Kendra's work in Argentina using AI to help locals improve their job prospects exemplifies the positive potential of AI to level the playing field in global economic participation.

As a real estate investor in over 2,500 deals the past 30 years, Dan has experienced his fair share of intense, stressful, and anxious moments. However, in 2018 he made a commitment, in writing, to give his life and business completely to the Lord as Master Owner of everything. Since then, he's experienced “a peace that surpasses human understanding.” Special Guest: Dan Rudat.

In this podcast, Shannon from Gundersen Health System and Casey from M Health Fairview discuss the importance of Human Understanding in healthcare and share strategies for implementing it within their organizations. Shannon outlines the steps Gundersen has taken to adopt these ideas, highlighting the positive impacts they have seen. Casey emphasizes the significance of Human Understanding for M Health Fairview and provides advice for other patient and customer experience leaders seeking to implement similar approaches. Jon wraps up the podcast by summarizing the key takeaways and discussing a relevant case study. This episode is sponsored by NRC Health.

Help Me Understand: Navigating the Complexities of Human Understanding In today's hyper-connected world, with information at our fingertips and global conversations just a click away, understanding one another has never been more crucial. Yet, it's apparent that in many ways, we're more divided and less understanding than ever before. Why? Let's dive into the complexities of human understanding and the phrase: "Help me understand." The Power of Curiosity At its core, the plea "Help me understand" is an expression of genuine curiosity. It's a bridge to empathy, a door to deeper connection, and an admission that we don't know it all. As children, we're natural explorers, asking endless questions to understand the world around us. "Why is the sky blue?" "Where do babies come from?" But as we grow older, societal expectations, fear of being wrong, or simple complacency can stifle our inquisitiveness. The Fear of Not Knowing Admitting we don't understand can be terrifying. In a world that often equates knowledge with power, acknowledging a lack of understanding can feel like revealing a weakness. However, when we let go of this fear and ask someone to help us understand, we're not just gaining knowledge. We're also building trust, showing vulnerability, and forging deeper connections. Barriers to Understanding Cultural Differences: Cultural nuances can lead to misinterpretations. What's considered polite in one culture might be rude in another. Generational Gaps: Different generations have varied perspectives shaped by the unique challenges and experiences of their times. Cognitive Biases: These are the mental shortcuts we take, based on our experiences, which can sometimes lead us astray. Information Overload: The sheer amount of information available can be overwhelming, leading to selective understanding. Steps to Foster Understanding Active Listening: This means fully concentrating, understanding, and responding to what's being said, rather than passively 'hearing' the message. Ask Open-ended Questions: Questions like "Can you tell me more about that?" or "What makes you feel this way?" can open the door to deeper understanding. Seek Diverse Perspectives: Engage with people outside of your immediate circle. Read books, watch films, or attend lectures that offer a different viewpoint. Reflect: Take time to process what you've learned. Reflecting helps in internalizing and truly understanding new information. Bridging the Understanding Gap with Technology Modern technology offers tools that can help us understand each other better. From translation apps that break down language barriers to virtual reality experiences that allow us to step into someone else's shoes, technology is making the world smaller and more interconnected. However, with the blessings of technology come challenges. The anonymity of the online world can sometimes make empathy harder to come by. But by harnessing the power of technology with a genuine desire to understand, we can bridge even the most challenging divides. "Help me understand" is more than just a phrase. It's a mindset, a commitment to lifelong learning, and a pledge to approach the world with an open heart and mind. In seeking understanding, we recognize our shared humanity. Every time we reach out to someone with the intention of truly understanding them, we're taking a step towards a more empathetic, connected world. So, the next time you're in a conversation, and you find yourself puzzled or at odds, take a deep breath and say, "Help me understand." You might be surprised at the doors it opens. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Join us in this episode of the Becker's Healthcare Podcast series as we delve into Virtua Health's unique and human understanding-focused approach to patient experience. Our guests, Ryan Younger, Vice President of Marketing at Virtua Health, and June Captain, AVP of Customer Strategy at NRC Health, share valuable insights into how marketing, storytelling, and language play crucial roles in shaping the patient experience. Discover the metrics that drive success, strategies for building a deep understanding with consumers, and the elements that make Virtua's approach stand out. Plus, gain practical advice on initiating a patient-centered approach in healthcare organizations that are just starting on this journey. Thank you for joining us, and a special thanks to our sponsor, NRC Health.This episode is sponsored by NRC Health.

Epoch Times senior editor and host of American Thought Leaders Jan Jekielek speaks with Lee Smith about the media, politics, culture, the great books, and what he's discovered about America and the world while hosting Over the Target. And in this thought-provoking episode, Lee announces his upcoming odyssey, coming from EpochTV. ⭕️ Watch in-depth videos based on Truth & Tradition at Epoch TV

I write a column for Shared Services Online titled “The Future is Human: Understanding & Shaping the Future of Work.” You can find the column at SSOnetwork.com and I'll also be sharing audio versions of each article as bonus episodes in the podcast feed. This is the column for July 2023.Resources:Read the column: https://www.ssonetwork.com/index.php/contributor/connie-steele Learn more about Building the Business of You: http://www.conniewsteele.com/book

John Norris was an Anglican priest and philosopher who lived from 1657-1711. He was an Oxford Christian "Platonist" and wrote many works including Reflections upon a Late Essay Concerning the Human Understanding which was a critique of John Locke and An Account of Reason and Faith in Relation to the Mysteries of Christianity which was a response to the deist John Toland. This recording is of his Discourse of the Natural and Moral Union of the Soul with God. If you want to read the text for yourself, you can find it here: https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/MYe-1oxeyBEC?hl=en&gbpv=0 This discourse is read by friend of the podcast Austen Haynes. Thank you for all your work, Austen! Be sure to send us your feedback and questions to thesacramentalists@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @sacramentalists. Be sure to join our Communion of Patreon Saints for only $5 a month.

Author David Andersen joins Kelsi to discuss his book, "What Can We Really Know? The Strengths and Limits of Human Understanding" and how the study of knowledge leads us to some inevitable truths about ourselves and the limits of knowledge, in general. The discussion then turns to the relationship between reason and faith and the assertion that, as Christian's, it important we recognize and use both. 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube More from Kelsi: Kelsi Klembara Follow Kelsi on Instagram Follow Kelsi on Twitter Kelsi's Newsletter Subscribe to the Show: Apple Podcasts Spotify Youtube More from David: What Can We Really Know? by David Andersen Faithless to Fearless by David Andersen

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This is an excerpt from chapter 9 of What Can Really Know?: The Strengths and Limits of Human Understanding by David Andersen (1517 Publishing, 2023).  

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Returning guest, Marissa Hackett was born in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. At the time of her birth, her parents were involved with a group called the Foundation of Human Understanding, a right-wing cult led by Roy Masters. When Marissa was 11 years old, she moved with her family to Southern Oregon, where Roy moved the headquarters of the group and opened the only school Marissa attended in her childhood, Brighton Academy. As a black family, this experience created unique challenges for Marissa as she navigated life. Today, Marissa lives in Seattle and identifies as a fierce progressive. She's a proud auntie, sister, daughter, niece, godmother, and friend. She shares a life with her partner and husband, Aaron. Marissa absolutely loves music and being in nature. She currently resides in Seattle, Washington where she is a grad student in Couples and Family Therapy at Antioch University. In this follow-up conversation, Marissa provides updates on her familial relationships and healing journey since sharing her story for the first time. She offers insights on how she's been able to successfully reconcile a relationship with her father while maintaining her perspective on the damaging experiences she suffered as a child. Find Marissa's blog on Substack here: marissahackett.substack.com/ Thanks to all of our Patreon supporters for making this episode possible!

Marissa Hackett was born in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. At the time of her birth, her parents were involved with a group called the Foundation of Human Understanding, a right-wing cult led by Roy Masters. When Marissa was 11 years old, she moved with her family to Southern Oregon, where Roy moved the headquarters of the group and opened the only school Marissa attended in her childhood, Brighton Academy. As a black family, this experience created unique challenges for Marissa as she navigated life. Today, Marissa lives in Seattle and identifies as a fierce progressive. She's a proud auntie, sister, daughter, niece, godmother, and friend. She shares a life with her partner and husband, Aaron. Marissa absolutely loves music and being in nature. She currently resides in Seattle, Washington where she is a grad student in Couples and Family Therapy at Antioch University. In this emotional discussion, Marissa speaks publicly for the first time about growing up as a young black woman in a patriarchal right-wing cult in rural Oregon. She explains to Rachel the lasting impacts of her constant struggle to fit in and the difficulties in finding true community. They discuss why the current political landscape of right-wing rhetoric is so triggering for Marissa and how her time in the group actually helped to shape her own progressive politics. Before You Go: Rachel points out the hypocrisy inherent in the restrictive rules that are often imposed on only one gender in high control religious groups. Find Marissa's blog on Substack here: https://marissahackett.substack.com/ You can purchase Rachel's webinar series LIVING IN FREEDOM here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!