Podcasts about Phaedrus

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

✨ Become a founding member to access my online courses, including Jurassic Worlding and How To Live In The Future✨ Browse and buy all of the books we discuss on the show at Bookshop.org✨ Stream and download my music at artist-owned Subvert.fm✨ Learn about Atlas Research Group, my new team on a mission to build sovereign infrastructure for social coherence and collective intelligenceAbout This EpisodeThis week's guest is C. Thi Nguyen (Website | Wikipedia | X), associate professor of philosophy at the University of Utah and a specialist in the philosophy of games, the philosophy of technology, and the theory of value. In our first conversation on Future Fossils, we explored his writing on games as an art form in which agency is the medium. His new book, The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game, takes that logic further and reveals the games that bind society together with institutional metrics — one of the most powerful, pervasive, and invisible technologies of all time.Thi's thesis hinges on the observation that a metric is never just a number. It's a value judgment dressed up in the costume of objectivity, a down-sampling of our richly multidimensional world into proxies that can travel efficiently between strangers. And with every subsequent compression of meaning into portable, scalable, decontextualized form, our metrics progressively displace place itself — the nuance of our singular, non-fungible lives — and define what we can even aspire to be.Thi calls this kind of cognitive enclosure “value capture”: when an institution uses metrics to coordinate across distance and difference, it engineers a context-invariant kernel that can travel between strangers without requiring shared background, history, or care. The power of these abstractions is real. So is their violence.We can use metrics instrumentally, holding them lightly as useful fictions. But more often than not we forget things like GPA, GDP, or KPIs started life as somebody else's choices — that someone, somewhere, decided what to count and what to ignore — and we begin to inhabit the metric as if it were reality itself: optimizing our lives, desires, and identities for a scoring system we didn't author and may never have consciously accepted.Games show us another way. By Thi's account, games are a medium for the transmission of different kinds of agency, a technology for practicing the very awareness that metrics erode: that metrics are cultural constructs, and we still have some choice in what to value. When you're playing, you know you're playing. The magic circle of the game space is a low-stakes laboratory for inhabiting a different set of values, and therefore different selves. Therein lies a whole philosophy of freedom, and in a moment when the infrastructure of meaning-making is being rebuilt from the ground up, recovering our capacity to see the game of modern life as a game may be the most important skill we have.But there's a twist that takes us beyond the scope of Thi's book and into the question that's been keeping me up at night for the last two years. With AI, we've tunneled so far into abstraction that we may have come out the other side. Large language models now allow us to translate between different perspectives, to ground insights from our aggregate intelligence in personal detail. If you've ever used a chatbot to explain physics to you as a specific human being, based on your own data vault, and in the style of a specific author, you know what I mean. Socrates' critique of written language in Phaedrus — that it couldn't “read the room” or know its audience — feels somewhat less relevant in an age when the generation of text is powered by systems with such a high-dimensional and granular view of things that we are no longer bound to one canonical version of anything. Is AI the apotheosis of our enclosure by institutional metrics, or is it the medium through which we are finally able to take a post-ironic stance on the constraints of modern life?It's starting to look like a world in which everything is a metric and everything is a game. And just maybe, that means we can renegotiate these tradeoffs…as long as we don't take ourselves too seriously.And with this, we circle back around to the core question of this project: As we approach the horizon where anything is possible, what should be? Who do you want to be, and what games will make you that person?Chapters00:00 Episode Teaser03:50 Intro Monologue09:11 Meet C. Thi Nguyen17:43 Value Capture Explained23:48 The Gap between Measured & Valued35:29 Recognition vs. Perception42:48 Games vs. Institutions46:43 Is Meaning Control an Interface Problem?49:09 How Rules Became Algorithms54:17 Fungibility & Monocropping56:38 Is Coordination at Scale a Red Herring?01:03:14 Art Provides Hope01:16:17 AI Futures & Values01:32:27 Thanks & AnnouncementsMentioned ResourcesAre humans destined to evolve into crabs? by Michael GarfieldCoarse-graining as a downward causation mechanism by Jessica FlackThe Computer as a Communication Device by J.C.R. Licklider and Robert TaylorPaul Smaldino & C. Thi Nguyen on Problems with Value Metrics & Governance at Scale (EPE 06) for Complexity PodcastThe natural selection of bad science by Paul Smaldino & Richard McElreathSlowed canonical progress in large fields of science by Johan Chu & James EvansJargon is a Moat by Second VoiceTrust in Numbers by Theodore PorterRules by Lorraine DastinSeeing Like A State by James C. ScottThe Power of Maps by Dennis WoodsDilla Time by Dan CharmasMetaphors We Live By by George Lakoff & Mark JohnsonMarshall McLuhanReiner KniziaLangdon WinnerSamantha MatherneIain McGilchristKevin Kelly

This is part 2 of the recording of my invited talk at Christopher Newport University, "Plato, Persons, And The Highest Good". It focuses on the question of whether the highest good in Plato is personal (as it would be e.g. for Christian Platonists) or impersonal (as it's usually taken to be). Centering the discussion on the ascent to the highest Good in the Symposium, I also discuss portions of the Republic, Phaedrus, Phaedo, Apology, and Gorgias 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 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler

This is part 1 of the recording of my invited talk at Christopher Newport University, "Plato, Persons, And The Highest Good". It focuses on the question of whether the highest good in Plato is personal (as it would be e.g. for Christian Platonists) or impersonal (as it's usually taken to be). Centering the discussion on the ascent to the highest Good in the Symposium, I also discuss portions of the Republic, Phaedrus, Phaedo, Apology, and Gorgias 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 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler

Symposium by Plato | Chillbooks body { font-family: Arial, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, sans-serif; line-height: 1.8; color: #222; background: #fff; margin: 0; padding: 24px; } h1, h2, h3 { line-height: 1.3; margin: 0 0 12px; } h1 { font-size: 1.6rem; } h2 { font-size: 1.25rem; margin-top: 20px; } p { margin: 0 0 12px; } ul { margin: 8px 0 16px 20px; } li { margin: 4px 0; } hr { border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #e6e6e6; margin: 20px 0; } .small { font-size: 0.95rem; color: #444; }

0:00-8:50 – Intro; §2 “Intellectual Conscience” ; My questioning, my certainty, my injustice.8:50-28:30 – The instinct to evaluate; The art of questioning; The mystical allure of authorial intention; the inadequacy of quantification, the absurdity of grading, and other equivalences28:40-39:45 – Back to the intellectual conscience; reading for understanding? lol; teaching bad (?) movies; §3 “Noble and Common” ; Tyranny of the instrumental; Wait, was it a bad movie?39:50-46:30 – Diagnostic of dispositions; §14 “The Things People Call Love” ; Common desire for possession; Noble desire for transformation; Nathaniel makes it about Phaedrus again; the eternal injustice of the noble46:30–55:15 – Varieties of elitism: Joe Rogan  55:25–1:10:50 – No evil can harm the species; test case: Jordan Peterson; teachers of purpose and corrective laughter; the perspective of life; the future of laughter: the gay science

We often do not realize that deep down economics is a battleground of competing anthropologies: implicit or explicit theories of human nature, selfhood and subjectivity, quiet beliefs about how we understand ourselves and our place in the world. In this podcast we bring together researchers from different disciplines that study economic phenomena, systems, agency and behavior, ranging from historians and political philosophers to economic anthropologists and development economists, to scrutinize the protagonist of their discipline: who is the Real Homo Economicus? What kinds of creature are they? What drives their choices and behavior? Are we still talking about the same creature? To get the conversation started we use an experimental method: the Mythlab method. We use stories as a probe into economic thinking and quiet beliefs about the underlying anthropologies. In each episode we give our guest a story and see how they respond to it, and explore assumptions and associations in a playful way. In this fourth and final episode we play with fables, short moralistic tales, often featuring animals, but always addressing a deeper human truth. We talk about The Dog and the Piece of Meat, The Wolf and the Crane, The Hawk and the Nightingale, The Hen with the Golden Eggs, The Cricket and the Ant. What is the moral of these stories? What can animal stories tell us about human nature? And what kind of world is the world of the fable? I try to make sense of these fables with Huub Brouwer. Dr. Huub Brouwer is assistant professor of ethics and political philosophy at Tilburg University. His research is on theories of distributive justice, particularly on desert, responsibility-sensitive egalitarianism, and taxation. Huub is currently carrying out a 4-year research project on philosophy of taxation, funded by the Netherlands Research Council. (https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/nl/medewerkers/h-m-brouwer) Hosted by Dr. Tazuko van Berkel [https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/staffmembers/tazuko-van-berkel#tab-1] and Connor McMullen. Edited and mixed by Connor McMullen. Mythlab team: Dr. Erik Bähre, Dr. Aiste Celkyte, Prof. dr. Lisa Herzog, Connor McMullen, Dr. Sara Polak The Mythlab-project is funded by the Dutch Young Academy.   The Dutch Young Academy (https://www.dejongeakademie.nl/en/default.aspx) is a platform of fifty inspired academics who conduct research, advise, share knowledge and bring people together, and who do all this while taking a special interest in young scientists and scholars. .player5176 .plyr__controls, .player5176 .StampAudioPlayerSkin{ border-radius: 10px; overflow: hidden; } .player5176{ margin: 0 auto; } .player5176 .plyr__controls .plyr__controls { border-radius: none; overflow: visible; } .skin_default .player5176 .plyr__controls { overflow: visible; } Your browser does not support the audio element.   References: The fables of this episode are taken from ancient fable collections attributed to Aesop, Babrius and Phaedrus.

오늘의 이야기: 오늘은 만두 얘기를 하다가 개항의 시대 얘기를 하다가 요즘 날의 기술과 개항이라고 볼 수 있는 것들에 관하여 이야기하는 날입니다. 제가 만두를 너무 좋아해가지고 여름에 한국에 갔었을 때 부산에를 잠깐 간 적이 있는데 그때 어 마지막 날에 부산 차이나타운에서 만두를 세 군데에서 먹느라고 아주 만두 파이터처럼 돌아다닌 일이 있었어요. 군만두를 한 군데서 먹고 소화시킬 겸 밖에 이렇게 벤치 같은 데 앉아서 한 40분 기다렸다가 두 번째 만둣집에 가서 물만두를 한 접시 먹고 발마사지를 하면서 또 40분 소화시켰다가 마지막에 또 세 번째 만둣집에 가서 군만두를 먹고 차마 다 먹지 못해서 두 조각을 그냥 남기고 가야겠다 했는데 친절하신 아주머니께서 싸갈 거냐고 싸주겠다고 해서 집에 가져와서 또 군만두를 먹은 그런 일이 있었습니다. 관련 링크: 인천개항박물관 메타가 공개한, 스페인어 영상을 영어 영상으로 바꾸는 기능 변호사 중 LLM 잘못 썼다가 징계 먹은 케이스 synthetic data에 대하여 “What is Synthetic Data? No, It's Not "Fake" Data” 소크라테스가 문자에 대하여 한 말 - In the Phaedrus, Plato quotes Socrates as follows: "If men learn this [writing], it will implant forgetfulness in their souls; they will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks." (플라톤의 『파이드로스』에서 소크라테스는 다음과 같이 말한다: "사람들이 이것[글쓰기]을 배우면, 그들의 영혼에 망각을 심어줄 것이다. 그들은 더 이상 기억력을 쓰지 않을 것이다. 왜냐하면 쓰인 것에 의존하게 될 것이고, 내면으로부터가 아니라 외부 표식을 수단으로써 기억을 불러올 것이기 때문이다.“) Seth Godin 세탁기가 처음 나왔을 때, 전기 코드가 목에 감겨 죽은 사람들에 대한 세스 고딘의 이야기 듀오링고 트럼프 대통령 취임 타임라인 (1월 1일 아님) - - (2025년 “1월3일 개원하는 연방의회가 1월6일 상하원 합동회의를 열고 주별로 송달받은 선거인단 투표를 집계한 뒤 이를 인증하는 절차를 밟는다. 이 절차를 진행하면 1월20일 신임 대통령 취임에 앞서 모든 법적 절차가 완료된다.”) 녹취록: ⁠https://aimdreaming.imaginariumkim.com/만두-개항의-시대-기술-흐름-외국어/ - - - 한아임한테 ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠커피 사주기⁠⁠⁠⁠

One of Plato's major contributions in his work The Republic and the Phaedrus  is his concept of the tripartite division of the soul. In this video, I analyse what Plato meant with the tripartite division of the soul and also its implications and impact in later philosophy, most notably its connections with Freud's concept of the id, ego and superego, as well as its implications in our modern lives. Support the show--------------------------If you would want to support the channel and what I am doing, please follow me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/christianityforall Where else to find Josh Yen: Philosophy YT: https://bit.ly/philforallEducation: https://bit.ly/joshyenBuisness: https://bit.ly/logoseduMy Website: https://joshuajwyen.com/

Jon and Doug discuss perception and how it's mediated by past experience and the stories we tell. How does it become misperception? How can we work with our perception to live more skillfully and fully?*this quote is attributed to the Roman poet Phaedrus but it is often used by various Zen teachersSupport the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Thomas Jockin is a Fellow at the Halkyon Guild and the Founder of TypeThursday. He has taught at Pratt Institute, FIT (SUNY), Queens College (CUNY), and City College of New York (CUNY). Sign Up for Thomas Jockin's Course: Plato on Beauty and Virtue | Halkyon Academy   Can re-engaging with classical ideals of beauty help us address the meaning crisis? In this episode of "Voices with Vervaeke," John Vervaeke and Thomas Jockin explore the concept of beauty through the lens of Plato's philosophy. Thomas shares insights from his upcoming course, discussing the interconnectedness of beauty, truth, and goodness. They examine how modern interpretations of beauty differ from Plato's original vision and how re-engaging with classical ideals can address the current meaning crisis. John and Thomas challenge contemporary perspectives and seek to rediscover foundational principles. Join the discussion to learn more about the profound impact of beauty on our lives.   Connect with a community dedicated to self-discovery and purpose, and gain deeper insights by joining our Patreon.   —   00:00 Exploring Plato's Concept of Beauty with Thomas Jockin 01:10 Jockin's Halcyon Course: Plato on Beauty and Virtue 04:25 The Cultural Decline of Beauty 08:00 Plato's Beauty: Love, Reason, and the Soul's Recollection 10:25 Philosophical Implications of Beauty, Love, and Truth 24:00 The Rationality of Beauty Beyond Propositions  31:45 The Cascade Effect of Moral Virtues in Everyday Life 35:55 Bridging the Material and the Divine 40:55 The Interconnectedness of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth 51:15 Modern Art and the Role of the Artist 01:08:15 Beauty as a Solution to the Meaning Crisis in Modern Art and Architecture 01:14:25 Conclusion: Returning to Foundations in the Modern World       —   The Vervaeke Foundation is committed to advancing the scientific pursuit of wisdom and creating a significant impact on the world. Become a part of our mission.   Join Awaken to Meaning to explore practices that enhance your virtues and foster deeper connections with reality and relationships.    —   Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in this Episode   Plato. Greater Hippias. Plato. Symposium. Plato. Phaedrus. Plato. Meno. Plato. Cratylus. Plato. Parmenides. Sonia Sedivy, Beauty and the End of Art Byung-Chul Han, Saving Beauty Drew A. Hyland, Plato and the Question of Beauty D. C. Schindler, “The Primacy of Beauty, the Centrality of Goodness, and the Ultimacy of Truth” John Russon, Bearing Witness to Epiphany: Persons, Things, and the Nature of Erotic Life Duchamp (Fountain) Heidegger Maurice Merleau-Ponty Habermas Neoplatonism Follow John Vervaeke: Website | Twitter | YouTube | Patreon   Follow Thomas Jockin: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn    —   Thank you for Listening!  

Philosophy that is actually fun to read & contemplate!'Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals' by Robert M. Pirsig is a sequel to his very popular 'Zen & The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance'. We follow Phaedrus this time sailing to New York and Florida. He meets an interesting lady called Lila who joins him on his adventure but causes him trouble. He's an intellectual philosopher and she's an emotional wild cat. It expands upon the metaphysics of quality and provides examples of his differentiation between Dynamic & Static Quality.Would love to hear your feedback and appreciate any support you wish to give :)Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(3:25) - Themes/Questions(16:57) - Author & Extras(23:33) - Summary(26:37) - Value 4 Value(28:14) - Join Live!Value 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast

Lessons from ‘Symposium' by Plato Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, and a teacher of Aristotle. His works laid the foundational stones of Western philosophy and science The "Symposium" is one of Plato's most famous dialogues, set during a banquet attended by a group of notable Athenian men. The dialogue is a series of speeches the participants give, each extolling the nature and virtues of Eros (Love). - Ways to Support: Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/BecomingAntifragile⁠⁠⁠ Substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://ijmakan.substack.com/subscribe?=⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://becomingantifragile.com/support⁠ - Shownotes 00:00 - Introduction 01:45 - Excerpt from ‘Symposium' by Plato 05:44 - What's happening in the Symposium 06:50 - Are you not whole until you find your other half? 10:10 - Why Socrates thinks everyone is wrong about love 11:15 - Phaedrus's notion of self-sacrificial love 13:10 - Different types of love 15:20 - Socrates correcting Agathon on Eros 21:10 - Love is of something that you're desire 25:18 - Love in on continuum ferrying between the immortal and mortal realm 28:50 - How Diotima initiates Socrates through the ladder of love 42:10 - The Beautiful and Tao 44:00 - The Beautiful makes life meaningful, become a philosopher 47: 15 - Humans seek immortality, true immortality is found in birthing virtues 50:48 - Challenges

I hope Biden stays in the race because it's elder abuse.  Hah  "I'm telling you, that case would have never been brought. And that's what's offensive to people. And it should be."  -Andrew Cuomo  I review what the media told us versus what we all saw at the debate.  (h/t @DrewHolden360) I think I know why Biden agreed to the debate:  It was a Hail Mary. As for gold, let me have as much as a moderate man could bear and carry with him.”  - Socrates, quoted by Plato, Phaedrus

Phaedrus by Plato audiobook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

What can animals teach us about TTRPGs? Join us in this episode as we explore the world of Medieval Fables and just what they can teach us about life, death, and min-maxing with fables & medieval animal specialist Linnet Heald! Check out our Kickstarter! Check out Sam's DEATH OF THE AUTHOR on Backerkit here! Check out Linnet's Blog posts & her new work! (Website coming soon!) The Raven's False Greeting: Animal Language and Medieval Fable - link Learning to Fear in Two Medieval Fables - link The Stag and the Dogs: A Medieval Fable - link Imagining the Medieval Bestiary - link Linnet Heald, "Wicked Wolves, Culpable Sheep: Animal Lessons in Medieval British Fables," New Medieval Literatures 25 (2025) . (Forthcoming) Medieval Panther Woodcut: link Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Check out our merch! The Beastiary Challenge! (

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: AI #60: Oh the Humanity, published by Zvi on April 18, 2024 on LessWrong. Many things this week did not go as planned. Humane AI premiered its AI pin. Reviewers noticed it was, at best, not ready. Devin turns out to have not been entirely forthright with its demos. OpenAI fired two employees who had been on its superalignment team, Leopold Aschenbrenner and Pavel Izmailov for allegedly leaking information, and also more troubliningly lost Daniel Kokotajlo, who expects AGI very soon, does not expect it to by default go well, and says he quit 'due to losing confidence that [OpenAI] would behave responsibly around the time of AGI.' That's not good. Nor is the Gab system prompt, although that is not a surprise. And several more. On the plus side, my 80,000 Hours podcast finally saw the light of day, and Ezra Klein had an excellent (although troubling) podcast with Dario Amodei. And we got the usual mix of incremental useful improvements and other nice touches. Table of Contents Introduction. Table of Contents. Language Models Offer Mundane Utility. Ask all your stupid questions. Language Models Don't Offer Mundane Utility. That won't stop social media. Oh the Humanity. It will, however, stop the Humane AI pin, at least for now. GPT-4 Real This Time. The new version continues to look slightly better. Fun With Image Generation. There is remarkably little porn of it. Deepfaketown and Botpocalypse Soon. Audio plus face equals talking head. Devin in the Details. To what extent was the Devin demo a fake? Another Supposed System Prompt. The gift of Gab. Not what we wanted. They Took Our Jobs. A model of firm employment as a function of productivity. Introducing. The quest to make context no longer be that which is scarce. In Other AI News. Respecting and disrespecting the rules of the game. Quiet Speculations. Spending some time wondering whether you should. The Quest for Sane Regulations. Senators get serious, Christiano is appointed. The Week in Audio. I spend 3.5 of my 80,000 hours, and several more. Rhetorical Innovation. Words that do not on reflection bring comfort. Don't Be That Guy. Also known as the only law of morality. Aligning a Smarter Than Human Intelligence is Difficult. Subproblems anyone? Please Speak Directly Into the Microphone. Thanks, everyone. People Are Worried About AI Killing Everyone. They are no longer at OpenAI. Other People Are Not As Worried About AI Killing Everyone. Mundane visions. The Lighter Side. The art of fixing it. Language Models Offer Mundane Utility The best use of LLMs continues to be 'ask stupid questions.' Ashwin Sharma: reading zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance changed the way I looked at the inner workings of my mind. It was like unlocking a secret level of a video game. what are you reading today? Tom Crean: Tried to read Zen… as a teenager and felt disoriented by it. I kept wondering who "Phaedrus" was. But I liked the general atmosphere of freedom. The philosophy went over my head. Now I'm reading Akenfield by Ronald Blythe. A portrait of a Suffolk Village in the 1960s. Ashwin Sharma: use GPT to help analyse the sections you're stuck on. Seriously, try it again and i promise you it'll be worth it. Joe Weisenthal: I've found this to be a great ChatGPT use case. Understanding terms in context while I'm reading. When I was a kid, my dad told me when reading to immediately stop and grab a dictionary every time I got to a word I didn't understand. Not really feasible. But AI solves this well. It's still a bit cumbersome, because with kindle or physical, no quick way to copy/paste a section into an AI or just ask the book what it means. But even with those hurdles, I've found the tools to be a great reading augment. Patrick McKenzie: It's surprisingly reliable to just point phone camera at screen and then ask questions about t...

Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana and his Master's thesis on a survey of oncologists about smoked marijuana vs. the oral THC pill in nausea control for cancer patients. His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He also conducted a thirty-four year follow-up study to Timothy Leary's Concord Prison Experiment. Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise healthy people, and eventually to become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. He founded MAPS in 1986, and currently resides in Boston with his wife and puppy, with three empty rooms from his children who have all graduated college and begun their life journeys. Learn more about Rick by listening to his Origin Story and watching his TED Talk.MAPS Texas Eclipse InfoDonate to MAPS.orgThe JRE Episode that started it all.The Synergy of Medicine, Science, and Public Benefit.Lykos TherapeuticsBook: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance 

Supposedly an enslaved man from sixth-century Samos, Aesop might not have ever really existed, but the fables attributed to him remain some of the most widely read examples of classical literature. A fascinating window into the ‘low' culture of ancient Greece, the Fables and the figure of Aesop appear in the work of authors as diverse as Aristophanes, Plato and Phaedrus, serving new purposes in new contexts. Emily and Tom discuss how Aesop's fables as we know them came to be, make sense of their moral contradictions and unpack some of the fables that are most opaque to modern readers.This is an extract from the episode. To listen in full and to our other Close Readings series, sign up:Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pJoFPqIn other podcast apps: lrb.me/closereadingsEmily Wilson is Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jones is an editor at the London Review of Books.Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I had an amazing discussion with Jacob Howland about the fundamental question of technology. We investigate from both the Biblical and ancient Greek perspectives what technology is and its effects on the human spirit. We discuss the notion of memory and recollection, Plato's Phaedrus, the Biblical notion of garments of skin, ChatGPT and AI, work and leisure, technology's effects on human capabilities, paganism and idolatry, intelligence, and “the matrix”, the internet, intuition, and much more. Jacob Howland is the Provost and Director of the Intellectual Foundations Program at UATX, commonly known as the University of Austin. His latest book is Glaucon's Fate: History, Myth, and Character in Plato's Republic (Paul Dry Books, 2018): https://www.amazon.com/Glaucons-Fate-History-Character-Republic/dp/1589881346 Jacob Howland's website: https://www.jacobhowland.com/ His articles on Unherd: https://unherd.com/author/jacob-howlandunherd-com/ Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/o468OtytbVQ Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 01:02 - Intro music 01:28 - Introduction 01:59 - Different narratives about technology 04:09 - Technology from the Greek perspective 05:01 - Plato's Phaedra - and fixing words 08:16 - Egypt 09:29 - Suppressing recollection 11:13 - The garments of skin 15:02 - Work - sorting chaos 18:17 - Human capabilities diminishing 19:53 - ChatGPT cannibalizes itself 22:06 - A pagan god that feeds on humans 23:52 - Human batteries 26:03 - Intuition - direct access to reality 28:49 - What do we mean by intelligence? 30:47 - Understand AI as idolatry 32:19 - The gold of the golden calf 34:53 - The tabernacle 35:33 - A body of power 37:39 - card: Beasts in Revelation 39:16 - Work and leisure 47:45 - Monastic life and leisure 49:18 - Not anti-technology 50:54 - The Henry Adams curve 56:56 - The Beast kills the whore 1:00:17 - Plato's cave 1:01:19 - There is no "solution" 1:03:24 - Prometheus' cycle of desire 1:05:58 - The flip side of all of this 1:10:15 - Paradise Lost 1:11:09 - The need for transcendence 1:12:26 - Re-engage at the human scale

On Limb Lengthening LIVE Episode 96 - Johannes, is back! As are several other LL patients etc. Let's do it! CONTACT LINKS for LL Panelists: 1) Alex's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUqPkst-4LTeAi7RGGMS_Yg 2) Dr. Birkholtz: https://birkholtz.thec4llective.com/ 3) C4LLective Membership to access Dr. B: https://membership.thec4llective.com/home 4) N: nrockyt@aol.com 5) Phaedrus and DJ Cyborg - Join Discord: : https://discord.gg/KQHYqBgzfA 6) Josie: josianne.jumpp07@gmail.com 7) G: she joins from time to time 8) Johannes: joins every 6-8 months 9) Hany - Hanyalbert1.ha@gmail.com ___________ Audio Podcast Version: will be available within 24-48hrs after stream ends Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro for LL Guests2:00 – Johannes update5:00 – IT Band issues12:30 – Alex introduction – achondroplasia bowlegged correction15:00 – Alex's complications17:00 – N introduction on his femur lengthening21:00 – DJ Cyborg update – he's walking now23:00 – G update – she is walking now27:30 – J would had kept lengthening28:00 – Hardest part of lengthening for the patients35:00 – Phaedrus joins the show on updates36:30 – How bad does pain get after 5cm length 42:20 – Hydrotherapy for rehab + Phaedrus update45:30 – Dr. Birkholtz joins the show49:00 – Josie on her Exogen bone stimulator50:50 – Pain from bowlegs and why should be corrected54:20 – What age is ideal for limb lengthening58:15 – Internal nails1:03:15 – N is still recovering after femur CLL1:04:45 – Josie is still recovering after LLD tibia1:05:30 – G on her recovery1:07:15 – Phaedrus on his recovery1:09:30 – Hany introduction1:12:00 – Alex on LL for others1:14:00 – DJ cyborg on his recovery1:16:30 – Arm lengthening1:17:30 – Dr. Birkholtz Q&A1:32:00 – 15% threshold of initial bone length1:35:00 - Outro ________

The art of reading must be learned and then practiced on a daily basis. Socrates the philosopher had a complicated relationship with the written word. He neither fully dismissed its value nor embraced it. Instead, he was worried that writing things down (and reading them) would weaken your memory. In Plato's “Phaedrus”, he describes the conversation between Socrates and Phaedrus. It's a fascinating read because Socrates uses an ancient Egyptian myth to point out that we will use writing, not as a tool for learning, but a tool for forgetting.Why remember if you can write something down, right? The most relevant passage from that dialogue is: "For this invention will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practice their memory. Their trust in writing, produced by external characters which are no part of themselves, will discourage the use of their own memory within them. You have invented an elixir not of memory, but of reminding; and you offer your pupils the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom, for they will read many things without instruction and will therefore seem to know many things, when they are for the most part ignorant and hard to get along with, since they are not wise, but only appear wise."It underscores the idea that reading in itself isn't enough. You need to internalize, reflect on, and truly understand the content for it to be of genuine value. That's why, in this week's podcast episode, we're talking about how to read like a philosopher. How does one approach the reading experience so that it's not superficial? IMPORTANT SHOW NOTES: As mentioned in the video, I want to give a huge shout out to a youtube channel that has inspired me to start this very podcast. Check out his channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@_jaredJOIN THE BOOK CLUB: Affordable at just $4.99 a month Includes FULL membership to Highlightish for book notes and writing Live Session Every Tuesday at 8:30 EST in your Highlightish account Read the kinds of books that will impact your life Weekly reading assignments to keep you on track Stay accountable to your reading goals Enjoy deep, weekly conversation with other adults on an intellectual levelGet started at: https://highlightish.com/book-clubThanks for watching, listening, and MOST IMPORTANTLY → Reading.EddyAbout Me:My name is Eddy Hood. I live in Utah with my wife and kids. I always have a book with me, and if you see me on the street, I'd love to hear about what you're reading.To stay in the loop, make sure to visit my website at http://www.thereadwellpodcast.com. There, you'll find the latest show information on my weekly podcast, access to previous episodes, and a chance to join my newsletter.I'm also building something special just for you at http://www.highlightish.com. It's a tool to help you make better book notes. We will discover creative ways to capture our thoughts, insights, and reflections as we dive into the pages of our favorite reads together.So grab a drink, open a book, and join me each week to become a better reader. Let's build a community that celebrates the magic of books and supports each other in our reading goals. Together, we'll uncover the secrets to becoming lifelong learners who find solace, knowledge, and fascination within the pages of every book we encounter.

This episode investigates Plato's Socratic dialogues and their impact on Ancient Greek communities. We explore their role in teaching about the soul, morality, and character, focusing on the Symposium, Phaedrus, and the Republic. Source: http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1665/pederasty-and-power-in-platos-mythological-dialogues

Upon news that Culmination Brewing may be on the rebound, we speak with Steven Shomler, to find out about his plan. We recount fond memories and meet a new friend from afar Takash from Adashi, one of the brewpub's international fans. Ryan recalls his first Phaedrus, Damian remains optimistic, and John enjoys fresh hops. Culminating on a revival with old favorites and new fans, on this episode of Brew Happy!

Audio Podcast Version: will be available within 24-48hrs after stream ends Timestamps: 0:00 – Audio issue2:00 – Intro4:00 – Update on DJ Cyborg5:45 – Update on G and her lengthening15:30 – Nutrition is far underrated during lengthening17:00 – Life threatening risks of LL22:30 – Tapering stretching during consolidation phase24:30 – Post-surgery pain32:50 – Update on Phaedrus 36:30 – Being tight in the muscles after lengthening51:35 – Robert is a prospective patient52:15 – Stature lengthening long term effects57:00 – Doing 15cm in length59:20 – Phaedrus' x-ray 1:04:40 – Full weight bearing nail benefits1:09:00 – Nerve irritation during lengthening1:12:25 – G's current height and original height1:17:00 – Complications due to surgeon or patient1:21:30 – Any regrets from doing the LL surgery1:26:30 – Phaedrus would have done this differently1:32:00 – Final words of advice by panel1:36:30 - Outro ________

Phaedrus and Reikuman wrap up Season 1 of POTK by looking back at the conversations and experiences they've had since the inception of the podcast. From talking to the World Economic Forum and pioneers in the ReFi movement to interviewing researchers using KlimaDAO as a case study, it's been an incredible journey. We couldn't have done it without the support of each and every one of you and we thank you for listening!POTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesYouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinanceKlimaDAO:Website https://www.klimadao.financeLove Letter https://www.loveletter.klimadao.finance/Carbon Dashboard https://carbon.klimadao.finance/Hosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCryptReikuman https://twitter.com/reikuman33

Introduction: Guest: Fritz Hinrichs, an experienced educator (check out his website) who has brought the teachings of great books to homeschooled kids for 30 years. He was also one of the early educators of Francis and recently joined Invisible as an advisor. Key Discussion Points: Examination of Plato's Phaedrus: Discussed Plato's transition from a playwright to a philosopher, drawn in by Socrates' philosophy. Analyzed various aspects of Plato's dialogue "Phaedrus," from the beginning that deals with love to the unity of theme and logical progression of ideas. Discussed Plato's ideas on writing and conversation, placing higher value on the act of 'writing on souls' (dialogue) over 'writing on paper'. Introduced the idea of a 'divine madness' from Plato's Phaedrus, wherein love is seen as giving wings and being close to the love of God. Discussion on Technology and Human Interaction: Touched on the evolution of technology, drawing a contrast between a friend who loves technology and Fritz's preference for a life firmly rooted to the earth, similar to a hobbit hole. Discussed the challenges of not having a physical campus at Invisible and how to maintain the value of face-to-face conversation and closeness in the age of virtual meetings. Great Books Program and Reading Habits: Spoke about the importance of discussing different perspectives on important issues and understanding how people see life differently. Talked about the Great Books Program that begins with children aged 12-14, emphasizing on the importance of varied reading to avoid falling into 'reading ruts'. Introduced the concept of 'thinking radically' and the importance of investigating the meaning of words. Technology and Humanity: Questioned the role of machine intelligence and its comparison to human intelligence, citing the example of ChatGPT writing a poem in Shakespearean form. Explored how technology like AI can be seen as a tool to aid humans rather than replace them, drawing parallels with the use of calculators. Work, Leisure, and Purpose: Looked at the relationship between work and leisure through the perspectives of different philosophers and religious beliefs. Discussed the importance of doing good work, ordering our work life so that the concept of retirement becomes obsolete, and understanding the purpose of work from a Christian perspective. Role of Reason and Power: Explored the role of reason and its limits, drawing upon the cautionary tale of the Tower of Babel where human beings tried to become gods. Discussed the importance of understanding what a good life looks like and our relationship to a potential higher power.

On Episode 88 of Limb Lengthening LIVE - We're doing another CLL Patients Roundtable to get an update on everyone's post-surgery recovery.

In the Phaedrus, Plato wrote about writing that, “it will create forgetfulness in the learners' souls, because they will not use their memories, they will trust to external written characters and not remember of themselves.” It seems almost beyond believing that as we worry about technologies such as artificial intelligence and smart phones, Plato considered and rejected the new technology of writing things down on paper. It's evidence that for millennia, we humans have been inventing new things and debating about whether or not they are or are not useful—or even safe. At the 2023 Wyoming School of Catholic Thought, the college's adult week, Dr. Pavlos Papadopoulos gave us this introduction to our readings from Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle, and Plutarch. Readings: 1. Sophocles, Antigone 334–375 2. Plato, Phaedrus 274c–275e 3. Plato, Laws 796e–800b 4. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 1.2 5. Aristotle, Politics 1.4, 2.8, 7.11 6. Plutarch, Marcellus ¶¶14–19

Neil Postman offers six questions we should ask when considering any new technology, from the written word to AI. To ask these questions with understanding, Rev. Bramwell goes to Plato's Phaedrus and the legend of the Egyptian god, Theuth, introducing writing to King Thamus. Learn how to analyze any new technology before adopting it. Find the resource mentioned at stmarksferndale.com/newtech. Host Rev. Tyrel Bramwell, St. Mark Lutheran Church in Ferndale, California, and author of the book Come in, We are Closed, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and comfort the soul with God's ordering of the world in the Law and Gospel. Send him your questions at stmarksferndale.com. You can find his videos at youtube.com/c/tyrelbramwell.

On Episode 85 of Limb Lengthening LIVE - We're doing an open mic stream. Episode was great! Lots of patients joined the panel and shared their experience! Wanna join the panel: JOIN LINK: (removed post stream) __________________ Timestamps: Will be available within 24-48hrs after stream ends Audio Podcast: Will be available within 24-48hrs after stream ends __________________

On Episode 83 of Limb Lengthening LIVE - We're doing an open mic Q&A. ______________

Of the twenty-two figures that make up the major arcana of the tarot, the Chariot is probably the most commonplace. While the tenth arcanum is a wheel, it's The Wheel of Fortune, not just any old wagon wheel. But arcanum VII is neither the Chariot of Fire or the Chariot of the Gods – just the plain old chariot. Usually, it is interpreted as a symbol of the will in its lower and higher aspects. In this episode, Phil notes that the Chariot can also symbolize something as ordinary as new car. Of course, here on Weird Studies, no car is just a car, and we like to think that Youngblood Priest, the protagonist of the 1972 film Super Fly, would agree. A car also a tool, a medium, a token of mastery, an atmospheric disturbance, a means of manifestation, a spaceship... Enroll in THE TWIN PEAKS MYTHOS (https://www.nuralearning.com/twin-peaks-mythos), a 4-week Weird Studies view-along starting June 8th. Listen to Meredith Michael and Gabriel Lubell's podcast, Cosmophonia (https://cosmophonia.podbean.com/). Support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/weirdstudies) and gain access to Phil's podcast on Wagner's Ring Cycle. Download Pierre-Yves Martel's new album, Mer Bleue (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com/album/mer-bleue). Visit the Weird Studies Bookshop (https://bookshop.org/shop/weirdstudies) Find us on Discord (https://discord.com/invite/Jw22CHfGwp) Get the T-shirt design from Cotton Bureau (https://cottonbureau.com/products/can-o-content#/13435958/tee-men-standard-tee-vintage-black-tri-blend-s)! REFERENCES Rachel Pollack, Tarot Wisdom (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780738713090) Jordan Parks Jr., Super Fly (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069332/) Our Known Friend, Meditations on the Tarot (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781585421619) Weird Studies, Episode 144 on “Hellraiser” (https://www.weirdstudies.com/144) Plato, Phaedrus (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780140449747) Vanessa Onwuemezi, Dark Neighborhood (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781913097707) J. G. Ballard, Crash (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781250171511) Paul Virilio, War and Cinema (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/979442) Karl Marx, Grundrisse (https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1857/grundrisse/) Weird Studies, Episode 26 with Michael Garfield (https://www.weirdstudies.com/26)

On Episode 81 of Limb Lengthening LIVE - Ravi, Phaedrus, Dante, Ricky G, John Join the call __________________ Timestamps: Will be available within 24-48hrs after stream ends Audio Podcast: Will be available within 24-48hrs after stream ends __________________

Ben is the CEO and Founder of Silverpine - an early stage fintech startup which allows users to invest in high value classic cars. Ben joins Phaedrus and Reikuman in the studio to as they connect over their shared passion of cars and explore the opportunity of people being able to make micro investments in luxury products.What they touch on:(0:58) Ben's Background(2:42) Why Cars?(4:15) Fractional Investing(7:00) Finding Collectible Cars(9:18) Silverpine's Collection(10:42) Offsetting Historic Emissions & EV's(15:13) What's Next for Silverpine?(17:26) Unlocking the Asset Class(20:55) Key TakeawaysLinks:Silverpine https://www.silverpine.io/Silverpine Twitter https://twitter.com/Slvrpn_officialPOTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesYouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinanceKlimaDAO:Website https://www.klimadao.financeLove Letter https://www.loveletter.klimadao.finance/Carbon Dashboard https://carbon.klimadao.finance/Hosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCryptReikuman https://twitter.com/reikuman33

Phaedrus

0xymoron is a serial problem solver and one of the early leaders behind KlimaDAO. As one of the pioneers, he joins Phaedrus and Reikuman in the studio to talk about his insight into the 'Why' behind KlimaDAO and the benefits of operating as a DAO.What they touch on:(1:03) Reflecting on 2022(3:26) Measuring Decentralization(7:55) DAO Business Model(9:16) Bridging Education Gap with ON SET(14:44) The Tragedy of the Commons(21:53) Digital Carbon Trends(26:29) Key TakeawaysLinks:0xymoron https://twitter.com/0xy_moronTragedy of the Commons https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/tragedy-of-the-commons-impact-on-sustainability-issuesPOTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesYouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinanceKlimaDAO:Website https://www.klimadao.financeLove Letter https://www.loveletter.klimadao.finance/Carbon Dashboard https://carbon.klimadao.finance/Hosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCryptReikuman https://twitter.com/reikuman33

THE STORY OF O AND EMany writers and film makers have gone back to Virgil's classic for inspiration over the decades: Tennessee Williams with Orpheus Descending (1957); Marcel Camus' timeless film,  Black Orpheus (1959) is a Brazilian Carnavale take,  Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice is a theatrical staple, and more recently, the Broadway hit, Hadestown.My offering was composed in the early months  of the pandemic, and still retains the urgency of those days. Here are the first 3 songs/episodes, with my spoken introductions. EP 1: OBSESSION - sets the neurotic scene.EP 2: GET OUT! - O fantasizes an escape from the city.EP 3: CHOP WOOD, CARRY WATER - Ensconced upstate, O takes some bucolic counsel.for more reading on the original tale... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus_and_EurydiceIn Virgil's classic version of the legend, it completes his Georgics, a poem on the subject of agriculture. Here the name of Aristaeus, or Aristaios, the keeper of bees, and the tragic conclusion was first introduced.[2]Ovid's version of the myth, in his Metamorphoses, was published a few decades later and employs a different poetic emphasis and purpose. It relates that Eurydice's death was not caused by fleeing from Aristaeus, but by dancing with naiads on her wedding day.Other ancient writers treated Orpheus's visit to the underworld more negatively. According to Phaedrus in Plato's Symposium,[3] the infernal deities only "presented an apparition" of Eurydice to him. Plato's representation of Orpheus is in fact that of a coward; instead of choosing to die in order to be with his love, he mocked the deities in an attempt to visit Hades, to get her back alive. As his love was not "true"—meaning that he was not willing to die for it—he was punished by the deities, first by giving him only the apparition of his former wife in the underworld and then by having him killed by women.[3]

David Garpenstahl is a serial entrepreneur and the current Executive Director of the Play2Learn Foundation. As one of the pioneers in the gaming and e-sports industry, he joins Phaedrus and Reikuman in the studio to talk about his experience and what he sees for the future of gaming technology.What they touch on:(1:03) David Background(3:26) What Makes Play2Learn Unique?(7:55) Play2Learn x KlimaDAO: A Sustainable Future(15:07) Beyond Climate Positive(16:20) Integrating Technology Into Our Lives(21:00) What's Next For P2L?(25:01) Key TakeawaysLinks:Play2Learn https://play2learn.foundation/POTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesYouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinanceKlimaDAO:Website https://www.klimadao.financeLove Letter https://www.loveletter.klimadao.finance/Carbon Dashboard https://carbon.klimadao.finance/Hosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCryptReikuman https://twitter.com/reikuman33

Mitchell from Carbonlink joins Phaedrus and Reikuman in the studio to talk about the personal motivation pushing him to help improve the carbon market and the unique partnership between KlimaDAO and Carbonlink. Tune in to hear them explore how ReFi has matured from inception and what the future looks like for the space.What they touch on:(1:13) Mitchell Background(2:53) Why Carbon?(4:48) What is Carbonlink?(9:16) ReFi Maturing(10:28) Carbonlink x KlimaDAO(13:30) Mitchell's Motivation for Change(15:32) What's Next?(17:34) Key TakeawaysLinks:Carbon Calculator https://carbonisbad.com/Twitter https://twitter.com/carbonlinkioWebsite https://www.carbonlink.io/POTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesKlimaDAO:Discord https://discord.gg/klimadaoTwitter https://twitter.com/KlimaDAOWebsite https://www.klimadao.financeCarbon Dashboard https://carbon.klimadao.finance/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinanceHosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCryptReikuman https://twitter.com/reikuman33

Simon from Liechtensteinischer Banks Association and Howard from Swappable joins Phaedrus and Reikuman in the studio to talk about the unique partnership between the 3 organizations. The LBA has fulfilled its commitment to be climate neutral using NFTs to retiree its total CO2 footprint. Simon and Howard describe how the partnership came to be and why this is just the beginning of digital carbon.What they touch on:(1:13) Simon Background(2:13) Howard Background(3:33) LBA x Swappable partnership(5:30) What is LBA?(7:28) What is Swappable?(9:44) KlimaDAO x LBA x Swappable(12:48) Roadmap 2025(17:01) Episode RecapLinks:Roadmap2025 NFT https://nft.bankenverband.li/Swappable https://swappable.io/LBA https://www.bankenverband.li/enPOTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesKlimaDAO:Discord https://discord.gg/klimadaoTwitter https://twitter.com/KlimaDAOWebsite https://www.klimadao.financeCarbon Dashboard https://carbon.klimadao.finance/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinanceHosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCryptReikuman https://twitter.com/reikuman33

In this episode, Phaedrus and Reikuman invited Scoopy into the studio to talk about Alchemix, their recent proposal to partner with KlimaDAO, and the importance of security when choosing to self-custody.What they touch on:(1:14) Scoopy's Crypto Story(4:09) What is Alchemix?(8:24) Self-Custody & Security(10:34) Klima x Alchemix(12:00) Offsetting Historical Emissions(16:09) What's Next for Alchemix?(17:34) Closing thoughts(18:07) Episode RecapLinks:Scoopy https://twitter.com/scupytrooplesAlchemix https://alchemix.fi/POTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesKlimaDAO:Discord https://discord.gg/klimadaoTwitter https://twitter.com/KlimaDAOWebsite https://www.klimadao.financeCarbon Dashboard https://carbon.klimadao.finance/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinanceHosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCryptReikuman https://twitter.com/reikuman33

In this episode, Phaedrus and Reikuman invite two special guests to help them celebrate KlimaDAO's one year anniversary and look back into the achievements of KlimaDAO throughout the year. The 2 guests were POTK's first interviewee and KlimaDAO's core founder:Asfi: Co-founder of WAGMI LABSArchimedes: C0-founder of KlimaDAOWhat they touch on:(1:48) Asfi highlights of the year(2:51) Archimedes highlights of the year(4:10) OlympusDAO and KlimaDAO(7:04) Launching KlimaDAO(13:17) Reflecting on the year(27:57) Klima's First-Mover Advantage(38:55) Verra's Effect on Klima's Future(41:37) KlimaDAO's future(43:37) Closing thoughts(44:14) Episode RecapLinks:Asfi https://twitter.com/Asfi3333Archimedes https://twitter.com/ArchimedesCryp1POTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesKlimaDAO:Discord https://discord.gg/klimadaoTwitter https://twitter.com/KlimaDAOWebsite https://www.klimadao.financeCarbon Dashboard https://carbon.klimadao.finance/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinanceHosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCryptReikuman https://twitter.com/reikuman33

Takeshi is the co-founder and COO at Senkusha. He created a blockchain-based crowdfunding platform that helps early-stage artists reach new heights and allows investors to rise up with them. He joins Phaedrus and Reikuman in the studio to talk about Senkusha and how they are revolutionizing how fans connect and support new artists and professionals.What they touch on:(1:34) Takeshi background(3:45) Senkusha's roadmap(6:35) What makes Senkusha unique?(9:17) Unlocking NFT potential(13:10) Senkusha's Klima Journey(15:36) What's next for Senkusha?(16:52) How is Senkusha profitable?(19:28) Key takeawaysLinks:Senkusha https://www.senkusha.io/POTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesKlimaDAO:Discord https://discord.gg/klimadaoTwitter https://twitter.com/KlimaDAOWebsite https://www.klimadao.financeYouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinanceHosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCryptReikuman https://twitter.com/reikuman33

Marco van den Heuvel is the founder and CEO at Merit Circle. He created a DAO around Web3 gaming and is focused on developing the play-to-earn economy. He joins Phaedrus and Reikuman in the studio to talk about Merit Circle DAO and how they are revolutionizing the gaming industry by creating a new economy. What they touch on:(1:34) Marco's background(3:27) Web3 Gaming & Scholarship DAO(5:36) What makes Merit Circle unique?(9:05) Play-to-Earn Games(13:12) Web2 vs Web3 Games(15:57) KlimaDAO x Merit Circle DAO(19:15) Building during a Bear Market(22:45) The Future of Blockchain & Web3 Games(25:41) What's next for Merit Circle DAO(29:24) Key takeawaysLinks:Merit Circle https://meritcircle.ioPOTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesKlimaDAO:Discord https://discord.gg/klimadaoTwitter https://twitter.com/KlimaDAOWebsite https://www.klimadao.financeYouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinanceHosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCryptReikuman https://twitter.com/reikuman33

Rufus and Jacob, CEO & CTO of Crypto Caverns, join Phaedrus in the studio to talk about Crypto Caverns. We get a chance to explore their deeply aligned values and their partnership with Klima Infinity. Listen for a chance to hear the issues surrounding crypto energy's consumption, how mining could be the missing piece to help transition towards 'greener' energy sources and the future of Proof of Work.What they touch on:(1:38) Rufus' background(4:56) Jacob' background(6:15) What is Crypto Caverns?(9:05) KlimaDAO x Crypto Caverns(10:00) Funding Green Energy Projects(11:19) Crypto's energy usage(18:10) KlimaDAO x Crypto Caverns(21:17) The MERGE(25:22) The Future of PoW(27:00) What's next for Crypto Caverns(30:01) Key takeawaysLinks:Crypto Caverns https://www.cryptocaverns.com/POTK:Twitter https://twitter.com/POTKlimatesKlimaDAO:Discord https://discord.gg/klimadaoTwitter https://twitter.com/KlimaDAOWebsite https://www.klimadao.finance/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KlimaDAOfinance/Hosts:Phaedrus https://twitter.com/AlphaBetaCrypt

Values are a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life. “And what is good, Phaedrus, And what is not good-Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?” Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Erik Kancler is the owner of Kancler Consulting where he is not a traditional lobbyist. His background is in journalism, scientific research, and nonprofit management. He doesn't like playing politics yet likes getting things done. The process of navigating the political process and getting results for his clients, is very rewarding for him. I encourage you to check out a TedxBend talk recorded in 2018 on Making Politics Great Again. Favorite snack includes potato chips with cottage cheese. https://kanclerconsulting.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekancler/ https://www.ted.com/talks/erik_kancler_making_politics_great_again Music - "Homesick"; Copyright 2018. Written by Shireen Amini. Produced by Shireen Amini and Mike Davidson of Plaid Dog Recording (Boston, MA)  

Another Pick the Flick by the audience! This time, we thank Phaedrus for the suggestion of 2009's Moon! Danielle joins the hosts to discuss Sam Rockwell's ass, director Duncan Jones, and the meaning of the ending of the film. Highly suggest a listen and a watch! Features: Danielle Radford: https://twitter.com/danielleradford Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Another Pick the Flick by the audience! This time, we thank Phaedrus for the suggestion of 1992's Cutting Edge! Soren joins the hosts in comparing rom coms and sports movies, talking about the fuck-den that is the olympic village, and imagining a figure skater projectile vomit on the ice. Features: Soren Bowie: https://twitter.com/Soren_Ltd Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691