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In this episode of Outlaw God, Caleb Keith and Dr. Steven Paulson explore Luther's break from Platonic and mystical ideas of revelation, especially the belief that preaching exists to reveal the right way to live. They explain why the law cannot reconnect us to God or make us righteous, and why Luther insisted that the law kills while the gospel gives life through the forgiveness of sins. The conversation also examines how misunderstandings of worship, the Lord's Supper, and the road to Emmaus can turn God's Word into ritual action rather than the proclamation of Christ's promise. More from 1517: Support the work at 1517 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education 1517 Podcast Listeners Get a Free Book When They Sign Up for Memento This August Dr. Paulson's Outlaw God in Three Volumes: Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 New Books from 1517 Publishing: The Turk at the Door by Adam Francisco Luther and the Lion: A Narnian Catechism by Samuel Schuldheisz By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Steven Paulson Follow 1517: Instagram X/Twitter Facebook
Dcn. Harrison Garlick hosts a full house to discuss the short, strange, forgotten dialogue of Plato's Ion, subtitled "On the Iliad." 10 Question Written Guide on Plato's IonVisit our website for more information!Plato's Ion opens with a victorious rhapsode who claims to speak more beautifully about Homer than any other human being. Socrates grants the premise that a true rhapsode must not merely recite but interpret the poet's thought to his hearers—and then tests whether that excellence is a techne, a teachable art that should apply across all poets who treat the same subjects.Ion fails the test. He is “asleep” except when Homer is mentioned. Socrates therefore offers another account: poets and rhapsodes work not by craft but by divine mania. The Muse is a lodestone, and poet, reciter, and audience form a chain of possession. Ion recognizes himself at once. On stage he is outside himself, and he can move twenty thousand hearers to tears and terror (with a subtle nod in the dialogue about the desire to make money...).The dialogue then presses the distinction between speaking beautifully and speaking correctly. On charioteering, medicine, and the other arts present in Homer, the expert—not the rhapsode—speaks rightly. Unwilling to admit he has no art at all, Ion seizes the last remaining claim and declares himself the best general. The identification is absurd, and the conversation nearly collapses. Socrates leaves him a choice: to be called unjust, or divine. Ion takes the latter. Skill and inspiration remain unreconciled. What the short work has done is place poetry, possession, and the education of the city on the table—and prepare the larger judgment of the poets that the Republic will make.Chapters00:00 - Welcome to Ascend and overview of the episode's purpose01:05 - Introducing Ion and the returning and first-time guests02:29 - Erik Rostad explains Book of Titans and his lifelong reading project06:28 - First reactions to Ion and its perplexing character07:11 - Preliminary framing: subtitle, translation, and why the dialogue matters10:10 - Ion's claim to be the finest speaker on Homer11:44 - What techne means in this dialogue20:00 - Does Ion really claim knowledge, or only beautiful performance?23:50 - Ion's claim that no one else speaks more finely on Homer28:37 - The question of poetry as a better educator than philosophy31:03 - Ion admits he dozes off when other poets are discussed38:45 - The magnet metaphor and the chain of divine influence44:32 - Is divine inspiration irrational, or can it be a real source of truth?55:31 - A third sense of possession: skill, demonization, and being subsumed into beauty60:15 - Ion says he watches the crowd and adjusts for money and effect62:49 - Does Ion have a real art, or is he just managing audience response?70:29 - The charioteer, the physician, and whether Socrates is being fair72:26 - Does philosophy itself become a narrow specialty in the same way?76:03 - Why actors may be excellent performers but poor explainers of their craft78:10 - Socrates as a guide toward self-recognition of Ion's actual techne87:25 - Plato as storyteller and the philosopher's need for a better story90:20 - Storytelling, parables, and the pedagogical power of narrative92:37 - Plato's self-reflection on his own art and craft94:36 - The unresolved tension between inspiration and skill99:44 - Closing thanks KeywordsPlato's Ion, On the Iliad, Ion of Ephesus, rhapsode, Homer, Iliad, Odyssey, technē, techne, divine inspiration, mania, theia moira, magnet metaphor, lodestone, Muse, speaking beautifully, speaking correctly, kalos, orthos, Socratic dialogue, forgotten Platonic dialogues, aporetic dialogue, poetry versus philosophy, education of the city, Republic Book 10, poets as imitators, Allan Bloom, Thomas Pangle, Roots of Political Philosophy, Debra Nails, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Thomas Lackey, Jack Drury, Erik Rostad, Book of Titans, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, rhapsodic contest, Asclepieia, Epidaurus, generalship, polymathy, Plato as dramatist.
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Larson, Dr. Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey discuss the short, strange, and forgotten dialogue of HIppias Minor or "On the Lie."8 Questions on Hippias Minor Study GuideCheck Ascend out on X, YouTube, Facebook, and More!Plato's Hippias Minor is a short, strange dialogue with a traditional subtitle that cuts straight to the point: “On the Lie.” After the boastful sophist Hippias finishes a public speech ranking Achilles the best and Odysseus the most polytropos—the man of twists and turns—Socrates is drawn into a conversation that begins with Homer and ends in one of the deepest aporias of the early dialogues. What starts as a dispute over who is the better man, the straightforward Achilles or the wily Odysseus, quickly becomes a rigorous examination of voluntary versus involuntary wrongdoing, the nature of knowledge and power, and the unsettling claim that the man who does injustice on purpose is better than the one who does it by accident.Deacon and the guests work through the dialogue's sharp arguments and its surprising relevance. The conversation exposes the limits of treating virtue as mere knowledge plus power, raises the question of whether a just person might ever speak falsely for a good end, and serves as a genuine appetizer for the noble lie in the Republic. Come listen—and discover why even Socrates, at the end, cannot agree with himself.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Hippias Minor and its Context04:55 Setting the Scene: Hippias' Speech and Socrates' Role09:22 Hippias' Boasts and Socrates' Irony17:55 The Homeric Heroes: Achilles and Odysseus25:04 Knowledge, Power, and the Art of Lying36:15 The Distinction Between Capacity and Action44:53 The Nature of Truth and Falsehood in Socratic Dialogue46:43 Conclusion: What Socrates Reveals About Knowledge and Lies02:39 Socrates' questioning of Hippias and the nature of virtue04:55 The analogy of athletic competitions and the concept of justice07:57 Socrates' discussion on voluntary and involuntary actions12:05 The role of knowledge and capacity in moral actions15:34 Hippias' understanding of justice and its relation to power19:50 The concept of noble lies and pedagogical deception25:04 The absence of forms and gods in the dialogue30:14 The deeper meaning of Socratic ignorance and self-awareness34:54 The significance of the question: Is justice knowledge or power?39:51 Conclusion: What we learn about virtue, knowledge, and truthKeywordsPlato's Hippias Minor, Lesser Hippias, On the Lie, Hippias of Elis, Achilles and Odysseus, polytropos, voluntary and involuntary wrongdoing, voluntary liar, Socratic dialogue, aporetic dialogue, forgotten Platonic dialogues, noble lie, Republic, virtue is knowledge, knowledge and power, sophist, polymath, Eudicus, Embassy scene Iliad, teleology, Forms, Socratic irony, beneficial falsehood, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Dr. Brett Larson, Thomas Lackey, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, political philosophy, Allan Bloom, Roots of Political Philosophy.Next week we discuss Plato's Ion!
Platonic wingwomen are the backbone of society.Some people are reluctant to introduce their friends to one another, but society thrives on it. While it can be nerve-wracking to mix friend groups (we've covered this in a previous episode-- see below), it's a skill we should all have.In this episode, Danielle shares 4 steps to becoming a charismatic and effective wingwoman for your friends.
Would you do this?
In this interview, a throwdown between Aristotelian and Platonic philosophy of personal growth, with Steve Barton, a Gestalt psychology-trained High-Performance Executive Coach, and he's the author of The Father, the Son, and the Aha Moment--which I read as I'm a new-ish dad. The book, which is really about mindset, has some good insights, but I disagreed with a few of its fundamental suppositions. It's a bit too Platonic for my tastes, but I invited Steve on the podcast for a bit of friendly disagreement...04:20 The Game of Ten: Foundations and Philosophy08:19 Radical Self-Acceptance and Divine Consciousness13:11 Boundaries, Agreements, and Relationship Dynamics19:55 Genetic Predispositions and Self-Awareness24:46 Biohacking and Emotional Resilience Strategies33:52 Case Study: PTSD and Contracting with Self41:13 The Power of Forgiveness and Letting Go50:58 Unconditional Love, Boundaries, and Self-Protection01:00:27 The Role of Brain Training and Biohacking01:10:04 Practical Applications and Client Success Stories01:14:59 Final Message for Future GenerationsFor everything mentioned here, read: Aristotelian vs Platonic Personal Growth
The rise of platonic co-parenting HR 3 full 2405 Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:31:34 +0000 QXSFkb6DtdYq4MTWfzutO4R4p8zZwQbF news MIDDAY with JAYME & WIER news The rise of platonic co-parenting HR 3 From local news & politics, to what's trending, sports & personal stories...MIDDAY with JAYME & WIER will get you through the middle of your day! © 2025 Audacy, Inc. News https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-link=https%3
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This series explores belief in the long-lived myth of Atlantis. In this first part, I look at the origin of the story in Plato's Timaeus and Critias and the reasons scholars have long concluded it was fiction. Check out the show merch, perfect for gifts! Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found! Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music in this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of publication. Tracks include Cicle DR Valga, Tarte Tatin, The Gran Dias, Leatherbound, Cicle Gerano, and Illa Villardo, Additional music, including Remedy for Melancholy, Cold War Echo, daedalus, and daemones, is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Larson, and Dr. Grabowski discuss Plato's Lovers--a strange, short, and somewhat forgotten dialogue seeking the definition of philosophy. We are celebrating ONE YEAR of our sister-company, The Ascent, a top 100 Substack on Christian spirituality. Check out our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Lovers. Plato's Lovers is a short, strange, and easily overlooked dialogue that asks one of the most important questions in the entire Platonic corpus: What is philosophy? Set in a grammar school where two rival older lovers—one an athlete, the other a cultured “know-it-all”—compete for the attention of younger boys discussing astronomy, the conversation quickly becomes an erotic and educational contest. Socrates enters the scene and quietly reorders the loves on display, showing that philosophy is not the accumulation of many things, that self-knowledge must come before any claim to rule, and that the true lover of the young is the one who leads their souls toward wisdom.In this episode of Ascend, Dcn. Garlick is joined by Dr. Grabowski and Dr. Larson to unpack the dialogue's subtle images of the soul, its playful yet serious treatment of eros, and its surprising role as an appetizer for the Republic. The accompanying written guide offers a clear outline, preliminary questions, and dense Q&A—perfect for first-time readers, small groups, or anyone who wants to follow the argument more carefully. Chapters00:00 Introduction to Plato's 'The Lovers'02:07 The setting and context of the dialogue06:19 Who is the dialogue for? Audience and purpose11:12 The erotic dimension of philosophy and education16:10 The strangeness of the dialogue's setting22:02 What is philosophy? The first definitions27:36 The analogy of athletic training and measured learning37:25 Usefulness, goodness, and self-knowledge41:11 The political implications and the role of the philosopher50:11 The dramatic and rhetorical aspects of the dialogue57:32 The aporetic ending and its significanceKeywordsPlato's Lovers, Rival Lovers, Erastai, what is philosophy, polymathy, much learning, Socratic dialogue, aporetic dialogue, forgotten Platonic dialogues, eros, erotic education, true love of the soul, tripartite soul, music and gymnastics, mousikē, gymnastikē, self-knowledge, know thyself, Socrates as third lover, Dionysius grammar school, anonymity in Plato, via negativa, aporia, preparation for the Republic, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Dr. Brett Larson, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Platonic education, philosophy and politics, soul craft before statecraft.
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Neither/Nor podcast · recorded 22 June 2026Andrew Milward is an independent philosopher who, like me, came to philosophy through literature. For me it was a search for texts treating what matters in life and how to live it, which led me away from logic and towards Tolstoy at university. For Andrew it was Orwell's 1984 in his early 20s: reading it as a critique of the Soviet Union led him to the Russian Revolution, then Marx, Hegel, and eventually Plato and the pre-Socratics. He too has followed his interests without the constraints, or the support, of any institution. We met on Mastodon, of all places; he's now a regular in my London writing group, First Few Books. We spend the conversation on two of his works.The Absent World (2017)It starts from a question: how can we think and speak about things we can't see? We talk about cities neither of us is standing in, essays neither of us is holding. Andrew names a gap between sense (everything belonging to language — speech, writing, thought) and referent (what language points at, whether that's another piece of language, a physical thing, or a mix of the two). Language generalises: it leaves out whatever isn't needed to communicate, and the gap widens the further the referent slips out of view.At one end of the spectrum there's no gap at all — in logic and mathematics, sense is self-referential, pointing at its own necessity rather than any outside object. At the other end Andrew creates a concept he calls depth: sense at its greatest possible distance from a referent, one that takes in everything. The payoff isn't only philosophical. Depth should stop us flattening a person or a group into a conceptual label.Wittgenstein and Deleuze (2025)Here he sets out the method behind the essays and describes a non-epistemic philosophy. We usually recognise only two kinds: the epistemic kind that builds knowledge, and the sceptical kind that tears it down. He wants a third, which does neither. From Wittgenstein he takes “Don't think, but look!” (Philosophical Investigations §66) — turning vision on our own thinking, with no attempt to grasp a hidden reality. From Deleuze he takes concept creation. The combination is the point: Wittgenstein alone left his early attempts flat, and the Deleuzian side was needed to build concepts that change thought. Depth is one of them — a fabrication that lives in language and claims to discover nothing out there.Toward the end we find the overlap with Neither/Nor. My paper's oscillation — loosen concepts through perception, then reform them into something usable — pairs with Andrew's Wittgensteinian looking and Deleuzian creation. His sense/real duality maps onto my conceptual/experiential distinction: internal linguistic thought, external physical world. Both call for practices on each side — a life of thought and ideas, and a skilful embodied engagement with the physicality of living.Andrew closes with a case for abstraction. Our abstract concepts don't belong to a Platonic heaven, but their universal form lets them move fluidly in thought, and follow the path belonging to the idea itself. Each reader still has to apply it to a reality of their own.Mentioned: Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men · Ellison, Invisible Man · Styron, Sophie's Choice · Heller, Catch-22 · Orwell, 1984 · Marx · Hegel · the pre-Socratics · Plato, Republic · Nietzsche, The Gay Science · Kierkegaard · Frege · Lacan · Wittgenstein, Tractatus and Philosophical Investigations · Kripke, Naming and Necessity · Deleuze, Difference and Repetition and (with Guattari) What Is Philosophy? · Parmenides · Kant · Sextus Empiricus · Pyrrho · BadiouLinksAndrew's essays and books: andrewmilward.netSupport the podcast: PatreonThe Neither/Nor paper (Kam & Granic, 2026): Nature / Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
What do people who believe they are writing songs when they use Suno AI, YouTuber Hank Green, and Narcissus from Greek mythology all have in common? Quite a lot, it turns out. And they can help us recognise a form of stuckness that’s becoming increasingly common as people’s relationship with generative AI begins to blur the boundary between ourselves and the technologies we use, making it more difficult to know where the human ends and the machine begins. https://youtu.be/zSMwN0wKGlE Getting Stuck in the Digital Image Our relationship with technology and, in particular, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Suno poses a really interesting existential dilemma. I’ve been fascinated to see how these are often sold as tools to overcome stuckness. While at the same time, they create a whole different form of stuckness when we become attached to them. The demise of Narcissus came through an obsession with his own reflection. Perhaps the price of looking away from his reflection brought its own kind of departure and death. Maybe the image had become more real, perfect, and desirable than the human staring at it. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, we consider how the reflection of ourselves in the machines we use can bend us out of shape and leave us uncertain of who we are and what we’re capable of. What Does It Mean to Write a Song? Fil Henley, AKA Wings of Pegasus, asked this simple question in a recent video. He analysed an advert from the AI music generation platform Suno, which features producers and songwriters using it to make songs. Fil says, “If you don’t know what the song is going to sound like before you hear it, then you haven’t written the song.” Platforms like Suno act like fruit machines. The output is based more on luck than judgement. What makes them compelling and perhaps even addictive, is that the result is impossible for us to predict. It’s a surprise each time that feels exciting to reveal. And it can turn any old crap into something you might hear on the radio. As we see in the video. More Than a Tool This is what makes these services different from tools. A tool reliably enables us to carry out a task without doing everything and more autonomously. So when the producer says that Suno is showing him stuff he never would have thought about, he is revealing the blurred boundary between us and these machines. It is more than a tool for songwriting. It’s generating the song itself. Suno isn’t like a digital audio workstation (a tool), where a songwriter records, edits, and produces music they have written and performed. It goes further, making many of the creative decisions that normally require time, judgement, and consideration throughout the songwriting process. In other words, the user doesn’t need the skill required to produce the result. Whose Ideas Are They? So if YOU didn’t think of them, whose ideas are they? And if it’s outputting stuff based on something you haven’t thought of, what’s the point in you being there at all? The song is found in the mirror as generative AI reflects back an image of a reality that doesn't exist above the surface. Creative Block as a Rite of Passage In reality, human creativity emerges through the energy generated by those moments of friction, uncertainty, and obstacle. By intervening early with generative AI before we have taken the opportunity to grapple with a block, we deprive ourselves of that bittersweet joy of finding something that comes to life THROUGH US. Instead, a service like Suno short-circuits the block. It presents fully formed solutions that we “never would have thought about”. Perhaps, we would have thought of something much better and more “us” if we had been patient and given ourselves time to grapple with the block. The Allure of The Mirror When you listen to these outputs, there is a professional sheen to them that feels sharp. It sounds just like stuff you hear on the radio. But it sounds like stuff you hear on the radio. There is a sameness to it. An increasingly homogenous stasis. Maybe this technology is attractive precisely because it DOESN’T sound like us. It’s familiar enough for us to to glimpse ourselves. But we look different. It cleans up the parts we might cringe at and be afraid of revealing. Those bits that feel messy, broken, chaotic, and weird. We don’t argue with the machine that makes us sound like something you’d hear on the radio, see on TV, or LinkedIn. Slick, clean, authoritative, clinical, soulless, indistinguishable, unremarkable, dull. Incidentally, this is a good way to identify the best producers, editors, and coaches to work with. They don’t try to make us sound like them or force us to emulate their processes. Instead, they seek to understand and support us. They are able to help us notice, accept, and amplify those parts that we would try to shrink down and hide when left to our own devices. The machine holds a mirror with some perfected image that we believe is us, but is stripped of blemishes, stains, and imperfections. But rather than being the Platonic ideal version of us, it’s more like an aggregate approximation of who everyone else is in the land of mediocre homogeneity. We arrive in this territory when we sand off our edges and lose our spark. The Culture of Narcissism In his 1979 book The Culture of Narcissism, Christopher Lasch offers a fresh way of thinking about the myth of Narcissus. We tend to think that Narcissus died because he fell in love with his own reflection and couldn’t look away, so was unable to do anything other than stare obsessively at himself in the water. Lasch adds another layer, depicting cultural narcissism emerging as the image of the human in the water becomes more important than the human it reflects. Telling Us Apart YouTuber Hank Green recently revealed that he had become over-reliant on ChatGPT after viewers pointed out something in a video that felt off to them. When viewed in context, the clip actually makes more sense than the reactionary commentary suggested. But while he said he didn’t accidentally read something from ChatGPT left in the script, Green didn’t dismiss the criticism. Instead, he agreed, “I think what people have said in this thread about me diluting myself is spot on”. Diluting oneself through the use of technology indicates how a separation between the image and the self can get blurred. This is perhaps why those using Suno to make songs believe they themselves are writing songs. It’s not necessarily a deliberate deception being perpetrated by people pretending to know more than they do or pretending they’ve done things they haven’t. There is a real belief being seeded and nurtured that means people genuinely struggle to distinguish between themselves and the output generated by these technologies. The Gift of Getting Stuck There is a gift in getting stuck along the way during the creative process. It invites us to be resourceful problem solvers. It builds character and reveals more about who we are as we experiment, test, and try things without guaranteed results. Imperfectly. Clumsily. Grappling with creative friction gives opportunities to deepen our confidence and grow our experiences of being okay after failing. These tools are sold to us as ways to avoid that friction. But in so doing, we avoid strengthening the tension wood of creativity altogether, grown in a dance with the rhythm of life’s winds and storms. It Takes a Village (of Humans) In this Sunotopia, depicted through their advert, we see many people gathered in the studio. Yet, the future reality that will come through the success of these platforms appears to be very different. The technology is moving us away from others so we don’t need a producer, an engineer, or other musicians to work with. All we need is Suno because Suno doesn’t get blocked. It will work with whatever crap you feed it. And it will turn any old noise into the kind of song you might hear on the radio. Happiness is Only Real When… Christopher McCandless’s diary concluded that “happiness is only real when shared”. An observation made under tragic circumstances. I think there is a lot of truth in this. I’ve found many times that even the happiest experiences I’ve had on my own feel more complete when they are witnessed through sharing a story with someone else. When we’re feeling the pressure to conform to the schedule of our unrelenting world, we need the courage to give it time. To give OURSELVES and ONE ANOTHER time. Maybe our intuition and imagination will start to show us stuff an LLM never would have thought of… It is rebellious to release ourselves from the pressure to rush and force output for the sake of it. Technologies like Suno and ChatGPT can become an attractive crutch when they are sold as ways to keep going amidst the limitless demands of a productivity-obsessed world. But they gradually erode confidence in our own creative capacity. We would do well to remember, “it is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society”. This is where we become unstuck (in the best possible way).
In this podacst we will be talking about 6 Ways To Stop Worrying About Anything from the philosophy of Plato . Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher who, along with his teacher Socrates and his student Aristotle, built the foundation for almost all Western philosophy. So here are 6 Ways To Stop Worrying About Anything from the philosophy of Plato - 01. Act as the Charioteer of Your Soul02. Apply the "Dice" Method 03. Step out of your cave04. Look at a bigger picture05. Value Your Character06. Practice "Philosophical Preparation"We hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast and hope this video, from the philosophy of Plato, helps you to stop worrying. Plato is one of the most famous philosophers of all time. He represented the philosophy of ancient Greece, belonging to its Classical Period. He was born into an aristocratic and influential family in Athens, where he founded the Academy, the first institution of higher learning in the entire Western world. Along with his mentor Socrates, and his student Aristotle, Plato is one of the most influential individuals in the entire history of humankind. It can even be said that he is one of the pillars of Western civilisation. His philosophy is often referenced as Platonic idealism and his biggest contribution is the Theory of Forms or Doctrine of Ideas, which asserts that the physical world is not the real world. Instead, ultimate reality exists beyond our physical world, in the world of ideas. Plato was not only a prominent figure of philosophy, but also of religion and spirituality; so-called Neo-platonism deeply influenced Christian theology. Plato invented the written dialogue and dialectic form of philosophy. Some of his most famous books are The Republic, The Symposium, The Apology of Socrates, Allegory of the Cave and The Dialogues of Plato, in which the main character is Socrates, who influenced Plato's philosophy to a great extent. His entire work has survived for more than 2,400 years and has remained very popular the entire time. Like his mentor, Plato was a practical philosopher and there are many life lessons to learn from his philosophy.
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick and Dr. Grabowski discuss a short, strange, and somewhat forgotten Platonic dialogue - The Hipparchus.Check out our 15 Q&A Written Guide to the Hipparchus - great for small groups, homeschooling, autodidacts, and more!What begins as a simple question—“What is the love of gain?”—quickly becomes a sharp and unsettling examination of the democratic soul. With no dramatic setting and a nameless interlocutor, the dialogue feels almost like overhearing Socrates in the marketplace, pressing an ordinary Athenian citizen on whether the desire for more is always shameful, or whether the soul might rightly love higher forms of gain: nobility, honor, and even wisdom itself.What makes the conversation especially rewarding is how Socrates deliberately chooses a shocking example—the tyrant Hipparchus—and reimagines him as a lover of wisdom who sought to educate the city. In doing so, the dialogue quietly draws a parallel between the supposed tyrant and Socrates himself, both of whom attract the youth, challenge conventional order, and are ultimately rejected by a democratic culture that cannot tolerate excellence. Along the way, listeners encounter an early sketch of the tripartite soul, a critique of the leveling effects of egalitarianism, and an aporetic ending that leaves the interlocutor “compelled rather than persuaded.” Brief, strange, and surprisingly profound, this episode is an excellent preparation for the Republic and a compelling invitation to reconsider what the soul truly seeks.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Plato's Hipparchus and its significance01:54 Main themes: Love of gain, democracy, and wisdom04:03 The character of Socrates and the setting of the dialogue06:03 Hipparchus as a figure in political myth and history07:58 Translation choices and interpretive approaches10:00 The dialogue's structure and lack of dramatic setting11:56 The definition of love of gain and greed13:54 Socrates' critique of the love of worthless things16:06 Hipparchus as a symbol of love of wisdom and fame18:04 The political implications of Hipparchus' love of wisdom20:00 The role of the democratic man and the love of gain21:49 Socrates' pedagogical method and the nature of knowledge23:52 The significance of the tyrant example and Hipparchus' myth26:04 The character of the interlocutor and the setting of the dialogue28:03 The introduction of Hipparchus and its layers of meaning30:10 The political myth of Hipparchus and its revisionist history32:00 Hipparchus' love of wisdom and the Herms34:08 The allegory of knowledge and the tripartite soul35:53 The love of gain as a love of wisdom and truth38:08 The democratic man, shame, and the pursuit of philosophy40:00 The role of philosophers in democratic society42:01 The character of Socrates as a gadfly and teacher43:48 The process of being compelled towards truth45:54 Bloom's interpretation: Socrates as a political and epistemological figure48:00 The significance of the short dialogues for understanding Socrates50:12 The importance of humility and piety in reading Plato51:57 Next week's discussion: Rival Lovers and the nature of wisdomKey words: Plato Hipparchus, love of gain, philokerdia, Socratic dialogue, political philosophy, Alan Bloom, Thomas Pangle, Roots of Political Philosophy, democratic man, egalitarianism, leveling effect, tripartite soul, thumos, nous, appetitive soul, tyrant Hipparchus, Herms, Socrates as gadfly, aporetic dialogue, compulsion versus persuasion, preparation for Plato's Republic, philosopher-king, Great Books podcast, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick, Frank Grabowski, classical education, ancient philosophy, Plato short dialogues, forgotten Platonic dialogues.
#podcast #jazz #jazztubeIn the, the second and final Part of my discussion of two jazz books I go into more detail of the prose of both the authors and their reflections on the passage of time, changes of taste and the effects on America's art form.More on this stream ( part 2 of 2), here:For the second and final episode of my jazz book lunches I gave myself an impossible, maybe silly task: pick only one album for each of the three master musicians of Bill Evans John Coltrane and Miles Davis. One thing I will say notwithstanding it probably not having to be said is that all three albums here are great on their own merits but do not reflect the traditional or canonical view especially among the musicians themselves, never mind scholars or critics. For Miles Davis I did not pick Kind Of Blue, for example and for John Coltrane I did not pick A Love Supreme. Again those two albums may very well be greater than the ones I personally have chosen and prefer in some Platonic sense but my interest here is getting listeners interested in and excited about less famous but at least equally valuable releases.Bill Evans:Consecration: The Final Recordings (Note: not only is this album not one of the typical ones used to represent Evan's work; it didn't even come out until 1989 in Japan and then in the US in 2002)! For me it reflects Evan's triumph and is my favorite trio of his. This is Bill Evans at his most romantic, even wild, and I love the performances for that. (It is also from performances at the very end of his life). • Bill Evans Trio - Re: Person I Knew (Offic... John Coltrane: The 1961 Village Vanguard recordings • John Coltrane - Live At The Village Vangua... This selection is one with which so many musicians and critics alike would agree: an incredible document of Trane and his great quartet in performance at the greatest of jazz rooms. There is some additional Eric Dolphy on one selection too. You can also hear McCoy Tyner's harmonic and pianistic innovations in fullest display on this one.Miles Davis:Filles De Kilamanjaro (1969) • Frelon brun I so love this album of Miles: it is so many things. It has a lot of traditional jazz styles language in it from the great quartet of Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams and yet it is also funky, soulful sometimes like rock n roll at the same time. And then there are sections that are like classical or modern chamber music. A must.
Esotericist, Ike Baker returns to the mind meld!
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick delivers an unapologetically curmudgeonly critique of Christopher Nolan's new film The Odyssey.Check out our LIBRARY on the great books. https://www.patreon.com/cw/greatbooks/collections23 Raw Thoughts on the New Odyssey Movie https://www.patreon.com/greatbooks/posts/23-quick-on-164190324SEE OUR SCHEDULE BELOW!Fresh off a twelve-week deep dive into Homer's epic with thousands of listeners, Deacon argues that the movie is no mere adaptation but a modern ideological rewriting that flattens Homer's rich characters, mutes the divine, and replaces sacred myth with progressive lessons about shame, war, race, and power.From Odysseus reduced to a guilt-racked figure who “defies the gods,” to the deliberate recasting and reframing of Helen, Menelaus, Circe, Athena, and even guest-friendship itself, Deacon contends that Nolan's version marries cultural illiteracy with calculated compromise—and that both the film and the culture's eager defense of it reveal far more about us than about Homer.Yet this is more than a film review. Deacon uses the movie as a lens to examine how stories shape a civilization's soul, why myths matter more than mere fiction, and why Christians and lovers of the Western tradition must resist the slow leftward drift of endless compromise.SCHEDULEJuly 28, 2026 - Holy Eros: An exploration of eros in Plato, the Bible, and Christian thoughtAugust 4, 2026 - Plato's HipparchusAugust 11, 2026 - Plato's LoversAugust 18, 2026 - Plato's Hippias MinorAugust 25, 2026 - Plato's IonSeptember 1, 2026 - Enduring Chill by Flannery O'ConnorSeptember 8, 2026 - Red Shadows by Robert E. HowardSeptember 15, 2026 - Chivalry by Neil GaimanCHAPTERS (Updated)00:00 — Intro: why this review matters01:00 — Piety toward Homer and the problem with the film03:05 — Why the movie is not a “conservative Trojan horse”05:05 — The danger of relativism and compromise07:10 — Myth vs. fiction: why adaptation matters10:10 — Odysseus as a shame-filled hero12:50 — Menelaus, Helen, and the film's cultural messaging15:30 — How Nolan flattens characters and tension18:05 — Penelope and the loss of the rooted-bed scene21:10 — Casting, modern language, and suspension of disbelief23:55 — Calypso and the removal of Odysseus's moral triumph26:25 — Athena as shame and post-traumatic projection29:55 — Nolan's treatment of the Trojan War32:55 — The Lystragonians and armor/costume criticism35:05 — The cult of Nolan vs. the cult of Homer37:00 — Gods, superstition, and the muted divine39:15 — The slaughter of the suitors41:10 — Guest-friendship, Xenia, and Christian themes43:00 — Circe, the deer, and the soul of the crew44:55 — Pacing, emotional investment, and the bardKEYWORDSChristopher Nolan Odyssey movie review, Homer Odyssey film adaptation critique, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick, cultural illiteracy in modern cinema, myth versus fiction in storytelling, Odysseus shame and guilt, Nolan casting controversies Helen Menelaus, Circe Athena Penelope Telemachus character changes, xenia guest friendship Golden Rule, Trojan War regret in film, Defy the Gods tagline analysis, classical education and Great Books, piety toward Homer, liberalism compromise in culture, upcoming Plato Republic study, Holy Eros episode, short Platonic dialogues Hipparchus Lovers Hippias Minor Ion, Short Story September Flannery O'Connor Robert E. Howard Neil Gaiman Melville, and Western civilization sacred myths.
Most people who struggle with low self esteem are not comparing themselves to a standard they invented. They absorbed it from everyone around them: there is one ideal, and I am not it.In this class, Rabbi Leib Kelemen traces that feeling back to its source and shows why it rests on a mistake that has been passed down since Adam: the belief that one is good and multiplicity is evil.At Mount Sinai, that belief was publicly corrected. 22,000 angels descended, each carrying its own flag, each one unlike any other. The Jewish people saw it and were seized with a desire the sources call a taiva / lust for flags: the longing to finally be themselves.What you will learn:Why low self esteem spreads through a community, not just a personWhere the idea of a single Platonic ideal actually comes fromWhat the 600,000 root souls and 600,000 paths in Torah really meanWhy the manna tasted different to every person who ate itWhy Avraham merited personal hashgacha, and what the Ramban says that costs you if you erase yourselfA once a day practice for living as an individual, not a copyThe core claim of this class is uncomfortable and freeing at the same time: closeness with God requires that He recognize you. If you look exactly like everyone else, there is no one there to be seen.For more free lectures from Rabbi Kelemen, visit lawrencekelleman.com#SelfEsteem #Torah #JewishThought #RabbiKelemen #MountSinai #Individuality #Mussar #OrthodoxJudaism
This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and biographer Plutarch's short work On Moral Virtue This episode focuses specifically on his discussion, early on in the work, of the composite nature of the human soul, which includes a rational part and an irrational part, the latter of which is further divided into a spirited (thumoeides) part and an appetitive part (epithumia). This will be relatively familiar to many as the Platonic tripartite conception of the soul, found in Plato's Republic. He also discusses Aristotle's position and that of the Stoics. You can find the copy of the text I am using for this sequence on Plutarch's On Moral Virtue here - https://amzn.to/3gpyrS3 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 4000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler (Amazon links are associate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick hosts Dr. Patrick Deneen to discuss his NEW BOOK: The American Odyssey: What an Ancient Story Reveals About Our Divided Souls.Pick up the AMERICAN ODYSSEY out today!https://a.co/d/01rpYuwt23 Observations on the new Christopher Nolan Odyssey Moviehttps://www.patreon.com/greatbooks/posts/23-quick-on-164190324In this special episode of Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick welcomes back renowned Notre Dame political thinker Dr. Patrick Deneen—author of Why Liberalism Failed and Regime Change—to celebrate the release of his brand-new book, The American Odyssey: What an Ancient Story Reveals About Our Divided Souls.Fresh off a 12-week deep dive into Homer's epic, the conversation reveals why Odysseus is the ultimate “proto-American” hero: a restless seeker torn between the hunger for home and the irresistible call of the frontier. Deneen traces this tension from the ancient text through Dante's damning portrayal of Odysseus as a villain of forbidden knowledge, to the Renaissance reinvention of him as the triumphant explorer who metaphorically discovers America itself.What makes this episode unmissable is how Deneen unlocks Aristotle's radical claim that humans are political animals precisely because we are neither beasts nor gods, the “citylessness” that turns Ithaca into a Cyclopean free-for-all, and the startling parallels between Odysseus' refusal of immortality and Huck Finn's decision to “go to hell.” Pairing iconic American stories like The Wizard of Oz, Field of Dreams, and Huckleberry Finn with Homer's timeless episodes, Deneen shows that the Western tradition isn't locked in dusty classics—it's alive in our movies, novels, and national character, especially as America marks its 250th anniversary. Dive in and discover how an ancient tale of departure and return still maps the divided soul of a nation that can't stop exploring… or longing for home.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Dr. Patrick Deneen and the Book01:54 Deneen's Return to Homer and the Odyssey03:59 Odysseus as a Proto-American Figure06:59 The Tension Between Flourishing and Discontent12:07 Odysseus and the Pioneering Spirit of America19:02 The Shift in Odysseus' Image from Medieval to Renaissance27:01 Odysseus as a Figure of Forbidden Knowledge34:08 The Connection Between Odysseus and Columbus40:02 The Polis and Citylessness in Homer and Aristotle48:07 The Return of the Polis and the Homecoming56:06 Huckleberry Finn as an Odyssean American Hero59:45 The Western Tradition in Popular CultureKey words: Ascend Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick, Dr Patrick Deneen, The American Odyssey book, Homer Odyssey, Odysseus proto-American hero, Why Liberalism Failed, Regime Change, Western tradition, Aristotle Politics, man political animal, apolis citylessness, Dante Inferno Odysseus villain, Renaissance explorers, Columbus Amerigo Vespucci, American character, pioneering spirit, frontier homecoming, Calypso immortality, Huckleberry Finn, Field of Dreams, Wizard of Oz, 250th anniversary Declaration of Independence, Notre Dame political science, Homeric studies, great books podcast, Platonic dialogues, American soul, divided souls, political theory, classical literature, Americana, Odyssey episodes.
In this episode we explore one of the most fascinating texts in the history of Western esotericism: Porphyry's Commentary on the Cave of the Nymphs. Written in the 3rd century, this short but remarkable work interprets a mysterious passage from Homer's Odyssey as a profound allegory for the soul's descent into matter and its eventual return to the divine. We explore how Porphyry reads the cave, its nymphs, its looms and its two gates as a complete symbolic map of the cosmos, drawing on Platonic metaphysics, ancient astrology, and even the Cult of Mithras.Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligionOr through a one-time donation:https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateTranslations of the commentary:Lamberton, Robert (translated by) (1983). "Porphyry: On the Cave of the Nymphs". Station Hill Press.Thomas Taylor's translation (from the 1800's) is a classic. It is available through Lamp of Trismegistus.John M. Duffy, Philip F. Sheridan, Leendert G. Westerink, and Jeffrey A. White (ed.) (1969). "Porphyry: The Cave of the Nymphs in the Odyssey". State University of New York.Secondary sources:Akçay, Nilüfer (2019). "Porphyrys On the Cave of the Nymphs in its Intellectual Context". Brill.Beck, Roger (2006). "The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire: Mysteries of the Unconquered Sun". OUP Oxford.Cooper, John M. (ed.) (1997). "Plato: Complete Works". Hackett Publishing Company.Dillon, John (1996). "The Middle Platonists". Bristol Classical Press.Gerson, Loyd P. (ed.) (2019). "Plotinus: The Enneads". Cambridge University Press. (This is the translation of the Enneads I have been using in this episode).Gerson, Loyd P (2008). "Cambridge Companion to Plotinus". Cambridge University Press.Gregory, John (ed.) (1998). "The Neoplatonists: a reader". Routledge.Iamblichus "On the Mysteries". Tranlsated by Emma C. Clarke, John M. Dillon & Jackson P. Hershell. Writings from the Graeco-Roman World. Society of Biblical Literature.Proclus "The Elements of Theology: A Revised Text with Translation, Introduction, and Commentary". Translated by E.R. Dodds. Second Edition. Oxford University Press.O'Meara, Dominic J. (1999). "Plotinus: An Introduction to the Enneads". Oxford University Press.Shaw, Gregory (2014). "Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus". Angelico Press/Sophia Perennis.Wallis, R.T. (1998). "Neoplatonism". Second Edition. Bristol Classical Paperbacks. Hackett Publishing Company. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I'm very happy with this episode. Hope you like it. We play another interesting clip of Michael Levin and talk about what the word "self" actually means. email me at godseyeviewbook@gmail.comJoin the discord at: https://discord.gg/PRwpPBNY4
In this episode, Randy Woodley argues that the church has been asking the wrong question. Not whether the story happened, but what the story asks of us. And to start to ask better questions, we have to go back to the root - where did this all come from? And how did Western Christianity get it wrong? We talk about Platonic dualism made belief more important than action, producing hierarchy, empire, and harm. We talk about reading scripture as story rather than evidence, replacing the word salvation with healing, and what repentance actually costs. If you've felt the distance between what you believe and how you live, this conversation names where that came from and what it takes to close that gap.Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley is a dynamic writer and speaker with a deep passion for creativity and Indigenous spirituality, justice, and earth empowerment. His diverse background and experiences have uniquely equipped him to bring about positive change in Indigenous communities for four decades. With his wife, Edith, (Shoshone) they have four children and six grandchildren. An award-winning author and a tribally recognized Keetoowah descendant (UKB), the author of 15 books, Randy weaves together Indigenous wisdom, ecological sustainability, and spirituality. Randy is both an active farmer and a Distinguished Professor Emeritus. He is respected by Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities worldwide and has been featured in The New York Times, Politifact, Time Magazine, and The Huffington Post. Randy publishes a weekly Substack at https://rwoodley7.substack.com/ and is a faculty member at Richard Rohr's Center for Action and Contemplation.Together, the Woodley's co-sustain Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice and Eloheh Farm & Seeds, https://www.eloheh.org/ a non-profit, regenerative farm and school determined to assist others grow healthy food and combat the climate crisis. The Woodley's are founders of Sho-Kee Cultural Consultants https://www.sho-kee.com/ where they bring Indigenous knowledge and cross-cultural expertise to clients nationwide, working with organizations, educational institutions, and creative projects.Randy's Book:How Western Christianity Got it WrongRandy's Recommendations:ErasedThe Dawn of EverythingConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.comGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeSupport the podcast and the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Support the show
────────────────────────────────────────[00:02:09]EMS Worker Reports "Chronic Cancer" as New Medical Term — Knight: It's Turbo Cancer Being NormalizedA patient with three COVID jabs developed rapidly spreading colon cancer and leukemia within months of his last shot; Knight: the industry is rebranding what it caused.────────────────────────────────────────[00:14:00]Sony Deleting 551 Movies Customers Paid Full Price For — Buy Button Was a LieDeletion begins September 1 with no refunds; Knight: same model as CBDCs — they can delete your money the same way they're deleting your movies.────────────────────────────────────────[00:22:06]GTA 6 Ships as a Download Code in an Empty Box — Physical Discs Eliminated$80 for a cardboard sleeve; the game lives on their cloud and can be revoked at any time; Knight: "you will own nothing" is already the video game business model.────────────────────────────────────────[00:41:18]Trump's Advisors Openly Praise Caesarism — His Harvard Law Appointee Says Liberty Is Not the GoalAdrian Vermule wrote the constitutional order exists to promote "good rule," not protect liberty; Notre Dame advisor Patrick Deneen calls for Platonic aristocracy.────────────────────────────────────────[00:49:03]Trump Signed 143 Executive Orders in First 100 Days — More Than Any President in History21 national emergencies declared; troops sent to cities without local authority; immigrants shipped overseas to prisons in defiance of courts.────────────────────────────────────────[01:03:28]Supreme Court Loosens Campaign Finance Restrictions — Knight: AIPAC Corruption Now Has Fewer GuardrailsKnight reversed his position on Citizens United after watching AIPAC openly buy congressional seats; political money is a magnet for prostitutes, not politicians.────────────────────────────────────────[01:25:25]NY Post Calls Out Trump Crime Family's Biden-Esque CorruptionTrump's net worth tripled to $6.5B; $1.4B in crypto ventures; Salente: the Lutnik-Witkoff-Trump network is a crime syndicate operating in plain sight.────────────────────────────────────────[01:31:10]92% of Israelis Believe Iran Won the War — Trends Journal vs. US Media NarrativeCelente's polling contradicts everything Hegseth and Trump claimed; Knight: they lied about destroying Iran's missiles, wiping out their military, and forcing a surrender.────────────────────────────────────────[01:51:35]Real US Debt Is $176 Trillion When Unfunded Liabilities Are IncludedUnfunded Medicare, Social Security, pensions, and retirement healthcare dwarf the official figure; Salente: the plan is to tokenize public lands and launch a digital currency to paper over the collapse.────────────────────────────────────────[01:54:09]Quantitative Easing Is Roaring Back — Nobody Is Reporting ItMoney supply is expanding rapidly while the Fed fixates on interest rates; Knight: they always pump QE just before the next economic lockdown or crisis. ──────────────────────────────────────── Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code “KNIGHT” For high quality made in America products go to HomeSteadProducts.shop and use promo code “Knight” for 10% off your purchases Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-show Or you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.
────────────────────────────────────────[00:02:09]EMS Worker Reports "Chronic Cancer" as New Medical Term — Knight: It's Turbo Cancer Being NormalizedA patient with three COVID jabs developed rapidly spreading colon cancer and leukemia within months of his last shot; Knight: the industry is rebranding what it caused.────────────────────────────────────────[00:14:00]Sony Deleting 551 Movies Customers Paid Full Price For — Buy Button Was a LieDeletion begins September 1 with no refunds; Knight: same model as CBDCs — they can delete your money the same way they're deleting your movies.────────────────────────────────────────[00:22:06]GTA 6 Ships as a Download Code in an Empty Box — Physical Discs Eliminated$80 for a cardboard sleeve; the game lives on their cloud and can be revoked at any time; Knight: "you will own nothing" is already the video game business model.────────────────────────────────────────[00:41:18]Trump's Advisors Openly Praise Caesarism — His Harvard Law Appointee Says Liberty Is Not the GoalAdrian Vermule wrote the constitutional order exists to promote "good rule," not protect liberty; Notre Dame advisor Patrick Deneen calls for Platonic aristocracy.────────────────────────────────────────[00:49:03]Trump Signed 143 Executive Orders in First 100 Days — More Than Any President in History21 national emergencies declared; troops sent to cities without local authority; immigrants shipped overseas to prisons in defiance of courts.────────────────────────────────────────[01:03:28]Supreme Court Loosens Campaign Finance Restrictions — Knight: AIPAC Corruption Now Has Fewer GuardrailsKnight reversed his position on Citizens United after watching AIPAC openly buy congressional seats; political money is a magnet for prostitutes, not politicians.────────────────────────────────────────[01:25:25]NY Post Calls Out Trump Crime Family's Biden-Esque CorruptionTrump's net worth tripled to $6.5B; $1.4B in crypto ventures; Salente: the Lutnik-Witkoff-Trump network is a crime syndicate operating in plain sight.────────────────────────────────────────[01:31:10]92% of Israelis Believe Iran Won the War — Trends Journal vs. US Media NarrativeCelente's polling contradicts everything Hegseth and Trump claimed; Knight: they lied about destroying Iran's missiles, wiping out their military, and forcing a surrender.────────────────────────────────────────[01:51:35]Real US Debt Is $176 Trillion When Unfunded Liabilities Are IncludedUnfunded Medicare, Social Security, pensions, and retirement healthcare dwarf the official figure; Salente: the plan is to tokenize public lands and launch a digital currency to paper over the collapse.────────────────────────────────────────[01:54:09]Quantitative Easing Is Roaring Back — Nobody Is Reporting ItMoney supply is expanding rapidly while the Fed fixates on interest rates; Knight: they always pump QE just before the next economic lockdown or crisis. ──────────────────────────────────────── Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code “KNIGHT” For high quality made in America products go to HomeSteadProducts.shop and use promo code “Knight” for 10% off your purchases Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-show Or you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.
Welcome back the amazingly talented Rachel Rosenbloom. In our first ever episode of "Play by Play", Rachel Shares her experiences filming Season 2 of Platonic and the joys of working with Rose Byrne and Seth Rogan.#ActorLife is a podcast for every actor. It doesn't matter where you are in your career; we've all experienced highs and lows and this podcast aims not only to demystify acting and this industry, but to leave listeners encouraged that no two stories are the same. Everyone is on their own journey.Follow and Subscribe below:WebsiteInstagramTikTokMentioned in this episode:Produced by Paved Path Productions Sound & Video Engineering By World Enterprises Sound mixing by Brandon Lew Original Music By Lew Music
The mighty Alex Rivera arrives at the Virtual Alexandria to shake up Gnostic and Platonic studies with groundbreaking research the world has never seen. We'll quest into the heart of Gnosticism and its essence and purpose. We'll also cover the Gnostic Melchizedek, a figure far more fascinating than orthodoxy has told us. And we'll encounter many other figures, Neoplatonic exemplars, the machinations of the Archons, Hekate, and the role of Baphomet, much of it based on his game-changing book, The Sun Lady Unveiled. Get the book: https://amzn.to/4oAKVVz More on Alex: https://themegasaeon.substack.com/ Get The Occult Elvis: https://amzn.to/4jnTjE4 Virtual Alexandria Academy: https://thegodabovegod.com/virtual-alexandria-academy/ Gnostic Tarot Readings: https://thegodabovegod.com/gnostic-tarot-reading/ The Gnostic Tarot: https://www.makeplayingcards.com/sell/synkrasis Homepage: https://thegodabovegod.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aeonbyte AB Prime: https://thegodabovegod.com/members/subscription-levels/ Voice Over services: https://thegodabovegod.com/voice-talent/ Support with donation: https://buy.stripe.com/00g16Q8RK8D93mw288 Merch store: https://aeonbyte.creator-spring.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In the first episode of season 5, Mike Monteiro is "still listening to wax, he's not using the CD" when he joins us to share about his lifelong love of vinyl records. From his parents' 70s console record player to a 4,000-record music room, he traces how music became a path of self-discovery. Mike explains how he keeps track of his incredible collection, talks about the Platonic idea of the prefect record store, and makes a passionate case against audiophile gatekeeping: however you listen to music, you're doing it right.Guest BioMike Monteiro (he/him) is the co-founder and Design Director of Mule. He writes and speaks frequently about the craft, ethics, and business of design. He's written a bunch of books, including Design Is a Job, Ruined by Design, and the brand new How to die (& other stories), which is only tangentially about design. He lives in San Francisco, with his wife Erika and their dog Rupert. He has been buying vinyl his entire life, and currently has about 4,000 records.LinksMike's website: https://www.mikemonteiro.com/Mike's Good News newsletter: https://buttondown.com/monteiroMuhammad Ali inserting a 45 into the record player of his 1959 Cadillac Eldorado: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1edo3g1/muhammad_ali_inserting_a_45_into_the_record/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.
JOSIAS BOOK LINK YouTube video podcast link: https://linktr.ee/podcastandpoetrybook
Listed as a British “wrong-com,” the first episode of Alice and Steve covers the inciting incident that sets up the premise of this six-episode series. You probably already know Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker, just like we knew Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne going into Platonic. The difference is that this one leans confidently British, with a plot that veers more toward sharp awkwardness than anything particularly heartwarming.Created by Sex Education writer Sophie Goodhart, this new Hulu/Disney+ series arrives right around midyear, just as we're starting to get a good impression of what 2026 TV is all about. On the podcast, we run down the episode, ask the big questions, make comparisons, discuss the reception, and, of course, give our rating.Tune in and enjoy. Welcome to Today's Episode.
Welcome back to Big Crystal Energy! This week, we're returning to the foundation of the podcast and exploring one of the most requested topics of all: crystal healing. ✨Whether you're completely new to crystals, a longtime collector, or simply curious about why people have worked with stones for thousands of years, this episode offers a fresh look at the history, science, and spiritual practice of crystal healing.Ashleigh explores the ancient roots of crystal healing, the scientific concepts often referenced in crystal work—including coherence, entrainment, piezoelectricity, and frequency—and why crystals continue to fascinate healers, scientists, and spiritual practitioners alike.Along the way, she shares personal reflections on her own crystal journey, how crystals helped reconnect her with joy and purpose, and why Big Crystal Energy was never really just about the crystals—it was always about the transformation that happens when we align with what lights us up.In This Episode:
Love and connection are essential to health and well-being. In Alaska, how can we find love–whether that's for a romantic partner or a friend? And once we have love, how can we nourish it to make it last?
What if the geometry of wholeness is already expressing itself through you? In this final episode of the Sacred Geometry mini-series, Joanne explores the dodecahedron: the geometry of ether, the fifth element, and the archetypal pattern of wholeness that underlies all living form.Drawing together the themes of the entire series, Joanne reveals how the dodecahedron contains the golden ratio within every face, how it relates to self-organisation, completion, and living presence, and why ancient traditions considered it the geometry of the cosmos itself…You'll discover:Why the dodecahedron is associated with ether and wholenessHow the pentagon and pentagram express the golden ratio (phi)Why five is the archetypal number of lifeThe role of decussation and crossing patterns throughout the bodyWhat chirality reveals about human form and developmentWhy sacred geometry is not abstract theory, but living anatomy in motionFrom fascia and physiology to Vedic mathematics, the Flower of Life, and the hidden patterns found throughout nature, this episode brings the journey full circle and lays the foundation for the next stage of exploration.This is the concluding episode of the first Sacred Geometry series, exploring the five Platonic solids and their relationship to fascia, embodiment, human architecture, and the deeper intelligence of life itself.
On today's 06.02.26 show we talked about if Bonnie Blue is actually pregnant, 'Couples Therapy' on Paramount plus, Taylor Swift's involvement in the new Toy Story movie, the country that is now smoke free, Steph Curry's new deal, men doing chores, more details about the Diddy tape that leaked, Justin Baldoni has a new calling and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Send us comments, suggestions and ideas here! In this week's episode we are joined once again by Julian Soloninka, better yet known as Julian the Philosopher to discuss his provocative insights into Cyberpunk Metaphysics; which we discuss in its germinal stages under the inspired headspace of Alan Watts, Alduous Huxley and Gregory Bateson. In the first half of the episode we discuss the impact Alan Watts and Gregory Bateson had on cyberpunk and its corresponding philosophies while investigating the role they played as secret agents each with respective ties to three letter agencies before asking ourselves if we were to meet them on Homerian or Platonic footing. In the extended side of the show we continue our discussion with Julian and discuss prominent author, philosopher and psychonaught, Alduous Huxley; his connection to Jiddu Krishnamurti, the Death of Cleopatra and what it all has to do with Philip K. Dick's theophany. Thank you and enjoy the show! Check out Julian the Philosopher's most recent work:https://medium.com/@jsoloninIn this week's episode we discuss:What is cyberpunk metaphysics?Allan WattsDiogenes Gregory Bateson Carl Jung's The SpyAleister CrowleyJiddu KrishnamurtiV for ApophisSecret Societies Making Our EntertainmentThe Power of The Koan and The Double Bind In the second half of this episode available at www.patreon.com/TheWholeRabbit we follow Julian the Philosopher further down the rabbithole and discuss:Philip K. Dick's TheophanyThe Platonic HeroThe MatrixCleopatraTheosophy, Lucifer and New-ThoughtThe Death of HypatiaAldous HuxleyMore next time….This week's episode was a freestyle Socratic seminar between Julian the Philosopher, Tim Hacker, Luke Madrid, Mari Sama and Heka Astra Where to find The Whole Rabbit:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0AnJZhmPzaby04afmEWOAVInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_whole_rabbitTwitter: https://twitter.com/1WholeRabbitOrder Stickers: https://www.stickermule.com/thewholerabbitOther Merchandise: https://thewholerabbit.myspreadshop.com/Music By Spirit Travel Plaza:https://open.spotify.com/artist/30dW3WB1sYofnow7y3V0YoSupport the show
The Emperor Julian with Jeremy SwistWe are thrilled to welcome Assistant Professor Jeremy Swist back to the show to discuss all things emperor Julian! Julian's rule as Roman emperor was short, but it also created quite a stir because Julian was keen to turn Rome away from Christianity and to bring back the paganism. How did he do it? Why did he do it? And what's the legacy that he left behind? We consider the details.Jeremy Swist has a PhD in Classics from the University of Iowa, and his research interests include imperial Greek and Roman historiography and rhetoric, late antiquity, classical reception in heavy metal music. He is currently Assistant Professor of Classical Studies at Michigan State University. Jeremy has published and presented extensively, and he has a particular interest in the intersection of heavy metal music and the classical world - we suggest you check out his blog, Heavy Metal Classicist, or our previous episode with him to find out more. In 2024, he translated and produced a dramatic reading of the Emperor Julian's Symposium of the Caesars, which starred some of the finest podcasters and actors in the WORLD! (Maybe us)The Emperor Julian, who ruled Rome between 361 and 363 CE, is one of Jeremy's great passions, and we are thrilled to talk to him about his new volume on this unusual ruler. The book is published by Oxford University Press and is entitled Julian Augustus: Platonism, Myth, and the Refounding of Rome.Abstract from Oxford University Press“The Roman emperor Julian employed both words and deeds to return the empire to paganism and reverse Christianization, inspired by his conversion to the Neoplatonic philosophy and radical pagan Hellenism of Iamblichus, and promoted by his own production of Greek literature. These works present a coherent vision of the providentially guided history and destiny of Rome as a series of (re)foundations enacted by rulers such as Romulus, Numa, and Augustus. Julian offers an Iamblichean approach to interpreting Roman legends, Platonic allegories, and myths of his own creation to articulate his own role in the refounding of the empire. Approaching the wider examination of Julian's imperial self-image on these terms ends up nuancing and challenging common assumptions influenced by the rhetoric of his contemporary proponents. In his reverence for the gods and for philosophy, the emperor's self-construction embraces the identities of a statesman and solider more than philosopher, Roman more than Greek, and mere human rather than semi-divine being. Julian's unique positionality as emperor let him invert the conventions of panegyric whereby rulers equal and surpass the demigods and heroes of myth and history. While distancing himself from the ideal models of virtue and founding that inspire him, he adopts a different set of exemplary figures as mirrors of himself. Statesmen such as Pericles and Scipio, and especially Augustus, serve as precedents for Julian's more realistic conception of his role in refounding the empire, as student and champion of philosophers, guardian of law and tradition, and servant of the gods.”The return to the old godsJulian's rule was short but it left quite an impact. We chat with Jeremy about some of the ideas Julian put forward about Rome, the foundation stories that underpinned its self-definition, and what might have been if weren't for an unfortunate spear that wounded Julian and ended his life just two years into his reign.Sound CreditsOur music is by the superb Bettina Joy de Guzman.For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Can transcendence still make philosophical sense after modernity? John Vervaeke speaks with philosopher William Desmond about Platonism as a living tradition, the meaning of strong transcendence, and Desmond's philosophy of the metaxu: the between. The conversation builds from John's proposal that relevance realization and transjectivity are philosophically grounded in Desmond's ontological account of the between. John begins by distinguishing modern psychological accounts of transcendence from the ancient and Platonic sense of strong transcendence. In this stronger sense, transcendence is not merely a better state of mind. It discloses truths that are otherwise unavailable and changes the knower's relation to reality. That claim challenges modern assumptions about flat ontology, the buffered self, representational cognition, and the fact-value split. Desmond responds through Plato. He presents Plato not as a dry theorist of two worlds, but as a philosophical artist of the between: a thinker of mimesis, eros, mania, dialogue, singularity, and participatory transformation. Plato's dialogues are not ornamental containers for arguments; their drama, characters, and dialogical movement are part of the philosophy itself. The later conversation opens into deep memory, imagination, eternity, possibility, God, Daoism, intercultural philosophy, pilgrimage, and the life-world. Desmond and Vervaeke converge on the need to move beyond the view from nowhere and return philosophy to transformative practice, embodied dwelling, and a richer contact with the sources of intelligibility. Key Insights Strong transcendence has epistemological and ontological significance, not only psychological benefit. The metaxu, or between, names a porous relation before, beneath, between, and beyond modern dichotomies. Modernity's fact-value split risks producing default atheism or default nihilism. Participatory knowing offers an alternative to treating cognition as internal representation of an external world. Plato's dialogical form is integral to his philosophy; the drama cannot simply be stripped away to extract arguments. Mimesis involves relation between image and original without collapsing their difference. Eros and mania point to two directions of transcendence: from below upward and from above downward. Deep memory is a source of imagination and ontological depth, not merely storage of past facts. Possibility should not be reduced to logical possibility; living possibility points toward enabling power. Pilgrimage and theoria are linked: philosophical transformation requires being on the way, not merely observing from nowhere. Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and setup 01:00 Relevance realization and the philosophy of the between 02:00 Platonism as living tradition 02:40 The need for strong transcendence 03:50 Transcendence after modernity 04:40 William Desmond introduces his work 05:00 Between system and poetics 06:00 The Western tradition as conversation partner 08:00 John's paper on strong transcendence 09:20 Psychological transcendence in modern thought 10:00 Truths disclosed through transcendence 11:00 Flat ontology and layered reality 12:30 The buffered self 14:00 Fact-value dichotomy and default atheism 15:10 Contact epistemology and participatory relation 17:20 Being realized as you realize 18:20 Anagoge and the cave 18:40 Interior, exterior, and superior transcendence 20:10 Autonomy, heteronomy, theonomy, and theosis 21:30 Desmond responds 22:00 Plato's philosophical art and the Sophist 22:30 Art, origins, and otherness 23:40 Originality, creativity, and modern art 25:20 Mimesis and the difference between image and original 28:20 Plato as thinker of the metaxu 29:00 Eros and self-transcendence 30:00 Mania and divine inspiration 31:30 Inspiration as transmission 33:20 Metaxology and Hegel 34:40 The Sophist and participatory knowing 36:40 The who of the sophist 38:10 Periagoge and the turning of the soul 39:40 Philosophy as a way of life 40:30 Exiting modernity's frame 43:20 The dialogue form is not ornamental 45:30 Socrates as an image of courage 46:20 Dialogos and method 48:00 Diaphanous logos 49:00 Singular incarnation and witness 51:10 Theoria as contemplation and pilgrimage 52:00 John's dialectic-in-dialogos practice 53:20 Anamnesis in practice 54:20 The logos beyond the participants 55:20 Deep memory and imagination 57:00 Muses, memory, and hidden springs 58:20 AI and outsourced memory 59:00 Memory as ontological depth 01:00:30 Eternity and the other to time 01:02:40 Inward otherness and ultimate otherness 01:04:50 Plato's sun and enabling light 01:06:20 Porosity and the buffered self 01:07:00 Living possibility 01:09:00 Possibility, transcendence, and God 01:10:40 What makes intelligibility intelligible? 01:11:40 Eastern and Western approaches to possibility 01:13:30 Coming to be and becoming 01:15:40 Nicholas of Cusa 01:17:00 Wu wei and giving way 01:18:20 Daoist practice and Socratic midwifery 01:20:20 Philosophical Silk Road 01:22:10 The intimate universal 01:23:20 Against philosophical tourism 01:25:30 Elemental porosity 01:26:00 Pilgrimage and practice 01:27:40 Being underway 01:29:30 Theoria as metanoetic passage 01:30:10 Symphonic language 01:34:00 The life-world 01:35:40 Rejecting the view from nowhere 01:36:20 Closing Resources William Desmond, Being and the Between William Desmond, Ethics and the Between William Desmond, God and the Between William Desmond, Art, Origins, Otherness: Between Philosophy and Art Plato, Symposium, Ion, Sophist, Republic, and Laches Plotinus and Proclus Hegel Charles Taylor Catherine Pickstock, Aspects of Truth Paul Tillich Thomas Aquinas Nicholas of Cusa Pierre Hadot Henry Corbin Frank, Gleiser, and Thompson, The Blind Spot Follow John Vervaeke: Website: https://johnvervaeke.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke/videos X: https://x.com/DrJohnVervaeke Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke
In the first episode of Season 9 of That Black Couple, Daren and Jenn explore the concept of platonic marriage, its history, societal perceptions, and their personal journey over 20 years. They discuss how their relationship defies traditional norms, the importance of safety and authenticity, and how they navigate love, identity, and societal expectations. Resources Colored Convos Media Substack - https://coloredconvosmedia.substack.com Jenn Jackson's "Love Notes" Substack - https://jennmjacksonphd.substack.com
Our interview with romantasy author G.V. Hext continues on this episode. Gigi offers us some Book 2 hints. And a very important conversation is had regarding relationships and marriage. Shout out to Mr. Hext. If you haven't yet read this story, start today. Platonic soulmates, love triangle, the most endearing goblin sidekick, a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship, AND the love of a sister. What more do you need?*spoilers for The Vatra Witch ahead* Send us Fan MailSupport the showConnect with usInstagram: https://bit.ly/ourIGpageTikTok: https://bit.ly/ourTiktokpageIntro and Outro music, Sexy Fashion Beat from Coma-Media
Today we tear down naive realism and rush past the comforting screen of your five senses. What if the world you touch is only a projection of a deeper, non-dual awareness that differentiates into every moment, including your business and wealth? We unpack Einstein's shadow, the hard problem of consciousness, and the idea that 'physical' is a perceptual activity powered by consciousness itself. Imagine your true self as formless, infinite awareness—a single mind differentiating into a universe of experiences. This isn't abstract theory; it's a practical upgrade for hustlers and high performers. You'll see three powerful outcomes: transcendence of fear and ego, the emergence of Platonic truths—goodness, beauty, harmony, and love—and a deathless approach to risk, decision-making, and capital growth. With this lens, wealth becomes a side effect of clarity, alignment, and deep presence. If you crave a leverage nobody teaches in charts or funnels, if you want to feel unity consciousness fueling every move, this episode is your radical upgrade. Tune in to rewire reality and unleash unstoppable momentum. Goal Billionaire Podcast.
On Earth as in Heaven Acts 1 by William Klock It's been over ten years since I finished preaching through Luke's Gospel. I had planned to preach on the Acts of the Apostles after a short break, but it didn't happen and didn't happen and didn't happen, but as I was preaching through Ephesians these last few months and pondering the things St. Paul tells us about the what the church is and what that means for us, I got to thinking that I really shouldn't put off Acts any longer. So I'd planned to jump into it last Sunday. Acts begins with the Ascension of Jesus, and then the very next chapter is Pentecost. What providential timing! And then scheduling and a trip to a clericus threw me off by a week. So last Sunday, Ascension Sunday, you got Ephesians 6—which was a bit of an Ascension sermon—and now on Pentecost, you're getting the Ascension and next week, on Trinity Sunday, you'll get Pentecost! Now, in case you're wondering what Acts has to do with Luke, it's quite a lot. Luke probably wrote his Gospel around a.d. 59 or 60. He addresses it to someone named Theophilus. Theophilus means “lover of God”, so some think that Luke may have used this name symbolically and that the Gospel is for everyone who loves God. It certainly is that, but an attribution like that seems to have been unknown in Luke's world, so Theophilus probably was a real person and was probably a patron who funded Luke's writing project. Luke was not an eyewitness to Jesus or the events of the Gospels. As he says in the introduction, he sought out the eyewitnesses so that he could scrupulously record the events surrounding Jesus' life and ministry. And now Acts. Luke wrote Acts not long later, sometime between 60 and 62. The book ends with Paul, imprisoned in Rome, awaiting his hearing before Caesar. There's a debate about exactly what happened to Paul after that time. He was martyred at Rome, probably during Nero's persecution of Christians, sometime between 64 and 67. The traditional view is that Paul's case was heard in 62, he was released, and may have travelled to Spain to preach the good news about Jesus, before returning to Rome to work with Peter to oversee the church there. The more “modern” view is that Paul was imprisoned once and was executed between 62 and 64. Whatever the case, since Luke doesn't mention such an important event, we can pretty safely assume he wrote during that time that Paul was awaiting his hearing. And in the case of Acts, Luke was an eyewitness, at least to part of it. He researched the early part of Acts just as he did his Gospel, but then he took up with Paul at the city of Troas, on Paul's second missionary journey around 50-51. Luke spent the following ten or more years travelling with Paul as a missionary and records those events as a participant. And who was Luke other than a companion of Paul? He was a gentile. At the end of Colossians, Paul names him separately, apart from his fellow Jewish workers. In that same passage, Paul describes Luke as a physician. Beyond that we really don't know a lot about him. He writes as we would expect a Gentile would write when writing to other Gentiles. He writes in polished, educated Greek and he often describes Jewish customs for the benefit of his non-Jewish readers. And when it comes to Acts, he jumps in right where he left off in his Gospel. He ended with a condensed telling of the Ascension and he begins Acts with a more detailed account, so we'll start there. It's page 1080 in your pew Bibles if you want to follow along. Luke writes, “Dear Theophilus, The previous book which I wrote had to do with everything Jesus began to do and to teach. I took the story as far as the day when he was taken up, once he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to his chosen apostles.” Let me pause there. Notice how Luke writes that in his Gospel he wrote about everything that Jesus began to do and to teach. Brothers and Sisters, Jesus isn't done. If Luke's Gospel were called “The Acts of Jesus”, Acts could very easily be “The Acts of Jesus: Part II”. Jesus isn't done. Remember what we learned from Paul in Ephesians: in the church, Jesus has established a people—purified by his blood from the stain of sin and filled with God's own Spirit—to be his new creation in the midst of the old, to carry his victory into the world to challenge the Caesars and the gods and the principalities and powers, to proclaim the good news until God's glory fills the whole earth. Jesus continues his “acts” through us. At the start of his ministry he told the people to pray: on earth as in heaven. Now he's empowered us to be the people who will actually live out heaven on earth until he's finally ready to finish what he started that first Easter, and bring heaven and earth and God and human beings back together as they should be. Now, Luke goes on in verse 3: “He showed himself to them alive, after his suffering, by many proofs. He was seen by them for forty days, during which he spoke about God's kingdom. As they were having a meal together, he told them not to go away from Jerusalem, btu to wait, as he put it, “for the Father's promise, which I was telling you about earlier. John baptised with water; but in a few days from now you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit. So when the apostles came together, they put this question to Jesus: “Master,” they said, ‘is this the time when you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel.'” Jesus must have been pretty exasperated by their question. John Calvin wrote that there are as many errors in their question as there are words. Jesus has spent forty days teaching them what his resurrection meant for them, for the world, for everything. Think of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus on Easter Day. Jesus walked with them for hours and explained what happened to them using the Old Testament scriptures. We get the impression that as it all sank in they started to understand. But clearly not fully. Not even after forty days. They're still thinking of the kingdom in terms of events like the Maccabean revolt. The Messiah will raise an army and smite the pagan gentiles and put Israel back on the top of the heap—but this time it will take, it will be forever. They're still thinking of Jesus as the king in waiting or the king in exile—like some of the Iranians wanting Reza Pahlavi to return to Iran and retake the Peacock Throne. But that's not how God's kingdom works. Think of all the parables Jesus told about the kingdom: It's like a tiny mustard seed. Yes, it will grow into a huge tree, but it takes a long time. It's like yeast. Yes, it grows, but it takes time and the right conditions. After two thousand years, I think we have a better grasp of this. But not always. There are still many, many Christians who still kind of ask the same question, as if Jesus is the heir apparent, in exile, still waiting to become king. But Brothers and Sisters, he already is king. The church's job is to announce his kingship—as it's carved out on our lychgate: “Jesus is Lord”— and to implement the fact that he really is king. Now. Not someday. Now. So Jesus responds to them in verse 7: “It's not your business to know about times and dates,” he replied. “The Father has placed all that under his own direct authority. What will happen, though, is that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth.” The timing? How the kingdom is going play out? When everything will finally be consummated? Don't worry about that. The Father has that worked out in his goodness and wisdom. That' not your job. That's not our job. That' not even Jesus' job to know. Their job, our job is to witness Jesus—his death, his resurrection, his ascension, the fact that he is Lord—to be God's new creation, to put off the old, lie-based way of being human to to put on the new—our job is witness that good news and God's new creation to the world. And Jesus reiterates it again: I will make sure you're equipped for this. He's told them already: As John baptised you with water, I will baptise you with the Holy Spirit. The significance of that didn't seem to sink in. It should have. This is what the Lord had promised through the prophets over and over. Filling his people with the Spirit was to be the great sign of the Messianic age. It would be the thing that would finally set the hearts of his people right. And so Jesus says it again: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And then you'll be my witnesses from Jerusalem and eventually out to the whole world. The mustard seed. The yeast. The king returning from the far-off land. And then, to make his point, to drive home the fact that, yes, he really is king, Jesus acts out another prophecy. He loved to do this and so it makes perfect sense that his last act before leaving them would be another acted out prophecy. Verse 9: “As Jesus said this, he was lifted up while they were watching and a cloud took him out of their sight. They were gazing into heaven as he disappeared. Then, lo and behold, two men appeared, dressed in white, standing beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,' they said, ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.'” Jesus acts out Daniel 7—maybe not something we're intimately familiar with (although we should be), but a passage—a dramatic image—any Jew knew intimately. That's the dream Daniel had of the ferocious beasts representing the pagan kings and empires that threatened God's people. And in his vision, Daniel sees the Ancient of Days take his throne to sit in judgement over these beasts. Their kingdoms are taken from them and then one like a son of man comes on the clouds to heaven to take his throne. And to him is given dominion and glory and kingship so that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion, Daniel says, is everlasting, his kingship one that shall never be destroyed. This the vision of the Messiah becoming king and restoring the kingdom to Israel. So in his ascension, Jesus is showing the fulfilment of God's promise to Daniel. Coming on the clouds to take his throne. It was an unmistakable image for the disciples. The kingdom has been restored to Israel—of course, that's Israel reconstituted around and in Jesus the Messiah—but restored it has been. The Messiah is on his throne. At the end of Matthew's Gospel, when Jesus gives the disciples what we often call his “great commission” he deliberately echoes Daniel 7: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So you must go and make all the nations into disciples.” The Ascension means that the world is under new management. Maybe it helps to understand how they thought of heaven. Unfortunately, we tend to think of heaven through a Platonic lens. It's a far away and otherworldly place. The opposite of earth. The real world of which this is only a shadow. But that's Plato—pagan Greek philosophy—not the Bible. In the Bible heaven is earth's compliment; its other half. God created them to fit together, to mesh. Heaven is his realm, but the two were meant to overlap, for us to share his presence. But his part, the heavenly half, was—in the Jewish view—it was like the control room or the CEO's office. And that's where Jesus has gone. To take the controls, to sit at the big desk, to accede to his throne—to rule and to reign: as Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:25: “He has to rule until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” But back to Daniel 7. If the son of man has taken his throne, then that means that the kingdom has, indeed, been restored to Israel. There are implications there for the disciples. One of the twelve is missing. Judas hanged himself after betraying Jesus. The twelve are only eleven. If the apostles represent the fullness of Israel reconstituted in the Messiah, they need a replacement for Judas. Twelve tribes; twelve apostles. Maybe they didn't grasp this immediately. Luke says that after Jesus' ascension, after the two angels asked if they were just going to stand around staring into heaven all day—because: he's one day coming back in the same way—like, didn't he give you work to do?—so they went back to Jerusalem as Jesus had told them. Verse 13: “They then entered the city (‘they' meaning Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the zealot, and Judas the son of James) and went to the upstairs room where they were staying. They all gave themselves single-heartedly to prayer, with the women, including Mary, Jesus' mother, and his brothers.” Luke makes a point of naming them all. And there are eleven, not twelve. He anticipates what needs to happen. The apostles themselves apparently weren't sure what to do, so they did the right thing: they devoted themselves to prayer. Brothers and Sisters, don't ever let prayer be an excuse for not doing what needs to be done, but when you don't know what to do: pray. And pray some more. Luke doesn't say that God suddenly spoke and gave them direction, but after days of prayer they began to understand what they had to do. They knew the scriptures. They'd listened to Jesus for forty days. And as they prayed, understanding came. Prayer has a way of doing that. As we see here, the scriptures began to percolate in Peter's head. That's often how God leads us. It's not often that he speaks directly and we shouldn't expect him to. But when we're already steeped in the scriptures and when we pray, the Spirit works and things “seem” to just come together. I'm often amazed to see how this works when I'm preparing a sermon. So Peter stands up in the middle of the disciples. Luke says they'd grown to a hundred and twenty by this point. And he says—verse 16: “Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago by the mouth of David about Judas, who became a guide to the people who arrested Jesus. He was counted among us and had his own share in this ministry.” Luke then adds that Judas went to the field bought with the money used to betray Jesus, he hanged himself there, where he burst open and his guts came out. Luke notes this bit as historical evidence. The field was still called “Blood-Place” in his day. And Peter goes on in verse 20, quoting Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8, “For this is what it says in the book of Psalms: ‘Let his home become desolate and let no one live in it' and again, ‘Let another receive his office.' “So,” Peter said, “this is what has to be done. There are plenty of people who have gone about with us all the time that our master Jesus was coming and going among us, starting from John's baptism until the day he was taken from us. Let one of them be chosen to be alongside us as a special witness of his resurrection.” Through prayer and the scriptures and the prompting of the Spirit, Peter realised that if Jesus, the son of man, sits on his throne, the kingdom has been restored to Israel, and that meant that the leaders…the apostles…of this renewed Israel had better number twelve, to represent the full number Israel's tribes. The symbolism was vital if people—particularly fellow Jews—were going to see how the scriptures and the covenant and God's promises to Israel were being fulfilled in the church. “So,” writes Luke, “they chose two: Joseph who was called Barsabbas, with the surname Justus, and Matthias. ‘Lord,' they prayed, ‘you know the hearts of all people. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to receive this particular place of service and apostleship, from which Judas went away to go to his own place.' So they cast lots for them. The lot fell on Matthias, and he was enrolled along with the eleven apostles.” This may seem like a mundane detail to us, especially after the glory of Jesus' ascension. But it was a big deal to the apostles and no less to Luke. Their knowing the need for twelve, not eleven apostles, highlights just how much they saw the work of Jesus as being about the fulfilment and the restoration of God's people as the promises to Abraham were fulfilled and their mission was about be launched into the nations. It was proof that this new movement wasn't really new at all. It was rooted in God's promises and showed their fulfilment of God. Jesus, the cross, the resurrection, Pentecost weren't just stand-alone events. They were part of the great story that God had been telling his people for thousands of years. In these events, God was doing what he'd promised, showing his faithfulness and revealing his glory. That's why Peter takes us back to the Psalms here. It's why Stephen, before his martyrdom in Chapter 7 recounts the history of Israel. They wanted to make it clear that what's happening here in Acts was what God intended all along. I've always found it funny that for all the big deal they make choosing Matthias, he's never mentioned again. I say that, because it's a good reminder that what Luke records in Acts is selective. As St. John writes at the end of his Gospel, if someone were to write down literally everything that Jesus did, the world could not contain all the books. And just so with Acts. Just so with the whole history of the church. The world could not contain the books needed to record all the things, big and small and all amazing, that Jesus and the Spirit have done through Christians down through the ages, the famous ones and the ordinary saints like you and I. But the little bit that Luke records for us in Acts, Brothers and Sisters, is a partial (and strategic) record—inspired by the Spirit—that ought to encourage us as it reminds us how God is fulfilling his promises here and now in us and as it exhorts us to carry on with our mission, knowing that the Spirit is with us and will equip us for everything he has for us to do. On that note, I want to conclude with two images. Jesus was acting out Daniel's prophecy of the son of man coming on the clouds to his throne when he ascended, but there are at least two other unmistakable images in that act as well. The first is Moses, ascending Mount Sinai, up into the clouds and thunder. Moses went up and came down with the law. In the same way, Jesus has gone up, but what has come down is not another law written on stone, but God's own Spirit, poured into our hearts. Contemporary Christians often think of the Spirit mainly as the agent of amazing and miraculous gifts, but the most important work of the Spirit, Brothers and Sisters, the most amazing miracle of the Spirit, is to transform our hearts and to turn our affections toward God, to fill us with his law of love. The other image here is that of the Prophet Elijah as he was taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire. As he went, he threw down his mantle onto Elisha, his protégé. In that act, he not only passed on his God-given mission to Elisha, but he empowered him to do it. That is what the book of Acts is about. Luke's Gospel is about Jesus and his ministry—like the Prophet Elijah—and at the Ascension he's taken up in heaven and his mantle falls to the apostles, to the church, to you and to me, and the book of Acts is then like the continuing story of Elisha, carrying on the work and ministry God had given to Elijah. Elijah's last act was to strike the waters of the Jordan with his cloak so that they parted, and Elisha's first act is to do exactly the same. Brother and Sisters, that's Acts. That's the ministry of the church. To steward the good news about Jesus, to steward God's presence, to be his temple, ever expanding until it fills the earth. Yes, it's a difficult job—some even lose their lives for it—but Jesus has equipped us and he's given us hope in the faithfulness of God to do what he has said. His mantle has fallen on us in the gift of the Spirit and we know that he sits on his throne as Lord. That central gospel truth is carved on our lychgate, a reminder as we come here and as a remind when we go back out to the world. May Jesus' ascension never be for us a mere doctrine. May it be for us the great truth that gives us hope, the great truth that is transforming creation. Let's pray: Almighty God and Father, as you have taken your son, Jesus the Messiah to reign in heaven, and as you have let his mantle fall on us in your indwelling Spirit, fill us with bold faith and certain hope that we might be faithful stewards of your gospel and for the sake of the world until the knowledge of your glory reaches the ends of the earth your son returns again on the clouds. Through him we pray. Amen.
Dion eventually led an invasion fleet to liberate Syracuse, but the revolution quickly descended into chaos and factional splits. James Romm explains that despite his Platonic education, Dion committed the political murder of his rival, Heraclides, which caused him a deep spiritual crisis. Dion was eventually assassinated by a faction of his own army led by Calippus, another student from Plato's Academy. Later, the historian Plutarch attempted to burnish Dion's legacy, portraying him as a "philosopher king." This defense aimed to protect the reputation of the Academy from the scandals of its students. (5/8)1839 SYRACUSE
Beanie Feldstein joins to discuss her new children's book, ‘Teeny and Tilly,' and sticks around to play a fun game of “Fact or Fake.” Also, Mandy Moore stops by to talk about the new comedy film she's starring in alongside Nate Bargatze, ‘The Breadwinner.' Plus, a summer reading list. And, women's health educator Danielle Bayard-Jackson takes a closer look at platonic breakups and why they're becoming more common. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Odysseus rejects becoming a god... why?Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Glenn Arbery of Wyoming Catholic College and Dr. Frank Grabowski of Holy Family Classical School to discuss BOOK FIVE of the Odyssey--arguably one of the important passages in the entire Odyssey and in the Western canon.Check out Ascend on X, Facebook, Instagram, and Patreon.Check out our written study guide to the Odyssey!Odysseus is offered everything a man could desire: immortality, endless pleasure, and the love of the goddess Calypso on her enchanted island. Yet he refuses, choosing instead the path of suffering, homecoming, and humanity. The conversation unpacks why Odysseus weeps on the shore despite his Edenic surroundings, the deeper meaning of his refusal, and the timeless question Homer poses to every listener: Would you say no to immortal pleasure?The scholars dive into rich themes—Odysseus's interior dialogue with his own thumos (spirit), the contrast between Calypso's cave and rocky Ithaca, the subtle work of the gods and fate, and striking antecedents to Platonic psychology.With insightful close readings, connections to the Iliad, and reflections on identity, place, and human flourishing, this discussion transforms a single book into a meditation on what truly makes life worth living. Whether you're new to Homer or revisiting the epic, this episode will leave you eager for more. Highly recommended for anyone who loves great books, philosophy, or wrestling with life's biggest questions.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Ascend and the Great Books04:13 Exploring the Odyssey: Book Five09:41 Athena's Plea and Zeus's Response23:53 Odysseus on Calypso's Island: A Study of Contrast34:43 The Choice of Immortality: Odysseus's Dilemma39:32 The Identity of Odysseus: Suffering and Immortality41:02 The Nature of Human Desire and Fulfillment42:56 The Dilemma of Odysseus: Choices and Consequences45:14 The Complexity of Fidelity: Odysseus and the Goddesses48:09 Homer's Moral Landscape: Understanding Odysseus51:14 The Role of Place in Identity and Homecoming54:05 The Symbolism of Clothing: Calypso vs. Nausicaa01:09:40 The Wrath of Poseidon: Odysseus's Struggles at Sea01:13:35 The Inner Dialogue of Odysseus: Heart and Mind01:17:23 The Weight of Time and Suffering01:20:04 The Complexity of Divine Intervention01:22:21 Agency and Internal Dialogue01:25:20 Mortality and Immortality: The Role of Women01:29:10 Navigating Divine Guidance01:31:20 The Human Experience and Divine Learning01:33:56 The Journey to the Shore: A Symbol of Rebirth01:40:05 The Significance of the Olive Tree01:43:41 The Transformation of OdysseusKeywords: Odyssey Book 5, Book Five of the Odyssey, Odysseus Calypso, Odysseus refuses immortality, Homer Odyssey Book 5, Calypso's island, why does Odysseus refuse immortality, Odysseus choice Calypso, Homer Odyssey analysis, Ascend the Great Books, Odysseus thumos, Platonic soul Homer, Odysseus homecoming, fate Zeus Odyssey, Odysseus rebirth, Calypso pleasure island, great books podcast OdysseyBe sure to check out our Odyssey episodes from 2024 too!
Jim talks with recurring guest and deep systems thinker Jordan Hall about the scaffolding of his worldview. They discuss the waking-up scenario as a window into consciousness and personal identity, Jordan's phenomenology of waking and the "latent potential of all possible memory," the soul as the binding of finite and infinite, Jim's counter-framing of consciousness as a fusion of perception, interoception, and unconscious memory, the infinite as genuinely real, the Platonic triangle as a concrete example of transcendentals that have no particular location in the causal field, Forrest Landry's distinction between being and existence, knowing with confidence vs. knowing with certainty, Jordan's basic ontological commitment to realism, the incoherence of simulation theory, Jim's "Minimum Viable Metaphysics," the incoherence of unmediated access as the meaning of the word reality, Father Stephen DeYoung's critique of Western substantive essentialism, Bonitta Roy's idea that reality is shareable and participatory, Michael Levin's pragmatic epistemology, how purpose collapses reality to a tractable slice, "begottenness" in Christian metaphysics and the generativity of relationships, Jordan's onto-epistemology as the register before ontology and epistemology are distinguishable, Jordan's recent adoption of "smorthodox" Christianity, the phenomenology of waking as evidence that space-time is secondary, prioritizing meaningfulness over causation as a metaphysical commitment, Updike as "still alive" in the realization of his work, the Greek preoccupation with legacy and honor after death, Eric Weinstein's desire for Einsteinian legacy as a category error, love as the real currency of legacy, the Mark Twain reading as an example of a soul genuinely present in a room, Jim's father as an ongoing example of realization twenty-six years after his death, noticing a parent's turn of phrase in oneself, the sweetness of impermanence, the good vs. abusive father and different relationships to a parent's memory, values and virtues as real, the distinction between courage and bravery, culture as the progressive discovery and embodiment of virtue space, the crab-in-the-bucket problem, fallenness as local optimization, and much more. Episode Transcript deepcode (Jordan's Substack) JRS EP 284 Jordan Hall on AI, the Commons, and the Church JRS EP 255 Is God Real? (with Jordan Hall) JRS EP 223 Jordan Hall on Cities, Civiums, and Becoming Christian JRS EP 170 John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall on The Religion That Is Not a Religion JRS EP26 Jordan Hall on the Game B Emergence JRS EP8 Jordan "Greenhall" Hall and Game B "Minimum Viable Metaphysics", by Jim Rutt JRS EP 341 Worldviews: Bonnitta Roy on Post-Formal Actors, Stage Theory, and the Character Void in Leadership Jordan Hall is the Co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Neurohacker Collective. He is now in his 18th year of building disruptive technology companies. Jordan's interests in comics, science fiction, computers, and way too much TV led to a deep dive into contemporary philosophy (particularly the works of Gilles Deleuze and Manuel DeLanda), artificial intelligence and complex systems science, and then, as the Internet was exploding into the world, a few years at Harvard Law School where he spent time with Larry Lessig, Jonathan Zittrain and Cornel West examining the coevolution of human civilization and technology.
You finally meet someone you click with. You've got things in common, the conversation flows, and suddenly you're ready to tell her everything. But that hunger for closeness in a new friendship can actually push people away before the relationship has a chance to build.In this episode, Danielle sits down with therapist and author Minaa B. to explore why so many women rush platonic intimacy, what happens when a new friend doesn't match your energy, and how early sibling dynamics can subtly fuel competition and scarcity in adult friendships. Minaa also shares what it actually takes to break the pattern, starting with the self-worth work most of us skip.
(00:00-9:51) Sick Ween Wednesday. The Cheeky Cardinal Fan, Virginia, is on the phone lines. The importance of protein. Virginia says we've got what it takes to be a good team. Virginia has stolen Chairman's heart but she doesn't seem interested. Our friend JR just slid into the studio.(10:00-32:31) JR is in studio and he was happy to hear from Virginia. The stretch sign. Talking Blues coming back from a three goal deficit. Monty not impressed with playing well when things don't matter. Last night could have been Binnington's last game in St. Louis. TV Talking Heads. Fourteen team no trade for Binnington. Yes or No with JR. Fans still showing out at Enterprise. Which coach would JR most like to hike Sedona with? Pronger's book. Purple Hooters at The Imperial Lounge. Steen and Armstrong.(32:41-42:10) You can almost hear the birds at The Dotem. JJ Wetherholt with a big night last night. Audio of Ken Rosenthal discussing the Cardinals and Wetherholt talking extension. Jimmy Crooks tearin' it up down on the farm. Not a lot of offense out of the catcher position.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In the fourth century B.C., Plato famously posited a philosopher-king as the ideal ruler for his imagined Republic. Five hundred years later, the Roman Empire was led by Marcus Aurelius, the man often viewed as the best example of this Platonic ideal. In this episode, Jacke talks to William O. Stephens about his book Marcus Aurelius: Philosopher-King, which guides readers through the fascinating life, writings, and legacy of Rome's great emperor philosopher. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at gabrielruizbernal.com. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate . The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's our 800th Episode, and it's about time we show our real face. For 16 years, you thought we were Da Gooberman, but really we're Monica Angela Rita! But don't worry, we're still full of great advice even though our souls are spread out across eighty-eight haunted piano keys.Suggested Talking Points: Da Man in Da Goobermask, Be Gentle About Deck Size, Trade Your Brother for a Website, Hone Your Brain and Ditch Your ShameImmigrant Law Center of Minnesota: https://www.ilcm.org/donate/