In the second of our examination of the Overman, we'll examine a passage I'd originally planned to look at in respect to the eternal recurrence of the same events: The Convalescent. This chapter of Thus Spoke Zarathustra deals with both of these grand doctrines of Nietzsche - the Overman and the eternal return - and provides, in some sense, the means for und ... Show More
Aug 19
The Gay Science #16 (IV.276-288)
Continuing with The Gay Science, and beginning with book IV, "Sanctus Januarius". Here, we encounter some of the most famous aphorisms: For the New Year, Preparatory Men ("Live Dangerously!") and Excelsior. Exciting times!Episode art: View of Genoa under the Snow - Eugenio Olivar ... Show More
1h 56m
Aug 12
120: Erich Heller, The Disinherited Mind, pt 2 - Burckhardt, Nietzsche & History
The conclusion of our two-parter on Erich Heller, and the conclusion to season five! We discuss Nietzsche's friendship with Jacob Burckhardt, and how Burckhardt's view of history can inform our understanding of Nietzsche's divergence from him. We also consider Goethe's four ages ... Show More
1h 44m
Aug 5
119: Erich Heller, The Disinherited Mind, pt 1 - Goethe, Schiller & The Symbol
Something happened to the human mind around the birth of modernity: the divorce of reality and the symbol. Once unified in eucharist, the symbolic and the real are now separate spheres of the human mind, and while it initially seemed that art and science might benefit by this sep ... Show More
1h 39m
Nov 2024
How Stoicism Frames Life, Death, and the Importance of Living Well (Meditations 2.14)
In this episode, I examine Meditation 14 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the nature of time and the present moment. Marcus emphasizes that we cannot lose the past, as it no longer exists, nor the future, as it has yet to arrive. The only thing we can ... Show More
19m 12s
Jan 2019
Episode 53, Friedrich Nietzsche (Part II - Thus Spoke Zarathustra)
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), a man who suffered greatly from bodily ills, considered himself somewhat of a physician. Yet, his remedies were not aimed towards physical conditions of the body, but rather the personal and societal ills of his time. Nietzsche, often poetically a ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2024
Why Philosophy Is the Only True Guide Through Life (Meditations 2.17)
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 17 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the transient and uncertain nature of life. Marcus reminds us that our lives are brief and unpredictable, with the physical and spiritual aspects of existence constantly in flux ... Show More
23m 27s
Jan 2025
Death and the Choice to Live Wisely (Meditations 3.3)
In this episode, I reflect on Meditation 3.3 from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, exploring its central themes: the inevitability of death, the futility of fearing it, and the Stoic imperative to live well while we can. Marcus reminds us that even the most accomplished and revered ... Show More
17 m
Feb 2025
Why Stoicism Teaches Us to Be Prepared for Death (Meditations 3.8)
In this episode, I explore Meditations 3.8 and the idea of preparing for death—not as a morbid fascination, but as a necessary step toward living justly and without fear. Marcus Aurelius describes the Stoic sage as someone unshaken by fate, someone who meets the end of life witho ... Show More
20m 18s
Jan 2019
Episode 53, Friedrich Nietzsche (Part III - Beyond Good and Evil)
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), a man who suffered greatly from bodily ills, considered himself somewhat of a physician. Yet, his remedies were not aimed towards physical conditions of the body, but rather the personal and societal ills of his time. Nietzsche, often poetically a ... Show More
43m 41s
Dec 2018
Episode 53, Friedrich Nietzsche (Part I - The Life of Nietzsche)
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), a man who suffered greatly from bodily ills, considered himself somewhat of a physician. Yet, his remedies were not aimed towards physical conditions of the body, but rather the personal and societal ills of his time. Nietzsche, often poetically a ... Show More
1h 5m
Dec 2024
Why the Stoics Urge Us to Act Before Time and Reason Fade (Meditations 3.1)
Today we begin Book 3 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Meditation 3.1 reminds us that our time is limited—not just by death, but by the potential loss of our rational faculty as we age. Marcus writes that even if life continues, our ability to reason, comprehend, and adapt to e ... Show More
18m 22s
Jan 2019
Episode 53, Friedrich Nietzsche (Part IV - Further Analysis and Discussion)
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), a man who suffered greatly from bodily ills, considered himself somewhat of a physician. Yet, his remedies were not aimed towards physical conditions of the body, but rather the personal and societal ills of his time. Nietzsche, often poetically a ... Show More
54m 15s
Nov 2024
Accepting Mortality: Marcus Aurelius on the Purpose of Death (Meditations 2.12)
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 12 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the transient nature of life, death, and the things we often fear or desire. Marcus emphasizes that everything in the Universe is impermanent, including our bodies, desires, and ... Show More
16m 43s