Introduction to Machiavelli’s political philosophy. We will consider Machiavelli’s legacy, and the enduring debate as to the significance of Machiavelli’s work. Is he strictly an amoralist, concerned with political power as solely a “force” to be considered in the scientific sense, or does he have a political project of his own that must inform our interpret ... Show More
Oct 7
Untimely Reflections #47: Melanie Coughlin - Nishitani, Nietzsche & The Kyoto School
Melanie Coughlin, a scholar whose work focuses on Nishitani and the Kyoto school, joined me for a conversation that will hopefully provide a nice conclusion to the recent focus on Buddhism. We discussed karma, the misleading nature of intentions, Nishitani's theory of affect, emp ... Show More
1h 8m
Sep 29
151: Julian Jaynes, part 2 - The Witness of History
How did the bicameral mind emerge, and how did consciousness eventually take its place? Join me for an exploration of ancient Mesopotamian civilizations, in which Julian Jaynes traces the evidence over the centuries that suggest a disappearance of the gods and the emergence of su ... Show More
1h 56m
Sep 22
150: Julian Jaynes, part 1 - Hearing Voices
What is consciousness? Julian Jaynes rejects all of the popular answers: that consciousness is thinking, reason, memory, or the capacity for learning. Nor does he think it can be accounted for as a merely accumulative development of "sentience" through evolution. In his controver ... Show More
1h 25m
Aug 2023
Danyl McLauchlan: a Machiavellian view of politics
Scientist and writer Danyl McLauchlan joins Kim to tackle life's big questions, ideas and thinkers. This week, Nicolo Machiavelli, the founder of modern political theory, who argued that politics wasn't about deciding who should rule, but about realising that many of the people w ... Show More
9m 43s
May 2021
Machiavelli, master of power
Over five hundred years ago, dismissed diplomat Niccolò Machiavelli produced his most famous work, The Prince. Written on the fringes of the Italian city of Florence, the book has long been read as a priceless guide to power and what holding it truly involves. But who was the man ... Show More
39m 2s
Sep 2019
Episode #95- How Machiavellian was Machiavelli? (Part II)
Since The Prince was first published in 1532 it has attracted an eclectic group of admirers. Figures as diverse as Napoleon Bonaparte, Jean-Jaques Rousseau, and Tupac Shakur, have managed to find some deep wisdom in the pages of Niccolo Machiavelli's little book. Machiavelli's en ... Show More
1h 4m
Sep 2021
Machiavellianism, and the 'dark triad' of personality
Do you consider yourself a shrewd manipulator? Are you cynical about the nature of human beings? If so, you might rank highly in Machiavellianism - a personality trait that's based on the writing and views of Niccolo Machiavelli, the 16th-century Italian political philosopher. We ... Show More
29m 23s