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
Yesterday
131: Daemonic, part 2 - Herder's Substantial Forces & Goethe's Flame of Genius
In the second part of this series, we'll examine how it is that Goethe came to his conception of the Daemonic, involved as it is with Spinoza's pantheism. Goethe's introduction to Spinoza was largely through Herder, and his friendship with Herder he described as one of the most i ... Show More
1h 28m
Jan 20
130: Daemonic, part 1 - Ancient Spirits & The Pantheism Controversy
Part one of three. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe often spoke of a dangerous but invigorating life-force that he christened "the daemonic". In his conversations with Eckermann, and in his autobiography Dichtung und Wahrheit, he describes the daemonic by direct reference to Spinoza, a ... Show More
1h 19m
Jan 13
129: Ge Ling Shang - Liberation as Affirmation
Today we're considering Ge Ling Shang's book, Liberation as Affirmation, comparing Zhuangzi and Nietzsche. Shang sees both thinkers as putting forward a "religiosity" of life-affirmation. Major points of comparison: use of language (goblet words/zhiyan & Dionysian dithyramb), whe ... Show More
1h 31m
Jan 2019
Episode 53, Friedrich Nietzsche (Part II - Thus Spoke Zarathustra)
<p>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 poeticall ... Show More
1h 2m
Jan 2019
Episode 53, Friedrich Nietzsche (Part IV - Further Analysis and Discussion)
<p>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 poeticall ... Show More
54m 15s
Dec 2018
Episode 53, Friedrich Nietzsche (Part I - The Life of Nietzsche)
<p>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 poeticall ... Show More
1h 5m
Jan 2019
Episode 53, Friedrich Nietzsche (Part III - Beyond Good and Evil)
<p>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 poeticall ... Show More
43m 41s
Aug 2022
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli ~ Full Audiobook [philosophy]
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli audiobook. Genre: philosophy Written in the turbulence of Renaissance Italy, The Prince is Niccolo Machiavelli's stark, practical manual on how power is gained, protected, and lost. Addressed to a ruler seeking to unify and stabilize a fractured ... Show More
5h 43m
Feb 2025
Power, freedom, and justice: rethinking Foucault
Contributor(s): Professor Mark Pennington | What are the implications of Michel Foucault’s critical social theories for how we think about freedom, power, and justice?
Political economist Mark Pennington will address this question exploring themes from his forthcoming book Foucau ... Show More
1h 26m
Aug 2024
Oliver Traldi, "Political Beliefs: A Philosophical Introduction" (Routledge, 2024)
The idiom of contemporary politics is a kind of philosophical hodge-podge. While there’s plenty of talk about the traditional themes of freedom, justice, equality, and autonomy, there is also an increasing reliance on ideas like misinformation, bias, expertise, and propaganda. Th ... Show More
1h 8m