In the tradition of the great theistic philosophers, Baruch Spinoza presents us with a metaphysical vision of the cosmos, as ordered by God. But in sharp contrast with thinkers such as Pascal, Spinoza's arguments for God are crafted with an attempt of logical precision. In fact, Spinoza structures his arguments as geometric proofs, and considers the only ser ... Show More
Mar 3
134: David Hume - Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
Today we're going to become Humean, All Too Humean. This is an introduction to David Hume's life and works, brief consideration of his influences, and deep dive into Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding - the work that woke Kant from his dogmatic slumber. In our analysis we dis ... Show More
1h 54m
Feb 17
Untimely Reflections #40: Hans Georg Moeller - Zhuangzi & Nietzsche
A conversation with Prof. Moeller (Carefree Wandering). We discuss the political implications of Daoist philosophy, the Daoist critique of Confucian family roles and anthropocentrism, the comparison to Nietzsche's critique of modernist theories of truth, the differences between t ... Show More
1h 22m
Jan 2025
The Nature of All Things: Spinoza's Philosophical Odyssey
Professor of philosophy Colin Bodayle joins Breht to dive into the profound, unique, and almost mystical philosophy of Baruch Spinoza. Together, they discuss the value of philosophy for all of us, Spinoza as a "philosopher's philosopher", his life and death in 17th century wester ... Show More
2h 43m
Jan 2025
Philosophy Series: Nietzsche and the Death of God
<p>Breht listens to, reflects on, and critically engages with a public lecture by the late philosopher <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smq5uRhM_IA">Michael Sugrue entitled "Nietzsche and the Death of God"</a>. He discusses the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, the poli ... Show More
2h 32m
Jul 2011
2011 Lecture 2: Aristotle's Philosophy as Two Ways of Life
Second lecture in the 2011 John Locke Lecture Series. Philosophy is a demanding intellectual discipline, with many facets: logic, epistemology, philosophy of nature and science, metaphysics, ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of art, rhetoric, philosophy of language and min ... Show More
1 h
Jun 2025
Dialectics of Nature: Engels on Dialectical Materialism as a Worldview
<p>In this episode, Alyson and Breht explore Friedrich Engels' <em>Dialectics of Nature</em>, a bold and underappreciated attempt to apply dialectical materialism to the natural sciences. Often dismissed or misunderstood, this unfinished work offers a sweeping view of reality - f ... Show More
2h 35m