How do we relate to ourselves, each other and the world around us as individuals? In this episode we look at what underpins our understanding of the self by delving into the history, as well as the foundational beliefs and axioms, of Western Civilization. Looking at why we've come to hold a sense of individuality as sacred, and how we have to reconcile that idea with our seemingly inherent capacity to inflict harm and carry out evil.
Date of Recording
Original conversation recorded July 2021
Timestamps
- Last episode recap (02:57)
- How the sanctity of the individual is manifest in today’s world? (06:44)
- Is the intrinsic value of the individual self-evident? (12:17)
- Origins of the sanctity of the individual (16:31)
- The Greeks - Reason vs fatalism (22:13)
- The Romans & the ancient role of power (24:27)
- Christianity and its transformational impact (30:18)
- The universality of the sanctity of the individual (36:31)
- The transcendental replacing material power for value orientation (40:19)
- Fatalism to sanctified conscious moral agents (43:43)
- The unfolding Imago Dei - The relation of the individual to society (45:13)
- Imago Dei - contexts and caveats (48:02)
- Divine right of kings and the Magna Carta (50:28)
- Competing and decentralising power structures, Petition & Bill of Rights (58:27)
- Human nature and sovereignty: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau (01:01:18)
- The French Revolution (01:09:17)
- The American Revolution (01:12:00)
- Paradoxes and in-group out-group dynamics (01:19:41)
- Universal Human Rights (01:23:07)
- Fallen nature
- Union of opposites (01:25:58)
- Limited agents of creation, logos (01:29:35)
- Russian revolutions, The line of good and evil (01:35:46)
- Good, 2 types of evil and the danger of ideologies (01:40:23)
- Wrapping up, concluding thoughts (01:45:58)
- Imago Dei/Fallen as a heuristic compass by which we can navigate the world
- Outro (01:53:51)
Questions to ponder over
- Do you think we still hold a sense of individuality as sacred in modern society?
- How would your life change if you were to treat yourself and others as if they’re lives were so?
- How would your actions and decisions change if you considered yourself and others conscious moral agents participating in the arena?
- Could we strengthen the nodes on the network by fully adopting and internalising this mindset?
Links to explore
Contact
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