In this episode, I discuss the phenomenon of the sublime, a peak experience involving a pleasure because of terror at being overwhelmed. It can occur when overpowered by an experience of the awesomeness of nature, or of a work of art. I draw from an article by Robert Clewis, found in Aeon magazine, “Is the Sublime A Hopelessly Old-Fashioned Euro-Romantic Ideal?” Links to the artwork of Thomas Cole can be found at arthistorynewsreport.blogspot.com/2014/10/thomas-coles-voyage-of-life-at-chrysler.html. Also a video of the work of Caspar David Friedrich can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPLp5wPMIxU.

This is an episode on how to break out the limited presuppositions and perspectives of our place in history. We each have an Umwelt that is an incomplete map of reality. You can find the article on which this talk is based at https://medium.com/personal-growth/the-invisible-strings-how-to-see-the-world-like-nobody-else-1b7ede14bae. The article is “The Invisible Strings: How to See The World Like Nobody Else,” by Zat Rana.

In this episode, I analyze the novella Billy Budd, by the Great American writer Herman Melville. I analyze the novella in light of two philosophical issues. One is the question of whether the law of society trumps our own conscience. The other is the phenomenon of an irrational pursuit of evil for the sake of evil, through which we have no personal gain. The opera by Benjamin Britten of Billy Budd can be found here: youtube.com/watch?v=GOdS6cGDRCw.

In this episode, I address an article by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, in Lifesite News, in which he disputes the view of a priest who thinks that communion on the tongue is both Gnostic and Calvinistic. I explore these fascinating heresies, and the possible connection between Vatican II and a severe decline in church membership. The article can be found at lifesitenews.com/blogs/why-priest-is-wrong-in-describing-communion-on-tongue-as-gnostic-and-calvinistic

In this episode, I go through a timeline of different approaches to people with disabilities. I chart the evolution from dismissive and ethnocentric ideas of Ancient Greeks and Romans, to the emphasis on individual dignity of Christianity and the Enlightenment. What we see in contemporary society is a struggle between this lingering Enlightenment tradition, and a move to return to the pre-Christian ways. A related website can be found at https://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels/five/5a/10.html.

In this episode, I discuss the competing world views associated with the euthanasia debate. This debate has to do with the very meaning of life and cosmological questions about the nature and origin of human life. You can find Wesley Smith’s article at https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/04/jack-kevorkian-legacy-euthanasia-assisted-suicide-normalized/.

In this episode, I analyze a compelling documentary found on YouTube put together by the architects and engineers for 9/11 truth. It compellingly debunks the official narrative from NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) that fires caused by the planes weakened the buildings and caused the collapse. The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com!watch?time_continue=2737&v=IYUYya6bPGw&feature=emb_title. Or search for “Architects and Engineers On 9/11! Excellent Must See!” On the page of Richard Bruce.

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In this episode, I discuss how Anscombe breaks down modern moral theories, showing their deep deficiencies and their inability to provide guidance effectively. There are quandaries with utilitarianism as well as with law-based conceptions of ethics because of a growing secularism.

In this episode, I discuss De Mattei’s analysis of the coronavirus. I touch in particular on his idea that collective sins promoted by leadership that is also corrupt merit the greatest punishment from God. We need a stressor to change the status quo. I then deliver breaking news about Pope Francis, who stated that the coronavirus represents nature “having a fit” about pollution. Francis is actively discouraging the idea that the coronavirus is a punishment from God, and he is also covering for the CCP, whose bungling incompetence unleashed this virus on the world.

In this episode, I continue to break down De Mattei’s discussion of the coronavirus. I discuss how De Matteo compares the current convulsions, both in terms of public health and the economy, with the convulsions of the 14th century. I discuss the competing impulses of interconnection and nationalism. I also discuss De Mattei’s cynicism about Keynsien approaches to rescue the economy, and the possibility of the replacement of the state by tribes and gangs.