This is just personal notes - class notes.

The episode is a preface and commentary to “How to Win an Argument Without Having to Be Right,” a work by Arthur Schopenhauer that deals with eristic dialectics, that is, the art of winning debates by illicit means. The author, Olavo de Carvalho, explains the context of Schopenhauer’s work and relates it to the thinking of other authors such as Kant and Aristotle, showing how eristic dialectics fits into a broader panorama of the history of philosophy. In his analysis, Carvalho criticizes dialectics as a method for arriving at the truth and proposes a vision closer to intuition and inner experience. The text also addresses the issue of the “art of always being right” in debates and criticizes the use of eristic stratagems for political and ideological purposes, especially in the Brazilian context. Throughout his commentary, Carvalho uses contemporary examples to illustrate the application of Schopenhauer’s 38 stratagems, showing how these devices are still used today.

"Preparing for Marriage: Help for Christian Couples" is a book by John Piper, published by Desiring God, which aims to help Christian couples in their preparations for marriage. The book is divided into six chapters that cover topics such as: the engagement period, wedding planning, the complementary dynamics between husband and wife, sexual relations in marriage, the importance of protecting marriage in a world that attacks it, and the ultimate goal of marriage: to be lived for the glory of God.

Each chapter is developed based on biblical passages and theological reflections, with the aim of offering a Christian perspective on married life. The work emphasizes the need to prioritize faith in God in all spheres of life, including marriage, and highlights the importance of building a solid relationship, based on biblical principles of love, respect, leadership, and submission.

In addition to the main chapters, the book includes two appendices. The first provides an extensive list of questions for couples to discuss important issues regarding faith, values, lifestyle, relationships with friends, family, children, and finances. The second appendix addresses the topic of hospitality, addressing the importance of welcoming others, especially brothers and sisters in Christ, as a way of demonstrating God’s love and being a witness to the world.

In short, the book is a practical and theological guide for Christian couples seeking to build a solid and lasting marriage, founded on biblical principles and oriented to the glory of God.

The episode is an excerpt from the book "The Oxford Handbook of Cultural Neuroscience", which explores the intersection between culture and the human brain. The book seeks to understand how culture shapes brain development, cognition and mental health. The excerpt explores topics such as the role of culture in sensory perception, language development, the influence of culture on social behaviors and the neurobiology of mental illness, all within a cross-cultural context. The aim is to challenge the traditionally universalist view of neuroscience by acknowledging cultural diversity and its implications for the functioning of the human brain and mind.

The Parents Guide to Psychological First Aid by Gerald P. Koocher and Annette Marie La Greca is a practical guide for parents on how to deal with common emotional and behavioral challenges faced by children and adolescents. It covers a wide range of topics, organized into sections that reflect different areas of child and adolescent life, such as physical health, family problems, social development, school behavior, and psychological issues. Each chapter delves into a specific topic, presenting information on causes, symptoms, and treatments, as well as providing tips and strategies for parents to help their children cope. The book emphasizes the importance of open communication, empathy, setting clear limits, and seeking professional support when necessary. The main goal is to empower parents to provide appropriate psychological and emotional support for their children, promoting their well-being and healthy development.

The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind

The Whole Child Brain is a guide for parents on how to nurture children's mental development, based on the latest knowledge in neuroscience. The book presents twelve practical strategies to help children integrate the different aspects of their brains, including emotions, logic, memory and relationships. The goal is to help children develop skills in self-regulation, emotional intelligence and healthy relationships.

Pink's thought-provoking new book explores the science behind human motivation and challenges conventional wisdom about what drives high performance. He argues that the secret to success lies in providing individuals with autonomy over their work, opportunities for mastery, and a sense of purpose. By examining how our current practices often misalign with these fundamental needs, Pink offers practical insights and strategies for creating more motivating and fulfilling environments.

Eric Kaufmann's book "Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth? Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century" examines the impact of religious population growth in different parts of the world, especially in the West, Israel, and the Muslim world. Kaufmann argues that the demographic growth of fundamentalist groups is challenging trends toward secularization and individualism in the West, and that the rise of religious fundamentalism, driven by high birth rates and a strong sense of identity, is reshaping politics and societies around the world. The book examines different fundamentalist religious groups—such as the Haredi, the Amish, the Mormons, the Salafis, and the Muslim Brotherhood—and demonstrates how their demographic, political, and social strategies are shaping the future. Kaufmann highlights the importance of understanding demographic dynamics in predicting political and social trends, and argues that the rise of religious fundamentalism raises serious questions about the future of the West and the world.

James Williams's book "Stand Out of Our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy" argues that the abundance of information in the digital age has created a scarcity of attention, and that digital technologies, especially social media, exploit this scarcity by using persuasive tactics to capture and control users' attention. Williams argues that this competition for attention threatens individual and collective freedom, and that the fundamental moral and political task of our time is to free human attention from these forces of persuasion. The book examines the various ways in which attention is manipulated and exploited, and proposes solutions to restore individual control over attention, arguing that freedom of attention is essential to democracy and a meaningful life.

"Jesus and John Wayne: How the Gospel Was Co-opted by Cultural and Political Movements" by historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez, which examines the growing influence of evangelical Christianity on the American political scene. The author traces the rise of conservative evangelicalism in the United States, from its early days to the Trump era, showing how the movement has increasingly engaged with political issues, especially around themes of masculinity, family and war. The book examines key figures in conservative evangelicalism, such as Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, Phyllis Schlafly, James Dobson and Donald Trump, unraveling the theology and political strategies that fueled the movement's rise. The book also examines the consequences of conservative evangelicalism's influence on American culture and politics, including the growth of political polarization and the intensification of the culture wars.