Please help up to keep these conversations going, and join our reading community, by supporting us over on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/solomonsmith/membership Modern civilisation: is it best explained by philosophy—or by myth? In this conversation we talk about Goethe’s Faust, Nietzsche’s Zarathustra, the everlasting crisis of Western civilization, and the philosophy doomscape of modern academia. Faust captures the restless drive that defines the modern world: the desire to know everything, experience everything, and reshape reality itself. Nietzsche interrogates the same drive at greater length, in greater depth. We discuss: • Faust and modernity • Goethe, Nietzsche, and nihilism • Why everyone thinks Nietzsche’s Übermensch is about them • Whether universities are still the right place for philosophy • The permanent, everlasting crisis of meaning in the Evening Lands • Technology and power • Is Nietzsche optimistic? If you enjoy conversations about dead German men, consider subscribing and supporting the channel. Here is a link to Johannes's in depth course on Faust Part II: https://halkyonacademy.teachable.com/p/goethe-faust-part-ii