Gadfly Academy

By Herman Middleton

The Gadfly Academy podcast is focused on understanding what it means to be a human in a world that treats humans like machines. That humans are not machines is a guiding principle, as is the convictio... more

· Society & Culture

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FAQs about Gadfly Academy:

How many episodes does Gadfly Academy have?

The podcast currently has 25 episodes available.

Gadfly Academy episodes:

October 30, 2025 Paul Kingsnorth's Against The Machine: Intro, Ch. 1, 2 | Book Study # 3
📙 Download The How Did We Get Here? Reading List (+ Social media links!): https://sleekbio.com/gadflyacademy ||
Paul Kingsnorth’s new book, Against the Machine, is one of the most profound critiques of modern technological civilization. ||
This is why, over the coming weeks and months, we are going to take a deep dive into his book...please join us on Thursday evenings at 7:30pmEST for a live-stream (on YouTube) conversation.||
Here's the first part of our schedule: ||
October 30: 7:30pmEST ||
- Pages xiii-21 ||
November 6: 7:30pmEST ||
- Pages 22-42 ||
If you’ve ever wondered what went wrong with our relationship to technology, or how to reclaim your humanity in a mechanized age, this conversation is for you. ||

🎥 View podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GadflyAcademy ||
🔔 SUBSCRIBE, please! ||
🖇️ LET'S CONNECT! ||
Substack: https://gadflyacademy.substack.com/ ||
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@gadflyacademy ||
X/Twitter: http://x.com/gadflyacademy ||
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gadflyacademy ||
Threads: http://threads.net/@gadflyacademy ||
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gadflyacademy ||
Medium: https://medium.com/@gadflyacademy ||
Website: http://www.gadflyacademy.com ||
#culturalcriticism #anthropology #cosmology #matrix
...more
17min
October 23, 2025 Paul Kingsnorth's Against The Machine: In Context | Book Study #2
📙 Download The How Did We Get Here? Reading List (+ Social media links!): https://sleekbio.com/gadflyacademy ||
Paul Kingsnorth’s new book, Against the Machine, is one of the most profound critiques of modern technological civilization. ||
This is why, over the coming weeks and months, we are going to take a deep dive into his book...please join us on Thursday evenings at 7:30pmEST for a live-stream (on YouTube) conversation.||
Here's the first part of our schedule: ||
October 23: 7:30pmEST (flexible start time (only this one time), should begin no later than 8:30pm) ||
- Introduction to Paul Kingsnorth, his book, etc. ||
October 30: 7:30pmEST (start time from here on out should be quite firm!) ||
- Pages xiii-21 ||
November 6: 7:30pmEST ||
- Pages 22-42 ||
If you’ve ever wondered what went wrong with our relationship to technology, or how to reclaim your humanity in a mechanized age, this conversation is for you. ||

🎥 View podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GadflyAcademy ||
🔔 SUBSCRIBE, please! ||
🖇️ LET'S CONNECT! ||
Substack: https://gadflyacademy.substack.com/ ||
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@gadflyacademy ||
X/Twitter: http://x.com/gadflyacademy ||
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gadflyacademy ||
Threads: http://threads.net/@gadflyacademy ||
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gadflyacademy ||
Medium: https://medium.com/@gadflyacademy ||
Website: http://www.gadflyacademy.com ||
#culturalcriticism #anthropology #cosmology #matrix
...more
10min
October 16, 2025 The Machine Wants Your Soul | Paul Kingsnorth: Against The Machine Book Study #1
📙 Download The How Did We Get Here? Reading List (+ Social media links!):https://sleekbio.com/gadflyacademy ||Paul Kingsnorth’s new book, Against the Machine, is one of the most profound critiques of modern technological civilization. ||This is why, over the coming weeks and months, we are going to take a deep dive into his book...please join us on Thursday evenings at 7:30pmEST for a live-stream (on YouTube) conversation. ||Here's the first part of our schedule: ||October 23: 7:30pmEST (flexible start time (only this one time), should begin no later than 8:30pm) ||- Introduction to Paul Kingsnorth, his book, etc. ||October 30: 7:30pmEST (start time from here on out should be quite firm!) ||- Pages xiii-21 ||November 6: 7:30pmEST ||- Pages 22-42 ||If you’ve ever wondered what went wrong with our relationship to technology, or how to reclaim your humanity in a mechanized age, this conversation is for you. ||

🎥 View podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GadflyAcademy ||
🔔 SUBSCRIBE, please! ||
🖇️ LET'S CONNECT! ||
Substack: https://gadflyacademy.substack.com/ ||
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@gadflyacademy ||
X/Twitter: http://x.com/gadflyacademy ||
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gadflyacademy ||
Threads: http://threads.net/@gadflyacademy ||
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gadflyacademy ||
Medium: https://medium.com/@gadflyacademy ||
Website: http://www.gadflyacademy.com ||
#culturalcriticism #anthropology #cosmology #matrix
...more
9min
October 09, 2025 Machine Values Are Here | Attention Crisis #8
📙 Download The How Did We Get Here? Reading List at https://www.GadflyAcademy.com ||

In this episode, we explore the hidden value system of technology. Before we discuss how to structure our lives around human values, I share a long list of machine (technocratic) values that quietly dominate our society. ||

🎧 Listen now to start spotting the machine values shaping your world... ||

🎥 View podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GadflyAcademy ||
🔔 SUBSCRIBE, please! ||
🖇️ LET'S CONNECT! ||
Substack: https://gadflyacademy.substack.com/ ||
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@gadflyacademy ||
X/Twitter: http://x.com/gadflyacademy ||
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gadflyacademy ||
Threads: http://threads.net/@gadflyacademy ||
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gadflyacademy ||
Medium: https://medium.com/@gadflyacademy ||
Website: http://www.gadflyacademy.com ||
#culturalcriticism #anthropology #cosmology #matrix
...more
5min
October 02, 2025 What Are "Machine Values"? | Attention Crisis #7
📙 Download The How Did We Get Here? Reading List at https://www.GadflyAcademy.com ||

This episode unpacks the critical distinction between human values and technocratic ("machine") values. While human values are rooted in meaning, relationships, and our intrinsic nature, technocratic machine values prioritize efficiency, scalability, and control. ||

🔔 Subscribe and share this episode with someone who’s feeling overwhelmed by technology! ||

🎥 View podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GadflyAcademy ||

🖇️ LET'S CONNECT! ||
Substack: https://gadflyacademy.substack.com/ ||
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@gadflyacademy ||
X/Twitter: http://x.com/gadflyacademy ||
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gadflyacademy ||
Threads: http://threads.net/@gadflyacademy ||
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gadflyacademy ||
Medium: https://medium.com/@gadflyacademy ||
Website: http://www.gadflyacademy.com ||
#culturalcriticism #anthropology #cosmology #matrix
...more
9min
September 25, 2025Is "Agency" A Human Value? | Attention Crisis #6
📙 Download The How Did We Get Here? Reading List at https://www.GadflyAcademy.com ||

In this episode, we explore whether “agency” should be considered a true human value. Using our 8-question framework, we examine the benefits and limits of agency, its relationship to human flourishing, and its role in meaning, community, and responsibility. ||
Key Topics: ||
What agency really means ||
The tension between agency and flourishing ||
Why agency is a double-edged sword ||
Agency’s role in community and meaning ||
How to clarify your own hierarchy of values ||

Reflect on your own top values. Which ones are non-negotiable for you? ||

🎥 View podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GadflyAcademy ||

🔔 SUBSCRIBE, please! ||

🖇️ LET'S CONNECT! ||
Substack: https://gadflyacademy.substack.com/ ||
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@gadflyacademy ||
X/Twitter: http://x.com/gadflyacademy ||
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gadflyacademy ||
Threads: http://threads.net/@gadflyacademy ||
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gadflyacademy ||
Medium: https://medium.com/@gadflyacademy ||
Website: http://www.gadflyacademy.com ||
#culturalcriticism #anthropology #cosmology #matrix
...more
11min
September 18, 2025 51 Human Values | Attention Crisis #5
📙 Download The How Did We Get Here? Reading List at https://www.GadflyAcademy.com ||

In this episode, we continue our exploration of the concept of human values. Using our eight-question system, I evaluate "agency," one of a list of 51 human values. ||
Which of our 51 human values are most important to you? Rate them using the checklist and share your insights with us! ||

🎥 View podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GadflyAcademy ||
🔔 SUBSCRIBE, please! ||
🖇️ LET'S CONNECT! ||
Substack: https://gadflyacademy.substack.com/ ||
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@gadflyacademy ||
X/Twitter: http://x.com/gadflyacademy ||
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gadflyacademy ||
Threads: http://threads.net/@gadflyacademy ||
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gadflyacademy ||
Medium: https://medium.com/@gadflyacademy ||
Website: http://www.gadflyacademy.com ||
#culturalcriticism #anthropology #cosmology #matrix
...more
11min
September 11, 2025What is a "Human Value"? 8 Questions to Clarify | Attention Crisis #4
📙 Download The How Did We Get Here? Reading List at https://www.GadflyAcademy.com ||

In this episode, we explore the critical distinction between human values and technocratic values. While some values help us flourish, others subtly erode our humanity. I introduce a 8 critical questions for identifying authentic human values and explain why this matters in today’s digital age. ||

Key Topics: ||
Why values aren’t always universal or “self-evident” ||
The danger of confusing technocratic values for human ones ||
15 practical criteria (and 8 questions) for judging authentic human values ||
How to protect and live by values that actually sustain life ||
If you want to ensure your life is guided by values that matter, don’t miss this episode—listen now and share your reflections! ||
🎥 View podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GadflyAcademy ||
🔔 SUBSCRIBE, please! ||
🖇️ LET'S CONNECT! ||
Substack: https://gadflyacademy.substack.com/ ||
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@gadflyacademy ||
X/Twitter: http://x.com/gadflyacademy ||
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gadflyacademy ||
Threads: http://threads.net/@gadflyacademy ||
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gadflyacademy ||
Medium: https://medium.com/@gadflyacademy ||
Website: http://www.gadflyacademy.com ||
#culturalcriticism #anthropology #cosmology #matrix
...more
12min
September 04, 2025 Want Focus? Start by Asking What You Truly Value | Attention Crisis #3
📙 Download The How Did We Get Here? Reading List at https://www.GadflyAcademy.com ||

What is the relationship between one's core values and one's capacity to avoid distraction? ||The secret to focus isn’t another productivity hack… it starts with asking the right questions: Who are you? What do you really value? What do you want? ||In my latest podcast, I consider the relationship between values and attention... ||
🎥 View podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GadflyAcademy ||
🔔 SUBSCRIBE, please! ||
🖇️ LET'S CONNECT! ||
Substack: https://gadflyacademy.substack.com/ ||
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@gadflyacademy ||
X/Twitter: http://x.com/gadflyacademy ||
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gadflyacademy ||
Threads: http://threads.net/@gadflyacademy ||
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gadflyacademy ||
Medium: https://medium.com/@gadflyacademy ||
Website: http://www.gadflyacademy.com ||
#culturalcriticism #anthropology #cosmology #matrix
...more
12min
August 28, 2025Escape The Attention Trap! (Attention Crisis #2)
📙 Download The How Did We Get Here? Reading List at https://www.GadflyAcademy.com ||
Attention is more than just focus — it’s the habit that shapes our entire lives. In this episode, we dig into why attention matters, how technology and the Attention Economy hijack it, and what we can do to reclaim control of our minds. ||
Why attention is the foundation of our lives ||
How habits shape our focus from childhood onward ||
The hidden power of the Attention Economy ||
Two root problems: confusion of values + addictive tech ||
Practical first steps toward habit change ||
If you’re ready to reclaim your attention and live more intentionally, subscribe and share this episode with a friend. ||
🎥 View podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GadflyAcademy ||
🔔 SUBSCRIBE, please! ||
🖇️ LET'S CONNECT! ||
Substack: https://gadflyacademy.substack.com/ ||
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@gadflyacademy ||
X/Twitter: http://x.com/gadflyacademy ||
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gadflyacademy ||
Threads: http://threads.net/@gadflyacademy ||
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gadflyacademy ||
Medium: https://medium.com/@gadflyacademy ||
Website: http://www.gadflyacademy.com ||
#culturalcriticism #anthropology #cosmology #matrix
...more
13min

FAQs about Gadfly Academy:

How many episodes does Gadfly Academy have?

The podcast currently has 25 episodes available.