Johnathan Bi

In this lecture, we will finish painting the picture of Girardian psychology by understanding mimetic rivalry and negative mimesis. This picture will expose humans as fallen and certain psycho-social pathologies as inevitable: fetishization, alienation, bipolarity, masochism, oppression, and inequity. Girard’s psychology, then, is also a theodicy — an inquiry into the origins of evil. For Girard, evil is not contingent on poorly designed societies but an inevitable consequence of corrupt human nature. We will never escape these pathologies no matter how much social “progress” is made. Girard’s theodicy tampers our expectations of the world and inoculates us against a whole host of, what we can loosely call, critical theories. This is a critique of critique. Some links to further guide your study:

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* Full transcript: https://open.substack.com/pub/johnathanbi/p/transcript-of-girard-lecture-iii

Mimesis, mimetic desire, and metaphysical desire are the fundamental building blocks of Girard’s psychology. They will show us how even the most intimate aspects of our identity can be radically shaped by others and how to distinguish vanity from authenticity. These psychological fundaments are what make humans social animals, why prestige and recognition matter so much to us, and how we are able to form cultures and even language itself. They are responsible for humanity’s greatest achievements, but they also render us helplessly fallen. Under scrutiny, metaphysical desire will reveal itself to be none other than original sin. Some links to further guide your study:

* Join my email list to be notified of future episodes: greatbooks.io

* Full transcript: https://open.substack.com/pub/johnathanbi/p/transcript-of-girard-lecture-ii

Lecture I gives a brief overview of Girard’s life and work. It summarizes the key conclusions of mimetic theory, distilling the most crucial ideas of this 10+ hour long lectures series into a digestible 2 hours. For those who are short on time, this synopsis is sufficient to give you a taste of Girard. For those embarking on the full journey, this lecture is a rough map that will orient you throughout the expansive, tumultuous, and dizzying terrain ahead. Some links to further guide your study:

* Join my email list to be notified of future episodes: greatbooks.io

* Full transcript: https://open.substack.com/pub/johnathanbi/p/transcript-of-girard-lecture-i

Soryu is the founder of Monastic Academy, an organization that is dedicated to train meditators who also remain engaged with and impact the world. During my visits, I've been impressed by the rigor of their practice as well as their engagement in society: politics, economics, technology. Me and Soryu sit down to discuss one central question: How can one both develop a serious meditation practice while remaining engaged with the world.

I chat with good friend and prominent internet writer David Perell on online writing as a new media platform: what this medium is uniquely suited to do, whether the truth-seeking ends of online writing is in contradiction with the performative means, and the psychological dangers of publishing one’s work online.

I chat with Francis Pedraza, CEO of Invisible technologies, about what it means to live the heroic life in the 21st century and its many pitfalls.

I chat with Thimo Heisenberg, Philosophy PHD @ Columbia, about a pressing contemporary issue: “which direction to take the market economy?” In his research, Thimo has taken a historical-philosophical approach to this problem by examining the arguments offered by prominent thinkers in 19th-century Germany when this system of production began to proliferate. We discuss the relevance of such a historical approach, dive into a defense offered by Hegel, before circling back to the contemporary debate.

17 year old Marion Deal sits across me with a half shaved head. She grew up in a renaissance fair, travelled to China to study Kungfu, has already published her first book, is starting her career as a neuroscience researcher, and is one of the most well-read people I know. Today, I chat with Marion about her fascinating upbringing, the importance of creating spaces for weirdos, and her relentless drive for artistic and academic achievement. I must warn you, Marion speaks in a dense, academic manner that is hard to decipher, but if you slug it through, I promise that you will be just as intrigued by how this brilliant 17-year-old sees reality as I am.

Marguerite has seen shit. The London/New York it-girl lifestyle, Columbia grad, prestigious Kristy’s, California hippies, marijuana plantations, an indian farm, Asian nunneries, and a deep engagement with Buddhism — she is one of the few who have went off the well-trodden road and fearlessly pursued her own values. And she managed to do so while cultivating a deep love for the world. I chat with Marguerite about her journey, and try to figure out how she pursues her own values without being alienated.