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The podcast currently has 45 episodes available.
Ralston College Humanities MA
Dr John Vervaeke is a cognitive scientist and philosopher who explores the intersections of Neoplatonism, cognitive science, and the meaning crisis, focusing on wisdom practices, relevance realization, and personal transformation.
Ralston College presents a lecture titled “Levels of Intelligibility, Levels of the Self: Realizing the Dialectic,” delivered by Dr John Vervaeke, an award-winning associate professor of cognitive science at the University of Toronto and creator of the acclaimed 50-episode “Awakening from the Meaning Crisis” series. In this lecture, Dr Vervaeke identifies our cultural moment as one of profound disconnection and resulting meaninglessness. Drawing on his own cutting-edge research as a cognitive scientist and philosopher, Vervaeke presents a way out of the meaning crisis through what he terms “third-wave Neoplatonism.” He reveals how this Neoplatonic framework, drawn in part from Plato’s conception of the tripartite human soul, corresponds to the modern understanding of human cognition and, ultimately, to the levels of reality itself. He argues that a synoptic integration across these levels is not only possible but imperative.
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00:00 Levels of Intelligibility: Integrating Neoplatonism and Cognitive Science
12:50 Stage One: Neoplatonic Psycho-ontology and the Path to Spirituality
41:02 Aristotelian Science: Knowing as Conformity and Transformation
46:36 Stoic Tradition: Agency, Identity, and the Flow of Nature
01:00:10 Stage Two: Cognitive Science and the Integration of Self and Reality
01:04:45 The Frame Problem and Relevance Realization
01:08:45 Relevance Realization and the Power of Human Cognition 01:20:15 Transjective Reality: Affordances and Participatory Fittedness
01:23:55 The Role of Relevance Realization: Self-Organizing Processes
01:31:30 Predictive Processing and Adaptivity
01:44:35 Critiquing Kant: The Case for Participatory Realism
01:53:35 Stage Three: Neoplatonism and the Meaning Crisis
02:00:15 Q&A Session
02:01:45 Q: What is the Ecology of Practices for Cultivating Wisdom?
02:11:50 Q: How Has the Cultural Curriculum Evolved Over Time?
02:26:30 Q: Does the World Have Infinite Intelligibility?
02:33:50 Q: Most Meaningful Visual Art?
02:34:15 Q: Social Media's Impact on Mental Health and Information?
02:39:45 Q: What is Transjective Reality?
02:46:35 Q: How Can Education Address the Meaning Crisis?
02:51:50 Q: Advice for Building a College Community?
02:55:30 Closing Remarks
—
Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode:
Antisthenes
Aristotle
Brett Anderson
Byung-Chul Han
Charles Darwin
Daniel Dennett
D. C. Schindler
Friedrich Nietzsche
Galileo Galilei
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Heraclitus
Henry Corbin
Immanuel Kant
Iris Murdoch
Isaac Newton
Igor Grossmann
Johannes Kepler
John Locke
John Searle
John Spencer
Karl Friston
Karl Marx
Mark Miller
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Nelson Goodman
Paul Ricoeur
Pierre Hadot
Plato
Pythagoras
Rainer Maria Rilke
René Descartes
Sigmund Freud
W. Norris Clarke
anagoge (ἀναγωγή)
Distributed cognition
eidos (εἶδος)
eros (ἔρως)
Evan Thompson’s deep continuity hypothesis
Generative grammar
logos (λόγος)
Sensorimotor loop
Stoicism
thymos (θυμός)
Bayes' theorem
Wason Selection Task
The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber
The Ennead by Plotinus
Explorations in Metaphysics by W. Norris Clarke
Religion and Nothingness by Keiji Nishitani
The Eternal Law: Ancient Greek Philosophy, Modern Physics, and Ultimate Reality by John Spencer
—
Additional Resources
John Vervaeke
https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke
Dr Stephen Blackwood
Ralston College (including newsletter)
Support a New Beginning
—
Thank you for listening!
Ralston College Humanities MA
Dr David Novak is a distinguished professor at the University of Toronto, renowned theologian, and esteemed rabbi. He has authored numerous books, delivered the prestigious Gifford Lectures, and bridges ancient philosophical traditions with modern ethical issues.
Recorded live at Ralston College in Savannah, GA in November of 2022. Dr David Novak—Professor of Philosophy and Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto—offers a lecture on the Book of Job followed by an extended question and answer session with students enrolled in Ralston College’s Master’s in the Humanities Program. In his lecture, Dr Novak explores the complex position of Job in the canon of Jewish scriptures, surveys diverse scholarly accounts of the concluding passages of the book, and offers his own interpretation of Job’s “face-to-face” interaction with God, one that emphasizes direct knowledge over abstract understanding and finds in the book’s conclusion a vision of the resurrection of the body.
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00:00 Introduction
08:20 Dr. David Novak’s Lecture on the Book of Job
53:25:00 Question and Answer Session with Ralston College Students and Dr. Novak
54:45 Question: Does Job’s Vision Occur Before or After Death?
59:40 Question: Why are Job’s Friends Punished for Their Conceptual Understanding?
01:03:00 Question: How Does This Align With the Belief That No One Can See God and Live?
01:09:05 Question: What is the Purpose of the Dialogues Between Job and His Friends?
01:13:05 Question: Did Job’s Friends Hear God’s Voice During the Appearance?
01:14:55 Question: What is the Significance of God Doubling Job’s Possessions?
01:15:30 Question: Is There a Visual Aspect to God’s Response to Job, or Is It Only Auditory?
01:15:30 Question: What Does it Mean for God to Make a Bet with the Adversary?
01:19:10 Question: Is Job’s Refusal to Curse God a Prerequisite for His Later Vision?
01:25:15 Question: What Do You Make of the Relationship Between Satan and God?
01:29:05 Did God Use Job to Prove a Point to Satan, Knowing the Outcome?
01:31:20 Question: Can Man Question God and Express Grievances?
01:35:40 Question: Does Elihu Suggest People Perceive God Through Suffering and Visions?
1:41:30 Question: How Has Your Belief in Providence Impacted Your Life?
01:44:45 Closing Remarks
—
Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode:
The Book of Job
The Book of Ezekiel
The Book of Leviticus
The Book of Esther
The Book of Ecclesiastes
Robert Gordis, The Book of God and Man: A Study of Job
mashal (משל)—Hebrew, “parable”
Katagoros (Hebrew—קָטִיגור; Greek—κατήγορος)—”accuser”
Fredrich Nietzsche
Johann von Rist, “O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid”
G.W.F. Hegel
Richard Rorty
Reinhold Niebuhr, The Nature and Destiny of Man
Leo Strauss
Plato, Republic
Yehuda Haleri
Aristotle
Thomas Aquinas
The Book of Isaiah
via negativa
John Rawls
Eric Gregory
Chaim ibn Attar
Tzimtzum (צמצום)
—
Additional Resources
David Novak
Dr Stephen Blackwood
Ralston College (including newsletter)
Support a New Beginning
—
Thank you for listening!
Ralston College Humanities MA
Dr Stephen Wolfram is a renowned computer scientist, physicist, and entrepreneur who earned his PhD in particle physics at 20 and became the youngest MacArthur Fellow at 21. As the founder of Wolfram Research, he has developed groundbreaking technologies widely used by university researchers in engineering, physics, mathematics, and computing.
How can computational thinking and philosophy together unlock the mysteries of human consciousness and the universe?
In this Q&A session, conducted in February 2024 with students enrolled in Ralston College’s MA in the Humanities program, the renowned physicist and computer scientist, Dr Stephen Wolfram, explains his own intellectual trajectory and explores the intersection of computational and philosophical inquiry, particularly in the age of AI. In the course of this wide-ranging conversation, Dr Wolfram discusses computational irreducibility, the nature of mind, the ethics of AI governance, and the growing value of a liberal arts education.
—
00:00 Introduction: Dr. Stephen Wolfram's Genius and AI's Impact on Humanities
01:30 Welcoming Dr. Steven Wolfram
02:15 Steven Wolfram's Early Life and Achievements
05:10 The Power of Computational Thinking
07:20 The Ruliad, Philosophy, and Computational Language
15:15 Q: Exploring Computational Irreducibility and Emergence
21:25 The Ruliad and the Nature of Reality
32:30 Q: The Role of Computational Thinking in Education
41:05 AI Governance and Ethics
46:35 Q: Bridging STEM and Humanities for Better AI Ethics
48:40 Building Wolfram Alpha
50:35 Q: Plato and Balancing Innovation in AI
01:05:25 Q: Probability and Unpredictability: Insights from Nassim Taleb
01:09:35 Q: Human Consciousness and the Computational Soul
01:22:35 Conclusion: Reflections on Learning, Philosophy, and the Future of Education
—
Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode:
The ruliad
Gestalt entities
Computational irreducibility
Computational equivalence
The second law of thermodynamics
Plato, Republic
AI Governance
Utilitarianism
Arrival (film)
ChatGPT
Nassem Talib, The Black Swan
Colin Maclaurin
—
Additional Resources
Dr Stephen Blackwood
Ralston College (including newsletter)
Support a New Beginning
Ralston College Humanities MA
Join the conversation and stay updated on our latest content by subscribing to the Ralston College YouTube channel.
—
Thank you for listening!
David Butterfield is a renowned classicist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cambridge. His work centres on the critical study and teaching of classical texts.
How did the Renaissance revival of Greek language study transform Western Europe's intellectual landscape and shape our modern understanding of the Classics?
In this talk, delivered on the island of Samos in Greece in August 2023 as part of Ralston College’s Master’s in the Humanities program, Dr. David Butterfield—Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Cambridge—charts how Western Europe came to appreciate the language and culture of ancient Greece as an integral part of its own civilizational inheritance. Dr. Butterfield explains that large-scale technological and cultural changes in late antiquity led to a gradual loss of Greek language proficiency—and a waning interest in the pagan world—among Western European intellectuals during the Early Middle Ages. While the Scholasticism of the High Middle Ages was invigorated by the rediscovery of the Greek philosophical tradition, this encounter was mediated almost entirely through Latin translations. It was only in the Renaissance—when a renewed appreciation of the Hellenic world on its own terms led to a revitalization of Greek language study—that our contemporary conception of Classics was fully established.
—
00:00 Introduction: A Journey through Classical Literature with Dr. Butterfield
04:05 Preservation and Valuation of Greek Culture
06:55 The Evolution of Writing Systems
14:50 Greek Influence on Roman Culture
20:25 The Rise of Christianity and Advances in Book Technology
27:40 Preservation and Transmission of Classical Texts in the Middle Ages
32:50 Arabic Scholars: Preserving Greek Knowledge and Shaping Western Thought
36:00 The Renaissance and Rediscovery of Greek Texts
43:10 Conclusion: The Printing Press and the Spread of Classical Knowledge
—
Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode:
Homer
Magna Graecia
Pythagoras
Odyssey
Cato the Elder
Third Macedonian War
Great Library of Alexandria
Great Library of Pergamum
Horace, Epistles
Emperor Augustus
Codex Sinaiticus
Constantine
Neoplatonism
Plato
Charlemagne
Carolingian Renaissance
Virgil
Ovid
Abbasid Caliphate
Avveroës
Avicenna
Thomas Aquinas
Petrarch
Ottoman Conquest
Epicurus
Lucretius
Aristotle
Gutenberg
—
Additional Resources
Dr Stephen Blackwood
Ralston College (including newsletter)
Support a New Beginning
Ralston College Humanities MA
Antigone - Explore Ancient Greece and Rome with Modern Insights
Join the conversation and stay updated on our latest content by subscribing to the Ralston College YouTube channel.
Stephen Blackwood is the founding President of Ralston College, with advanced degrees in Classics and Religion and visiting positions at Harvard, Toronto, and Cambridge.
David Butterfield is a renowned classicist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cambridge. His work centres on the critical study and teaching of classical texts.
John Vervaeke, PhD, is an award-winning professor of psychology, cognitive science, and Buddhist psychology at the University of Toronto.
What are the fundamental principles required to cultivate an educational environment free from ideological bias?
In this episode, Stephen Blackwood, David Butterfield, and John Vervaeke explore the current landscape of higher education and its pervasive ideological influences. They discuss the importance of fostering genuine freedom of inquiry, intellectual diversity, and non-coercive teaching practices. Through personal anecdotes and reflections on academic experiences, the conversation examines the conditions that make real dialogue and meaningful education possible. This episode challenges listeners to reconsider the essence of true education and its role in developing critical, independent thinkers.
—
00:00 Introduction and Exploring Education Without Indoctrination
02:20 Defining Indoctrination in Education
05:25 Current State of Higher Education
09:05 Neo-Marxism and Power Dynamics in Education
16:30 Teaching and Parenting: Fostering Realization and Free Agency
26:05 John Vervaeke:Exploring Logos, Love, and the Meaning Crisis
35:35 The Dual Aspects of Free Speech: Good Faith and Inquiry
38:30 Audience Q&A: Handling Classroom Dynamics and Approaches
53:45 Conclusion: University Traditions and Political Orientations
—
Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode
Friedrich Nietzsche
Thomas Jefferson
Martha Argerich
Descartes
Jordan Peterson
Education without Indoctrination
Freedom of Speech
The New Criterion
Meaning Crisis
Dialectic into Dialogos
The Vervaeke Foundation
Re-Humanising Education By Stephen Blackwood and Bernadette Guthrie — ARC Research
—
Additional Resources
Dr Stephen Blackwood
Ralston College (including newsletter)
Support a New Beginning
Ralston College Humanities MA
Join the conversation and stay updated on our latest content by subscribing to the Ralston College YouTube channel.
Gregg Hurwitz, the New York Times bestselling author of the Orphan X series and a storyteller whose work spans many mediums and genres, in conversation with Stephen Blackwood, the founding president of Ralston College, and with students enrolled in the inaugural year of the College’s MA in the Humanities program. In this live event—recorded on [date] at Ralston College—Hurwitz discusses the concrete details of his own writing practice and explains how his training in literature and psychology have informed his craft. He reflects on how storytelling helps us to understand the self and on the real-world value of learning to speak with honesty and authenticity.
Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode:
Sigmund Freud
Carl Jung
Joseph Campbell
Gregg Hurwitz, You’re Next
The Sixth Sense (film)
Romanticism
William Wordsworth, “Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood”
William Blake, Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Transcendentalism
Kurt Vonnegut
James Joyce, “The Dead”; Ulyssess
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tender is the Night
William Faulkner, Light in August; As I Lay Dying; The Sound and the Fury
Raymond Chandler
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
Edgar Allan Poe, “The Tell-Tale Heart”
Albert Camus, The Stranger
James M. Cain, The Postman Always Rings Twice
Carl Rogers
Lord Byron
Batman (comic series)
Punisher (comic series)
Richard Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen
Pablo Picasso
Joan Didion
The Book of Henry (film)
Alan Moore
Dr Michael Hurley, Professor of Literature and Theology at Trinity College in the University of Cambridge, delivers a lecture to students in Ralston College’s inaugural Master’s in the Humanities program on the intertwining of language and thought in the work of three major Victorian authors: Walter Pater, John Henry Newman, and Gerard Manley Hopkins. Prof. Hurley argues that, far from being merely ornamental, in these authors style is constitutive of thought and the difficult pursuit of beauty is inextricable from the pursuit of truth.
—
Ralston College
Website: https://www.ralston.ac/
Ralston College Humanities MA: https://www.ralston.ac/humanities-ma
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RalstonCollegeSavannah
X: https://twitter.com/RalstonCollege
—
00:00 Introduction to the Lecture and Its Significance
01:40 The Special Context of the Lecture
02:00 Exploring the Relationship Between Language and Thought
04:20 Diving Into the Logos Through Literature
21:00 Examining the Dual Nature of Logos
34:00 Analyzing Texts: A Deep Dive into Aestheticism, Truth, and the Logos
43:40 Concluding Reflections and Open Discussion
—
Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode:
Pythagoras
Anti-Empiricism
St. John the Evangelist
Logos
Heraclitus
Romanticism
David Jones
Matthew Arnold, “Dover Beach”
Sophocles
Peloponnesian War
John Henry Newman
William Blake
W.B. Yeats
Margot Collis
G.K. Chesterton
William James, “The Present Dilemma in Philosophy”
Pragmatism
Walter Pater, Studies in the History of the Renaissance
Walter Pater, “Style”
Aestheticism
Oscar Wilde
Harold Bloom
Melos
Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa
Prolepsis
Hypotaxis
Parataxis
Cicero
Virgil
Gerard Manley Hopkins, “God’s Grandeur”; “As Kingfishers Catch Fire”; “Carrion Comfort”
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
In this lecture, delivered on March 30, 2023, as part of the Drummond Lecture Series at Hillsdale College, Dr. Stephen Blackwood—the founding president of Ralston College—argues that we must first understand something’s nature before we can properly care for and cultivate it. This principle holds true for all living things—including plants and animals—but it is seen in its fullest complexity in human beings as they seek to realize their unique potential through the concrete challenges and conditions of their individual lives. Drawing richly upon both text and images, Dr. Blackwood explains that the actualization of our potential is not inevitable but instead relies upon us being rooted in a culture that can nurture, sustain, and challenge us as we seek to orient our subjective and finite experiences of the world toward eternal and infinite realities. Dr. Blackwood’s lecture is a call to action for both individuals and institutions, reminding us of our sacred duty to both realize our own gifts and to accompany and support others as they seek to do the same.
Resources
Ralston College
Website: https://www.ralston.ac/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RalstonCollegeSavannah
X: https://twitter.com/RalstonCollege
Ralston College Humanities MA:
https://www.ralston.ac/humanities-ma
Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode
radix (Latin, “root)
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
The Biblical book of Ezekiel
Ugo da Carpi
cultus, (Latin, “cultivation, culture, education, devotion”)
Aristotle, De Anima
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
St. Augustine
Anthony Daniels / Theodore Dalrymple
thaumazein (θαυμάζω) (Ancient Greek, “wonder”)
Sigrid Undset, Kristen Lavransdatter
Gerard Manley Hopkins, “The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo”
Homer, Odyssey
Pythagoras
Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy
Cal Newport, Deep Work
Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism
Gerard Manley Hopkins, “As Kingfishers Catch Fire”
Quotes
“Life can only be lived for itself. And only you can live that life." - Stephen Blackwood [00:15:54]
"We need a true radicalism. A return to root as both anchor and nourishing source." - Stephen Blackwood [00:16:07]
"You must string the bow, the bow of your soul, and let it sing. That irreducible particularity, that finite smallness of you, the intricacy and difficulty of your own life, is also where the greatness is. I encourage you, with everything I've got, to go out and find it." - Stephen Blackwood [00:53:15]
Chapters
00:00:00 - Introduction: Realizing Human Potential through Education: A Vision for Culture and the Human Person
00:06:30 - Hillsdale's Outsized Influence: How a Small College Cuts Through Noise to Seek Truth
00:09:00 - Rediscovering the True Meaning of Radical: Uncovering the Fundamentals of Human Nature
00:17:10 - Realizing Potential: The Dynamics of Growth in Natural Beings
00:28:30 - The Quest for Self-Knowledge: Exploring the Depths of Human Nature
00:35:00 - Transcending Self: The Search for Meaning Beyond the Empirical
00:40:00 - Integrating Self and Transcendence: Navigating Human Complexity and Connection
00:50:40 - Conclusion: The Infinite Particularity: Embracing the Unique Symphony of the Soul
00:54:10 - Q&A Session: Providence, Self-Determination, and Cultural Meaning at Hillsdale College
In his lecture, Jonathan Pageau presents a thoughtful examination of the Last Judgment through the lens of a late-11th-century mosaic, challenging the traditional view of it as solely an end-time event. He suggests that this imagery symbolizes an ongoing process of identity formation, where every entity acts as a judge, continually evaluating its alignment with its essence. This interpretation casts the Last Judgment in a new light, with the ideal human being as the ultimate measure of this alignment. Pageau further delves into how this imagery interacts with its placement within the church, enhancing the narrative of creation and ultimate fulfillment. He draws attention to the layered symbols within the scene, such as the crucifixion and harrowing of Hades. By exploring the cosmic symbolism—Christ as the source, the sheep and goats as symbols of inclusion or exclusion, and the strategic placement of figures—Pageau encourages a view of the Last Judgment not as a daunting reckoning but as a powerful allegory for the continuous formation and evaluation of identity against a higher ideal. This perspective not only demystifies the traditional fears associated with the Last Judgment but also prompts a personal reflection on how we align with broader, universal truths.
Jonathan Pageau is a renowned artist and the host of The Symbolic World podcast. He specializes in the interpretation of symbolic patterns across various cultural and historical contexts. Learn more about Jonathan Pageau and embark on a journey into the symbolic universe by visiting his podcast at http://thesymbolicworld.com and his website at http://www.pageaucarvings.com.
Glossary of Terms
Iconography: The visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these.
Byzantine Art: A style of art developed in the eastern Mediterranean, characterized by its religious themes and extensive use of icons.
Resources
Ralston College
Website: https://www.ralston.ac/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RalstonCollegeSavannah
X: https://twitter.com/RalstonCollege
Images
The Church of Santa Maria Assunta, Torcello, Italy: The Last Judgement, Apse Mosaics
Church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy: 6th century Mosaic
The Basilica of Saint Sabina, Rome, Italy: Wooden door panels depicting The Ascension
Ascension of Christ, Rabbula Gospel Book (fol. 13v)
The Monastery of Apollo at Bawit, Egypt
Chapel of the Domus Galilaeae, Israel
Russian the Last Judgment Icon (Novgorod version, 15th century)
Quotes
"I believe that the image of the Last Judgment is actually a way to understand how identity formation functions." - Jonathan Pageau [00:09:00]
"We have to transform people; that's real. And that is undeniable when you meet someone that is transformed." - Jonathan Pageau [00:57:00]
Chapters
00:00:00 - Introduction to the Medieval Cosmos and Jonathan Pageau
00:06:30 - The Image of the Last Judgment and Its Significance
00:13:40 - Exploring the Fractal Nature of Medieval Symbols
00:17:40 - Understanding the Last Judgment and Its Structure
00:24:40 - Iconographic Representation of Christ, the Virgin, and Saints
00:29:00 - The Right Hand and Left Hand of Christ in the Last Judgment
00:37:00 - The Hetoimasia and the Prepared Throne
00:39:20 - Depictions of Paradise and Hell in the Last Judgment
00:50:20 - The Problem of Fragmentation and the Nature of Sin
00:55:00 - From Division to Unity: The Path Forward
00:57:50 - Q&A Session: Symbolism, Imagery, Rationality, and Integration
In the culminating fifth lecture of the Sophia Lecture series, Professor Douglas Hedley culminates his exploration by delving into play's theological dimension, engaging with Marsilio Ficino, Desiderius Erasmus, and Plotinus to dissect 'serious play', a pivotal concept in Renaissance thought. Throughout the lecture series, Hedley has traversed play's philosophical terrain, examining its roots, the vital role of language in human development, the journey into self-awareness, and the allure of aesthetics. In this lecture, he weaves together the interplay of wisdom and play within cultural narratives, delves into Plotinus' portrayal of the cosmos as a divine ballet, and highlights the synergy between divine ecstasy and human creativity. Additionally, he probes the impact of symbolic play in spiritual realms and underscores the critical role of femininity in the discourse on wisdom and play. Professor Hedley's contributions provide a rich, interconnected view of play as a gateway to a deeper understanding of our selves and the cosmos.
Douglas Hedley is a Professor in the Philosophy of Religion at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow at Clare College. His work spans the fields of philosophy, theology, and psychology, focusing on the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern thought.
Glossary of Terms
Kenosis: The self-emptying of one's own will and becoming entirely receptive to God's divine will.
Resources
Ralston College
Website: https://www.ralston.ac/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RalstonCollegeSavannah
X: https://twitter.com/RalstonCollege
Douglas Hedley
https://www.ralston.ac/people/douglas-hedley
Living Forms of the Imagination -Douglas Hedley https://www.amazon.com/Living-Forms-Imagination-Douglas-Hedley/dp/0567032957
Sacrifice Imagined: Violence, Atonement, and the Sacred - Douglas Hedley https://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Imagined-Violence-Atonement-Sacred/dp/1441194452
The Iconic Imagination - Douglas Hedley https://www.amazon.com/Iconic-Imagination-Douglas-Hedley/dp/1441194630
The Ages of the World 1811 - Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Von Schelling https://www.amazon.com/Ages-World-Contemporary-Continental-Philosophy/dp/1438474059
Man at Play - Hugo Rahner S.J. https://www.amazon.com/Man-Play-Hugo-Rahner-S-J/dp/1949899799
Plotinus: Myth, Metaphor, and Philosophical Practice - Stephen R. L. Clark https://www.amazon.com/Plotinus-Myth-Metaphor-Philosophical-Practice/dp/022633967X
Quotes
"While our Plato often discusses in a hidden matter, the duty belonging to mankind, it sometimes seems as though he's joking and playing. But platonic games and jokes are much more serious than the serious things of the Stoics." - Douglas Hedley, originally from Marsilio Ficino [00:10:20]
“All fleeting things are just an image. The imperishable is here an event. The indescribable is thus done. The eternal feminine draws us upwards.” Douglas Hedley, paraphrasing Johann Wolfgang von Goethe [00:45:40]
Chapters
[00:00:00] Introduction and Musical Performance
[00:04:00] Formal Introduction of Professor Douglas Hedley
[00:09:35] Exploring the Philosophical and Theological Dimensions of Play
[00:16:40] The Renaissance Connection: Erasmus and the Play of Wisdom
[00:22:20] Plotinus and the Cosmic Dance of Creation
[00:27:00] Playfulness in Theology and Philosophy
[00:32:00] Sacred Play: The Intersection of Divine Joy and Human Creativity
[00:36:40] The Iconic Imagination: Symbols and Play in Spiritual Life
[00:42:00] Femininity, Wisdom, and Play in Cultural Traditions
[00:52:00] Concluding Thoughts on Play and Human Development
[00:56:12] Audience Q&A: Insights on Play, Culture, and Society
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