BEYOND RIGHT AND WRONG

Here Jung moves beyond simply rejecting the Right and Wrong and tries to create an ethos of ambiguity. Focusing on a dream involving Elijah and Salome, he experiences the intertwined relationship of lust and purity, truth and lies, seduction and holiness. 

Here is a great entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on De Beauvoir’s Ethics of Ambiguity Simone de Beauvoir (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).

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ROB US OF WHAT WE LOVE:

In this episode I discuss the ways in which our culture and mental habits combine to rob us of the experiences we would love to be having by both limiting our capacity to participate and limiting the communities in which we might participate. I use contemporary American film culture as an example of a simultaneously booming art form that nonetheless seems to be culturally barren.

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Bertrand Russell was a famous and influential thinker. He became a popular philosopher after his groundbreaking attempt to found mathematics on a prefect, logically complete footing failed. This is an improved audio version of my original lecture delivered at Peninsula College.

Here is a link to is very readable and enlightening History of Western Philosophy

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LECTURE 10 - CONCLUSION 2 of 2 (HOW DOES THE WORLD SEE THE USA?)

Given Americans' central position in global trade, politics and culture, I explore how the unique American outlook is shaping, for good or ill, the global environment. From notions of extreme individualism to championing the idea of heroic consumerism, the economic power and example of America presents a serious challenge and even threat to many widely practiced social norms.

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INTO THE DESERT

The power of Jung’s approach becomes a little more clear as we move into these later chapters. Jung is quite explicitly at war with his inherited cultural values. While it is one thing to recognize this, it is very much more difficult to try and reimagine one’s values - and hence one’s understanding of the self. Jung tries to murder the image of the hero - casting himself as an honorless assassin. He also articulates the powerful insight that the message Jesus teaches us is that we can torture and kill the gods. 

Siegfried from the Niebelungenlied:

Now Siegfried was of noble birth, a prince without peer,

His fame had spread so widely, all held him dear.

His strength was like no other; his deeds could not be missed,

For he had conquered dragons and the Nibelung's treasure list.

In Burgundy’s bright court, his presence was a light,

With golden hair and armor, he dazzled every knight.

The ladies gazed in wonder, the men sang of his skill,

For none could match bold Siegfried’s grace and will.

As an exercise, make a list of all of the key values you sense in our culture - the importance of wealth for instance - and then try and embrace not just rejecting those values but actually overthrowing them. While it is generally fairly straightforward to make such a list, to actually internally transform ourselves, as Jung is striving to do, is extremely difficult.

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COMMUNITY MATTERS:

As much as it is important to emphasize personal patterns of thought and behavior, we are hugely influenced by forces that come to us from society. Thinking about the patterns that have shaped culture in the past and our immersion in a new paradigm is necessary, and perhaps helpful, in thinking about why we feel the way we do and how we respond to broader cultural trends.

Think of moments from the past that appeal to you as having exemplified intellectual or artistic community and try and work out what the necessary conditions were - and what wasn’t really necessary. In the instance of the New York Jazz world, large crowds and national recognition simply did not exist in the first few decades.

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LECTURE 9 - CONCLUSION 1 of 2 (THE INDIVIDUAL IN AMERICA)

Do you feel alone? In the 1st of 2 concluding lectures I explore how all the forces I have been discussing throughout this series shape the lived experiences of Americans today. The combination of materialism and libertarianism with our deep calvinist roots creates a peculiar and often toxic environment that leads to a sense of isolation and nihilism.

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An Improved Audio version of a lecture on Martin Heidegger. Heidegger was one of the most influential and controversial philosophers of the 20th century. This lecture explores his life and work and attempts to frame his philosophical ideas within the context of his many ethical failings. 

A link to the lecture notes

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Q & A #8 - NEOLIBERALISM

Wes and Jeremy take questions from listeners on Lecture VIII: Neoliberalism (the rise and fall-ish)

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Q & A #1 - HOUSE OF THE INTELLECT

Wes and Jeremy take questions from Patreon Members on Episodes 1 & 2

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