Subscribe to get the full Citizen Edition of this episode now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. We now have a free-form discussion in light of what was raised in part one about the Federalist Papers and Frederick Douglass' Fourth of July Speech: What should we do about the problems identified? Is the system broken beyond repair? Was it built with fatal flaws in it? Is Continue Reading …
Ep. 397: Federalist Papers LIVE (Part One)
Subscribe to get the full Citizen Edition of this episode now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. To celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, we gathered in front of a lovely audience near Madison WI to discuss Federalist Papers 70, 78, 39, 54, 10 by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison from 1787-1788, Anti-Federalist Papers 78-80 (aka Brutus 11 and 15), and Frederick Continue Reading …
Ep. 397: Federalist Papers LIVE (Citizen Edition)
To celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, we gathered in front of a lovely audience near Madison WI to discuss Federalist Papers 70, 78, 39, 54, 10 by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison from 1787-1788, Anti-Federalist Papers 78-80 (aka Brutus 11 and 15), and Frederick Douglass' Fourth of July Speech (1852). Is the American experiment working out as planned? After musing Continue Reading …
What Makes a Just War?
To many people, “just war” sounds like an oxymoron. How can the lethal violence unleashed in war ever be just? Yet realpolitik underscores that not all international conflict lends itself to peaceful remedies. The twenty-first century, like many centuries before, has been one of great conflict. The U.S.-Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war are just two examples among many Continue Reading …
Ep. 389: Hegel on Wealth and Power (Part Two)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. Continuing form part one on the conclusion of "Culture and its Realm of Actuality," now largely covering sections 519-526 in Hegel's Phenomenology. Sponsor: Get a $1/month e-commerce trial at shopify.com/pel. The overall dynamic here makes it sound like nobles are just completely Continue Reading …
Ep. 389: Hegel on Wealth and Power (Part One)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. Continuing on Hegel's Phenomenology, "Spirit" chapter, now up to sections 511-526, which finishes off the sub-section of "Self-Alienated Spirit" called "Culture and its Realm of Actuality." Featuring Mark, Wes, and Seth. Sponsors: Go to NerdWallet.com/PEL for trustworthy small business Continue Reading …
Ep. 389: Hegel on Wealth and Power (Part Two for Supporters)
Continuing form part one on the conclusion of "Culture and its Realm of Actuality," now largely covering sections 519-526 in Hegel's Phenomenology. The overall dynamic here makes it sound like nobles are just completely subjugating themselves to the monarch, but Hegel points out the psychological complexities here in ways that might remind us of Nietzsche: To give myself to Continue Reading …
Ep. 389: Hegel on Wealth and Power (Part One for Supporters)
Continuing on Hegel's Phenomenology, "Spirit" chapter, now up to sections 511-526, which finishes off the sub-section of "Self-Alienated Spirit" called "Culture and its Realm of Actuality." Featuring Mark, Wes, and Seth. At the end of our last episode, we talked about how in putting on the robes of culture that make us into recognizable persons, we might identify as Continue Reading …
Ep. 388: Hegel on Culture (Part Two)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. Continuing from part one on the "Spirit" chapter (more specifically. "Culture and its realm of actuality") in Hegel's Phenomenology, now covering sec. 490-510. Sponsors: Visit functionhealth.com/PEL to get the data you need to take action for your health. Get a $1/month e-commerce trial Continue Reading …
Ep. 388: Hegel on Culture (Part One)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. Continuing on Hegel's Phenomenology, "Spirit" chapter, now up to sections 484-510, which is the first part of "Self-Alienated Spirit. Culture." Featuring Mark, Wes, and Seth. As we left things in our last discussion, law had ceased feeling like a natural outgrowth of moral sentiment, but at Continue Reading …
Ep. 388: Hegel on Culture (Part Two for Supporters)
Continuing from part one on the "Spirit" chapter (more specifically. "Culture and its realm of actuality") in Hegel's Phenomenology, now covering sec. 490-510. How exactly does the process of acculturation work? In his uniquely abstract way, Hegel says there are three steps: First, there's an implicitly universal, self-identical spiritual being (an in-itself). Then this Continue Reading …
Ep. 388: Hegel on Culture (Part One for Supporters)
Continuing on Hegel's Phenomenology, "Spirit" chapter, now up to sections 484-510, which is the first part of "Self-Alienated Spirit. Culture." Featuring Mark, Wes, and Seth. As we left things in our last discussion, law had ceased feeling like a natural outgrowth of moral sentiment, but at the same time, individual personhood had been established, both as a legal matter and Continue Reading …
Ep. 386: Hegel on Society (Part Two)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content, including a supporter-exclusive part three. We drill in further on The Phenomenology of Spirit, now starting at sec. 441 and largely covering "The True Spirit. The Ethical Order." We gave an overview of our assignment for this episode (438-463), in part one, and are covering more of these Continue Reading …
Ep. 386: Hegel on Society (Part Three for Supporters)
On sec. 451-463 of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. Start with part one. In this supporter-exclusive part, we get into more detail on these passages about the way the two types of law (human and divine) interact. These are part of the metabolism of society, and includes the death of individuals, which get absorbed into the action of the community through burial rituals. This Continue Reading …
Ep. 386: Hegel on Society (Part One)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. On. G.W.F. Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), sec. 438-463. What constitutes society? Featuring Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan. Sponsors: Get three months free of online payroll and benefits software for small businesses at gusto.com/pel. Get a $1/month e-commerce trial Continue Reading …
Ep. 386: Hegel on Society (Part Two for Supporters)
We drill in further on The Phenomenology of Spirit, now starting at sec. 441 and largely covering "The True Spirit. The Ethical Order." We gave an overview of our assignment for this episode (438-463), in part one, and will be covering more of these selections in detail in a supporter-only part three, to be released next week. We're getting more detail about this historical Continue Reading …
Ep. 386: Hegel on Society (Part One for Supporters)
On. G.W.F. Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), sec. 438-463. What constitutes society? Featuring Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan. We're beginning a multi-episode arc here on the "Spirit" chapter of the book, and we learned that for Hegel, the society is actually the basic ontological unit, not the individual. Why? Because whenever you try to assert your individuality, Continue Reading …
Ep. 376: Plato’s “Laws” (Part Two)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. Continuing from part one on selections from this late Platonic dialogue. Starting in Book 4, Plato's characters are discussing how to create a new state ("Magnesia") from scratch. What sorts of laws should it have? Sponsor: Visit functionhealth.com/PEL to get the data you need to take Continue Reading …
Ep. 376: Plato’s “Laws” (Part One)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. Everybody reads Plato's Republic, but is that dialogue really a political philosophy text (like the ideal type of government proposed there is what he really thinks we should and perhaps can have), or is he just using the political to illustrate something about the personal virtue of justice, Continue Reading …
Ep. 376: Plato’s “Laws” (Part Two for Supporters)
Continuing from part one on selections from this late Platonic dialogue. Starting in Book 4, Plato's characters are discussing how to create a new state ("Magnesia") from scratch. What sorts of laws should it have? We discuss the marriage laws and whether Plato's presentation of this topic actually fulfills his requirement that laws have a rationally argued prelude for the Continue Reading …