Ep. 204 - The Two Greatest Philosophical Ideas!! w/Dr. Linda Zagzebski

Nov 7, 2022

Dr. Linda Zagzebski, a prominent philosopher and author of 'The Two Greatest Ideas,' dives into the intertwining of our understanding of the universe and individual consciousness. She discusses how ancient thinkers like Thales laid the groundwork for modern thought. Zagzebski explores the analogy of God as an author and its impact on literature. The conversation also addresses the complexities of self-awareness, autonomy, and the tension between individual rights and the common good, showcasing philosophy's vital role in shaping our cultural landscape.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Philosophical Foundations and the Human Mind

03:09 • 10min

Philosophy, Theology, and the Nature of Reality

12:58 • 13min

The Authorial Analogy: God and the Influence of Literature and Art

26:09 • 5min

Philosophy's Cultural Influence

31:34 • 16min

Exploring Self-Consciousness

47:45 • 6min

The Nature of Self-Awareness

53:25 • 4min

Bridging Objective and Subjective Realities

57:00 • 14min

Unknown Book by Mikhail Bakhtin

Mikhail Bakhtin

Who Are You Really?

Josh Rasmussen

The Two Greatest Ideas: How Our Grasp of the Universe and Our Minds Changed Everything

Linda Zagzebski

Unknown Book by Donald Davidson

Donald Davidson

Unknown Book by Charles Taylor

Charles Taylor

Unknown Book by Fichte

Johann Gottlieb Fichte

What is Knowledge?

Linda Zagzebski

The view from nowhere

Thomas Nagel

Confessions

Augustine

Written in Latin between AD 397 and 400, 'Confessions' is a blend of autobiography, philosophy, theology, and critical exegesis of the Christian Bible. The first nine books are autobiographical, tracing Augustine's life from his birth to his conversion to Catholicism. He recounts his sinful youth, his involvement with Manicheism and Neoplatonism, and his eventual conversion in a Milanese garden. The last four books focus on philosophical and theological issues, including memory, time, eternity, and the interpretation of the Book of Genesis. The work is structured as a series of prayers to God, reflecting Augustine's journey of redemption and his understanding of God's grace and providence[2][4][5].

Dom Quixote

Xavier, Alberto

Don Quixote, written by Miguel de Cervantes, tells the story of Alonso Quixano, a middle-aged gentleman who, influenced by his extensive reading of chivalric romances, decides to become a knight-errant. He renames himself Don Quixote and, with his squire Sancho Panza, embarks on a series of adventures. These adventures often involve Don Quixote's misinterpretation of reality, such as mistaking windmills for giants and inns for castles. The novel explores themes of reality vs. imagination, the decline of chivalry, and the human condition. Eventually, Don Quixote returns home, regains his sanity, and renounces his chivalric ambitions before his death.

Poetics

Aristotle

In 'Poetics,' Aristotle discusses the different kinds and forms of poetry, including epic, tragedy, comedy, and dithyrambic poetry. He defines poetry as a form of imitation that seeks to represent life through character, emotion, or action. The work is primarily focused on tragedy, where Aristotle analyzes the elements of plot, character, thought, diction, song, and spectacle. He also introduces key concepts such as 'mimêsis' (imitation) and 'katharsis' (the purging of emotions), and defends the art of poetry as a natural human instinct that provides pleasure and understanding through artistic representation.

Ethics

R. H. M. Elwes

Baruch Spinoza

Written between 1661 and 1675 and published posthumously in 1677, *Ethics* is a comprehensive philosophical work divided into five parts. It addresses the nature of God, concluding that God is intrinsic to the universe rather than outside it. The treatise dissects the human mind and body, explores the notion of free will and good and evil, and analyzes the origin and strength of emotions. Spinoza argues that reason is the sole means to achieve virtue and freedom from emotional bondage. The work is characterized by its use of Euclid's step-by-step logical method to prove various propositions[3][5].

Essay Concerning Human Understanding

John Locke

Published in 1689, 'An Essay Concerning Human Understanding' is a comprehensive work that challenges the notion of innate knowledge. Locke argues that all knowledge is derived from experience and reflection, and he divides experience into two categories: sensation (information from the external world) and reflection (the mind's operations on those sensations). The essay is structured into four books, addressing topics such as the rejection of innate ideas, the theory of ideas, the role of language, personal identity, and the limits and nature of human knowledge. Locke's work had a significant influence on modern Western philosophy and continues to be a cornerstone in discussions of epistemology and the philosophy of mind.

Summa theologica

Thomas Aquinas

The Summa Theologica is a comprehensive work divided into three parts. The first part deals with God, the creation of the world, angels, and the nature of man. The second part is subdivided into two sections: the first part of the second part discusses general principles of morality and law, while the second part of the second part addresses morality in particular, including individual virtues and vices. The third part, left unfinished by Aquinas, focuses on the person and work of Christ and the sacraments. The work also includes a posthumous supplement that concludes the third part and discusses Christian eschatology. Aquinas drew on Aristotelian and Augustinian influences and aimed to integrate faith and reason in his theological arguments[1][2][4].

Discourse on method

Rene Descartes

Published in 1637, 'Discourse on the Method' is a seminal work by René Descartes that outlines his philosophical and scientific method. The book is divided into six parts and addresses various topics including skepticism, the existence of God and the human soul, and the distinction between the mind and body. Descartes introduces his famous statement 'I think, therefore I am' and lays the groundwork for modern Western philosophy and the scientific method. The work also discusses his approach to morality and the investigation of natural phenomena, influencing disciplines from philosophy to psychology and cognitive science[1][2][3].

Monadology

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz