Radical Thoughts on Human Nature: Stephen Blackwood at Hillsdale College

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