The Cunning of Geist

One of the original self-improvement books, "The Science of Getting Rich," (Wattles, 1910), was based on Hegelian principles.  And no, it is not about money, but about achieving what one needs so one can accomplish what one is capable of in contributing to the goal of life itself.   Wattles states, "The object of life is development; and everything that lives has an inalienable right to all the development it is capable of attaining."  And also, "the man who owns all he wants for the living of all he is capable of living is rich."   The hugely successful 2006 book, "The Secret," was based on Wattles teachings. In addition to Wattles book, this episode explores three other self-help motivational books in  light of Hegel's philosophy:- Think and Grow Rich, (Napoleon Hill, 1938)- The Greatest Salesmen in the World (Og Mandino, 1968)- Awaken the Giant Within (Tony Robbins, 1991)The core Hegelian principle that there is an Absolute, and that life is about development, becoming and betterment is explored.- Support the show

Reincarnation is one of the most widely held beliefs in the world today.  It is quite logical, and it explains much about why some suffer.  It offers a reasoning and reward for moral and ethical behavior.  But is it true?  Does one have a separate soul that moves from body to body over time?This episode will explore this question from the standpoint of Hegelian philosophy regarding the finite and true infinity, and the historical movement of Spirit within the world.  In addition, the important concept of memory will be examined from a psychological standpoint.  Humanity's collective memory may have evolved in a way similar to our physical evolution.  And this could be the underlying cause of beliefs in reincarnation and past lives recollection.  How Jung's concept of the collective unconscious provides the basis for this understanding will be demonstrated, including possible support for this from two new interesting speculative theories,  Rupert Sheldrake's "morphic resonance," and Lee Smolin's "principle of precedence."Support the show

The Creation of the Cosmos by God is fundamental to Western religions.  And the scientific Big Bang event has been pointed to by some as evidence that this did in fact occur.But did it?  New scientific evidence shows that something did precede the Big Bang.  And In the East, a different notion holds, that of the cyclical nature of reality.  And there are different interpretations of whether Hegel believed a creation event occurred or not.  This episode shows support for the cyclical position from a scientific as well as Hegelian standpoint.  In addition, Lurianic Kabbalah is called on to show how this might actual proceed.  Support the show

For many people, philosophy is of little interest.  Some see it only as thinking about thinking, and who needs that?  Others compare it to contemplating one’s navel.  And few people understand how philosophy can actually have any meaning in one’s day-to-day activities.This episode takes the other side.  It first shows why philosophy is needed for a rigorous, articulate, systematic, logical, and critical examination of the big questions in life. Next reason itself is discussed, and how it is often downplayed today.  But reason cannot be used to denigrate reason, leading to a contradiction. Reason is therefore not relativistic, person to person, but foundational to all. Lastly, an examination of Hegel’s full project is provided, showing how his system provides meaning, purpose, and a rational foundation to life; how this purpose is unfolding through an historical process; and how it is relational and holistic, not divisional.  And what this means in terms of living your life.Support the show

This episode looks again at the left brain/right brain dichotomy, and how so much is missed when the left brain view dominates, which it does in today’s world almost exclusively (polarization, either/or, us versus them type thinking).   With left brain thinking alone, one misses the big holistic picture.  The right brain sees relations, movement, processes, and life.  While the left brain creates a map, the right brain is living in the territory.  Right brain thinking understands that every stick has two ends, and that without the stick neither end can exist.  Both types of thinking are of course needed and necessary, but when left brain thinking is exclusively used, creativity and intuition are stomped out.  And so is the ability to practice true reason (vernunft).  While brain hemisphere research came after Hegel's time, he was very much aware of this difference in thinking, the common understanding (verstand) versus reason (vernunft).  This episode explores the difference, with several contemporary examples to bring this difference to light. Support the show

Hegel called sublation one of the most important concepts in all of philosophy.  Hegel scholar Stephen Houlgate calls it "the absolute immanent 'method' of speculative philosophy."The English word "sublation" is a translation of the German work "aufhebung."  But the English term is more or less a placeholder for the Hegel's German word, as there is no direct equivalent term in English.  That is because it has two definitions: to preserve, to maintain, as well as to cease, to end.  How does such apparent contradiction get resolved into a key concept of all philosophy?  This podcast episode explores this important notion from several standpoints.  Support the show

Is there a difference between a belief having been proven correct versus a belief that while not proven, is still warranted, and not irrational?  Contemporary philosopher Alvin Plantinga believes there is.  And his method of establishing this speaks directly to Hegel's Spirit (Geist).Plantinga is also known for his controversial theory the "Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism" (EAAN). It goes like this: If our thinking is a product of blind naturalism, how can we trust it?  Putting this in Hegelian terms, unless one believes in Spirit, can one fully put stock in thought?  It can't, because thought from blind Naturalism has no basis in truth. In other words, one that rejects Spirit cannot use thought to come up with the reason for denying Spirit.Plantinga does not deny evolution, and believes that the conflict actually lies between Naturalism and rationally based science. This episode explores all this and more, including the remarkable apparent fine-tuning of the universe for life and how this may align with Hegel's project.  Support the show

Psychologist Carl Jung identified the quaternity (union of four) as a symbol of wholeness.  He used it in portraying his four primary cognitive functions: intuition, sensation, thinking, and feeling (emotions).Similar to this is Russian esotericist George Gurdjieff’s system of harmonious development, called “The Fourth Way,”  His “Work” centered on simultaneously developing the body, the emotions, and the mind so one can develop a fourth function - the soul.  He used the quaternity metaphor of the horse-drawn carriage to visualize this, with a carriage,  horse,  driver, and a master inside the carriage.This podcast episode explores these topics in-depth as well Jung’s notion of the collective unconscious, and how it relates to Hegel’s historical development of the World-Spirit.  Support the show

Hegel famously stated that "What is real (actual) is rational, and what is rational is real (actual).  What does this statement mean?   The question of just what constitutes "reality" will be examined from four different standpoints - from a scientific viewpoint, from the perspective of one strand of Eastern philosophy, from a particular New Age tome, and, of course, from an Hegelian point of view.Hegel postulates Absolute Spirt as the ultimate reality.   This does not refer to some static, separate condition or separate being, but it is an ongoing, active, rational process that works itself out - comes to know itself - dialectically, through history.   Referring to Hegel's statement above,  there is a key difference between the real and the actual.   The abstract Logic may be real, but it needs to manifest through its other, Nature, in order to become actual.  This podcast episode explores all this and more.   Support the show

The great enlightenment document, the U.S. Declaration of Independence, pronounced that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,  that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  Yet the United States also kept portions of its population enslaved at that time.  How were these ideals and the facts at hand kept compatible?New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie has an the answer, “Racism as we understand it now, as a socio-political order based on the permanent hierarchy of particular groups, developed as an attempt to resolve the fundamental contradiction between professing liberty and upholding slavery. . .  It took the scientific thought of the Enlightenment to create an enduring racial taxonomy and the 'color-coded, white-over-black' ideology with which we are familiar." This episode explores this dark-side of the Enlightenment.  While some statements of Hegel's may be seen as racially insensitive by today's standards, he condemned slavery in the strongest terms and found no rational at all in judging people by how they looked.  "A judgment based on physiognomic expression has accordingly only the value of an immediate judgment, which can just as well be untrue as true.  . . Man is known much less by his outward appearance than by his deeds. (Encyclopaedia, III, §411, Addition).     Support the show