Johannes A. Niederhauser

We tend to think of beauty today as primarily if not exclusively aesthetic. In fact, we consider beauty as subjective, as a matter of personal taste, in the eye of the beholder. But for Plato beauty is ontological and integral to his entire philosophy. Without beauty we cannot see the Idea of the Good — and vice versa. Thus, for Plato beauty is also intimately related to virtue and the Good Life. We invite you to deepen your understanding of beauty, to remember in the sense of anamnesis what beauty in a primal sense means so as to learn how to find beauty in your life. Thomas hat put together a wonderful course for us on beauty. Enrol in our Plato on Beauty course here. Seminars begin July 27th, 2024. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com/subscribe

In this wide-ranging conversation Thomas Jockin and yours truly converse around the importance of beauty in Plato’s philosophy. We bring in Aristotle’s nous and potentiality to make us see that yes it is possible to see the forms, to see the ideas in the medium of the Beautiful. We also emphasise that studying the Beautiful in Plato is one of the best ways to be introduced to Plato and thus philosophy more broadly. So we hope to see you at our upcoming course on Plato on Beauty and Virtue. Here is the link to enrol. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com/subscribe

Our new Plato course is now officially open for enrolment! Join our summer school today and rethink what you thought you knew about beauty. We tend to think of beauty today as primarily if not exclusively aesthetic.In fact, we consider beauty as subjective, as a matter of personal taste, in the eye of the beholder. But for Plato beauty is ontological and integral to his entire philosophy. Without beauty we cannot see the Idea of the Good — and vice versa. Thus, for Plato beauty is also intimately related to virtue and the Good Life.We invite you to deepen your understanding of beauty, to remember in the sense of anamnesis what beauty in a primal sense means so as to learn how to find beauty in your life. Thomas hat put together a wonderful course for us on beauty. This is the link to enrol. We have seen a lot of interest in this course so we hope that you can enrol soon to make sure you get a spot in  the seminars. A careful reading of Plato’s work reveals that beauty plays a crucial role in Plato's metaphysics, ontology, epistemology, and ethics. In this lecture series we will read six Platonic dialogues oriented around the topic of The Beautiful. So together we will read sections from Greater Hippias, Symposium, Phaedrus, Meno, Cratylus, and Parmenides.There will be a selection of short readings for each session. (And a selection of longer readings for those who have the time).  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com/subscribe

We tend to think of beauty today as primarily if not exclusively aesthetic. In fact, we consider beauty as subjective, as a matter of personal taste, in the eye of the beholder. But for Plato beauty is ontological and integral to his entire philosophy. Without beauty we cannot see the Idea of the Good — and vice versa. Thus, for Plato beauty is also intimately related to virtue and the Good Life. We invite you to deepen your understanding of beauty, to remember in the sense of anamnesis what beauty in a primal sense means so as to learn how to find beauty in your life. Thomas hat put together a wonderful course for us on beauty. More on that here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com/subscribe

In this conversation we discuss the lasting essence of power that remains in check from Plato to 21st century technocracy. This conversation is part of our series on power which introduces Sean McFadden’s new course on the topic. You may now enrol in our new course via this link. Seminars begin this Sunday, on the 9th of June. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com/subscribe

I’m here reading an essay by my friend Max Gottschlich, an Austrian philosopher teaching in Linz.Here is a link to the essay. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com/subscribe

Power is a concept intuitively familiar to everyone. Power incites awe, fear, praise, submission, pain, dominance, and glory. Those who strive to hold power end up being devoured by it.Yet those who do not desire power are most suited to wield it. In some ways, power might be an elusive mystery; an unknown, dark energy that is not fully comprehensible. Since antiquity, many brilliant thinkers have devised explanations and justifications for power and the study of the topic has been approached from a wide range of angles and perspectives.This course journeys into the works of the most profound thinkers on power.Once this course is completed, all conventional illusions pertaining to power shall be shattered so that it can be seen for it really is.Seán McFadden has developed this course and will teach all seminars. Here is the link to enrol.Live seminars begin Sunday 9th of June, 2024, from 6-8pm UK time / 1-3pm EST. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com/subscribe

Auf Einladung von Max Gottschlich hielt ich am 25.4.2024 an der Katholischen Privatuniversität Linz einen Vortrag zu Tod und Technik in der Spätphilosophie Martin Heideggers. Sie finden hier weitere Aufnahmen aus der Vortragsreihe Zeit zu Denken: https://ku-linz.at/philosophie/veranstaltungen_am_fachbereich_philosophie/veranstaltungen/vortragsreihe_zeit_zu_denken This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com/subscribe

In honour of Lord Byron's bicentenary I read his masterful vision of the future, "Darkness". He knew, Byron knew. May you rest in Peace, Lord Byron. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com/subscribe

If there’s ever been one most important philosopher in modernity it is Immanuel Kant. Whatever your interests in modern philosophy — be it Hegel, Schelling, Fichte, Hegel, Marx, Schopenhauer, Heidegger, even Nietzsche and Baudrillard and especially Accelerationism — you will not understand the full scope of their respective philosophies without having before grasped Kant! This is because Kant revolutionises the very form of thought itself with his transcendental logic. So without understanding Kant on this level, for example, by assuming that Kant wrote a harmless epistemology, there is little chance to begin to see the thought-movement of modernity from Kant (and before him) to our day. Be that the ideological battlegrounds, the metaphysical collapse, the attempt of phenomenology to return to the things themselves, capitalist reproduction of objects without resistance — Kant is at the heart or start of it all. In fact, I would go as far as saying that if you want to understand the natural sciences and its models Kant is indispensable.So I invite you most cordially to take on the challenge to read Kant this Spring. In honour of his 300th birthday no less! My course begins this Saturday at 6pm UK time. Here is the link to join.I see you on the Critical Path towards the transcendental revolution. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com/subscribe