Sadler's Lectures

Lectures on classic and contemporary philosophical texts and thinkers by Gregory B. Sadler
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Oct 4, 2025 • 16min

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan - Names, Consequences, and Definitions - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the modern philosopher Thomas Hobbes' work Leviathan It focuses specifically on chapter 4, where a number of different sorts of "names" (or terms) are distinguished, as well as how those names can be combined into "consequences", and have their significations clarified through definitions. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan - amzn.to/3uhKmDE
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Oct 3, 2025 • 18min

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan - Human Discourse - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the modern philosopher Thomas Hobbes' work Leviathan It focuses specifically on chapters 3 and 4, where Hobbes discusses mental and verbal discourse, that is the train of thoughts in our minds and the verbal expressions of those thoughts. Hobbes also notes that when our train of thoughts is not motivated by some desire or passion, it tends to be looser and less regulated, but when there is some goal in mind, it is oriented towards and regulated by that goal. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan - amzn.to/3uhKmDE
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Oct 2, 2025 • 14min

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan - Sense and Imagination - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the modern philosopher Thomas Hobbes' work Leviathan It focuses specifically on chapters 1 and 2 of the work, where he develops a clearly committed empiricist and materialist epistemology, which begins with sense perception which then gives rise to imagination and memory, which can also then lead to dreams, experience, and other more complex phenomena. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan - amzn.to/3uhKmDE
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Oct 1, 2025 • 21min

Poul Anderson - Of Thud And Blunder - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th century American science fiction and fantasy author Poul Anderson's essay "Of Thud And Blunder", which begins by parodying a passage of swords and sorcery fantasy. While making exceptions for L. Sprague de Camp, Fritz Leiber, and J.R.R. Tolkein, Anderson criticizes many of the heroic, historical, or swords & sorcery fantasy fiction for engaging in bad storytelling. He charges them with oversimplifying, not engaging in needed research, and not devoting thought or common sense to their story writing. He discusses a number of different matters that a fantasy author should attend to, including: social classes and the lives of producers, the nature of pre-modern cities, diseases and sanitation, politics and religion, travel by land and water, and arms, armor, combat, and poisons. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Read Of Thud And Blunder - https://www.sfwa.org/2005/01/04/on-thud-and-blunder/
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Sep 30, 2025 • 15min

Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - For The Sake Of Rational Beings - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, and in particular on his discussion of how the things at the various hierarchically arranged degrees of being exist "for the sake of" (causa in Latin) other things. Plants, which are at the lowest level, are there for both human beings (as cultivated) and for animals, and the otehr non-rational animals exist for the sake of rational beings, which are human beings and the gods. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc
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Sep 29, 2025 • 10min

Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Providence And Individuals - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology Specifically it focuses upon he presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, and in particular on his discussion of the question whether the providential ordering of matters by the gods extends to the human race just in general, or whether it extends to care for individuals. Another question that gets passed over but which is important to explore is whether providential care for individuals would be for all human individuals as individuals, or just some human individuals but not others. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc
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Sep 28, 2025 • 16min

Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Providence And Human Beings - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, and in particular on his discussion of how divine providence can be seen in the nature and capacities of human beings, including how the parts of our bodies are arranged, the scope of our senses and their perception, our capacities for reasoning and understanding, and the use of our hands to engage in using tools and altering nature to suit us better. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc
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Sep 26, 2025 • 15min

Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Providence, Plants, And Animals - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, and in particular on his discussion of how the many ways in which species of plants ad animals seem well-designed for their determinate activities and functions seem to suggest that there is a providential designer and arranger who ordered them in those ways. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc
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Sep 24, 2025 • 12min

Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Stability Of World And Cosmos - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, and in particular on his discussion of the stability and coherence of the world itself and of the larger cosmos. These features are used by Balbus to argue for the existence of some intelligent, providentially ordering divine being. He also discusses a controversial Stoic doctrine, that of the universal conflagration, in which the matter of the world is gradually converted into aether or fire, and then the world is recreated by the divine being. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc
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Sep 22, 2025 • 11min

Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Religion And Superstition - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, and in particular on his discussion of the distinction between two different attitudes of human beings towards the divine beings, one of which is the superstition, the other of which is religion. Having false and anthropomorphic beliefs about the gods, and acting on those beliefs is superstition, something vicious and blameworthy. Having correct beliefs about the gods and comporting oneself towards them in accordance with those beliefs is genuine religion and is something praiseworthy. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc

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