The Wes Cecil Podcast

DIGNITY AND INTEGRITY: It may seem a bit abstract, which I imagine it is, however I feel the disappearance of the concepts of Dignity and Integrity from the world of education, art, philosophy and culture generally is one of the greatest challenges to a sense of intellectual community today. Recognizing our own dignity allows us to appreciate the value of our contributions to the world of ideas and well as appreciate those of others. This dignity arises from and is reinforced by personal integrity towards ourselves and work. Unfortunately, these concepts have almost completely disappeared. Simply put, these are the only possible foundations on which the House of the Intellect can be built. I would love to hear your thoughts, examples, and questions related to these ideas. Again, I’ll try to respond to them in a future questions and answers segment. For further reading and general confusion:Integrity (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)Dignity (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes!Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dive into Nietzsche's fascinating life and philosophy, examining his disdain for Christianity and the rich influence of classical literature on his ethics. Discover how historical figures like Napoleon and Kant shaped his intellectual perspectives amid societal chaos. Explore the tension between order and chaos, embodied in the Apollonian and Dionysian dichotomy. Uncover his revolutionary ideas on morality, urging a shift from false humility to authentic self-realization, while challenging us to question our own beliefs and embrace our instincts.

A work that I think embodies, quite consciously on the part of Jung, many of the contradictions, challenges, and paradoxes of the modern mind trying to come to grips with a world that simply does not cohere with our general materialist, rationalist worldview. I hope to use this as both a great text to explore and an example of how one can read in a very different manner. It was working with great teachers who helped me learn to read in this particular way and in doing this exercise together I hope to model and share what I have been fortunate enough to learn. I recommend the reader's guide rather than the larger, more expensive, and more beautiful full sized illustrated version because I am an aggressive notetaker and underliner. However, your tastes may vary. For the first reading session please read the Prologue “The Way of What is to Come” and Chapters One and Two.Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes!Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ADDENDUM - CALVINISTIC MATERIALISM VS. NIHILISTIC MATERIALISMDoes America practice a particular type of Nihilism? A follow up to clarify the notion of why Nihilism - the belief that there is no order or meaning in the world - is fundamental to the type of materialism practiced in America. Perhaps the clearest example is the rise of off-site storage where people pay to store material goods that, by definition, they cannot readily access - the materiality has become almost completely meaningless.Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes! Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q & A #6 - THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION: 1935 - 1949Wes and Jeremy take questions from listeners on Lecture VI: THE GREAT TRANSFORMATIONSign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes! Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

INTELLECTUAL HOMELESSNESS:This series will explore the contemporary state of the world of arts and ideas and how we can begin to build lives centered around culture and philosophy. We are often misled as to the nature and purpose of intellectual pursuits. I hope to clarify the history and cultural forces that shape our understanding of and participation in the house of the intellect. Unfortunately, Barzun’s book The House of the Intellect is currently out of print. The Internet Archive has a copy available online at The house of intellect : Barzun, Jacques, 1907- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. Articles I refer to in the lecture:The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books - The AtlanticStudents Are Unprepared to Read Books — Minding The CampusSign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes!Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LECTURE 6 - THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION - 1935 - 1949Can a country grow too fast in a short span of time? The twin catastrophes of the Great Depression and World War II utterly transformed America. In just 20 years, the structure of government, focus of the economy, tax policy, and America’s global position fundamentally altered. A country with a tiny tax base, miniscule military, isolationist politics and nascent federal government became a global super power with the largest economy in the world and a massive and growing federal government. Much of what we take as ‘America’ today is actually a reflection of the country that was created during these few years.Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes! Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q & A #5 - AMERICAN CALVINISMWes and Jeremy take questions from listeners on Lecture V: American CalvinismSign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes! Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LECTURE 5 - AMERICAN CALVINISMDoes "slacking-off" make you a bad person? Could it even make you be perceived as a witch? In this lecture I explore the deep and abiding influence of Calvinism on the American cultural outlook. Whether Christian or not, Americans believe in purity, the centrality of moral judgements, visible signs of success and more. These attitudes are rarely traced back to their true origin - the specific beliefs and social forms developed by John Calvin. America is a Calvinist country par excellence.Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes! Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q & A #4 - NIHILISTIC MATERIALISMWes and Jeremy take questions from listeners on Lecture IV: Nihilistic MaterialismSign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes! Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.