The Wes Cecil Podcast

READ ALONG SERIES - KANT'S "PROLEGOMENA" Kant’s introduction seems so humble and straightforward but this masks a project of breathtaking scope. Whether or not Kant ultimately achieves his aims is mostly beside the point. Here, he really does make a radical break with the past and tries to reorient not just our thinking about metaphysical questions but how we understand thinking in its entirety. Rarely has a thinker attempted such a sweeping revaluation and re-grounding of knowledge. Kant’s influence grows from the inability of later thinkers to ignore this challenge and, hence, he reshaped almost all the philosophy that came after him.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.

SOCRATES AND DIOTIMA IN THE SYMPOSIUM - EP. 2The Symposium is oft quoted and seemingly rarely read. This crazy scene explaining - well something - based on this completely fabricated myth captures much of the power of Plato’s capacity for storytelling and how he leads the reader along the most preposterous paths to often quite amazing conclusions. Aristophanes ridicules Socrates in the Symposium for using these kinds of arguments.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.

VALUES ARBITRAGE:I argue that we have developed a deep seated sense of cynicism from continuous exposure to an environment where our values are systematically used against. Consciously or unconsciously aware of being exploited, we become cynical about the very ideals we need to cultivate in order to inhabit the house of the intellect. I review these core values and how we can defend them despite our environment. 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.

PHILOSOPHICAL FIRESIDE CHATS 🔥 🪵 - EP. 1This scene from Book II of Thus Spake Zarathustra - the Riddle and the Vision - is one of my favorites and captures some of Nietzsche’s ability to create a visceral sense of the challenge of addressing our most deeply held habits and beliefs.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.

READ ALONG SERIES - KANT'S "PROLEGOMENA" Kant’s influence on philosophy and thinking in general has been immense but also difficult to pin down because he is so challenging to read. His influence has come almost entirely second and third hand as we encounter versions of his thoughts and approaches through other thinkers who are using, attacking, or expanding on Kant’s insights. Here we launch a read-a-long series featuring one of his shortest and most accessible works - the Prolegomena to Any Future Meta-Physics. A clearer and much shortened version of his Critique of Pure Reason, this work transforms the landscape of philosophy and, whether one agrees or disagrees with him, it now becomes impossible to ignore him in good conscience. Project Gutenberg Kant's ProlegomenaA nice critical edition Amazon.com: Immanuel Kant: Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics: That Will Be Able to Come Forward as Science: With Selections from the Critique of Pure Reason (Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy) eBook : Kant, Immanuel, Gary Hatfield: Kindle StoreSign-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 #2 - HOUSE OF THE INTELLECT Wes and Jeremy take questions from Patreon Members on House of the Intellect.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.

The discussion dives into the frustrations of bureaucratic systems that strip away individuality. It contrasts ancient ideals with oppressive structures, shedding light on the importance of personal identity. Challenges in cultural spaces like museums and universities reveal how bureaucracy can stifle meaningful engagement. The podcast advocates for creativity over conformity, emphasizing the unique voices of creators amidst mass production. Examples like jazz and adjustable kitchen counters illustrate the value of personal expression in a homogenized world.

Largely forgotten today, she was an influential thinker and, perhaps, mystic who lived a life of ethical commitment in an extraordinarily difficult period in history. She provided an inspirational example to many of her contemporaries and the tone of her works as much as the power of her arguments brought her wide acclaim.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.

CONCLUSION:I conclude the series with the end of the first book of the Red Book. In the last section we see Jung sliding back and forth between various ideas of the role he is supposed to fulfill - kill god, be god, ignore god - and how we should respond to this. I also reflect on the difference between inspiration and discovery, what Jung is trying to do, and Philosophy, which generally requires a much more rigorous implementation of vocabulary, logic and consistency. Nonetheless I think Jung provides a great example of someone trying to explore and overcome the limitations of their own beliefs in a way that I find quite inspirational.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 the complex relationship between technology and culture as it critiques the isolation of tech from intellectual values. Discover how advanced healthcare tools often clash with bureaucratic obstacles, leaving patients in the lurch. Experience a sobering look at the myth of efficiency in healthcare and education, where data-driven approaches can overlook real human needs. Finally, reflect on the essential human element that technology often misses, urging a deeper understanding of the societies that shape our innovations.