The Living Philosophy

Thomas Aquinas was the shining light of medieval philosophy. He worked on his masterpiece the Summa Theologica from 1265 until the year of his death in 1274. This book — most famous today for its 5 arguments for the existence of God — was the reason for his canonisation as a saint and doctor of the Catholic church fifty years after his death. But the work was unfinished because a few months before Aquinas’s death something happened that caused him to abandon his masterpiece. When his socius (a sort of assistant) Reginald of Piperno begged him to continue his work Aquinas replied: “I can do no more; such things have been revealed to me that all that I have written seems to me as so much straw.”________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod3. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod4. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod5. Mozart's String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, MOVEMENT II, K. 421 https://youtu.be/-DFKPtvT1p86. 1812 Overture • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky https://youtu.be/LAUuXfSeoqYSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:45 The Summa Theologica1:52 Aquinas the Mystic3:05 The Tao That Can’t Be Told5:24 The Mystical Trope8:24 The Way of Catharsis________________#aquinas #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

21st-century humanity is threatened by numerous self-generated existential threats to its continued survival. These include socio-political disintegration, ecological collapse and the potential ramifications of AI. The nature of this challenge is comparable to the most prominent scientific hypothesis as to why moths fly into flames — an accidental hijacking of an evolutionary adaptation that leads to the death of individuals. What this hypothesis is and how it relates to the decline of humanity is what we are going to be exploring on this episode of The Living Philosophy. ________________⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________Media Used:1. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod2. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod3. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod4. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod5. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod6. 1812 Overture • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky https://youtu.be/LAUuXfSeoqYSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusica. Walt Disney’s Moth Production: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YouBj4K7104_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:49 The Flight of the Moth2:30 Disrupted Evolution3:36 Moth-Man6:02 Mothbook________________#thelivingphilosophy #philosophy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The etymology of philosophy leads to the love of wisdom. The paths to wisdom can be divided into two: ekstasis and catharsis. Jamie Wheal is a thinker who utilises this distinction in his book Recapture the Rapture and on podcasts (where he includes a third aspect: Communitas — community/sangha). The distinction between ekstasis and catharsis is a powerful one. Ekstasis is the higher perspective; it is being on the mountain and surveying the entire landscape. Catharsis on the other hand is the way under — it is Dante going through Hell and emerging into Heaven. Ultimately both ekstasis and catharsis lead us to the same place: wisdom but the journey is very different. We can see philosophers throughout history leaning more towards one direction or another: Plato, Plotinus, Parmenides and Spinoza lead us towards the high insights of ekstasis; Heraclitus, Nietzsche and Kierkegaard lead us towards the deep wisdom of catharsis. _________________ Learning Resources:• Recapture the Rapture by Jamie Wheal https://www.recapturetherapture.com/• The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries by Gordon Wasson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/186043/the-road-to-eleusis-by-r-gordon-wasson/• The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94578.The_Gay_Science _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod3. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod4. Anguish — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:38 Ekstasis4:40 Catharsis7:57 Conclusion_________________Youtube link: https://youtu.be/fL7onbMkfMc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development has an important place in the system of Integral Philosopher Ken Wilber. Wilber’s theory of everything is based around the stages of human development that go from the four stages of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and ascend into the spiritual realms of nondualism that we find in the works of Plotinus and other great spiritual masters. In this episode we explore Wilber’s argument that the higher levels of cognitive development are in fact postformal Piagetian stages of development. _________________ Learning Resources:• The Living Philosophy of Jung’s Psychology of Kundalini Yoga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goZ084pOwuo&list=PL7vtNjtsHReo9K0eH_ii67l0Kp-CF1vEG • Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBmvlTVWjZg • Ken Wilber’s Sex Ecology Spirituality https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177151.Sex_Ecology_Spirituality _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod2. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod3. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod4. Juniper — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:53 Piaget’s Conservation Experiments6:27 Is Wilber Right? 8:07 MHC & Cognitive Complexity10:41 Conclusion_________________#Integral #thelivingphilosophy #Wilber #Piaget #KenWilber

Jean Piaget was the second most referenced psychologist of the 20th century whose work was dedicated to mapping out the stages of human development that is now known as the Piaget Theory of Cognitive Development. Piaget differentiated four developmental stages that humans pass through: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. These stages of Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development take place at different ages with Sensorimotor occurring between 0-2, Preoperation (or preop) between 3-7, Concrete Operational (or conop) between 7-11) and Formal Operational (formop) being found in children over 11. As well as the work of Jean Piaget we touch a little on Post-Piagetian stages such as Michael Commons’ Model of Hierarchical Development (MHC) as well as Ken Wilber who we will be looking at in more depth in the next episode. These are the stages of the Piaget cognitive development theory; we all pass through these stages on our way to adulthood and Piaget’s theories have been tested across cultures across the world. While it has faded from academic prominence it is one of the shaping theories of the field of psychology. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod2. 1812 Overture • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky https://youtu.be/LAUuXfSeoqY3. Mozart's String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, MOVEMENT II, K. 421 https://youtu.be/-DFKPtvT1p84. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod5. Mesmerize — Kevin MacLeod6. Juniper — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:36 Sensorimotor4:24 Preoperational6:29 Concrete Operational8:55 Formal Operational10:50 Conclusion_________________#Piaget #thelivingphilosophy #psychology #humandevelopment

In his masterpiece Sex Ecology and Spirituality, Ken Wilber applies the work of Ferdinand de Saussure in Semiotics to the question of spiritual experiences’ validity. By looking at the Signifier and Signified of Saussure’s linguistic Sign as well as the referent in the context of spiritual experience Integral philosopher Ken Wilber arrives at an interesting hypothesis in Sex Ecology and Spirituality: that spiritual experiences are at a higher level of development than the general public; the difficulties in studying spiritual experience are comparable to the difficulties of a blind community studying colour. This brings in Wilber’s pre/trans fallacy — the distinction between prerational development and postrational development. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod2. 1812 Overture • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky https://youtu.be/LAUuXfSeoqY3. Mozart's String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, MOVEMENT II, K. 421 https://youtu.be/-DFKPtvT1p84. Juniper — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:38 Summary of Semiotics5:32 The Referent of Great Price10:22 Spiritual Evolution13:55 Conclusion_________________#Semiotics #thelivingphilosophy #spirituality #kenwilber #integral

“The European philosophical tradition consists of a series of footnotes to Plato” — A.N. Whitehead. Plato is the greatest philosopher that ever lived and yet the life of Plato is shrouded in myth and mystery. The challenge with Plato’s biography is knowing where the legend ends and history begins. In this episode we explore the various accounts of Plato’s life and try to reassemble the arc of his historical life. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Lost Frontier — Kevin MacLeod2. 1812 Overture • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky https://youtu.be/LAUuXfSeoqY3. Mozart's String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, MOVEMENT II, K. 421 https://youtu.be/-DFKPtvT1p84. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod5. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod6. Mesmerise — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:25 The Backdrop4:37 The Family of Plato8:13 Socrates and the Travels of Plato12:37 The Sicily Debacle15:12 The Death of Plato_________________#Plato #thelivingphilosophy #philosophy #history #biography #Socrates #Athens #ancientgreekhistory #ancientgreece #greece

Ferdinand de Saussure, a pioneer in Semiotics, leads the discussion alongside influential figures like Sartre and Derrida. They delve into the intricacies of language, exploring Saussure's critical distinctions between langue and parole. The conversation highlights the relationship between signifiers and signifieds, illustrating the arbitrary nature of language through cultural examples. They also compare synchronic and diachronic approaches, emphasizing the relational aspects of meaning in linguistics. This rich insight into Semiotics reveals its profound impact on modern thought.

The Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein told his lover David Pinsent that Russell’s words of encouragement at the start of his dabbling with philosophy had been his salvation and put an end to nine years of loneliness and suffering in the constant shadow of suicide. Russell described him as “perhaps the most perfect example I have ever known of genius as traditionally conceived, passionate, profound, intense, and dominating” and said that “he has more passion about philosophy than I have; his avalanches make mine seem mere snowballs”But before all this became clear, Wittgenstein was tortured by the fear that he was destined for failure. He feared he was a dilettante and was a waste of space. Russell’s validation of him allowed him to set aside ‘a hint that he was de trop in this world’. Had he arrived years earlier or later, he may have found a Russell that was less sentimental and more protective of his role in technical philosophy. But due to a number of events in Russell’s life he arrived at the perfect time for Russell to embrace him with open arms (eventually)_________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) 💸 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy________________🎶 Music Used:1. Magnetic — CO.AG Music2. Mesmerise — Kevin MacLeod3. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod4. Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeod5. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeodSubscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusicSubscribe to CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... _________________⌛ Timestamps:00:00 Introduction1:40 The Preparation of Russell5:38 The Austrian Aristocrat8:35 When Bertrand met Ludwig12:37 The Student Becomes Master15:26 The Fragile Genius_________________#Wittgenstein #thelivingphilosophy #Russell #analyticphilosophy

The Analytic Philosophy vs Continental Philosophy divide is a faultline running through modern philosophy. In this episode we explore the origins of this divide and why these two paths diverged when their founders were in close contact. Edmund Husserl and Gottlob Frege were the two men that gave rise to Continental Philosophy and Analytic Philosophy respectively and surprisingly they were in close contact — critiquing each other’s work. But despite this closeness, there is a historical backdrop to their concerns that invites us to reconsider this difference. Much like the Empiricism/Rationalist divide of the two centuries before Frege and Husserl, the Continental/Analytic divide ran along the line of the English Channel and seems to have been as much a divide of temperament as of philosophy. The British empiricists and the Anglo-American Analytic tradition are concerned more with a non-human standpoint — what reality is out there and how we can gain purest access to it. On the other the Rationalists and Continentals are more concerned with the human element — what it’s structure is like and what that tells us about the structure and nature of reality. This difference in focus on the human and non-human element widened into an irreparable chasm by the time of Martin Heidegger and Bertrand Russell. _________________ ⭐ Support the channel (thank you!) ▶ Patreon: patreon.com/thelivingphilosophy ▶ Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/thelivingphilosophy_________________⌛ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:14 A Tale of Two Schools3:28 The Continental Arising7:18 The Analytic Tradition9:12 A Metaphilosophical Problem?