

History of Philosophy Audio Archive
William Engels
Curated lectures, interviews, and talks with philosophers, social scientists, and historians together in one place. Each week, we explore brand new research in history, economics, psychology, political science, philosophy, indigenous studies, and human rights while presenting the work of canonical scholars in a way that is accessible to newcomers while retaining interest for students and specialists. If you are an author in nonfiction or a scholar in the humanities/social sciences and are interested in being interviewed for the show please email me at williamengels@substack.com or @Bluesky.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 6, 2024 • 52min
#107 - A Medicine More Fit for Humanity: Iain McGilchrist on Anti-Materialism, the Divided Brain, and How Art and Literature Can Improve Medicine
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According to Max Planck, ‘Anybody who has been seriously engaged in scientific work of any kind realizes that over the entrance to the gates of the temple of science are written the words: Ye must have faith. It is a quality which the scientist cannot dispense with.’ And he continued: ‘Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of nature and therefore part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.
-Iain McGilchrist, The Master and His Emissary
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The Master and His Emissary - https://a.co/d/2gDbuCW
The Matter with Things - https://a.co/d/2jJVXZg
Original Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REB7GOxX5Mk
Dr. McGilchrist's YouTube Page - https://www.youtube.com/@DrIainMcGilchrist

Sep 2, 2024 • 2h 14min
#106 (LABOR DAY SPECIAL) - Why I Am Still A Communist: Slavoj Zizek on Stalin's Terror, the Consequences of Neoliberalism, and the Refugee Crisis
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Think about the strangeness of today's situation. Thirty, forty years ago, we were still debating about what the future will be: communist, fascist, capitalist, whatever. Today, nobody even debates these issues. We all silently accept global capitalism is here to stay. On the other hand, we are obsessed with cosmic catastrophes: the whole life on earth disintegrating, because of some virus, because of an asteroid hitting the earth, and so on. So the paradox is, that it's much easier to imagine the end of all life on earth than a much more modest radical change in capitalism.
-Slavoj Zizek, 2005 citing Frederic Jameson.
Happy Labor Day, you disgusting proles (I love you)
-Will
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Original YouTube Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgPqk8-HPGQ&t=1380s
Pervert's Guide to Cinema:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYuI4SFw4g0
Frederic Jameson:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredric_Jameson
Slavoj Zizek:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavoj_%C5%BDi%C5%BEe

Sep 2, 2024 • 2h 37min
#105 - The Philosophy of Baruch Spinoza: J. Thomas Cook on Pantheism, the Geometric Method, and Life as a Jewish Heretic
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A Portuguese Jew living in Holland, Spinoza was excommunicated because of the unorthodox view he took of God. Spinoza wrote in the rationalist style of a geometric proof to develop his idea of God as the infinite, indwelling cause of all things, a unified causal system that is virtually synonymous with nature.
In this system, there is no free will, for all things are necessary and inevitable, and all objects, including humans, are part of God's active self-expression. Our minds can participate in the eternity of God by focusing on natural laws and the way all things follow from God or nature. Human fulfillment is possible, he believed, only by rejecting our finite, flawed selves and identifying with the eternal within us. Spinoza believed that by doing so we can love God with an immediate devotion without asking anything in return.
Script authored by Spinoza scholar J. Thomas Cook.
Enjoy.
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https://philpeople.org/profiles/j-thomas-cook
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza
https://archive.org/details/thegiantsofphilosophy

Sep 1, 2024 • 2h 44min
#104 - The Philosophy of Soren Kierkegaard: George Connell on Infinite Resignation, the Knight of Faith, and the Path to the Spiritual Life
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The tyrant dies and his rule is over; the martyr dies and his rule begins.
-Soren Kierkegaard, 1848
For Kierkegaard, truth is a subjective reality which we must live, not simply something to consider and discuss. His self-consciousness and self-examination highlight the practical demands of existence, and he opposes the speculative thinking of philosophical idealists (especially Hegel). Kierkegaard urges the reader to commit to make choices about how to live. In Either/or, he concentrates on sensual indulgence versus duty, the avant garde versus tradition. Fear & trembling dramatically distinguishes between ethical and religious existence, based on the biblical story of Abraham. We must choose to be a "knight of infinite resignation" (giving up hope for this life). Kierkegaard says much of life's meaning depends not on external conditions, but on our internal choices about relating to them.
-George Connell, author of the script.
Enjoy.
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https://www.researchgate.net/profile/George-Connell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaar
https://archive.org/details/thegiantsofphilosophy

Aug 30, 2024 • 2h 34min
#103 - The Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas: Kenneth L. Schmitz on Scholasticism, the Proof of God's Existence, and the Beatific Vision
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Thomas Aquinas is the smartest man who ever lived - with the sole exception of Jesus Christ.
-Peter Kreeft, Professor of Philosophy at Boston College
St. Thomas Aquinas is known for producing history’s most complete system of Christian philosophy. In the late thirteenth century, this quiet, reflective Dominican scholar combined the work of Aristotle with Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and pagan thought to reconcile reason and faith. He believed we can know that God exists but not what God is like. Thomas concluded that mortal happiness is uncertain but immortal happiness is the ultimate end of life; beatitude is to pass beyond death to "see the face of God." His thought continues to exert a powerful influence on Catholic philosophy today.
-Kenneth L. Schmitz, author of this recording's script. (1922-2017)
Enjoy.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_L._Schmitz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Kreeft
https://archive.org/details/thegiantsofphilosophy

Aug 23, 2024 • 2h 17min
#102 - The Philosophy of David Hume: Nicholas Capaldi on the Fact/Value Distinction, the Problem of Induction, and Natural Religion
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David Hume (1711-1776) has been called "the greatest philosophical mind in the English language" by Cornel West, and is one of the most influential philosophers of the Enlightenment era.
In this lively and fully-acted performance, Hollywood actor Charlton Heston narrates an overview of Hume's life, philosophy, and influence as described by noted Hume scholar Nicholas Capaldi, current professor emeritus of Loyola University.
This recording is remastered from a set of cassette recordings called "The Giants of Philosophy" first published in 1990 and available now on Internet Archive.
Enjoy
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hume
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Capaldi
https://archive.org/details/thegiantsofphilosophy

Aug 20, 2024 • 2h 5min
#101 - Apartheid South Africa: Roy Casagranda on Dutch and British Colonialism, the African National Congress, and Turning Point of the Freedom Struggle
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How did South Africa come under the control of the Dutch and the British? When and how was racial apartheid implemented and justified? Professor Roy breaks it down for us.
Enjoy!
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Aug 20, 2024 • 11h 60min
#100 - A Complete Guide to Plato's Dialogues: Michael Sugrue on Plato's Literary Style, the Visibility of Reason, and the Emergence of Justice and Wisdom [REUPLOAD]
We did it - 100 episodes!
Celebrate with 12 hours of Plato!
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(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:00:51) - The Domain of the Dialogues
(01:31:20) - The Examined Life
(02:16:42) - Tragedy in the Philosophic Age of the Greeks
(03:00:16) - Republic I
(03:46:46) - Republic II
(04:30:45) - Republic III
(05:16:40) - The Laws and Cephalus
(06:01:33) - Protagoras: The Many and the One
(06:46:51) - Gorgias: The Temptation to Speak
(07:32:24) - Parmenides: The Most True
(08:07:10) - Sophist and Statesman
(09:01:35) - Phaedrus: Hymn to Love
(09:46:23) - Symposium: Pride of Love
(10:33:03) - Platonic Achievement
(11:17:59) - Living Voice
Enjoy!
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Aug 19, 2024 • 1h 9min
#99 - Power and Ideology at the New School: Noam Chomsky on Internationalism, Media Bias, and US Global Aggression
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World-renowned professor of linguistics and lifelong political dissident Noam Chomsky addressed The New School in September 2015 about the threats facing the civilized world as we neared the third decade of the 21st century.
His predictions and analyses are more prescient now than they were even then.
Enjoy.
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Original video (The New School):
https://youtu.be/w_X5czMVKT8?si=AiN_Vbu1hgJ_HRAn&t=433

Aug 18, 2024 • 55min
#98 - Nonviolent Communication: Marshall Rosenberg on Resolving Conflict, Negotiating Compassionately, and Creating Peace
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In order to do philosophy at all we have to find ways to discuss difficult topics in a way that allows other people to approach and understand us. Conversation is an infinite game - how can we establish ground rules for communication that allow players to keep coming back and keep the ball of dialogue in the air?
Marshall Rosenberg is the author of the book Nonviolent Communication and served for many years as a diplomat, negotiator, and peacemaker in dangerous international contexts.