
History of Philosophy Audio Archive
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.
Latest episodes

Mar 11, 2025 • 2h 47min
Hemlock #12 - Gaia Wakes: My Conversation with Topher McDougal on AI, Climate Change, Nuclear Weapons, Planetary Consciousness, David Graeber, Gregory Bateson, Technological Lifeforms, and Evolution
Follow Topher's Work:https://tophermcdougal.com/Buy the book, Gaia Wakes:https://cup.columbia.edu/book/gaia-wakes/9781788218283Follow Topher on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/topherlmcdougalCome join me on Patreon:https://patreon.com/HemlockPatreonClarifications:Prokaryotes emerged 3.5-.3.8 billion years ago (BYA), eukaryotes/endocytosis emerged 2 BYA.Chapters(00:00:00)-Introduction to Gaia Wakes and Its Themes(00:09:06)-The Intellectual Clash of the Cold War(00:16:06)-The Dialectic of Predation and Domestication(00:50:01)-The Emergence of a Planetary Consciousness(00:55:44)-The Scalar Organization of Life and Learning(01:02:20)-Consciousness and the Models of Our Models(01:08:28)-The Emergence of AI Consciousness(01:18:00)-Ethics and AI Personhood(01:24:42)-The Future of AI and Human Interaction(01:52:23)-The Role of Humanity in Ecosystem Stewardship(01:58:10)-Synthesis of Biological and Technological Systems(02:06:09)-The Future of Energy and Resource Management(02:12:05)-The Logic of Coordination and Planning(02:18:15)-Technological Progress and Economic Impact(02:31:03)-Recommendations for Further Reading-//-SummaryIn this conversation, William engages with Professor Topher McDougal about his upcoming book, 'Gaia Wakes,' which explores themes of planetary consciousness, artificial intelligence, and the interplay between human development and ecological challenges. They discuss historical intellectual debates during the Cold War, the dialectic of predation and domestication in evolutionary processes, and the potential for a centralized planetary consciousness to address environmental issues. In this conversation, McDougal explores the intricate relationship between learning, consciousness, and the emergence of AI. He discusses the scalar organization of life, the models we create to navigate our environment, and the potential for AI to develop consciousness. The ethical implications of AI personhood and the future of human interaction with AI are also examined, highlighting the need for a robust framework for understanding and guiding these developments. In this conversation, the speaker explores the intricate relationship between humanity, technology, and the environment. They discuss the role of humans as custodians of ecosystems, drawing parallels with natural systems like slime molds. The synthesis of biological and technological systems is highlighted, along with the potential risks associated with rapid technological advancements. The conversation also delves into the future of energy management, the importance of planning for sustainability, and the disjunction between meaningful work and economic realities. Recommendations for further reading are provided to deepen understanding of these themes.

Mar 7, 2025 • 1h 14min
#159 - Roy Casagranda's Dreams and Genocide: Yemen, the United Arab Republic, Yemen's Civil War, the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Henry Kissinger, Houthi Revolutionaries, Climate Change, and the Arab Spring
Come join my Patreon!https://patreon.com/HemlockPatreonCheck out Roy's YouTube Page:https://www.youtube.com/@DrRoyCasagranda00:00-Introduction 02:30-The 1919 Revolution: A Catalyst for Change10:38-Emergence of Dominant Ideologies in the Arab World20:59-The United Arab Republic: A Pan-Arab Dream23:48-Yemen's Civil War: Echoes of History28:24-The 1973 Arab-Israeli War and Its Aftermath38:27-Kissinger's Chaos and Middle Eastern Alliances41:20-The Rise of Tyranny and Civil Wars45:45-The Arab Spring: A Wave of Change52:31-Yemen's Fragile Democracy and the Houthi Revolution56:44-The Complexity of Yemen's Civil War01:01:43-The Future of Yemen: Hope or Despair?01:07:47-The Impact of Climate Change on Yemen's Stability-//-

Mar 2, 2025 • 1h 6min
Consolatio #2 - To Oppose Evil Men is the Chief Aim We Set Before Ourselves: Book I, Entrance of Philosophy to the Dungeon, Condemnation of Stoics and Epicurus, Pi & Theta, Fear Nothing, Hope Nothing
It's finally here, and we're just getting started: Book I of Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy with a new intro by me.(00:00:00) - Historical Introduction(00:22:54) - Note on Translation & Performance(00:26:16) - Book 1(01:03:23) - OutroPlease consider purchasing the book that inspired this project, the Ignatius Critical Edition translated by Scott Goins and Barbara H. Wyman:https://a.co/d/3A2j8PSFull Text of the Cooper Translation:https://faculty.georgetown.edu/jod/boethius/jkok/1m1_u.htm-//-

Feb 28, 2025 • 47min
#158 - Mircea Eliade and the Cycles of Time: Darren Staloff on Comparative Mythology, Symbolic Archetypes, the History of Religion, Eliade's Religious Scholarship, and the Theophany of Profane Events
Suggestions for the show:williamengels@substack.comPatreon:https://www.patreon.com/HemlockPatreon-//-(00:00:00) - Intro(00:01:55) - Staloff on Eliade-//-Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/william-engels.bsky.socialDarren Staloff:https://hamilton.center.ufl.edu/people/darren-staloff/Mircea Eliade:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mircea_Eliade

Feb 24, 2025 • 1h 42min
#157 - Learn to Die So You Can Learn to Live: Cornel West on Socratic Legacy, Blues, Chekhov's Christ, American Democracy, Deep Education, Jazz, Augustine, and the Blue Note in the American Song
Patreon: https://patreon.com/HemlockPatreonHang in there.Original Video, Published Feb 2014https://youtu.be/EwPCJ9WpH7EThank you to Wheaton College for recording and uploading this talk.https://www.youtube.com/@wheatoncollege

Feb 24, 2025 • 23min
Consolation #1: 100 Reviewers Special! The Consolation of Philosophy - An Experiment in Reading Boethius, Part 1: Introduction
We did it! 100 reviews on Spotify!To celebrate, we are kicking off an open-source audiobook project celebrating Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy, a deathbed prose poem written at the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the birth of what is (somewhat unfortunately, but not for no reason called) the Dark Ages.00:00:00 Announcement00:08:36 Scholarly Introduction to the ConsolationThis introduction is found in the Ignatius Critical Edition of Boethius, and the public domain text we will be using for the reading is the WV Cooper translation which can be found here:https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924073630026&seq=11

Feb 23, 2025 • 41min
Hemlock #11 - Call Your Friends (or, Unhinged Volume II)
We must needs densify the social fabric, compadres...https://patreon.com/HemlockPatreon

Feb 20, 2025 • 3h 2min
#156 - Sartre: Robert C. Solomon on Existential Philosophy, Responsibility, Sartre's Experience as a POW, Being and Nothingness, No Exit, Phenomenology, Bad Faith, and Why We Are Doomed to Be Free
“This is what I thought: for the most banal even to become an adventure, you must (and this is enough) begin to recount it. This is what fools people: a man is always a teller of tales, he sees everything that happens to him through them; and he tries to live his own life as if he were telling a story. But you have to choose: live or tell.” -Jean-Paul Sartre, Nausea, 1938.-//-00:00:00 Intro00:00:33 Sartre: Life and WW200:30:33 The Emotions and Responsibility01:00:28 Phenomenology & Consciousness01:30:54 Bad Faith and Inauthenticity02:01:14 Being-for-Others & "No Exit"02:31:14 Love & the Romantic Life-//-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_C._Solomon

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 36min
Hemlock #10 - Capital (Kapital) Volume 1: Interview with Yale's Paul North & OSU's Paul Reitter on Karl Marx's Theory of Commodification, Communism, Property Rights, Value Theory, Worker Alienation
Come join my Patreon!https://patreon.com/HemlockPatreonBuy Paul Reitter and Paul North's Scholarly Edition of Marx's Capital Volume 1:https://a.co/d/3dMYjCw(Untracked Link)"In the realm of religion, people are ruled by a product of their own heads, and it is just so in capitalist production, except that here people are ruled by the products of their own hands." Karl Marx, "Capital Volume One", translated by Paul Reitter, edited by Paul North.Links:Paul Northhttps://german.yale.edu/who-we-are/faculty-officers/paul-northPaul Reitterhttps://germanic.osu.edu/people/reitter.4-//-

Feb 9, 2025 • 3h 6min
#155 - Speaking Peace: Marshall Rosenberg on Conflict Resolution, Giraffe and Jackal Language, Nonviolent Communication, Expressing Needs and Desires, and Articulating a More Peaceful World
Come join my Patreon!https://Patreon.com/HemlockPatreonLeave a review! Once we get to 100 I'll record and release (completely gratis) an outstanding philosophy audiobook from the public domain.Original Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7TONauJGfc&t=22s