Athens Corner
These are previews from my website AthensCorner.com of in-depth discussions on the Western world's greatest books in philosophy and political philosophy. There are also occasional previews for my Fathers & Sons series on the website devoted to guiding and assisting fathers who themselves want to educate their sons in the great books, and so the emphasis is upon examples of excellence of virtue.
Episodes
84 episodes
Addiction and "Depression"
This is the recording of an X/Twitter space where I discuss how addiction and "depression" have always been a defining theme of what we refer to as “philosophy” — the questioning pursuit of the good life — in everything from Homer to Nietzsche ...
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Season 4
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2:34:14
The Philosophical Crisis of the Sciences
In this recorded X space, I discuss the history and the philosophy of the crisis of the sciences that emerged in the late 18th and continued through the 19th century and into the 20th century.This discussion is meant as a broad introduct...
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Season 4
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1:33:04
How to Begin to Study Nietzsche
One of the most common questions I receiver is where people should begin in the study of Nietzsche.In this recorded X space, I discuss a number of different and helpful ways to begin the study of Nietzsche from his various texts. A...
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Season 4
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1:28:41
Aristotle's EN 1.5
Here I host the discussion of a two month weekly series devoted to the first book of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. This particular discussion is on chapter five of book one. I especially appreciate chapter five of book one because it's where ...
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Season 4
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Episode 36
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2:37:18
Nihilism and Redemption in Nietzsche's Zarathustra
The most important thing to understand in Nietzsche's thought is nihilism, and not as we understand the term but as Nietzsche understands it. Here I discuss the meaning of nihilism as Nietzsche's Zarathustra presents it in chapter 19 of book 2 ...
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Season 4
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Episode 24
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2:27:51
Nihilism in Plato and Dostoevsky
Here I discuss the similarities and differences between Dostoevsky and Nietzsche on the topic of nihilism, which ultimately becomes a rich discussion of the premises of Modern science. In order to best understand the nihilistic premises of Mode...
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Season 4
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Episode 27
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2:13:39
Reason and Rationality in Plato
A discussion of the image of the divided line in Plato's Republic and what it means for Socrates's presentation of reason
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Season 4
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Episode 17
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1:53:18
Regime Change in Plato Part 2
A continuation of the discussion of regime change in book 8 of Plato's Republic with emphasis upon democracy.
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Season 4
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Episode 19
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1:57:24
Leo Strauss on the Reaction to German Nihilism
A discussion on Strauss with Alex Priou and Justin Gottschaulk.
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Season 4
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Episode 29
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1:46:42
Nietzsche and the Youth
Here I discuss the very important--but so often overlooked--aspect of the youth which orients so much of Nietzsche's political project. That is, I discuss Nietzsche's understanding of what philosophy must become if it is to decisively transform...
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Season 4
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Episode 23
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2:12:04
Overman Psychology and the Youth
This can be understood as part two of my previous discussion of Nietzsche and the youth. Here I discuss the extremely important analysis of human psychology provided by Nietzsche’s Zarathustra in sections 1.7 and 1.8 of Thus Spoke Zarathustra. ...
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1:34:03
Roundtable on Nihilism Part 2
I'm joined once again by @AncPhi to respond to his always-insightful questions about nihilism, namely, what it is and the possible solutions to it.
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Season 4
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Episode 26
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1:40:36
A Roundtable Discussion on Nihilism Part 1
Here my friend @AncPhi and I discuss various aspects of the meaning of nihilism, both as it appears practically in our everyday lives and theoretically in Nietzsche and Dostoevsky. We also discuss what it might mean to "overcome" nihilism.
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Season 4
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Episode 25
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1:22:09
Plato's Cave pt 3: Leo Strauss and Historicism
Leo Strauss and Historicism": In part three of my ongoing series on the legacy of the imagery of the Cave and Enlightenment, I discuss the thought of Leo Strauss and his imagery of "the pit/cave beneath the Cave" to describe postmodernity. I'm ...
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Season 4
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Episode 22
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2:21:05
Plato's Cave pt 2 Bacon and Vico
This is the second in a series of lectures with @alejandrophase2 tracing the imagery of Enlightenment in the Western philosophical tradition. I discuss the cave imagery in Bacon's New Organon regarding the Idols. Afterwards, Alejandro provides ...
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Season 4
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Episode 21
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1:22:09
Heidegger and Philology
Here I'm joined with @AncPhi to briefly discuss the invaluable importance of Heidegger. At issue is the significance of language, translation, and etymology for his thought on time and being; and, more broadly, the revolution in postmodern phil...
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Season 4
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Episode 28
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1:22:09
Plato's Cave pt 1 Homer, Plato, and Heidegger
Here is the first in a series of lectures with @alejandrophase2 tracing the imagery of Enlightenment in the Western philosophical tradition. Here I discuss the meaning of the cave of the Cyclops in Homer's Odyssey and Socrates's image of the ca...
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Season 4
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Episode 20
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1:22:09
Aristotle and Plato’s Unwritten Teaching
In this recording my good friend Ancient (@AncPhi) discusses Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s unwritten teaching. There are a few audio glitches during the recording but it is still very much worth your time.”
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Season 4
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Episode 33
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2:29:35
Heidegger's Intro to Being & Time pt 1
Heidegger's masterpiece is Being & Time, and any understanding of postmodern philosophy requires a serious reading of the text. Here I introduce the text by an in-depth exploration of the first part of his introduction of the text. With an ...
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Season 4
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Episode 31
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2:22:48
Homer’s Odyssey: The Origin of Philosophy
This is possibly the most important topic for understanding the relationship between poetry and philosophy. I go into great detail regarding the discovery of "nature" presented by Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. At issue is not whether or not poet...
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Season 4
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Episode 35
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2:14:34
Jünger, Heidegger and Nihilism
This is the first in a series of lectures on the meaning of nihilism. I begin with the relationship between Jünger and Heidegger: their letter correspondences and the essays they dedicated to each other. At issue is the way in which Modern nihi...
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Season 4
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Episode 32
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1:23:51
Aristotle and Nietzsche
Nietzsche's critique of Plato is well known, but it is not well known how indebted Nietzsche is to Plato's student Aristotle. Here I discuss the way in which much of Nietzsche's most important insights can be understood as appropriating Aristot...
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Season 4
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Episode 31
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1:56:06
Poetry Grand Politics in Nietzsche
The relationship between Nietzsche and Aristotle is extremely important but seldom acknowledged. Here I provide an entryway into Nietzsche by way of his invocation of Shakespeare and how that suggests Aristotle's account of the virtue of greatn...
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Season 4
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Episode 30
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1:43:00