This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th century philosophical short story writer, essayist, and poet Jorge Luis Borges's story "Pierre Menard, Author Of The Quixote" which can be found in Collected Fictions. 

If focuses specifically on the main portion of the story, where the author discusses Pierre Menard's "other, subterranean, interminably heroic production", namely that of writing the Don Quixote, a project which he was able to carry out in part before his death. We look at the inspiration, the motivation and intention, and the method of this work, and the author's own assessments of the superiority of Menard's over Cervantes' Quixote.

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Jorge Luis Borges - Pierre Menard, Author Of The Quixote - Menard's Unfinished Production

This lecture discusses key ideas from the modern philosopher Thomas Hobbes' work Leviathan

It focuses specifically on his discussion in chapters 15 and 26. In chapter 15, after having enumerated and explained the majority of the "laws of nature", which Hobbes notes correspond to various virtues, he claims that the science of the laws of nature, of virtue and vice, and of good and bad, is the "true and only moral philosophy".  His position seems somewhat paradoxical, however, for reasons discussed in chapter 26

To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler

If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM

You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler

Purchase Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan - amzn.to/3uhKmDE

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan - The True Moral Philosophy of Laws of Nature - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th century fantasy and science fiction writer, Philip Jose Farmer's novella The Lovers (which can be found anthologized in his Strange Relations 

It discusses whether and how that work "broke the taboo" on sex in science fiction when it was published in 1952.

To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler

If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM

You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler

Get Philip Jose Farmer's Strange Relations here - https://amzn.to/3ivJXtj

Philip Jose Farmer, The Lovers - Breaking The Taboo On Sex in SciFi? - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th century fantasy and science fiction writer, Philip Jose Farmer's novella The Lovers (which can be found anthologized in his Strange Relations 

It discusses the narrative setting for the novella, specifically the aftermath of the "Apocalyptic War", in which a virus killed most of humanity globally. After the pandemic, communities of survivors repopulated the Earth, coming from Hawaii, Iceland, the Caucasus, Israel, Central Africa, and Malaysia.  At the time of the story, the globe is divided between four super-states. 

To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler

If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM

You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler

Get Philip Jose Farmer's Strange Relations here - https://amzn.to/3ivJXtj

Philip Jose Farmer, The Lovers - Earth After the Apocalyptic War - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th century fantasy and science fiction writer, Philip Jose Farmer's novella The Lovers (which can be found anthologized in his Strange Relations 

It discusses the overall metaphysical and religious perspective developed by Isaac Sigman, which is the official doctrine of the "Sturch" or state-church of the Haijac Union, one of the main world powers in the story, and the one that Hal Yarrow belongs to. The sturch's interpretation of Sigmen holds that a person's thought can be unreal (which is bad), that people are responsible not only for everything they do but everything that happens to them, and that they can fall into the mistake of desiring a  "pseudofuture".

To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler

If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM

You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler

Get Philip Jose Farmer's Strange Relations here - https://amzn.to/3ivJXtj

Philip Jose Farmer, The Lovers - Religion and Metaphysics of Isaac Sigmen - Sadler's Lectures

Lecture du testament de Victor Hugo en espagnol

Lecture du testament de Victor Hugo en anglais

This is a narration of an essay I'm writing for my master's in science writing at Johns Hopkins University. Please feel welcome to comment, critique, or just listen! 
I'm trying out with narration, so it's low effort. 

Natural Does Not Mean Essential

Nations:  What are they?  Are they defined by language, by “culture,” by blood, or something else?    How do you know if you are part of one? —and  is everyone in the world a member of one nation or another?
We follow how the rise of medieval kingdoms and universities and the print revolution made it possible for people in the West to imagine themselves as part of extended kinship groups united by a common language and ancestry, how these abstract “nations” differed from all earlier social groupings, how nations have developed a standard template for national history and mythology, and how since the French Revolution, “nationalism” has inspired the loyalties and fired the passions of millions.
Finally,  we consider how scholars and critics have torn the concept of the nation to shreds, and then have tried to account for the profound transformations in consciousness and time made it possible for people to conceive of themselves as belonging to nations in the first place.

Apologies for the osprey squawking in the background of the lecture!

Suggested further reading: B. Anderson, "Imagined Communities"; Ernest Renan, "Qu'est-ce qu'une nation?"; Grosby, "Nationalism: A Very Short Introduction"; Potter, "The Historian's Use of Nationalism and Vice Versa"

Music:  “Danse du Grand Calumet de la Paix” / “Forets Paisibles,” from the opera-ballet “Les Indes Galantes,” by Jean-Philippe Rameau & Louis Fuzelier, 1735, performed by Les Arts Florissants, with vocalists Patricia Petibon & Nicolas Rivenq.

Please sign up as a patron at any level to hear patron-only lectures, including the series on the Epic of Gilgamesh! -- https://www.patreon.com/c/u5530632

Myth of the Month 25:  Nations

Psaume pour la folie - Félix AC-52hzWhale lu par Jungle Devil (paire)

History lectures by Samuel Biagetti, a historian (and antique dealer) with a Phd in early American history; my dissertation was on Freemasonry in the 1700s. I focus on the historical myths and distortions, from "the Middle Ages" to "Race," that people use to rationalize the world in which we live.   More info at www.historiansplaining.com

Please see my Patreon page, https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632, if you want to keep the lectures coming, and to hear the patron-only materials.

I'm that YouTube Philosophy Guy! Find more than 3,000 videos in my main channel.  Support my video and podcast work!  https://www.patreon.com/sadler or https://www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM

Learn more about this podcast channel - https://youtu.be/qRvL0gqlyrw and https://gregorybsadler.substack.com/p/the-sadlers-lectures-podcast

Due to popular demand - and with the work underwritten by my Patreon supporters - I have been converting my videos into MP3 files listeners can listen to anywhere they want!

I have a second podcast, Mind & Desire, publishing original episodes on a variety of topics in philosophy, which you can find here - https://gregorybsadler.substack.com/podcast

Les Archives nationales, établissement du ministère de la Culture, sont le plus grand centre d’archives d’Europe. Mémoire de la France, elles conservent et communiquent aux publics les archives de l’État depuis le Moyen Âge, celles des notaires parisiens et des archives privées d’intérêt national. Elles contribuent à la connaissance de l’histoire et au partage des valeurs citoyennes auprès du grand public, en particulier des plus jeunes, par leurs expositions, publications et autres activités de médiation.

https://www.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr/

New tracks tagged #lecture