The Wisdom Of
Episodes
Atheism! (Part 2/2)
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Atheism! (Part 1/2)
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this first of two episodes, I discuss the big bad A word - Atheism!
Pascal's Pensées
11 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pensées was written by the 17th century French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal. In this episode, we talk about Pascal's famous quote...
The Allure of Mystery Novels
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why are mystery novels so popular? Maybe it's because, unlike real life, they promise to explain everything!
Homer's Iliad
04 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Iliad is one of the two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer, the other being The Odyssey. In this episode, we discuss the prophecy ...
Climate Change, Solidarity and Love
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about our attitude or approach to future generations and to climate change.
Eliade's The Sacred and the Profane
26 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mircea Eliade was a Romanian historian of religion. In this episode, we talk about his book The Sacred and the Profane, which is about how archaic an...
Rollo May on Anxiety, Freedom and Creativity!
19 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to the psychologist Rollo May, anxiety and despair isn't as bad as we might think. Facing up to these emotions can be vitalizing and th...
Why Socrates is Still Important Today!
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher, born 470 BC, who’s often seen as the founder of western philosophy. In this episode, we discuss how it is...
Fromm's The Art of Loving
06 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Erich Fromm was a German psychologist. Among other great works, he wrote The Art of Loving, published in 1956. The central message: love is active not...
Nietzsche on Happiness, Meaning and Overcoming Resistance
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Happiness isn't about pleasure, says Nietzsche, it's about meaning and overcoming resistance!
Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Wollstonecraft was a British philosopher and writer. She’s maybe most famous for her seminal work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which ...
Moral Purity and Dirty Hands
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect a bit on what genuine morality requires. It requires, not that we maintain a pure conscience, but that we accept gett...
Carl Jung and Becoming All That You Are!
22 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Carl Jung, born 1875, was a Swiss psychoanalyst whose work has been enormously influential. In this episode, we discuss why it is he thinks there&apos...
The Copernican Revolution
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect a bit on the Copernican Revolution and its influence on us!
Plato on Education and Beauty
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect a bit on Plato's view of education!
Voltaire's Candide - It's not all for the best!
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Candide is a satirical novel written by Voltaire, a French writer and philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. In this episode, we discuss Voltaire&ap...
Camus and Nietzsche on Hope
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I talk about Nietzsche and Camus' views on hope!
Rationalism versus Irrationalism
02 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the history of rationalism and irrationalism within philosophy. We also talk about the perils of being overly rational!
Tolstoy's How Much Land Does a Man Need?
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect a bit on Tolstoy's short story How Much Land Does a Man Need? It's pretty topical or relevant for us toda...
The Top Philosophy Quotes of All Time! - Epictetus and Camus
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the Stoic philosopher Epictetus' quote, "What upsets people is not things themselves, but their judgements about...
Turgenev's Fathers and Sons
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fathers and Sons is a novel written by the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev. It was published in 1862. The story centres around Bazarov—a self-proclaime...
Nietzsche's Three Metamorphoses of the Spirit
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss Nietzsche's Three Metamorphoses of the Spirit as described in his masterpiece Thus Spoke Zarathustra!
Hesse's Siddhartha
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Siddhartha is a novel by the German writer Hermann Hesse. The story deals with the spiritual journey of a man named Siddhartha and it takes place du...
Wall-E and the Soul of Dirt
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I share some thoughts on the 2008 Pixar film, Wall-E!
Simone de Beauvoir's The Ethics of Ambiguity
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Simone de Beauvoir was a French existentialist philosopher. In this episode, we take a look at her important work The Ethics of Ambiguity. We talk abo...
Mill's Higher and Lower Pleasures
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I talk about the philosopher John Stuart Mill's view on pleasure!
The Immorality of Tipping
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect a bit on the morality of tipping!
Heidegger and the Typewriter
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I try to say something about Heidegger's view of the typewriter and of technology in general.
The Top Philosophy Quotes of All Time! - Sartre and Nietzsche
20 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss Sartre's quote "Hell is other people" and Nietzsche's quote "Without music, life would be a mista...
Dante and Vice
13 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect a bit on Dante's view on sin and vice!
Byung-Chul Han's Non-Things
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I briefly introduce some of the main themes in the philosopher Byung-Chul Han's book Non-Things.
Orwell's Animal Farm
06 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Animal Farm is an animal fable and novella written by George Orwell. The story is about a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, ...
What is Philosophy?
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect a bit on the goal of philosophy, especially from the point of view of Epicurus and Thoreau.
The Top Philosophy Quotes of All Time! - Kierkegaard and Locke
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss Kierkegaard's quote "Truth is subjectivity", and John Locke's "The mind is a blank slate"!
Arendt's The Human Condition
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hannah Arendt was one of the most important political philosophers of the 20th century. In this episode, we discuss what she calls the active life, wh...
What is a Work of Art?
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk a bit about what it is that might make something a work of art!
Thomas Nagel and Absurdity
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Nagel is an American philosopher. In this episode, we discuss his notion of absurdity and how it is he thinks we should respond to it!
Nietzsche and the Love of Life
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I talk about Nietzsche's view on love, and the Platonic-Christian tradition he's reacting to.
Kierkegaard's Diary of the Seducer
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Diary of the Seducer appears in Kierkegaard’s first published work Either/Or. The Diary is about Johannes, an aesthete, who through careful mani...
Suffering and Happiness
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect on the connection between suffering and a deeper form of happiness.
The Top Philosophy Quotes of All Time! - Protagoras and Marx
26 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss Protagoras' famous statement, "Man is the measure of all things" and Marx's, "Religion is the opiu...
Fromm's Escape From Freedom
18 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Erich Fromm was a German psychologist and philosopher. He wrote the book called Escape from Freedom in 1941. In this episode, we discuss Fromm's ...
Intro For New Listeners
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Short introduction to the Wisdom Of podcast for new listeners.
Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning
12 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Victor Frankl was a Viennese psychiatrist, and a concentration camp survivor. In this episode, we discuss his logotherapy and how it is we can find me...
Iris Murdoch
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Iris Murdoch was a British novelist and philosopher. In this episode, we discuss her moral outlook, and how she conceives of the difference between ...
Sartre's Nausea: How to Live Your Life Like a Song!
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I reflect a bit on Sartre's novel Nausea and the importance that music plays in it!
The Burdens and Benefits of Boredom
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect on the nature of boredom and how it might sometimes be beneficial!
The Top Philosophy Quotes of All Time! - Berkeley and Leibniz
28 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first episode in a once monthly series exploring the top philosophy quotes of all time. In this episode, we discuss Berkeley's To B...
Seneca's The Shortness of Life
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Roman Seneca was an important Stoic philosopher. In this episode, we discuss how it is we should value and allocate our time, and how it is philos...
Would Socrates use Twitter?
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect on what Socrates might say about Twitter and social media!
Heidegger's Being and Time
14 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher who was born in 1889 and who died in 1976. He’s probably best known for his 1927 philosophical work Being ...
A Eulogy on Love
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A little eulogy on love, Symposium style!
Elon Musk and Mars
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect on Elon Musk's goal to colonize Mars.
Anton Chekhov
08 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Anton Chekhov was a Russian short story writer and playwright. He was born in 1860 and died in 1904. He's regarded as one of the greatest short s...
Love and Possession
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss the philosopher Robert Solomon's view on love and possession.
The Sun
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I reflect on the sun and some of its associations throughout history. I touch on Christianity, Nietzsche, and Camus.
Peter Singer on Animals
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Singer is an Australian philosopher, who works at Princeton University. Outside of academic circles, he’s probably best known for his book Ani...
The Benefit of Being a Crab
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss the Spanish philosopher Miguel Unamuno's concern with human consciousness.
Simone Weil
24 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Simone Weil was a French philosopher who was born in 1909 and who died in 1943. In this episode, we discuss her poem on Homer's Iliad, called ...
Freedom and Responsibility
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss some of the views of the existentialists as it relates to the notions of freedom and responsibility.
Ecclesiastes
17 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ecclesiastes is known as one of the wisdom books of the Old Testament, alongside the Book of Job, Song of Songs and Proverbs. It was written sometime ...
Socrates and Care of the Soul
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss the connection Socrates makes between shared dialogue and the state of our soul.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
10 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Unbearable Lightness of Being was written by the Czech Milan Kundera, and it was published in 1984. It tells the story of a young woman in love wi...
Gratitude
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss the ancient idea of negative visualization and the connection it has to gratitude.
Buddhism and Stoicism on Anger
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss how it is Buddhists and Stoics understand anger.
Beckett's Molloy
02 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Molloy is a novel written by the Irish writer Samuel Beckett, published in 1951. It’s the first of a trilogy of novels, the other two being Malone D...
Anthropocentrism
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss the nature and the problem of our human-centered outlook.
Zorba the Greek
26 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Zorba the Greek is a novel written by the Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis and it was first published in 1946. The story is about a young English write...
Narcissism
20 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I talk a little about the nature of narcissism through looking at the Greek myth of Narcissus and Oscar Wilde's The Pictur...
Plato's Republic
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Plato is considered to be one of the greatest philosophers in history. In this episode, we take a look at his great dialogue the Republic and discuss ...
Buber and The Tyranny of the IT
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss what Buber calls the I-Thou and I-It attitudes to life.
Ibsen's A Doll's House
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A Doll’s House is a play written by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered in 1879. The play has as it central theme something like the...
Sartre and the Creation of Value
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss Sartre and his view in Existentialism is a Humanism that values don't come from God but rather that they're...
Hesse's Journey to the East
06 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Journey to the East is a novel written by the German author Herman Hesse, published in 1932. Journey to the East is about a man who becomes a member...
Nietzsche and the Tightrope Walker
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss the meaning of the tightrope walker in Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
Lao Tzu and Taoism
27 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher, born sometime in the 6th century BC. He’s supposedly the founder of Taoism. Taoism emphasizes living in ...
Free Speech
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I talk about how it actually personally benefits us to not shy away from false or disagreeable ideas.
Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich
20 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Death of Ivan Ilyich was written by the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, and it was published in 1886. The story’s about Ivan, an inauthentic, ...
Pain
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I talk about the importance of some discomfort and pain in life.
The Fragility of Goodness
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Fragility of Goodness was written by Martha Nussbaum, published in 1986. Nussbaum is an American philosopher who works at the University of Chic...
Thinking in a Digital Age
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I talk about the importance of thinking as a form of deep attention.
Dostoevsky and The Problem of Evil
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss the Problem of Evil in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by American author Mark Twain which was first published in 1884. The story is about Huck, who runs away ...
The Cynic Diogenes and his Wine Barrel
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss the Cynic Diogenes and his view on freedom.
Gods - Yahweh
29 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Yahweh is the god of ancient Israel, who chooses a certain people, the Israelites, as his own. He’s viewed as the creator of the universe. In this e...
Aristotle and Character Development
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this brief episode, I discuss Aristotle's view on the development of character or virtue, especially as it concerns the importance of habit.
Gods - Thor
22 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thor was the Norse god of thunder and lightning. And he was probably the most worshipped of any of the Heathen gods throughout pre-Christian Northern ...
The Stoics on Fate
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stoicism is a school of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy. In this episode, I discuss the Stoics view on fate and on emotions.
Gods - Buddha
16 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Siddhartha Gautama, popularly known as the Buddha, was a teacher and religious leader who lived in Ancient India. His teachings form the basis of the ...
Gods - Jesus
09 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus of Nazareth is the core figure of one of the world’s largest religions, Christianity. He’s regarded by most Christians as the incarnation ...
Gods - Gaia
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The god Gaia, in Greek mythology, is the personification of the earth. In this episode, we explore her significance in the creation myth. We also disc...
Grace
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Beauty - Camus' Lyrical Essays
19 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Albert Camus’ Lyrical Essays are a collection of essays Camus wrote between 1937 and 1958. They include his very earliest writings and some of his v...
Beauty - The Song of Songs
12 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Song of Songs is one of the shortest books of the Bible. It's basically a collection of love poems spoken to each other by a young man and ...
The Ancient Greek countryside
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Beauty - Sports
05 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the artistry and beauty of sports.
Beauty - Baudelaire's The Flowers of Evil
28 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Baudelaire was a french poet and art critic who was born in 1821. His most famous work, published in 1857, was The Flowers of Evil. The Flow...
The Passionate Life! Something to Inspire Your Mornings With!
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A little something to get you going on those sluggish mornings!
Beauty - Nabokov's Lolita
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The 1955 novel Lolita was written by the Russian American writer Vladimir Nabokov. The story’s about a European middle aged professor, Humbert, who’...