Johann Gottfried von Herder is one of the most important transitionary figures in German philosophy. Perhaps along with Fichte, Herder was actually one of the most influential philosophers after Kant but largely forgotten in the Kant to Hegel canonical study that dominates most philosophical departments and continental surveys. Nonetheless, Herder was instrumental in pioneering the … Continue reading Johann Gottfried von Herder’s Philosophy of “Kultur”
culture
Identity, Love, and Redemption in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Love gives us the strength to stand up to the dark powers of machines, technology, and militarized science. How does Star Was “deal with the reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology?” It affirms that most intimate, human, and divine reality: Love will redeem the world and provide us a home in the midst … Continue reading Identity, Love, and Redemption in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
On the Media Hierarchy
The media is not neutral or unbiased. It never has been. The formation of mass newspapers around the world were tied to political parties to promote respective agendas. The art of writing is itself a form of control and directionality. The great myth of modernity is egalitarianism. That is, metaphysical egalitarianism. A consistent egalitarian—not an … Continue reading On the Media Hierarchy
Hegel’s Philosophy of History (2/4): The Role of Religion and Culture in History
Continuing with Hegel’s philosophy of history we will move into one of the most important, but often neglected, aspects of Hegel’s philosophy: the role of religion as the source of society and culture. Throughout his works, Hegel comments on religion, the power of religion, and the role of religion in society and shaping national character and spirit. … Continue reading Hegel’s Philosophy of History (2/4): The Role of Religion and Culture in History
Nihilism, Video Games, and the Art of Aesthetical Immersion: Or Why “Life is Strange” Was an Amazing Game
Later this year, my contribution to an anthology on pedagogy dealing with narrative and persona immersion in religion should be published. Drawing on St. Augustine, Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, and Walter Ong, I was arguing that the special relationship between religion, orality, and the synthetic relationship between the monomyth to the human psyche, will ensure … Continue reading Nihilism, Video Games, and the Art of Aesthetical Immersion: Or Why “Life is Strange” Was an Amazing Game
The Myth of “Science”
At the beginning of the 2016 film Arrival, the scientist Ian remarks to the linguist Louise that language is not the foundation of civilization. Rather than language, he asserts that “science” is the foundation of civilization. The film plays with, among many other themes, this theme established in their introductory conversation: Whether science or language … Continue reading The Myth of “Science”
The Philosophy of the Epic of Gilgamesh, 2: Enkidu and the Cult of Sex and Civilization
This essay is abstracted from my lectures on the Epic of Gilgamesh, an audio recording is available below through the YT video: The most memorable character of the Epic of Gilgamesh is probably Enkidu, the wild-man created by the god Aruru to rival and challenge Gilgamesh but who befriends Gilgamesh and whose death causes … Continue reading The Philosophy of the Epic of Gilgamesh, 2: Enkidu and the Cult of Sex and Civilization
The Philosophy of the Epic of Gilgamesh, 1: Gilgamesh and the Hegelian “Hero”
This essay is abstracted from my lectures on the Epic of Gilgamesh, an audio recording is available below through the YT video: The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest work of extant literature in the world as of 2018. The text was discovered in the nineteenth century and patched together into a working piece … Continue reading The Philosophy of the Epic of Gilgamesh, 1: Gilgamesh and the Hegelian “Hero”
The Spectacular Violence of the Greek Gods: Hesiod, Homer, and Greek Theodic Tradition
The decline of cultural Christianity, along with intellectual Christianity, has brought with it a debased Atheism without consciousness, inspiration, or stories. It has also been met by a renewed and vigorous neo-“paganism.” The romantic mind of these new pagans, many associated with the so-called Alt-Right, present the portrait of a redeemed paganism that was—ironically—the product … Continue reading The Spectacular Violence of the Greek Gods: Hesiod, Homer, and Greek Theodic Tradition
Against National Review
How the mighty are fallen! National Review, once a respectable conservative publication which had editors at writers like Joe Sobran, Paul Gottfried, and Mel Bradford, is now a worth-nothing rag. The proud writers at National Review who came out as forceful #NeverTrumpers, backed off to tacit support for the 45th President of the United States, … Continue reading Against National Review
