G. P. XavierIn this dialogue, Sam explains Biblical Unitarianism—the belief that Jesus Christ was not God, yet was nonetheless the perfect and exalted mediator between God and man. We also explore its relationship to Trinitiarian Christianity, parallels in other religions, and the relationship between the divine and the non-divine or natural.
I found this to be a fantastic and fascinating conversation. Although I wouldn't call myself Unitarian (or Trinitarian), it's helped me to better understand the figure of Christ, and impressed upon me the deep continuity between these different theological approaches. Far from being a bleak view of a world hopelessly separated from God, Sam's Unitarian vision shows a world suffused with grace, participating in the divine, and making its way, through Jesus, to final perfection.
0:00 Introduction 1:34 What is Biblical Unitarianism? 12:10 Why be Unitarian? Biblical, historical, philosophical and practical arguments 17:55 Relation between Jesus' and God's will ("willfully renouncing his will") 20:14 Christ as mediator between God and humans 30:31 Old creation and new creation 37:18 Christ as conduit/revelation of God 41:54 Need for divine mediator: examples in Islam, Judaism, Neoplatonism, Hinduism 45:58 Mystical experiences of unity/identity with God; miracles 49:37 Jesus' attempts to express his experience of unity with God 55:49 Unitarianism better able to acknowledge non-Christian spiritual achievement? 59:46 What is the 'divine' versus non-divine/'natural'? 1:03:43 'Angelic mediation'/protection from God's perfection 1:06:22 Gap between divine and non-divine; individuality and participation 1:09:45 Reflections on the doctrine of the Trinity 1:14:57 Personal versus transcendent views of God 1:22:41 Trinitarian and Unitarian theologies as different expressions of same basic facts 1:28:20 Current trends in Unitarian–Trinitarian relations 1:32:20 Concluding comments
Dialogue with Sam Tideman: Biblical Unitarianism and the Relation Between the Natural and DivineG. P. Xavier2024-05-07 | In this dialogue, Sam explains Biblical Unitarianism—the belief that Jesus Christ was not God, yet was nonetheless the perfect and exalted mediator between God and man. We also explore its relationship to Trinitiarian Christianity, parallels in other religions, and the relationship between the divine and the non-divine or natural.
I found this to be a fantastic and fascinating conversation. Although I wouldn't call myself Unitarian (or Trinitarian), it's helped me to better understand the figure of Christ, and impressed upon me the deep continuity between these different theological approaches. Far from being a bleak view of a world hopelessly separated from God, Sam's Unitarian vision shows a world suffused with grace, participating in the divine, and making its way, through Jesus, to final perfection.
0:00 Introduction 1:34 What is Biblical Unitarianism? 12:10 Why be Unitarian? Biblical, historical, philosophical and practical arguments 17:55 Relation between Jesus' and God's will ("willfully renouncing his will") 20:14 Christ as mediator between God and humans 30:31 Old creation and new creation 37:18 Christ as conduit/revelation of God 41:54 Need for divine mediator: examples in Islam, Judaism, Neoplatonism, Hinduism 45:58 Mystical experiences of unity/identity with God; miracles 49:37 Jesus' attempts to express his experience of unity with God 55:49 Unitarianism better able to acknowledge non-Christian spiritual achievement? 59:46 What is the 'divine' versus non-divine/'natural'? 1:03:43 'Angelic mediation'/protection from God's perfection 1:06:22 Gap between divine and non-divine; individuality and participation 1:09:45 Reflections on the doctrine of the Trinity 1:14:57 Personal versus transcendent views of God 1:22:41 Trinitarian and Unitarian theologies as different expressions of same basic facts 1:28:20 Current trends in Unitarian–Trinitarian relations 1:32:20 Concluding commentsDialogue with Xavier Velasco-Suarez: Being, Suffering and LoveG. P. Xavier2024-10-19 | In this conversation, (another) Xavier and I talk about infinite versus limited being (i.e. God and his creatures), the status and role of suffering in the universe, and the deep importance of love.
Xavier reached out to me in a comment on my previous video on 'Jordan Hall's Dionysian Christianity,' agreeing with me that Christianity rejects the intrinsic value and necessity of suffering, but disagreeing with me that a world without suffering is impossible. He used an analogy with the human body: pain arises when there is disorder within the body; likewise, suffering exists in the universe when we violate its order (Logos).
In our discussion, I push back against this analogy: the human body is a partial and temporary harmony dependent on a wider context of violence, suffering and flux—this wider whole being the very thing the analogy is attempting to explain.
Timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction 4:53 – Beginning of dialogue (TLC) 7:19 – Peterson vs. Barron (evil as privatio boni) 10:55 – The Christian opposition to suffering 21:18 – Infinite and limited being; foreknowledge of God's sacrifice 38:11 – Can beings be limited without suffering? (human body analogy) 47:29 – My response to the human body analogy 57:09 – The 'But Why Christianity?' dialogue 1:01:49 – Do we really want eternal life and infinite happiness? 1:05:02 – Is God personal? (Is God love?) 1:12:04 – Is suffering necessary for love? 1:17:27 – Will to power and self-sacrificial love: are they both necessary? how they relate? do they converge in God? 1:30:18 – What is 'happiness' really? 1:39:27 – Topics for next timeSaying Yes to Everything (John Richardson on Nietzsches Value Monism)G. P. Xavier2024-10-14 | I read and comment on a passage from philosopher John Richardson's article on Nietzsche's 'value monism'—the idea that everything has the same value: everything is (equally) good.
Timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction and context 11:05 – Reading the key passageJordan Halls Dionysian Christianity? (Response to But Why Christianity?)G. P. Xavier2024-10-05 | This is a video response to the excellent dialogue between @JordanGreenhall, @johnvervaeke and @JonathanPageau:
What Jordan Hall said about immersion into life with all its intrinsic and meaningful suffering struck me as incredibly Dionysian (in the Nietzschean sense). The question to my mind is: but is it Christian?
The dialogue seems to revolve around the issue of immersion versus escape, with Christianity being cast as the former—but is this accurate? Isn't it essential to Christianity that it rejects the world as it is for the sake of a world that 'should' be? Isn't it also an escapism? It seems this elevation of morality above the world is a big problem if the hoped-for world cannot be.
Timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction 5:29 – Clip of Jordan Hall on immersion in reality 9:02 – Nietzsche quote on Dionysus vs. the Crucified 17:36 – Total vs. partial affirmation of life 22:53 – Suffering affirmed as part of life or as means of redemption 35:40 – Clips of Jonathan Pageau on self-sacrificial love 43:55 – Will to power vs. self-sacrificial love as fundamental 1:09:03 – Morality as relative vs. ultimate 1:19:01 – Concluding thoughts and questionsPsi & Micro-PK: Can Consciousness Influence Random Number Generators?G. P. Xavier2024-10-05 | In this video I overview scientific evidence for micro-psychokinesis—the mind's effect on random systems.
References: (Note: all these articles are available for free—just search in Google Scholar)
Radin & Nelson (1989). Evidence for consciousness-related anomalies in random physical systems. doi.org/10.1007/BF00732509
Radin & Nelson (2003). Meta-analysis of mind-matter interaction experiments: 1959-2000. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=a8c4766015c8b2a6d1f7197dd9c7d2525132920b
Bösch et al. (2006). Examining psychokinesis: The interaction of human intention with random number generators: A meta-analysis. doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.4.497
Maier, Dechamp, & Rabeyron (2022). Quantum measurement as pragmatic information transfer. (Erroneously referred to in the video as 'Dechamp & Rabeyron, 2023). doi.org/10.31156/jaex.23535
Dechamps (2019 thesis). Mind–matter interactions and their reproducibility. https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/25403/1/Dechamps_Moritz.pdf
Rabeyron (2020). Why most research findings about psi are false– The replicability crisis, the psi paradox and the myth of Sisyphus. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.562992Dialogue with Aron van Os: Nietzsches Zarathustra (Part 2)G. P. Xavier2024-09-09 | Aron and I continue our discussion about Nietzsche's Zarathustra, exploring different interpretations and debating the supremacy of the Dionysian vs. Christian ideal.
0:00 – G. P. against René Girard's interpretation of Nietzsche (ontological versus societal levels); what if everyone in the world becomes fully authentic Christians? 27:42 – Aron on Laurence Lampert's interpretation of Nietzsche 32:52 – Is Nietzsche ecological? 47:24 – Heidegger's interpretation of NietzscheDialogue with Lucas Vos: the Supernatural, Free Will, & the SelfG. P. Xavier2024-09-04 | In this conversation, Lucas and I cover a range of topics, including: the paranormal/supernatural, synchronicity, the DMT realm, the afterlife, monism vs. individuality, miracles, and free will. We mention the views of C. G. Jung, Bernardo Kastrup, John Vervaeke, Spinoza, Wolfgang Smith, U. G. Krishnamurti, and Sri Ramakrishna.
A wonderful conversation, as it always is with Lucas!
Timestamps: 0:00 – Introducing the supernatural 5:41 – Intuition and patterns, synchronicity 17:30 – Psi experiments with RNGs 19:10 – DMT 24:01 – Higher beings and consciousness beyond the brain 37:39 – U. G. Krishnamurti and the Calamity 40:44 – The Christian afterlife 42:19 – Love and Individuality 45:52 – Internal Family Systems (IFS) and the Self 59:30 – Is the soul sinful? 1:01:25 – Vervaeke, miracles and free will 1:34:39 – Civilizational Christianity, Dawkins and Harris 1:41:20 – Vervaeke, Nietzsche's relation to ChristianityDialogue with Lucas Vos: Max Schelers Hierarchy of ValuesG. P. Xavier2024-09-04 | A little while ago I had an excellent conversation with Lucas about the philosopher Max Scheler's approach to ethics and value—though the last part diverges into some other interesting topics! This is followed by a 2nd part.
Timestamps: 0:00 – Introducing Scheler's approach to values 27:18 – How do you know that you're not beholden to evil? 40:00 – The holy without experience of it 43:00 – The objectivity of morality and values 50:30 – Value and Pirsig's Quality 55:39 – Everyone is spiritual and religious 57:55 – The vital values 1:05:49 – Non reductive physicalism, Vervaeke, and Spinoza 1:14:09 – The transcendent God in polytheism 1:20:45 – The (super)natural and part 2!Dialogue with Aron van Os: Nietzsches Zarathustra (Part 1)G. P. Xavier2024-09-02 | I spoke with Nietzsche scholar Aron van Os about Nietzsche's great work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. We shared our views about the book and the man who wrote it, and, of course, explored many other topics in the process.
We'll continue this dialogue in a second part soon!
0:00 – Introduction 5:00 – Aron's thoughts on Zarathustra (and Lampert's interpretation) 12:13 – What drew G. P. to Zarathustra; immanent (Dionysian) vs. transcendent ('Crucified') orientations 20:45 – Analysis of the Dance Song (crucial chapter of Zarathustra) 34:03 – Thoughts on the death of God and beauty 43:33 – More on immanence vs. transcendence, and their synthesis in life 1:05:49 – How Zarathustra is a religious text 1:10:39 – Carl Jung's interpretation of Zarathustra 1:21:56 – René Girard's perspective on NietzscheNietzsches Thus Spoke Zarathustra: Full CommentaryG. P. Xavier2024-08-24 | This is a commentary on Nietzsche's greatest work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, based on the brilliant interpretation by Laurence Lampert. It covers every chapter of Parts I–III, which is the complete book as intended by Nietzsche; a brief summary of Part IV is included at the end.
Timestamps for the chapters are below. The most important are in bold, in case you only want the gist of this interpretation.
0:00 – Introduction 5:50 – Lampert's Approach
PART ONE 17:11 – *Prologue* 33:32 – 1. On the Three Transformations 42:10 – 2. On the Chairs of Virtue 43:46 – 3. On the Afterworldsmen 44:53 – 4. On the Despisers of the Body 46:36 – 5. On Joys and Passions 48:08 – 6. On the Pale Criminal 49:21 – 7. On Reading and Writing 51:56 – 8. The Tree on the Mountainside 54:27 – 9. On the Preachers of Death 56:21 – 10. On War and Warriors 57:49 – 11. On the New Idol 59:27 – 12. On the Flies of the Marketplace 1:00:24 – 13. On Chastity 1:02:42 – 14. On the Friend 1:03:40 – *15. On the Thousand Goals and One* 1:09:31 – 16. On Love of the Neighbor 1:10:38 – 17. On the Way of the Creator 1:11:56 – 18. On Old and Young Women 1:18:18 – 19. On the Adder's Bite 1:20:36 – 20. On Marriage and Children 1:21:09 – 21. On Voluntary Death 1:23:51 – 22. On the Gift-Giving Virtue
PART TWO 1:29:11 – 1. The Child with the Mirror 1:32:48 – 2. On the Blissful Islands 1:35:15 – 3. On the Pitying 1:36:54 – 4. On the Priests 1:38:15 – 5. On the Virtuous 1:39:25 – 6. On the Rabble 1:41:53 – 7. On the Tarantulas 1:45:30 – *8. On the Famous Philosophers* 1:49:15 – 9. The Night Song 1:51:18 – *10. The Dance Song* 1:57:12 – 11. The Funeral Song 2:01:02 – *12. On Self-Overcoming* 2:10:53 – 13. On the Sublime Ones 2:14:03 – 14. On the Land of Education 2:14:55 – 15. On Immaculate Perception 2:15:56 – 16. On Scholars 2:17:17 – 17. On Poets 2:22:07 – 18. On Great Events 2:26:06 – *19. The Soothsayer* 2:30:08 – *20. On Redemption* 2:39:47 – 21. On Human Prudence 2:42:08 – 22. The Stillest Hour
PART THREE 2:44:10 – 1. The Wanderer 2:46:37 – 2. On the Vision and the Riddle 2:56:13 – 3. On Involuntary Bliss 2:57:41 – *4. Before Sunrise* 3:02:15 – 5. On the Virtue that Makes Small 3:03:26 – 6. On the Mount of Olives 3:04:22 – 7. On Passing By 3:06:32 – 8. On the Apostates 3:07:28 – 9. The Homecoming 3:08:19 – 10. On the Three Evils 3:13:08 – 11. On the Spirit of Gravity 3:16:56 – 12. On Old and New Law-Tables 3:21:36 – *13. The Convalescent* 3:35:52 – *14. On the Great Longing* 3:45:21 – *15. The Second Dance Song* 3:53:26 – 16. The Seven Seals (or: The Song of Yes and Amen)
PART FOUR 3:56:18 (Brief Summary)Dialogue with Lucas Vos: Death, Eternal Life, Finitude and TranscendenceG. P. Xavier2024-04-24 | I had a wonderful conversation with Lucas Vos focused on the topics of mortality and immortality. How do we—and how should we—relate to the fact that we will die? Should we accept our mortality or take advantage of technology to keep us alive and youthful as long as we wish? Is this life all there is or is there a life after death—or is 'eternal life' best understood as being outside of time altogether?
0:00 Introduction 1:55 How Lucas relates to death 5:39 My thoughts on death: not wanting to die and not wanting to live forever 11:55 Lucas on the 'afterlife' and experiencing the atemporal/eternal 22:00 Can the 'vertical'/atemporal influence the 'horizontal'/temporal? 26:25 The Resurrection (Jesus' and General) 35:07 Vedic vs. Christian views (Wolfgang Smith) 42:40 Trinity, Sophia, and the Vedic view 49:55 Western fascination with Eastern spirituality and religion 57:05 The case for immanence/against 'eternal life' 1:06:41 Faith 1:09:11 Life extension, Bryan Johnson 1:25:10 Mystery and meditation 1:29:43 God's will and participation 1:37:15 Closing thoughtsUpdate: Hamlets Ressentiment, Gladiator Story, What Im Thinking About, Thank You for SubscribersG. P. Xavier2024-04-06 | This is an update to let you know about a couple of pieces I recently published on my writing blog:
Both concern the issue of 'ressentiment' or resentment, which is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. In particular, I've been wondering: how can we live positively, without resentment—and what worldviews help or hinder this?
The Gladiator story illustrates the clash between the old Roman worldview centered on power and glory with the new Christian worldview centered on humility and self-giving love. It tells the tale of two men sentenced to fight in the Colosseum—men who are very different, yet also the same.
The essay is about Shakespeare's play Hamlet. The riddle of Hamlet is: why does he take so long to avenge his father? I argue that Hamlet is motivated a particular kind of resentment, which does with words what he cannot do with deeds. However, with Nietzsche, I also argue that he has a genuine insight into the terrible heart of being. While he might have taken from that a joyous affirmation of life, his resentment warps it into something nihilistic and paralyzing.
Finally, as I just hit 100 subscribers, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has subscribed to my channel!
In the future I hope to do more interviews, as well as videos on Max Scheler's later thought and Nietzsche's book Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
Please feel free to engage!
0:00 The problem of ressentiment (resentment) 1:21 Nietzsche vs. Christianity 2:24 Scheler's positive view of Christianity 3:12 The Gladiator (short story) 3:46 Hamlet's Ressentiment (essay) 4:19 'Literary ressentiment' 4:49 Hamlet as Dionysian man 5:34 Against René Girard 6:37 Thank you for subscribers 6:57 Future directions for channelDialogue with K. on Justice and the Violence of Life (Full Interview)G. P. Xavier2024-02-12 | In this dialogue I sit down with my dear friend 'K.' to discuss the problem of how to think of justice in relation to life's inherent violence, as outlined in a recent video and essay:
0:00 Introduction. 5:44 K.'s perspective; what is justice? 16:06 What is transcendence and how does it relate to immanence? 23:24 "If we can speak about the transcendent, maybe it's that element of experience that actually destroys..." 25:15 Nietzsche and affliction; Nietzsche's insanity. 30:26 Clarification of K.'s perspective on immanence and transcendence. 32:57 How significant and valuable is 'justice' really? 38:02 K.'s views on God/divinity. 47:19 Congruence between Simone Weil and Nietzsche; Amor Fati (to be master and/or slave of fate). 53:37 "What force allows you to affirm fate?" (Nietzsche, Weil, Christianity) 58:17 Jesus as beyond resentment. 01:01:01 Attention as true power and strength (more on Weil); Nature as necessity; Weil's theology; Nietzsche's 'light' philosophy. 1:07:39 Talking (and not talking) about God; is Nietzsche secretly theistic?; Weil and ordinary people.
PART II:
1:14:25 Max Scheler's hierarchy of values 1:23:05 How do you know when to destroy and consume and when you must not?; vital values versus higher values; sexuality; worth of contemporary Nietzschean/vitalist movement. 1:33:58 Submission to fate (Christian versus Nietzschean interpretations), Jesus; Resurrection; what did Weil believe? 1:39:23 The Christian view of perfectible Creation; violence as essential to life and nature; victims and revenge. 1:43:40 Is the Christian view of perfectible Creation a) possible? b) appealing?; miracles and paranormal powers. 1:50:04 What motivates us?; revenge and forgiveness; hatred and love. 1:54:19 Jesus' relations to plants and animals; violent/unsavory parts of the Bible; why are the Hebrews special? 2:01:00 "To affirm fate requires love" (even for Nietzsche); return to the Greek/Classical view ("a kind of lightness"). 2:04:02 Is there a sense in which the aesthetic is more important/primary than the ethical? 2:09:07 Tragedy as dissonance in music; Schopenhauer. 2:12:42 Weil and aesthetic receptivity versus ethical transformation; the relation between aesthetic and ascetic. 2:16:47 The Hindu view (Creation as God's play/lila); ethical swallowed by deep time; Nietzschean worldview as subset of Hindu. 2:20:34 "Does moralizing that suffering give it any meaning?" 2:24:40 How to deal with violence in history? 2:28:04 Dangers of elevating aesthetic over the ethical; Kierkegaard; intellectuals versus ordinary people.
PART III:
2:35:41 Contemporary (confused) view about the problem; how motivated by justice are we really? 2:44:03 Transhumanism; should we use technology to eliminate suffering? 2:54:51 AI vs. humanity vs. God. 3:02:06 How do we move forward as a society on justice and violence?; rebirth of Classical culture. 3:06:56 Need for blasphemy; modern people neither humble nor great; will to power as grace. 3:11:00 Need to stop fixating on justice; God and justice; forgiveness as unjust ("true mercy dissolves justice"); Jesus and justice. 3:16:04 Accepting death while loving life; life-affirming Christianity. 3:18:45 Apprehending life aesthetically (not as a victim). 3:21:39 Forgiveness. 3:23:39 God as aesthetic, transcending ethics; prayer. 3:27:41 Love; vice/sin as the attempt to consume beauty; receptivity. 3:32:42 Forgiveness and love undermine clinging to life; K.'s interpretation of Jesus' message. 3:36:46 "We should not give excessive credence to money or ethics..." 3:39:52 Two main points K. is confident about: submission to fate requires love; value of regular people. 3:41:43 Summary of K.'s position; Catholicism as closed system/open reality.
More on Max Scheler: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_SchelerThe Pious Antichrist: Nietzsche as a Religious Thinker (Aron van Os Interview)G. P. Xavier2024-01-14 | Aron van Os teaches philosophy at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. His Master's thesis was titled 'The Pious Antichrist: Nietzsche as a Religious Thinker,' and explores Nietzsche's complicated relationship with Christianity. In this interview, Aron discusses Nietzsche's inner conflict between the ideals of 'Dionysus' and 'the Crucified,' how this conflict eventually became one-sided and destructive, and how it could become harnessed as a productive and positive tension that embraces both this life and the transcendent.
You can read Aron's thesis here: https://studenttheses.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/20.500.12932/40975/Van_Os_%3F_Nietzsche_as_a_Religious_Thinker_%3F_UU_RMaPhil_Thesis_20.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Nietzsche's Hammer, Free Will, and Forgetfulness as an Active, Potentially Creative Force (The Meaning Code Interview) youtube.com/watch?v=_Qr8v6HxoXM
Nietzsche & Christ: (Ir)reconcilable Responses to the Meaning Crisis- Breakwater Festival 2023 youtube.com/watch?v=jw3OD2NMwTI
0:00 Introduction 0:35 'God is Dead' and Nietzsche's inner conflict 8:36 Nietzsche's view of Jesus 20:59 Dionysus versus the Crucified 33:27 Nietzsche's insanity (and letters of insanity) 47:37 Psychological theodicy 55:35 Kierkegaard 59:02 What does embracing both Dionysus and the Crucified look like in practice? 1:06:39 Sacrifice, René GirardJustice and the Violence of LifeG. P. Xavier2024-01-01 | How do we reconcile our need for justice with the inherent violence of life? Modern people are confused about this. If there's no transcendent world of perfection, why demand universal justice—a demand that, if carried through, would eliminate life?
In this video, I explore various religious and philosophical approaches to this problem: Nietzsche's affirmation of violent life, the Christian idea of the fall of creation, the transhumanist desire to transform everything, the Hindu belief in the universe as God's play (lila), the self-sacrificial theology of Simone Weil, and the ethical thought of Max Scheler.
0:00 Introduction 0:33 Nietzsche Quote 6:40 Christianity 11:22 Modernity/Modern Confusion 14:08 Transhumanism 16:52 Nietzschean Vitalism 20:27 Hinduism 24:25 Simone Weil 28:39 Immanence and Transcendence (List of the Positions) 32:12 Scheler's Hierarchy of Values 37:04 Hope for Complete Transformation? 39:38 Concluding Thoughts
Scheler developed a phenomenology of value and helped found a unique approach to ethics known as material value ethics. This video introduces material value ethics, explains how he applied the phenomenological approach to value, and outlines the ordered hierarchy of values that came from this.
0:00 Introduction 3:56 Material Value Ethics 18:46 Establishing the Order of Values 20:50 The Act of Preferring (and Placing After) 28:26 Five Properties Associated with Value Height 42:00 The Hierarchy of Values 42:51 Sensual Values 44:27 The Useful 46:04 Vital Values 48:43 Spiritual Values 52:24 'Absolute' Values 56:26 ConclusionAnalysis of John Keats Ode To AutumnG. P. Xavier2023-11-03 | In his ode To Autumn, addressed to a passing season, Keats uses the beautiful language of sensation to perfectly express the truth of life's transience. Helen Vendler explains the meaning of this magnificent poem, the last and greatest of Keats' odes.
0:00 Introduction 1:38 The Poem 3:53 Vendler's Analysis 6:46 Major Structural Movements 9:17 Minor Submotions 10:42 Constitutive Trope/s 12:22 Analysis of Stanza I 18:39 Analysis of Stanza II 22:25 Analysis of Stanza III 30:32 Overall Meanings 39:35 Beauty, Truth, and PoetryAnalysis of John Keats Ode on MelancholyG. P. Xavier2023-11-03 | In his Ode on Melancholy, Keats actively embraces the reality of process and finds that sadness and joy are inseparable. Helen Vendler explains the meaning of this great poem.
0:00 Introduction 1:17 The Poem 3:07 Vendler's Analysis 5:11 Structural Shape 9:36 Constitute Trope 11:55 Canceled 1st Stanza 13:11 Poem as Quest 14:07 Syntax of the Poem 16:56 Resolutions 22:59 Sensation and ThoughtAnalysis of John Keats Ode on a Grecian UrnG. P. Xavier2023-11-02 | In his Ode on a Grecian Urn, Keats explores the visual art of an ancient Greek urn as a model for art in general. As he enters into and disengages from the timeless scenes of the urn, he comes to appreciate the need for both Beauty and Truth and to accept the fundamental reality of process. Helen Vendler explains the meaning of this great poem.
0:00 Introduction 1:27 The Poem 4:41 Vendler's Analysis 6:29 Notion of Art in the Ode 7:55 Constitutive Trope 8:31 Structural Shape 12:55 Stanza I: Art-as-Illustration 15:13 Stanzas II–III: Art-as-Mirror 18:31 Stanza IV: Art-as-World 23:03 Theme of Process 24:27 Stanza V: Beauty and Truth
Note: At 18:31 I say, "In the sixth stanza..." where I meant to say, "In the fourth stanza..."Analysis of John Keats Ode to a NightingaleG. P. Xavier2023-11-01 | In his Ode to a Nightingale, Keats explores the natural music of birdsong as a metaphor for art: spontaneous, non-representational, a stream of pure sensation offering temporary release from the woes of the world. Helen Vendler explains the meaning of this great poem.
0:00 Introduction 1:44 The Poem 6:50 Vendler's Analysis 7:39 Recording of a Nightingale 8:05 Notion of Art in the Ode 11:31 Structural Shape 13:50 Constitutive Trope 16:07 Opening Stanza 17:06 Stanza II (Wine) 18:14 Stanza III (Life's Sorrows) 21:00 Stanzas IV–VI (Bower Scene) 26:00 Stanza VII (Audiences) 30:22 Closing Stanza/OutcomeAnalysis of John Keats Ode to PsycheG. P. Xavier2023-10-31 | In his Ode to Psyche, Keats leaves his indolence behind and begins to create art – though this an art that is wholly internal, an attempt to save things from loss by reduplicating them inside the mind. Helen Vendler explains the meaning of this great poem.
0:00 Introduction 1:54 The Poem 6:05 Vendler's Analysis 7:20 Structural Shape 9:01 Art in the Ode 10:20 The Goddess Psyche 12:49 Two Restorations of Psyche 14:22 Three Languages of the Ode 16:49 Echoes of Milton 18:23 Mansion of Many Apartments 23:42 Outcome of the OdeAnalysis of John Keats Ode on IndolenceG. P. Xavier2023-10-30 | In his Ode on Indolence, Keats finds himself in a state of indolence (idleness or laziness) that is at once creative and despairing. In this state, he attempts to resist the recurring summons of his three fates: Love, Ambition, and Poetry. Helen Vendler explains the meaning of this great poem.
This is the first in a series of videos on the Odes of John Keats, based on the interpretation by literary critic Helen Vendler in the book of the same name. Watch the others here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKrRgZAgmrIeBjyEhqi6op0imMdr9FYRw
0:00 Introduction 4:51 The Poem 9:09 Vendler's Analysis 12:30 Structural Shapes 15:53 The Three Figures 19:09 Three Keatses/Languages 31:48 Evolution of the Figures 33:11 Outcome of the OdeThe Sovereignty of Good (Iris Murdoch): OverviewG. P. Xavier2023-07-09 | An explanation of Iris Murdoch's philosophical book, The Sovereignty of Good, in which she argues for an ethics centered on the metaphor of vision.
0:00 Introduction 2:46 Two Fundamental Assumptions 6:54 The Opposition 13:47 Mother-in-Law Example 19:12 What Has Happened? (Genetic Analysis) 21:14 What Has Happened? (Ordinary View) 22:32 Refutation of Genetic Analysis 29:03 Freedom and Vision 38:29 Methods of Purification 39:29 Method 1: Beauty 44:24 Painting: Flaying of Marsyas (Titian) 45:28 Painting: Surrender of Breda (Velázquez) 46:21 Method 2: Technai 48:38 Method 3: Contemplation of Good 52:37 What Is the Good? 1:06:41 ...But What IS the Good? 1:11:39 Coda: Love and HumilityChrist and Kali: Convergent SymbolismG. P. Xavier2023-05-20 | In this video, I explore a symbolic similarity between the Hindu goddess Kali and Jesus Christ. I argue that the Hindu image of Kali standing on Shiva can be seen as an icon of the Crucifixion. I also discuss the Biblical figure of Sophia (Wisdom), and how the Hindu notion of a personal cosmos (Shakti) could enrich Christianity. Finally, I outline the meaning these images and myths can have for us, regardless of our religion (or lack thereof).
0:00 Introduction 3:03 Kali and Shiva 4:45 Jesus Christ 6:40 Sophia (Who Is the World?) 12:13 Transformation 18:02 ConclusionsMy Reflections on Allan Blooms Interpretation of Platos RepublicG. P. Xavier2023-04-21 | In this video, I discuss some of my reflections on Plato's Republic and particularly on Allan Bloom's Straussian interpretation of it.
If you're not familiar with the Strauss/Bloom approach to the Republic, you can watch my video explaining it here:
youtu.be/hZ5TW39dw38Allan Blooms Interpretation of Platos Republic: ExplanationG. P. Xavier2023-04-20 | In this video, I explain the esoteric approach (inspired by Leo Strauss) that Allan Bloom takes in interpreting Plato's Republic, with various examples.
For my own reflections on this, see my followup video:
0:00 Introduction 1:54 The Straussian/'Esoteric' Approach 6:45 Bloom's Translation & Interpretive Essay 9:42 The Case of Thrasymachus 14:28 The Taming of Thrasymachus 19:33 What Is Accomplished? 24:54 Glaucon, Man of Eros 30:37 Why Philosophers Wouldn't Rule 35:54 The Comedy of Callipolis 41:04 Philosophy vs. the City 45:24 Against Utopianism 47:00 Adeimantus the Austere 49:58 Philosophy vs. Poetry 59:24 The New Poetry 1:03:16 Conclusions