Episode  

Thanks for dropping these episodes 1 day apart (podcast vs RU-vid) Listening to them the second time uncovers a whole new layer of understanding!

Hello everyone, I'm steven west this is philosophize this!

"his•to•ry... [Latin Historia, from Greek, inquiry, observation, from histór, learned man. See (weid-) in Ap•pen•dix.*]" - The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New College Edition By Houghton Mifflin (Like Dunder-Mifflin)

This episode is a great lead-in to reading Jacques Barzun’s “From Dawn to Decadence.”

I am always excited to get a new episode! Thank you!

Ortega's book (and this podcast) describes modern Russia so well. The mass man is what our government has been cultivating for 20 years.

He's assuming that history as he defined it isn't distorted and always has unique lesson in them worthy to be extracted, but motivations, actions are recorded and told by "winners" or "victors" and are subject to the biases of those people who tell them. Also, his idea of an aristocracy or a very learned person, an expert who spent a lot of time on a subject in a cave somewhere to be discovered is unrealistic in our moneyed cultured modern society, even if you take the money element away the so-called experts in communist countries are creation of propaganda thus artificial.

Powerful episode, especially in this moment in history.

If someone who's "good" at something doesn't stand out amidst a sea of mediocrity, then does that mean they were actually good at it? If they were good at the thing then they would have stood out. This sounds like an excuse for academics that fail to make headway on a popular level. They're failures like the rest of the mediocre folk, but want to distinguish themselves nonetheless.

Designs that put people in boxes are out of date, facebook and meta are an example of what not to do imo. For twitter and youtube, every commenter is equal regardless, so how about when a tweet or comment is made a person can pick between 4 categories in which they put their comment, like a self assigned color for that comment. Expert, artist, watchdog or opinion. Others in your group that you commented in can rate your comment, so you can offer an expert comment with it judged by other experts. Run by the watchdogs, dedicated experts that are leaders themselves, so room is made for them.

The term “Hyperdemcracy” is what Plato calls “ochlocracy”. And yes we are living in one. According to Plato it will lead into a new tyranny. Ortega’s fascism. Also Ortega is standing on the shoulders of giants.

"HIS•TRI•ON•IC" [Late Latin, "histriónicus," theatrical, from "histrió," "actor"]

Thank you for this! Extremely glad I came upon your channel.

I think it is very dangerous for a person to constantly seek improvement, progression, growth if they do not have at least a small amount of healthy absurdism to smooth things out

Not really a fan of this guy. His diagnosis of the "men of the masses" is basically the same as the "serious man" of Beavuir, and I think Sartre or Kierkegaard made the distinction of calculating vs. thinking, which is also not new. At the same time his prescribes solution of "cultural aristocracy" is just a copy from Plato's book. This would be fine more or less, although it's not his idea, even though his basic critique is that people don't reference previous works. However, he changed the one thing that was good in this prescription and replaced importance of philosophy to history. Sure, history is important, but what's really missing from most people's education is not the "what?" (factual knowledge) but the "why?". Because sciences rarely elude to the "why?" besides ratling of a bunch of facts for students to memorize, which would strengthen the very thing that would allow people to filter the opinions of the everyman: critical thinking. Lack of critical thinking creates the opinions of the everyman, and lack of critical thinking also prevents us from evaluating opinions. The original problem is not that everyone is allowed to talk - which would run Ortega into problems like arguments from authority, just like his call for "cultural aristocracy"/vanguardism - the problem is that people haven't manifested a need for having nuanced opinions. We do need "philosopher kings", except this concept cannot become a reality, except if everyone is a philosopher. This would likely create large groups of philsoophers, which would weaken mass culture and create a "society of philosopher citizens" instead.

[Latin āctor, "a doer," from āctus, ACT.]

Awesome episode more relevant than ever!

Latin "āctus," past participle "agere," To drive, To do. See ag- (like ag ri culture) In Appendix*.]

These days homogeneity is more a method of societal control. You follow orders faithfully? You are much more predictable and a prime candidate for transhumanism.

This channel is extraordinary. I know you'd rather have a few more dollars on your Patreon account than yet another compliment, but if it were my choice you'd be rich already. Thank you, seriously, amazing work🙏❤️

Thank you for that great review - clear eyed and pragmatic. You can see how Ortega is often mistaken as an elitist.

Excellent as always steven. Have a splendid week mate

Thank you for your work, it is truly edifying. Current civilization is becoming more complex for the mediocre man like myself. And yes, it feels helpless to stand amidst a hurricane of data being hurled and make meaning out of most things. One can, if lucky enough, only achieve mastery on few subjects, nomatter how learned. Be that as it may, we see that knowing does not guarantee understanding as the experts get bogged down in caveats and the most important decision is left for the least erudite. The people in whose hands fate has placed the key for change, absolve their responsibilities with a hullabaloo of jargons and they wash their hands with Pilates water, ushering self aggrandizing opportunists to the highest chair.

Just stumbled on this series,as someone who loves your show…and a giant fan of neichie this really made me think and change..thank you

I love this podcast

Ernst Bloch please!

Couldn't agree more

Thanks for the video!

I think you all get it

george bataille?

Gen Z is Nietzsche's Last Man, prove me wrong.

Do you ever plan on doing a tier list of your favourite philosophical works, or philosophers? I know it won't be similar to your regular content, but I think it would interesting and entertaining

This sounds proto fascist.....