Eric Voegelin: Existentialism and Gnosticism

Eric Voegelin autobiographical lecture: Existentialism and Gnosticism
Read the journal: voegelinview.com/
Twitter: / voegelin_view
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Eric Voegelin discusses the period in his work, from 1945 to 1950, when he came to doubt the usefulness of a history of ideas and developed the concept of existential representation in his Walgreen Lectures at the University of Chicago, in 1951, which later became The New Science of Politics. He then discusses his work on the problems of Gnosticism and his introduction to them through Hans Urs von Balthasar’s 1937 book, Prometheus. He notes that studies of Gnosticism date at least back to the work of Ferdinand Christian Baur’s Chistliche Gnosis of 1835. Voegelin’s noteworthy comment: “. . . Gnosticism and it is history [is] a vastly developed science and [the idea] of interpreting contemporary phenomena as Gnostic phenomena is not as original as it may look to the ignoramuses who have criticized me for it.”
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VoegelinView is the journal of the Eric Voegelin Society. Dedicated to the preservation and advancement of the life and thought of Eric Voegelin, the humanities, and liberal arts, VoegelinView publishes articles, essays, and book reviews on art, culture, classics, film, literature, politics, political philosophy, political theory, philosophy, religion, and more.

[@henry_dschu]

what a philosophical personality! honest, sincere, genuine, competent and professional, always open to EXPERIENCE and ready to correct himself. my teacher in reading classics and philosophy in general. Never had the pleasure of sitting in the class you conducted, but lucky to have the opportunity to read your philosophical writings 🙏

[@antonmeemana1261]

Indeed one of the greatest thinkers of modern times. One should try to read all his works.

[@DouglasHPlumb]

I've recently discovered Voegelin, I love this guy. Two books in my life got thrown in the trash, Nietzsche and Hegel. I'm glad I am not the only one and I appreciate his sarcasm here after reading Science, Politics and Gnosticism. I look forward to reading more about this great thinker - I thought the last one was Kant and people could say I read him too much, but I still do not think so. I do not believe, not for a second, that Kant was part of this gnostic BS, having read all of his work at least once. I do not believe that Voegelin read his "Religion Within The Bounds of Mere Reason". Kant thought we were too smart to fall for the Bavarian conspiracy - the one thing he was wrong about. I'm glad I found something post-Kantian worth studying.

[@GarteBera]

9:26 what is the name of the author he mentions?

[@antonmeemana1261]

It is also worth reading Voegelin in comparison with Bernard Lonergan and Rene Girard.

[@GarteBera]

10:07 what is the work he mentions?

[@PhilanderingBastard]

Love the subtle sarcasm.