I opened TH-cam because I felt like rewatching one of Wes Cecil videos and the first video on my subscription list is a new video uploaded 6 minutes ago. Life. Complete
Hello Sir. I have a question for you. Would you categorize Professor Wes Cecil as a professional philosopher or a freelancer? I'm a graduate student and lifelong learner.
@@bihone4750 By going through the rigors of research and examination with other well trained philosophers. The same thing that Socrates, David Hume, Kant, and others went through. I am just enquiring. Because this fellow does a great job. I just want to know if his philosophical background is from personal studies. Or from studying with other well trained philosophers. To me it does not add or subtract from his brilliance.
Devin Ponder I do not know if Wes Cecil is a professional philosopher, but in my estimation he seems to be more of a popularizer than a rigorous academic researcher. He may have studied under professional philosophers but that does not make him one. I could not find any serious peer-reviewed journal articles or books by him regarding in-depth philosophical topics. Thus, for those of us who truly want to understand the complexities of rigorous philosophers on their own terms, I think it would be inappropriate to treat Cecil with the authority of such doctorates from well-credited universities like Yale or Harvard. Personally, I have found numerous inaccuracies and over-generalizations in both his philosophy and literature lectures. (I can point them out if you really want specifics). But this is to be expected in light of his audience, who are laypeople and not academic students of philosophy. I’m not trying to demean his work though. He is an important introduction for many people to these fields, but his lectures should not be taken as anything more than that - introductory material. Take his statements with a grain of salt and as always in any field, make sure to read the primary texts and authors, and also cross-reference the information if you want to gain true knowledge. P.S. Socrates, by your own definition, was not a professional philosopher. Certainly not in the vein of Hume, Kant, et al.
Thank you - having listened to hundreds of these over the years this is as clear and coherent a series of lectures connecting and linking ideas and history on TH-cam.
It's interesting that Wes mentioned dreams being like hallucinations in the old times. I wonder what he thinks of Julian Jaynes's theory of the bicameral mind, in which he postulated that hallucinations were an adaptive evolution in which different parts of the brains talked to each other. Jaynes believed that the reason humanity suddenly had an explosion of advancement is because people evolved who had control of both halves of their brain, and hallucinations and things like schizophrenia are remnants of the way our brains used to work. He does a really horrible job of backing up his theory, but I wonder if he had hit upon something...
You give a very understandable picture of philosophy. Listen to a lot you your yt lectures. I heard the Gilgamesh story before, but how you tell this make me start thinking that maybe humans early on got depression, frustrated and fear for death so hysterically that we, humans needed a solution. Could it be this story became some kind of way to comfort each other? (English is not my mother tongue btw.)
I can imagine climate change and disasters would spur people to move on and seek new lands. Ice age, drought, super volcano, galactic dust cloud, whatever. The world changes, plants and animals die, gotta get of the island (ie Indonesia to Australia). Curiosity may not be uniquely human but survival is universal.
Those we refer with such nostalgia as our "ancesters" were all but wiped out by Homo Sapiens (our savage forefathers) - a 100,000 odd years later we are still at it - wiping out each other and much of the living planet ...
41:44...and noone has done it yet. We have plenty of evidences that it didn't happened. So it's pointless to put it as an example. We should've moved on from it long time ago. It doesn't work anymore.
The Riddle of Aesthetics lies in the synthesis of sign and signal into style, and from there all knowledge. Unfortunately it seems like analytical brains have trouble accessing the aesthetic and visa versa for aesthetic brains. I wonder if this may be the basis for much historical schism?
I opened TH-cam because I felt like rewatching one of Wes Cecil videos and the first video on my subscription list is a new video uploaded 6 minutes ago. Life. Complete
Hello Sir. I have a question for you. Would you categorize Professor Wes Cecil as a professional philosopher or a freelancer? I'm a graduate student and lifelong learner.
@@DiscereAude Yes a Professor but is he a professional philosopher . I read his degree is in literature.
@@ka-bapraxis5887 what makes a philosopher "professional"?
@@bihone4750 By going through the rigors of research and examination with other well trained philosophers. The same thing that Socrates, David Hume, Kant, and others went through. I am just enquiring. Because this fellow does a great job. I just want to know if his philosophical background is from personal studies. Or from studying with other well trained philosophers. To me it does not add or subtract from his brilliance.
Devin Ponder I do not know if Wes Cecil is a professional philosopher, but in my estimation he seems to be more of a popularizer than a rigorous academic researcher. He may have studied under professional philosophers but that does not make him one. I could not find any serious peer-reviewed journal articles or books by him regarding in-depth philosophical topics. Thus, for those of us who truly want to understand the complexities of rigorous philosophers on their own terms, I think it would be inappropriate to treat Cecil with the authority of such doctorates from well-credited universities like Yale or Harvard. Personally, I have found numerous inaccuracies and over-generalizations in both his philosophy and literature lectures. (I can point them out if you really want specifics). But this is to be expected in light of his audience, who are laypeople and not academic students of philosophy. I’m not trying to demean his work though. He is an important introduction for many people to these fields, but his lectures should not be taken as anything more than that - introductory material. Take his statements with a grain of salt and as always in any field, make sure to read the primary texts and authors, and also cross-reference the information if you want to gain true knowledge.
P.S. Socrates, by your own definition, was not a professional philosopher. Certainly not in the vein of Hume, Kant, et al.
The Pyramids are probably one of the most inspiring pieces of art ever made in history.
"Humans have been wasting time and energy doing daft shit since day one." ~33:44 (For context) Always love the ideas, and the humor.
Just started. Another great series from the best channel on TH-cam. Wes Cecil rules.
This is how i fell in love with your style. I will be in utter suspense the next 15 episodes.
15 more episodes worth of Wes Cecil content, it's going to be a good year
Thank you - having listened to hundreds of these over the years this is as clear and coherent a series of lectures connecting and linking ideas and history on TH-cam.
Thank you, sir, for taking the time to make, and more importantly share, these lectures. You have made philosophy even more enjoyable and accessible.
Revisiting your lectures in Feb.2022, I really enjoy them. Thank you.
It's interesting that Wes mentioned dreams being like hallucinations in the old times. I wonder what he thinks of Julian Jaynes's theory of the bicameral mind, in which he postulated that hallucinations were an adaptive evolution in which different parts of the brains talked to each other. Jaynes believed that the reason humanity suddenly had an explosion of advancement is because people evolved who had control of both halves of their brain, and hallucinations and things like schizophrenia are remnants of the way our brains used to work. He does a really horrible job of backing up his theory, but I wonder if he had hit upon something...
Wow that is interesting. Thanks for the info. I know what I'm spending the next 2 hrs researching now. Lol
Chris Schumacher his book does look like quite an interesting read. cool.
ty bro, much appreciated
This is the best channel I've found on TH-cam so far. Thank you so much!
Love your talks man: their breath, depths, heights, freshness. Theatricals. Wow!
Thank you so much for your work, brilliant mind, loads of knowledge and sense of humor
It takes courage to explore! Not for the faint of heart!
That is a good point as to what is the reason to ask certain questions? I think once man had more time on his hands he began philosophy.
Brilliant analysis of the great Epic.
You give a very understandable picture of philosophy. Listen to a lot you your yt lectures. I heard the Gilgamesh story before, but how you tell this make me start thinking that maybe humans early on got depression, frustrated and fear for death so hysterically that we, humans needed a solution. Could it be this story became some kind of way to comfort each other? (English is not my mother tongue btw.)
"Better leave that door open, so that ppl can sneak in and out."..... Hahaha! I LOVE THIS GUY!
i'd like to know the sources for the claims about sugar and electric lights giving us less vivid dreams.
I can imagine climate change and disasters would spur people to move on and seek new lands. Ice age, drought, super volcano, galactic dust cloud, whatever. The world changes, plants and animals die, gotta get of the island (ie Indonesia to Australia). Curiosity may not be uniquely human but survival is universal.
I know what happened. Runaway neoteny hit an inflection point.
There is no way anyone would want to live forever...you will go crazy!
Handouts on Instagram? Where?
Pain and suffering is necessary for human life it makes you grow...
cant wait for more
Those we refer with such nostalgia as our "ancesters" were all but wiped out by Homo Sapiens (our savage forefathers) - a 100,000 odd years later we are still at it - wiping out each other and much of the living planet ...
In fact it is death that gives life meaning and vice-versa.
When I sleep I want to sleep and not dream!
It's no different that just physically conquering someone? So you can conquer by mind or fist..
Yessss!
Very entertaining
Wow thank you
Numbers.
So unbelievable., numbers.
The brain was a really, really bad idea.
I will not die
41:44...and noone has done it yet. We have plenty of evidences that it didn't happened. So it's pointless to put it as an example. We should've moved on from it long time ago. It doesn't work anymore.
The Riddle of Aesthetics lies in the synthesis of sign and signal into style, and from there all knowledge. Unfortunately it seems like analytical brains have trouble accessing the aesthetic and visa versa for aesthetic brains. I wonder if this may be the basis for much historical schism?