Kristian Urstad and Stephen Webb

The Wisdom Of

Society EN ↓ 392 episodes

In this podcast we explore great works of philosophy and literature and art, and try to pull out of them what’s most interesting and inspiring! Whether they come from the works of Plato, or Dostoevsky or Picasso, here we explore ideas that move mountains and rock the soul! So, come join us, won’t you? Come worship at the alter of ideas, and come celebrate the dancing of thought. Welcome to the Wisdom Of! 

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.wisdomofpod.com

Author

Kristian Urstad and Stephen Webb

Category

Society

Podcast website

www.wisdomofpod.com

Latest episode

Sep 8, 2026

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Episodes

Why the death of Socrates matters! 17.01.2025

Apart from the death of Jesus, no death has been discussed more than that of Socrates. And for very good reasons! ... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Human https://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/

Selflessness as the antidote to death! 09.01.2025

How do we take the sting off of death? How about a little less ego, a little more selflessness! ... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Human https://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/

Kant's "What is Enlightenment?" - Emancipate your thinking! 03.01.2025

Dare to know and think! This was Kant's calling in his famous 1784 essay "What is Enlightenment?" ... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Human https://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/

The Delphic Injunction - KNOW THYSELF! 28.12.2024

The words “know thyself” were carved into stone at the entrance to the revered temple of Apollo at Delphi in Greece. What does it mean? Well, the Greek playwright Sophocles and the philosopher Socrates interpret it in their own way! ... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Human https://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing...

Bertrand Russell - Why I am not a Christian 20.12.2024

In 1927 the philosopher Bertrand Russell gave a lecture called Why I am not a Christian... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Human https://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/

Dostoevsky and Heidegger - How to escape the algorithm! 12.12.2024

Both Dostoevsky and Heidegger, in their own way, look for ways to salvage some deeper meaning and experience in the midst of our increasingly technological and rational-scientific world! ... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Human https://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/

Cormac McCarthy's The Road - Each the other's world entire! 06.12.2024

One of the most emotionally powerful novels ever written! A father and son try to make their way across a post-apocalyptic America trying to get to a better place... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Human https://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/

Byung-Chul Han and Gabriel Marcel on Hope! 26.11.2024

Is there anything more important than hope, especially today? These two profound philosophers have lots to say about this! 

Selfies and Existentialism! 19.11.2024

Selfie-ism permeates our world culture! Do we have cause for concern? What would the existentialists think? 

What the heck happened to integrity and character?! 14.11.2024

What's going on? Why don't we care about character anymore? This is very troubling. 

Marinetti and Futurism - Welcome to the machine! 08.11.2024

The Italian futurist Marinetti called for the absolute glorification of everything new and modern, a worship of everything machine! What resonance all this has today! 

The lost art of reading! And why reading makes us truly happy! 30.10.2024

Reading has become nearly obsolete in our age of momentary gratification. This is a great loss as reading engenders all sorts of important qualities that benefit us! 

The problem with lying and liars! 20.10.2024

Lying seems to be on the rise, especially in the political world! I don't think we realize how dangerous and how morally problematic it is! 

Why the existentialists hate the bourgeois! 14.10.2024

The French existentialists have a problem with bourgeois morality and relationships! What's their beef all about? Find out more! 

Aristotle, Leisure and AI - Outsourcing our humanity! 05.10.2024

For Aristotle, leisure is the most important human activity. Unfortunately we're contracting out our leisure activities to AI, and with it, our humanity! 

Freud, the Uncanny and AI! 30.09.2024

Why do we feel so disturbed by dolls and robots that are human-like? Why do we really fear AI? Freud has an answer! 

Can you be good WITHOUT god? 22.09.2024

Dostoevsky said that if God is dead, then everything is permitted. In other words, morality depends on religion. Is that true? I don't think so! 

Horace and Carpe Diem - What this famous phrase REALLY means! 13.09.2024

Carpe Diem is usually translated as seize the day. But that's not quite accurate, and it's a reflection of our times! Sit back and enjoy, like a good Epicurean! 

The Presocratic philosophers - From myth to matter! 08.09.2024

The Presocratics, the first philosophers and scientists, rejected traditional mythological explanations in favour of rational ones! Huge turning point! Find out more! 

The THREE most important things I learned from graduate school! 02.09.2024

Going to graduate school gave me some important abilities and approaches to things that have proven beneficial for my life as a whole! 

Kierkegaard's The Present Age - Why Kierkegaard would have HATED the internet! 29.08.2024

What would Kierkegaard have thought of our age of the internet? The philosopher Herbert Dreyfus argues that he'd be no fan, to say the least! Find out more!

Karl Jaspers - Boundary situations and Transcendence! 23.08.2024

The philosopher Karl Jaspers argues that we only truly self-realize when we learn to confront the inevitable hardships of life properly! Find out more! 

Socrates - The Hemlock Controversy! 23.08.2024

Did Socrates really die the way Plato describes it? And Socrates may have been a philosophical martyr but did he give much consideration to his FAMILY when he decided to take his life? Important questions! 

Callicles versus Socrates - On sound and leaky barrels! 13.08.2024

Apart from Socrates, Callicles is Plato's most formidable character. And he doesn't hold back! He thinks happiness is all about the full throttle pursuit of desires! Is he right? Has Socrates finally met his match? Find out more!  

Byung-Chul Han's The Crisis of Narration - Why information is not enough! 04.08.2024

There's a crisis of narration today, Han argues. Instead of narrative, we have information. And, unlike narrative, information can't give us any direction or meaning! We need to bring back narrative! 

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