Becoming Human

Most people misunderstand Plato's Philebus because they expect the "good" to be easy to pin down. In this episode, Yale-trained philosopher and scholar of science and religion, Samuel Loncar, PhD, argues the opposite: the deepest truths are often the hardest to see, and that difficulty is exactly what makes them real. In this second lecture on the  Philebus , Loncar turns one of Plato's most puzzl...

In 2019, The New Yorker profiled writer and professor of English Literature, Dr. Karen Swallow Prior. Reporter Eliza Griswold, director of the Program in Journalism at Princeton University, highlights Prior's distinctive academic background and literary interests alongside her evangelical faith. The profile positions Prior as a leader and intellectual voice thoughtfully navigating the political an...

In this Explorations episode, Yale-trained philosopher and scholar of religion and science, Samuel Loncar, explores the profound philosophical and cultural significance of Mary Magdalene, her role as a symbol of love, wisdom, and transformation, and her enduring influence across history and tradition. LINKS Becoming Human Project Membership: https://www.samuelloncar.com/join-becoming-human Plato P...

Spirit News: A Hegelian Perspective on Current Affairs | |  Most people see America as a divided nation struggling to live up to its founding ideals, but what if America's distinct flaws reveal its greatest philosophical potential? In this episode, Yale-trained philosopher and scholar of religion and science Samuel Loncar challenges us to see America not only as a political project, but as the ult...

Spirit News: A Hegalian Perspective on Current Affairs| Ep. 3 | A philosopher's take on the news with Yale-trained philosopher, Dr. Samuel Loncar. In this episode, I explore the transformative impact of social media on traditional news, the foundational theories of social structure by classical theorists like Elias, Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, and the implications of these theories on contemporary...

Spirit News: A Hegelian Perspective on Current Affairs Philosopher Dr. Samuel Loncar explores the intersection of philosophy and modern news, emphasizing the relevance of Hegelian thought in understanding contemporary society. In the latest episode of Spirit News, he dives into the changing landscape of media and the rise of new platforms. Legacy news networks are losing viewers, and it's time to...

Time & Eternity: Poetry and Philosophy in Dialogue with Dr. Samuel Loncar and Alexandra Barylski. | A Becoming Human Media Podcast  In this inaugural episode, we delve into the intricate relationship between poetry, philosophy, and the human experience. We explore the crisis of literacy in modern education, the role of AI, and the enduring legacy of poet Richard Wilbur. LEARN MORE www.samuelloncar...

Spirit News: A Hegelian Perspective on Current Affairs Philosopher Dr. Samuel Loncar explores the intersection of philosophy and modern news, emphasizing the relevance of Hegelian thought in understanding contemporary society. He discusses the paradox of news prioritizing timeliness over true relevance, the contradictions inherent in political ideologies, and the legacy of Thomas Aquinas in shapin...

Do we have to choose between mind and matter, or are they somehow one? We live today in a battle between two rival streams of ancient wisdom, one that demonized matter as evil and one that divinized it. The great Syrian Neoplatonist, Iamblichus, was the descendant of priest-kings, and wrote one of the most difficult and important texts of late antique philosophy: On the Mysteries. This conversatio...

Chapters 7-8 are two of the most dramatic chapters in The Scarlet Letter. In this episode of The Poetry Peddler, Alexandra Barylski provides the plot essentials before diving into why Hester Prynne is an image of Courage itself.

What if what Hawthorne called the supernatural is actually a profound way of showing in literature what modern psychology has proven to be the case? In episode five of The Scarlet Letter series, Alexandra Barylski discusses the mental health crisis, why Hawthorne might have understood our moden moment better than us, and how Hester Prynne can help us see that choice is the key to our spiritual fre...

Who really was John the Baptist? A prophet? An antiestablishment rebel and activist? Jesus' teacher? In this Becoming Human Conversation, philosopher and scholar of religion Samuel Loncar interviews the scholar James F. McGrath about his groundbreaking research on John the Baptist. James F. McGrath, author of "Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist" and "John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Que...

In this episode of The Poetry Peddler Scarlet Letter series, poet, writer, and editor Alexandra and discusses why the path to self-knowledge begins with aknowledging our fear. 

Public shaming is central to The Scarlet Letter, and it's one of the reasons that the story of Hester Pryne feels so relatable to our world today.  In this episode of The Poetry Peddler series on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter , Alexandra Barylski - the show's host, a poet, and long time English teacher - explores the psychological effects of public shaming and how women must learn to na...

In this episode, Alexandra Barylski, host of The Poetry Peddler, introduces Nathanial Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter through a discussion of the often skimmed (or totally skipped) introductory chapter, "The Custom House" before her discussion of "Chapter One: The Prison." She reads some ghostly passages from introduction directly, which are perfect for Halloween, so you'll get a taste of Hawthor...

You may not think that The Scarlet Letter , a novel set in Puritan America, has much to say about our contemporary crisis around what it means to human, and therefore what it means to be a woman, the plummeting literacy rates, and the ongoing debates about feminism. But, I think, it does. And I will prove it to you in these series.   As part of the project, I am recording every chapter of the book...

Ignorance, humanity's greatest enemy, yet also the secret source of wisdom according to Greece's greatest influencer, Socrates, whose ideas went viral, caused a cultural crisis, and led to his prosecution for impiety, disturbing the peace of a social order that refused to ask: what is real knowledge? Shortly before his trial, Socrates encountered an expert in piety, Euthryphro, and asked: what is...

The Poetry Peddler podcast is a show celebrating living language as an expression of the human spirit.  The show explores poetry's crucial role in resisting the global language crisis. Each episode invites listeners into a world where language is a vital force of human spirit, freedom, and creativity, featuring original poems, and conversations on the transformative magic of words.   This episode...

The Poetry Peddler podcast is a call to revive the living power of language through poetry as a way of life. Hosted by poet and editor Alexandra Barylski, this show explores poetry's crucial role in resisting the global language crisis. Each episode invites listeners into a world where language is a vital force of human spirit, freedom, and creativity, featuring original poems, and conversations o...

Why bother becoming human? In difficult times, it's easy to lose hope. After 5 years since launching this show with Becoming Human: Origins, I decided it's time for an update. This episode shares some of the impact of the work, its relevance today, and how you can access Becoming Human Origins right now.  

Who is the Poetry Peddler, and why is poetry so important today? Alexandra Barylski is an award winning poet, editor, and entrepreneur, and longtime producer for the Becoming Human Project. She is launching the Poetry Peddler Podcast, journal, and press, and sat down with me to discuss why editing is a critical skill today, how poetry touches the uncanny dimension of existence, how poetry and phil...

This is a fifteen minute excerpt from my live Becoming Human Academy course, "The Sacred World: An introduction to Religion." In the lecture, I explain why the academic study of religion is important, how it gives us a deep understanding of inclusiveness and ways of interpreting difference that give us compassion, sympathy, and insight. These are some of the great values of the academic study of r...

How did the most famous philosopher of his time, a darling of the Parisian salons and an internationally renowned philosopher of science, disappear from memory? Dr. Emily Herring, author of Herald of a Restless World: How Henri Bergson Brought Philosophy to the People, explains the brilliant insights and legacy of Bergson in this wide-ranging Becoming Human Conversation with Samuel Loncar. The Fre...

Rabbi Adam Yitzchak Polinovskiy is a well-established coach, specializing in the art of personal and professional transformation. His expertise spans a wide range of areas, including mindset mastery, Kabbalistic wisdom, alignment strategies, and leadership development. In our conversation, we discuss the Kabbalistic background to the modern self-help and personal coaching movement, including figur...

According to Rabbi Simon Jacobson of The Meaningful Life Center, technology is catalyzing a spiritual awakening, making spiritual knowledge the "key commodity of the future." Rabbi Jacobson is a best-selling author of Towards a More Meaningful Life and reaches hundreds of thousands daily through his YouTube channel. In this far-reaching Becoming Human Conversation, we explore anxiety and "healthy...