WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:11.439 Hello, and welcome to Mythic Mind, where we pursue wisdom 2 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:15.199 on the past between primary secondary worlds. I'm doctor Andrew Snyder, 3 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:22.679 and I'm glad that you're here. Hey, there, and welcome back. 4 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.600 Today was originally supposed to be another book Club episode 5 00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:29.359 as we worked through Augustin's Confessions, but we had to 6 00:00:29.399 --> 00:00:32.880 delay the most recent scheduled meeting for that because well, 7 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:35.159 I mean, it was scheduled on Memorial Day. That's just 8 00:00:35.240 --> 00:00:39.840 kind of how our regular rhythm was running, and it 9 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:42.600 just didn't really work out scheduling wise, and so we 10 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:45.000 decided to postpone that one, and so instead I thought 11 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:47.479 that this would be a good opportunity to provide you 12 00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:51.240 with some updates regarding what's happening in Mythic Mind, because well, 13 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:53.359 there's a lot happening in Mythic Mind, a lot of developments, 14 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:55.759 a lot of things that are moving behind the scenes, 15 00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:57.799 and I wanted to let you know a little bit 16 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:02.359 about what is going on here. Obviously, we have so 17 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:05.359 many interests, you know, I have so many personal interests. 18 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:09.200 Everything is so interesting, which which makes things kind of 19 00:01:09.239 --> 00:01:13.120 difficult to stay on a singular path. But you know, 20 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:18.680 I don't really call myself a scholar in any particular field. Now, 21 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:20.560 I mean, there's certainly some things that I know more 22 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:22.480 about than others. There are certain fields that I definitely 23 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:26.000 know more about than most people, just as I'm sure 24 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:28.879 there are things that you know about that you know 25 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:31.200 more about than most people do. And so, you know, 26 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:33.239 I have the things that I tend to focus on, 27 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:37.799 but I'm very much a generalist in that I like 28 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:41.799 to read and study well everything, especially within the realm 29 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:48.040 of the humanities, history, philosophy, theology, political science, you know whatever, 30 00:01:48.120 --> 00:01:52.959 literature obviously, and so I really believe that all of 31 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:58.519 these fields ultimately are they're connected to what it means 32 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:01.000 to be human, and what it means to be human 33 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:04.439 is directly tied to how we're put together, why we're 34 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:07.760 put together, and what we are for, or rather who 35 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:11.360 we are for. And that's really what I mean when 36 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:15.120 I talk about approaching things from a Christian humanities perspective 37 00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:19.039 that we have within this fellowship, we have within my 38 00:02:19.159 --> 00:02:22.520 own interest in kind of the areas that I'm working in, 39 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:26.319 we have a vast array of pursuits that relate to 40 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:30.360 the humanities in general, literature, philosophy, government, et cetera, et cetera, 41 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:35.680 storytelling in various forms. But these aren't really separate branches, 42 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:38.800 and that they all find their unity. All knowledge, especially 43 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:40.520 knowledge out what it means to be human. All these 44 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:44.319 discordant elements are apparently discordant elements. They find their unity 45 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:47.120 in the lagosts of God. And so even when we're 46 00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:51.360 moving in different directions, at least ideally, we're ultimately moving 47 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:54.000 in one direction, right. I mean, you could think about 48 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:58.080 Saraman when he breaks the white light. Instead of being 49 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:00.360 Solamon the white, he decides to become sour Amund of 50 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:03.039 many colors, and he has that exchange with Gandalf, and 51 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:05.719 Gandolf says that you know, he prefers white, and that's 52 00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:09.719 because white is the unity from which all the other 53 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:14.319 colors of light spring. You can picture a white beam 54 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:17.199 of light hitting a prism and then refracting out into 55 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:20.199 the various elements, that as they move further away from 56 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:24.639 that point of unity, they move further and further apart. Well, 57 00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:27.240 that's the path of corruption, right, that's the path of 58 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:31.919 degradation of meaning and even of our meaning. Whereas the 59 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:36.680 path of sanctification, the path of putting things back into 60 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:40.479 proper order means that we recognize all of these these 61 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:45.199 different rays of light representing different aspects of the light spectrum. 62 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:51.400 And obviously, like red is not green, right, However, as 63 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:54.759 you better understand what red is, better understand what green is, 64 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:58.319 you're actually gonna move closer and closer and closer to 65 00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:01.599 that point of unity on the other side of the prism. 66 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:05.159 And so that's what it means. That's what I mean 67 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:08.000 when I talk about taking a Christian humanity to respective. 68 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:10.800 We've had all the different domains of knowledge regarding things 69 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:14.039 like what it means to be human, and as we 70 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:17.680 look at all these different areas of specialization, we're doing 71 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:20.120 so in a way that actually moves closer and closer 72 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:23.040 and closer to a point of unity. And in turn, 73 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:26.600 we aspire to look from that point of unity in 74 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:29.759 seeing the unity behind all fields of knowledge. And so 75 00:04:29.879 --> 00:04:32.639 you may notice that even just within the podcast alone 76 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:36.279 the larger fellowship, but just within the main Mythic Mind podcast, 77 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:38.439 you know, we've been branching out a little bit more. 78 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.439 We started off with philosophy back at the very beginning, 79 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:44.160 as I went through some things on Soar and Kirkey Guard, 80 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:48.160 especially looking at his the concept of anxiety and sick 81 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:50.480 descent to death. Then we really moved into a Tolkien 82 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:53.920 Lewis focus for a while. We've done some bey Wolf, 83 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:58.360 We've done some Norse mythology and legends. We're currently doing 84 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:01.120 a book study on Augustin's Confession. But we're also doing 85 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:04.040 some Star Wars stuff, like with movies and with video games. 86 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:07.319 And even though all of these things are that are 87 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:10.240 obviously somewhat different, it's a matter of different focus that 88 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:13.639 our orientation is meant to point all of what we 89 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:16.439 do in the same direction. Whether we're engaging with literature, 90 00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:19.399 whether engaging with storytelling various forums and movies and video 91 00:05:19.399 --> 00:05:22.360 games and shows, whether we're dealing with philosophy, whether we're 92 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:25.399 dealing with the life and theology of Saint Augustine. Our 93 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:27.879 intention is to bring all these in a common direction, 94 00:05:28.439 --> 00:05:34.240 while also just experiencing the joy of good fellowship around 95 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:39.319 important ideas, good ideas, and just fun mediums. Not everything 96 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:42.000 has to be super serious, and in fact, if you 97 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:46.759 take the most serious things seriously, then everything actually gains 98 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:50.439 a certain degree of levity. As GK. Chesterton said, angels 99 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:53.439 can fly because they take themselves lightly. I think that 100 00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:56.800 there's actually something fairly profound about that. I mean, I 101 00:05:56.839 --> 00:05:59.560 don't know if I would take that as metaphysically accurate. 102 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:02.160 I mean, I don't know, but I think that the 103 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:04.879 point that he's making is valid. I think it's significant. 104 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:08.720 But at the same time, I recognize that not everybody 105 00:06:08.759 --> 00:06:12.959 who engages with Mythic Mind is going to enjoy or 106 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:16.560 is going to naturally connect with everything that we're doing, 107 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:19.120 and so that's why we're branching off into some separate 108 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:24.800 podcast for now. The plan is this show right here 109 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:27.759 is going to be our main hub and is going 110 00:06:27.800 --> 00:06:31.480 to take a maintain a mostly literary kind of focus. 111 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:36.839 But we recently launched our first Splinter show, which is 112 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:40.600 called Mythic Mind Games, which deals with, you know, how 113 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:43.319 do we take a Christian humanity's perspective to the medium 114 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:48.040 of video games, especially with storytelling and various other ways 115 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:52.680 that video games might engage with us. And you can, 116 00:06:52.839 --> 00:06:54.120 I mean, as far as my defense of what we're 117 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:56.839 doing there, you can go over to the Mythic Mind 118 00:06:56.879 --> 00:06:59.120 Games podcast listen the first episode. I get into a 119 00:06:59.160 --> 00:07:02.240 little bit of that. I mean, obviously, I'm not saying 120 00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:04.360 that everyone has to play video games, or even that 121 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:06.839 video games are good for everybody. Right, if you're honest 122 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:10.040 with yourself, you know what's going to be upbuilding to 123 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:12.800 you and what's not. But I'm convinced that there actually 124 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:15.160 is a lot of potential there for video games to 125 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:19.480 engage with people with significant topics when the writing is 126 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:24.000 good in a way that appeals to a popular audience 127 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:29.399 and taking important ideas to a popular audience. And I 128 00:07:29.399 --> 00:07:31.040 don't mean that in a disparaging term at all. I 129 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:34.839 simply mean, you know, people who haven't necessarily actively studied philosophy, 130 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:37.600 that I think that that is actually very significant. I mean, 131 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:40.759 looking back at my own life as a kid, as 132 00:07:40.759 --> 00:07:43.560 a teenager, I didn't read nearly as much as I 133 00:07:43.600 --> 00:07:47.120 wish that I did looking back, but games provided a 134 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:51.959 kind of popular level storytelling vehicle for me. And that 135 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:55.000 is actually significant, more significant than I even realized at 136 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:59.000 the time, in the way that certain stories, certain worlds, 137 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:03.040 certain aesthetics influenced my imagination, influence the way that I 138 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:07.800 view the world generally for the better. And I think 139 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:10.439 that if that's done intentionally, it can actually be something 140 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:13.439 really powerful and so and so that's why we splintered 141 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:17.800 off into this Mythic Mind Games podcast. Now there is 142 00:08:17.879 --> 00:08:20.279 already in the very near future going to be a 143 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:23.800 third Mythic Mind podcast coming up, and that's gonna come 144 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:26.399 out of our Star Wars series. And so in what 145 00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:28.639 I believe is gonna be our next episode, we're going 146 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:31.800 to have our discussion of a New Hope as we 147 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:33.799 work through all the Star Wars movies, and maybe we 148 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:35.519 do some other things along the way. And we've already 149 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:38.759 done Nights to the Old Republic partially here, partially over 150 00:08:38.840 --> 00:08:41.919 on the Games podcast, but maybe we'll do some shows, 151 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:43.840 maybe we'll do some other things. I'm not really sure 152 00:08:43.879 --> 00:08:45.559 what's gonna lead, but what at the very least going 153 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:48.399 to go through all the movies, beginning with the original trilogy, 154 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:52.159 beginning with a New Hope. Now, after the episode on 155 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:55.200 a New Hope, we're gonna splinter off to a Mythic 156 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:59.120 Mind Movies and Shows podcast where we're going to continue 157 00:08:59.159 --> 00:09:01.559 with our Star Wars and then after that we'll just 158 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:06.159 we'll go on to other movies and other shows dealing 159 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:09.960 with kind of like the Game's podcast, dealing with storytelling 160 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:14.360 in more of a popular level than books. I mean, 161 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:17.080 I wish books were more popular, but to be fair, 162 00:09:17.080 --> 00:09:19.879 I mean movies and games actually do I believe have 163 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:22.480 their own value that I wouldn't say surpasses books by 164 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:25.600 any means, but it is different than books and it 165 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:28.120 can have certain benefits of its own. And so that'll 166 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:30.879 be our third podcast that's coming up soon. So obviously 167 00:09:30.919 --> 00:09:33.639 there's a lot going on with Mythic Mind Fellowship, not 168 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:35.840 to mention even some other things that are happening behind 169 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:38.919 the scene. We have our ongoing discord conversations for patrons. 170 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:43.120 We have three courses that are running right now. I'm 171 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:46.519 running a philosophy course, history of Ideas course. We've got 172 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:50.639 Josh Trailer's course on Paradise Lost and Hannah Gilmour's course 173 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:55.120 on Introductory Latin. And so we have so much happening here. 174 00:09:55.559 --> 00:09:58.120 And as far as the podcast goes, all of these 175 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:01.559 different podcast avenues right now are are really becoming increasingly 176 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:05.399 community events. But obviously I'm taking a leading role in 177 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:07.519 making all of them happen. Eventually I might hand off 178 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:10.440 the reins on that, but for now I'm obviously doing 179 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:12.840 a lot. And the reason for that is because I 180 00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:15.759 believe in what we're doing. As somebody who has experiences 181 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:19.919 teaching with Christian universities as well as state universities. I 182 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:24.159 have a strong heart for the humanities, and specifically the 183 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:30.759 Christian humanities, despite the fact that institutional humanities are largely 184 00:10:31.240 --> 00:10:33.799 off the rails, theirs shelves of what they once were. 185 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:37.879 They've been plagued by the forces of deconstructionism and radical 186 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:42.360 postmodernism to the point where nothing really means anything anymore, 187 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:44.159 which is why I find it is so refreshing to 188 00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:46.840 deal with the pre moderns. Like, for example, in our 189 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:49.399 brief History of by Ideas course, we just wrapped up 190 00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:52.840 a unit on Aristotle and specifically looking at his Nikomaki 191 00:10:52.919 --> 00:10:55.200 and Ethics in book two. Near the beginning of book 192 00:10:55.200 --> 00:10:58.080 two of the Nicomaky and Ethics, Aristotle makes the point 193 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:01.200 that in our study of ethics, our goal is not 194 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:05.200 to know more about ethics, to like establish a well 195 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:08.200 articulated ethical theory. I mean, hopefully we can do that, 196 00:11:08.279 --> 00:11:10.600 but that's not the point. He says that the point 197 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:15.399 of pursuing ethics is to be good, and that right 198 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:18.320 there is a strong contrast to what you find today 199 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:20.919 where if you in order to tell somebody any kind 200 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:25.080 of academic setting, like my goal is to be good. Then, 201 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:28.240 assuming they took you seriously at all, people would immediately 202 00:11:28.279 --> 00:11:31.080 start to kind of get on edge, like what you 203 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:33.879 actually believe? There's something like goodness, and if it's evident 204 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:35.799 that's what you mean by goodness, not just like your 205 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:40.000 subjective goodness, but like what is actually good? Well, that's 206 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:43.440 going to well, it's gonna get some pushback, to say 207 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:46.440 the least. Whereas you read the pre moderns, you read Play, 208 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:48.600 or you read Aristotle, and it's very clear that you 209 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:52.200 know when they talk about engaging in philosophy, they actually 210 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:55.519 mean the love of wisdom. To be a good philosopher 211 00:11:55.639 --> 00:11:58.279 isn't just to think well, although you should think well 212 00:11:58.360 --> 00:12:00.919 along the way, and if you're being good philosopheric you 213 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:03.759 will think well. But the main purpose of philosophy is 214 00:12:03.799 --> 00:12:07.720 to better love wisdom, and love is something that shapes 215 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:13.360 your soul. It's not just something you do in your speculation, 216 00:12:13.559 --> 00:12:17.440 in your abstraction. It's something that you are concretely. So 217 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:20.279 what Lewis talks about when he says that you know, 218 00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:23.480 these people who deny truth, who step outside of natural law, 219 00:12:23.799 --> 00:12:26.279 that they're men without chess because they have nothing to be. 220 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:30.440 Their heart has been removed voluntarily. And so I think 221 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:33.639 that it's very important that we regain a substantial, in 222 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:36.879 a substantially Christian way of understanding what does it mean 223 00:12:36.919 --> 00:12:39.919 to be human? What does it mean to engage with stories, 224 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:43.759 to engage with reason as we relate to the divine 225 00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:47.480 reason by which we reason, as a psalm say, in 226 00:12:47.639 --> 00:12:50.559 his light, do we see light? And I think that 227 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:53.480 it's important that we recover that, not just in the 228 00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:57.600 institutionally academic world, but even in just the popular understanding, 229 00:12:57.960 --> 00:13:01.000 like people today need to be minded of what it 230 00:13:01.080 --> 00:13:04.000 means to be human, especially as we are lost in 231 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:08.320 this in this postmodern hyper subjectivist philosophy coupled with the 232 00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:12.600 rise of AI, as people are writing books produced by AI, 233 00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:15.320 and they're reading AI summaries of the books, like you know, 234 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:19.799 working in UH with college students like AI is just 235 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:22.759 it's a major problem that. Don't get me wrong. I 236 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:25.399 get that there can be you know, certain targeted benefits 237 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:30.519 of using AI, but as far as outsourcing our entire 238 00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:34.600 thought process to artificial intelligence, like this is a major 239 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:39.600 existential human crisis regarding what it means to be human. 240 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:43.600 And this is exactly why I very much enjoy doing 241 00:13:43.639 --> 00:13:48.440 this sort of work outside of formal academia, because when 242 00:13:49.159 --> 00:13:51.600 or when I or another member of our fellowship is 243 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:55.279 teaching a course, when people enroll in that course, it's 244 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:59.480 because they're doing so voluntarily, because they recognize the value 245 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:05.519 of wisdom, and they recognize the value of education. They 246 00:14:05.559 --> 00:14:09.240 recognize the value of reading good books and engaging with 247 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:13.120 significant ideas so that they in turn can be the 248 00:14:13.159 --> 00:14:17.639 more grounded people, that they can be more substantial people 249 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:21.600 equipped to engage with the phantoms of our time. I 250 00:14:21.639 --> 00:14:23.720 knew that. That's why I like to read good books. 251 00:14:23.799 --> 00:14:27.519 That's why I like to engage in important and significant storytelling. 252 00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:32.039 It's why I like to fellowship with the people in 253 00:14:32.120 --> 00:14:35.960 this mythic mind community, because it makes me more grounded 254 00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:39.399 that as I look to significant things, I in turn 255 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:43.240 start to live more significantly. I don't just want to 256 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:46.559 know what ethics is. I want to be good as 257 00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:50.080 my thought patterns and as my life patterns conform to 258 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:54.320 the logofs of God. So, with all of that being said, 259 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:56.480 and with all the different directions that I'm moving and 260 00:14:56.480 --> 00:14:59.720 that we're moving as a fellowship, it really is my 261 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:02.200 to eventually get to the point where I can do 262 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:05.080 this sort of thing full time that I can, as 263 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:09.159 a real person, can engage with real people regarding real 264 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:15.120 and significant ideas and stories and enchantment right that the 265 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:18.000 right kind of enchantment that helps us to recognize the 266 00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:22.240 wonder of this life, this reality that we live in, 267 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:27.159 upheld by the being and the will of God. And again, 268 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:31.159 as Chesterton says, that we aren't for lack of wonders, 269 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:34.879 we're only for lack of wonder, or as Thomas Aquinas says, 270 00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:38.000 with all the efforts, that the human mind cannot exhaust 271 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:42.279 the essence of a single fly. When you recognize how 272 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:46.279 deep and magnificent the smallest grain of this reality is, 273 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:49.000 the more that you are going to be enchanted with 274 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:52.559 wonder and you're going to have reverence toward the glory 275 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:55.960 that is beneath all things. And so if you would 276 00:15:56.039 --> 00:15:59.399 like to help me continue to develop what we're doing 277 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:00.879 here to offer more of it, you know, I would 278 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:03.039 love to for all these podcasts who are doing to 279 00:16:03.080 --> 00:16:06.320 happen once a week, which is just not tenable right 280 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:08.799 now with all my other work obligations. But I would 281 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:10.600 love for all these podcasts, but once a week. I 282 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:12.120 have more that I want to spin off. I would 283 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:15.480 love to spin off one that's just devoted to fiction, 284 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:19.799 one that's just devoted to philosophy. There are a lot 285 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:21.480 of different things that I want to spin off here. 286 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:23.159 There are a lot of courses that I want to 287 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:25.519 be able to offer, a lot, a lot of ways 288 00:16:25.559 --> 00:16:27.799 that I would like for us to just continue to 289 00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:31.039 go further up and further into these great things that 290 00:16:31.080 --> 00:16:34.480 we are moving toward. But here's the thing. Right now, 291 00:16:34.759 --> 00:16:36.600 I have to teach a lot. I have the sole 292 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:40.799 income for our family of five, and that's not always easy, 293 00:16:41.480 --> 00:16:44.440 and so I have to teach a lot in order 294 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:46.519 to pay all the bills and kind of get us 295 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:48.759 where we need to be financially. And so if I'm 296 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:50.919 going to continue at the pace I'm currently going, let 297 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:54.480 alone continue to go further, I'm really going to need 298 00:16:54.519 --> 00:16:57.000 your support. And so if you believe in what we're doing, 299 00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:02.000 if you want to see a vibrant, strong Christian Humanity's 300 00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:06.839 fellowship flourish and leave it a lasting impact on this 301 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:09.839 world around us, this world is desperate for the hope 302 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:12.799 of a capital r reality, then the number one way 303 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:15.400 you can help me is go over to patreon dot com, 304 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:18.839 slash mythic Mind and become a patron. Whether you can 305 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:21.440 only throw five dollars a month our way, or you're 306 00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:25.000 able to do substantially more than that, every financial contribution 307 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:28.000 helps to bring me closer to a point where I 308 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:30.599 can start to pare down some of my other works 309 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:34.160 from my institutional work and do more of this. And 310 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:37.160 if you sign on as a Tier three annual patron, 311 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:39.279 then you'll get just about everything we have to offer here. 312 00:17:39.400 --> 00:17:42.079 You'll get access to any of my courses that begin 313 00:17:42.279 --> 00:17:44.960 within that year's term, and so right now that would 314 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:49.359 be Plato Stoicism until we have Faces the Elder Scrolls 315 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:52.000 in Philosophy, and then at the beginning of twenty twenty 316 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:55.279 six we have the Summarillion. There may be another course 317 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:56.960 after that within this term, I'm not sure, but at 318 00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:00.400 the very least you'll have those three courses. Level of 319 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:04.279 patronage will give you early and ad free episodes of 320 00:18:04.359 --> 00:18:07.359 all of our podcasts, all delivered into a singular patron feed, 321 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:10.720 as well as full discord access. So again, Patreon is 322 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:11.920 going to be a great way to be able to 323 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:14.759 support me on a regular basis. Also, you can find 324 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:17.039 in the show notes addition to that Patreon link, you 325 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:19.759 can find a buy me a coffee link. If you 326 00:18:19.799 --> 00:18:21.559 don't want to become a recurring patron, but you do 327 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:23.599 want to support me with a one time donation kind 328 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:26.039 of like a tip, then you can use that that 329 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:28.359 buy me a coffee link, and you know, leave a 330 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:31.559 tip for whatever it is that you are interested and 331 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:35.519 able to provide. Any bit of support is appreciated and things. 332 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:38.440 I really don't have a problem asking for money on 333 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:42.279 a fairly regular basis, and that's only because I believe 334 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:44.839 in what we're doing and I want us to be 335 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:46.880 able to do more of it. And not only is 336 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:48.720 it something that I enjoy, even though I very much 337 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:51.960 enjoy it, and as do I believe our patrons. You know, 338 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:54.720 right now we've got over fifty patrons, and several of 339 00:18:54.759 --> 00:18:57.319 which are deeply invested, and you've heard them on a 340 00:18:57.400 --> 00:18:59.440 number of different podcast episodes, and there are a number 341 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:02.079 of others that are involved attleit more behind the scenes. 342 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:05.119 But this is a rich community, and I very much 343 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:08.000 enjoy our work. But I enjoy it precisely because it's 344 00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:11.640 significant and there's nothing quite like growing as a fellowship 345 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:15.200 around significant things. And so again, Patreon dot com, slash 346 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.279 Mythic mind or that buy me a copy link in 347 00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:19.799 the show notes is going to be really helpful in 348 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:22.519 helping us move closer toward our goals. That will allow 349 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:28.000 us to have more frequent podcasts, more podcasts, more events, 350 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:31.039 more videos, all sorts of things that we would love 351 00:19:31.079 --> 00:19:33.359 to do again if I had the if I could 352 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:35.319 afford the time to do it, and so hopefully you 353 00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:37.759 can help me afford some of that time. All right, Well, 354 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:40.079 that's where we will end for now. Next time of 355 00:19:40.119 --> 00:19:42.960 this podcast, we'll be discussing a new hope and over 356 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:45.720 on the Games podcast. Next time we'll be finishing up 357 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:49.160 our Star Wars Old Republic series. But that's it for 358 00:19:49.240 --> 00:20:17.799 now until next time, godspeed. I have always, at least 359 00:20:17.880 --> 00:20:20.400 ever since I can remember, had a kind of longing 360 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:23.039 for death. It was when I was happiest that I 361 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:25.480 longed most. It was on happy days when we were 362 00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:27.720 up in the hills, the three of us, with the 363 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:30.680 wind and the sunshine, where you couldn't see Gloam or 364 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:34.000 the palace. Do you remember the color and the smell, 365 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:36.519 and looking across at the gray mountain in the distance, 366 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:40.440 And because it was so beautiful, it set me longing, 367 00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:43.680 always longing somewhere else. There must be more of it. 368 00:20:44.039 --> 00:20:48.480 Everything seemed to be saying, Psyche, come, but I couldn't come, 369 00:20:48.839 --> 00:20:50.559 and I didn't know where I was to come to. 370 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:53.799 It almost hurt me. I felt like a bird in 371 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.240 a cage when the other birds of its kind are 372 00:20:56.279 --> 00:21:00.160 flying home. And now I will make answer to you, 373 00:21:00.279 --> 00:21:02.960 oh my judges, and show that he who has lived 374 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:05.359 as a true philosopher has reason to be of good 375 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:07.839 cheer when he is about to die, that after death 376 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.440 he may hope to receive the greatest good in the 377 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:13.160 other world. For I deem that the true disciple of 378 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:16.279 philosophy is likely to be misunderstood by other men. They 379 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:19.160 do not perceive that he is ever pursuing death and dying. 380 00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:22.119 And if this is true, why, having had the desire 381 00:21:22.200 --> 00:21:24.839 of death all his life long, should he regret the 382 00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:27.799 arrival of that which he has always been pursuing and desiring. 383 00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:32.839 The longing of Plato and the control of the Stoics 384 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:36.000 pervades Lewis's retelling of the Cupid and Psyche Myth until 385 00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:39.599 we have faces with this incredible novel, which he believed 386 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:43.000 to be his best. Lewis demonstrates the tensions and ancient thought, 387 00:21:43.319 --> 00:21:47.559 and even more significantly, the limits of rational philosophy, which 388 00:21:47.559 --> 00:21:49.920 can only go as deep as the foxes can dig. 389 00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:54.119 Beyond that, under that and providing the life of that thought, 390 00:21:54.519 --> 00:21:57.960 we find the dark and holy places that blind our 391 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:01.960 faculties of reason. What, then, shall we do? This is 392 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:04.559 a topic that we will explore after first surveying some 393 00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:07.960 important philosophical contributions in the ancient world that have had 394 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.599 some significant bearing on Lewis's great novel. To this end, 395 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:15.119 we will begin with Plato's Phato, which discusses the immortality 396 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:17.839 of the soul and what those who love wisdom might 397 00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:20.440 expect in the life to come. And then we'll spend 398 00:22:20.519 --> 00:22:25.160 four weeks with some of the great stoics, including Epictetus, Emperor, Marcus, Aurelius, 399 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:28.200 and Seneca. Finally, we will turn our attention to till 400 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:31.480 we have faces for the final two weeks with original content, 401 00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:33.359