The Spinoza Triad: Philosophy in our World

In this episode of the Spinoza Triad, John Gibbs and Richard Miller delve into the themes of Byung-Chul Han's 'Psycho-politics', exploring the shift from a disciplinary society to one driven by emotions and individualism. They discuss the implications of neoliberalism on personal identity, the rise of emotional capitalism, and the gamification of life and work. The conversation also touches on the impact of big data and the quantified self, examining how these elements shape our understanding of happiness, success, and personal agency in a data-driven world."You're worth it.""Just do it.""Data is the new faith."The shift from a disciplinary society to one focused on emotions is significant.Neoliberalism emphasizes individualism and personal achievement.Emotional capitalism manipulates feelings to drive consumer behavior.Gamification blurs the lines between work and play, affecting productivity.The quantified self movement reflects a culture obsessed with measurement.Big data is seen as a new form of faith, replacing traditional narratives.The digital unconscious influences our desires and behaviors without our awareness.Statistics can dehumanize individuals, reducing them to mere data points.The pursuit of efficiency in data can lead to irrational outcomes.True happiness and meaning cannot be quantified or measured.

In this conversation, John Gibbs and Dr. Richard Miller delve into the first half of Byung-Chul Han book, 'Vita Contemplativa,' exploring the concept of inactivity as a vital aspect of human experience. They discuss the oppressive nature of a performance-driven society, the distinction between leisure and true inactivity, and the importance of boredom as a precursor to creativity. The dialogue also touches on the role of community and festivals, the ethics of inactivity, and the impact of technology on our ability to engage in contemplative thought. Ultimately, they argue for the necessity of embracing inactivity to foster creativity and a deeper understanding of the human condition."Inactivity has a logic of its own.""Inactivity is a threshold for great deeds.""Creativity often comes out of inactivity."Inactivity is not a weakness but a capacity in itself.Leisure is often commodified and tied to productivity.Boredom is essential for creativity and mental relaxation.Community and festivals are crucial for shared experiences.Technology disrupts our ability to engage in inactivity.Contemplative inactivity allows for deeper thought and creativity.The pursuit of goals often undermines the value of inactivity.AI lacks the capacity for true human experience and mood.Inactivity can lead to new ideas and insights.Mindfulness and wonder are integral to appreciating inactivity.

In this podcast episode, John Gibbs and Dr. Richard Miller delve into Byung-Chul Han's 'The Burnout Society,' exploring the transition from a disciplinary society to one focused on achievement. They discuss the implications of this shift, including the suffocating nature of freedom, the crisis of gratification, and the impact of societal pressures on mental health. The conversation also touches on themes of authenticity, narcissism, creativity, and the pervasive nature of bureaucratic positivity in modern life."Narcissism is the new threat in society.""Creativity is often defined by achievement.""The silence of boredom is deafening."The Burnout Society critiques the shift from discipline to achievement.Positivity in society can lead to anxiety and suffocation.Hyper attention results in passive consumption and lack of depth.Mental health issues are influenced by societal expectations and pressures.Authentic tiredness connects individuals, while inauthentic tiredness isolates them.Narcissism arises from self-relation and comparison with others.Creativity is often measured by achievement, leading to anxiety.Bureaucratic positivity creates pressure to conform to corporate values.The silence of boredom can be overwhelming in a hyper-connected world.The Burnout Society offers valuable insights into contemporary life.

In this episode Dr Richard Miller, Dan Rowland and John Gibbs discuss how philosophy has grappled with the problem of defining history.

In this episode the Spinoza Triad, Dr. Richard Miller, Dan Rowland and John Gibbs, discuss the philosophy of truth and the post truth world. We discuss how philosophy might help us understand the rise of populi, social media, conspiracy theories and the privatisation of truth. We also discuss the possibilities of UFOs.

David Chalmers, The hard problem of consciousness, can AI ever be conscious? Will AI replace us? In this episode, Dan, Richard, and John discuss consciousness, intelligence, and AI. We discuss the Turing Test, the Chinese Room, and the future of AI.

In this episode Richard and John discuss the first part of Friedrich Nietzsche's most poetic book, Thus Spake Zarathustra and as usual, we ask, what does it say to us today?

In this episode of the Spinoza Triad, John Gibbs and Dr. Richard Miller discuss their reading of Soren Kierkegaard's book Either, Or. Dan Rowland was unable to join us for this episode. Richard supplied the music.

In this episode, Dr. Richard Miller and John Gibbs discuss the concept of evil, free will, and the possibility of world peace. If you could release a virus into the world which would make all humans peaceful- what would you do?

What does it mean to be me? Am I the same person at all times and will I be the same person in the future? In the Spinoza Triad, John Gibbs, Dr. Richard Miller, and Dan Rowland discuss the continuity of the self and Derek Parfit's famous 'Transporter Thought Experiment'.

In this episode, Richard (Dr. Richard Miller) and I consider the appeal of the literature, films, and podcasts which focus on Psychopaths. We wonder what this might say about our world and if philosophy might help us to understand.  We share some ideas in a discussion covering many themes including popular culture, Kantian ethics, the nature of evil, and society.

In this episode, Richard, Dan, and I discuss Nietzsche's famous thought experiment of eternal reoccurrence. Would you wish to live your life exactly as you have lived it, again and again for eternity? Would this be a curse or a blessing? 

In this episode, Richard introduces the Spinoza Triad to Mark Fisher's ideas and Capitalist Realism's ideas. Our discussion focuses on his and our experiences in education. We consider the state of British society, and the all-pervasive nature of capitalism and wonder if it is possible to imagine a different kind of world or would this be harder than imagining the end of the world.

In this episode John  and Richard discuss a text which was referred to in an earlier podcast. 'De Rerum Natura'  -  'On the Nature of Things'. On of the most remarkable books ever written, On the Nature of Things' by the Roman author Lucretius was an influence on many of the greatest thinkers and artists in the last 2000 years. It was written in the first century BCE by a wealthy Roman as a means of explaining the philosophy of Epicurus to his fellow Romans and in poetic form it contains ideas which are startlingly modern and  as exciting to a modern reader as they were to his contemporaries. In this episode I explain my admiration for this book to Richard. https://www.facebook.com/groups/333603241740844/ https://sites.google.com/view/wwwphilosophytodaynet/home

Why Do People Fight for Their Servitude as If It Were Their Salvation? Spinoza In this episode of the Spinoza Triad John Gibbs, Dr Richard Miller and Dan Rowland are joined by Dougie Booth. Dougie is teaching at Kings College London and researching his PhD in Politics. We discuss the republican conception of freedom and Dougie's research into the impact of the pandemic and  climate change on democracy. Is this going to result in lasting change and the creation of new economic and political structures? Is this the end of capitalism as we know it? john.gibbs@virgin.net

In this episode we discuss Plato's theory of Forms and consider if it is helpful in understanding art and beauty today. The theory of Forms or theory of Ideas is a philosophical, concept, or world-view, that the physical world is not as real or true as timeless, absolute, unchangeable ideas of forms. How can this theory be useful in our post modern world? Do we still have any belief in universal truth? This is the basis of our discussion.

In this episode of the Spinoza Triad John Gibbs, Dan Rowland and Dr Richard Miller discuss the concept of freedom and how it might be enhanced of diminished by digital technology and social media. With reference to Thomas Hobbs, Rousseau, Marshall McLuhan and Zizek the discussion considers the meaning of freedom today. If you wish to suggest ideas for future podcasts, submit a recorded comment or be a guest on future episodes please use the links below. You can follow us on Facebook and on the Spinoza website.  https://sites.google.com/view/wwwphilosophytodaynet/home https://www.facebook.com/groups/333603241740844/ jfgibbs105@gmail.com https://www.speakpipe.com/SpinozaFeedback

In this episode of the Spinoza Triad Dr Richard Miller, Dan Rowlands and John Gibbs consider the ideas of Edward Said and how these might be applied to the Olympics in their modern form. While acknowledging our admiration for the extraordinary achievements fort the athletes we took a critical view and tried to understand this vast global event form the point of view of post colonialism. Our discussion includes Foucault, Zizek and Lacan as well as the brilliant insight that is Edward Said's Orientalism. Leave recorded comments or emails with suggestions for future discussions.  https://anchor.fm/john-gibbs1/message https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/239466/1/cy3omfkxvcc55f32

In this episode of the Spinoza Triad, Dr Richard Miller, Dan Rowland and John Gibbs discuss Hegel’s theory of history, the end of history and the rise of China. Does China represent an alternative to western liberalism or a dead end? Will the progress of human history end and will it end well or badly? These are some of the questions discussed. jfgibbs105@gmail.com https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/239466/1/cy3omfkxvcc55f32

In this episode the Spinoza Triad, John Gibbs, Dr Richard Miller and Dan Rowlands, discuss how the internet and social media may have contributed to the philosophical debates surrounding authenticity. In Hamlet, Polonius advises Laertes 'to thine own self be true'. It its possible to be true to yourself and true to others on social media. Do we have a 'true self'? Leave voice messages: https://anchor.fm/john-gibbs1/message Email: jfgibbs105@gmail.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br1sGrA7XTU https://www.facebook.com/groups/333603241740844/