Footnotes2Plato

“The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.”
–Alfred North Whitehead

Category: reason

Back to teach at Schumacher College in April 2019: “The Evolution of Consciousness and the Cosmological Imagination”

I’ll be teaching another short course at Schumacher College in the UK the week of April 22nd-26th, 2019. Here’s a link if you’re interested in registering: https://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/short-courses/re-enchanting-the-cosmos Here’s what I’ll be teaching on: “The Evolution of Consciousness and the Cosmological Imagination” This week-long course will trace the evolution of consciousness in the West from ancient…

October 17, 2018
Why German Idealism Matters (The Side View)

My friend and colleague Adam Robbert has just launched The Side View. There is a ton of content on the site already, including articles and podcasts. Listen to Adam’s short description of the site’s aim here. Here’s a link to my contribution, “Why German Idealism Matters,” wherein I briefly lay out the transformative contributions of…

October 4, 2018
Experimental Philosophy and Pedagogy Panel recording

Here’s Jacob Sherman, Joshua Ramey, and myself at yesterday’s “1968 Revisited” conference at CIIS.edu.

September 30, 2018
Mutations podcast interview

Thanks to Jeremy for hosting a great conversation! LINK to Podcast

September 3, 2018
Participatory Spirituality in an Evolving Cosmos

Here’s my talk from the INTERSECT: Science & Spirituality conference in Telluride, CO earlier this summer. It’s titled “Participatory Spirituality in an Evolving Cosmos”

August 20, 2018
Peterson and the Left: A Podcast with Rebel Wisdom

August 1, 2018
Alfred North Whitehead: An Introduction

July 30, 2018
Living in a Complex World (a trialogue)

July 24, 2018
“Intersect: Science & Spirituality” – a conference in Telluride, CO

INTERSECT: Science & Spirituality Join us for a 2-Day Conversational Conference (July 27-29th) for the purpose of Exploring Syngergies between the world of Science and the world of Spirituality. Topics to include Cosmology, Ecology, Sustainability, and Consciousness. Speakers include: Drew Dellinger, John Hausdoerffer, Matthew Segall and Brian Swimme (via video). Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/intersect-science-spirituality-tickets-4239963846

July 3, 2018
Physics of the World-Soul, a short course on Schelling and Whitehead at Schumacher College next week

>More information on this course<< Recommended Readings (PDF)

June 12, 2018
Whitehead’s Way Beyond Postmodernism

Based on this paper delivered at the 2015 International Whitehead Conference.

May 27, 2018
The Jordan Peterson Moment: Seeking Dialogue on the Left

May 25, 2018
Lectures on Timothy Morton’s “Humankind: Solidarity with Nonhuman People”

Process and Difference in the Pluriverse (opening lecture) My Spring course at CIIS.edu finishes up this week with a set of modules on Timothy Morton’s book Humankind: Solidarity with Nonhuman People (2017). Earlier in the semester, we read works by Plato, William James, Catherine Keller, William Connolly, Bruno Latour, Anne Pomeroy, and Donna Haraway. Below, I…

April 28, 2018
Searching for Stars: A Conversation with Alan Lightman

April 19, 2018
‘Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine’ by Alan Lightman

[Update 4/19: listen to the interview here] On Thursday at CIIS, I’ll interview physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, author of the just published Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine (2018). As of this writing, Lightman’s book is #1 in Metaphysics on Amazon.com.* Lightman begins his reflections in a cave in Font-de-Gaume, France, famous for its adornment of…

April 15, 2018
Fall 2018 Online Course: “Mind & Nature in German Idealism”

I’ll be offering this course for the second time in Fall 2018 at CIIS.edu (the semester runs from late August through mid-December). Special students and auditors are welcome to enroll! Email me at msegall@ciis.edu for more information about registration.

March 7, 2018
Bruno Latour’s “Facing Gaia”

I’m sharing two lectures recorded for my online course this semester, Process and Difference in the Pluriverse. In these two modules, we are studying Latour’s recently translated book Facing Gaia. Chapters 1-4: Chapters 5-8:

March 6, 2018
Spirituality and Justice: Reconciling Transcendence and Immanence

I was part of a panel at a Diversity Symposium at CIIS today.

February 23, 2018
Process and Difference in the Pluriverse: Plato, William James, & W.E.B. Du Bois

I’m sharing the lecture from the first module of my course this semester at CIIS.edu, PARP 6135: Process and Difference in the Pluriverse. The lecture discusses Plato’s Republic, William James’ pluralism, and W.E.B. Du Bois’ critical inheritance of James’ philosophy. Here’s a PDF transcript of the lecture

February 21, 2018
“The Limits of Intelligence”: A New Episode of the Waking Cosmos Podcast

Another new episode of the Waking Cosmos Podcast, produced by my friend Adrian Nelson.

January 6, 2018
Process & Difference in the Pluriverse, an online course at CIIS.edu

A trailer for my course being offered this Spring at CIIS.edu. PARP 6135 Process and Difference in the Pluriverse will explore the ethical, social, political, and ecological implications of process-relational philosophy. You could call it a course in applied or experimental metaphysics. We will read and discuss texts by radical empiricist William James, revolutionary sociologist WEB…

December 11, 2017