Dr Johannes Niederhauser is a philosopher and founder of Halkyon Philosophy Academy.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Dr Niederhauser recalls his childhood pursuit of a classical education, early interest in ancient languages, and training as a philosopher at Kings College London and the University of Warwick.
Dr Niederhauser considers the problems with religious conversion, reflects on the differences between heritage religious and convert religious attitudes, and considers whether meaning can be actively chosen.
Dr Niederhauser also critiques Traditionalist writers Julius Evola (1898–1974) and René Guénon (1886–1951), comments on philosopher of history Oswald Spengler (1880-1936), and challenges popular misunderstandings about critical thinking.
00:00 - Intro
00:49 - Childhood and classical education
04:34 - Folk Catholicism
05:15 - Johannes’ father
07:19 - Living in Jordan and Syria
12:08 - Fundamentalism seeks supremacy over history
14:59 - Johannes’ character as a boy
18:21 - Learning ancient languages to gain access to secret knowledge
21:17 - Laissez-faire parenting style
23:52 - Gap year in Canada
26:38 - Undergraduate study in philosophy, politics, and economics
29:00 - Masters degree at Kings College London
29:41 - PhD at Warwick, the UK centre for continental philosophy
34:21 - Did Johannes’ world view change?
35:29 - Steppenwolf
38:14 - Plato’s Cave and Edward Bernays
42:25 - Civil liberties as a simulation of freedom
44:08 - This is not critical thinking
46:09 - Is religious conversion to Buddhism possible?
47:19 - “Friends of the European spirit”
52:17 - Johannes on Julius Evola
53:15 - Problems with conversion to Catholicism
55:21 - Approaching Buddhism with humility
56:21 - The metaphysical supermarket
57:21 - Goethe’s transformative appropriation
58:26 - After the death of Christianity
01:00:18 - You cannot choose what is meaningful
01:02:52 - Nolan’s Odyssey
01:05:03 - In praise of alienation
01:05:55 -A contemplative reading exercise for Plato’s Cave
01:07:54 - Different types of conversion
01:09:24 - Contrived meaning-making
01:09:57 - Spengler and embracing the metaphysical supermarket
01:14:59 - Critique of Spengler
10:18:17 - The human spirit needs resistance
01:20:17 - The prescription
01:21:47 - Hegel’s freedom of spirit
01:23:18 - Spengler universalises his own position
01:23:42 - Collingwood and Guénon
01:24:34 - Two options for the world
01:25:59 - Darwinism and the selfish gene
01:28:04 - Contemplating Dōgen
01:30:07 - Mindfulness is slave morality
01:30:55 - Keep calm and carry on
01:33:46 - Faust is everything
01:36:46 - How to practice
Find out more about Dr. Johannes Niederhauser:
Music Deva Dasi by Steve James
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