Great Authors - Literature of the Renaissance - Pascal, Pensses

You can find Pensses here amzn.to/3QtsPmv
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Dr. Michael Sugrue earned his BA at the University of Chicago and PhD at Columbia University.

[@jamalanderson3891]

This is the greatest lecture series by far on KZbin right now

[@devonashwa7977]

Dammmm on KZbin all together b? ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?

[@lumberpilot]

I agree but also Pierre Grimes.

[@bobhope5114]

Also try Manly P. Hall...if you haven't already.

[@raul.avadanei1987]

100%

[@Tnerb225]

Sugrue if you read this please post the Parmenides lecture “most true”. It’s great and I would love to listen to it again.

[@dr.michaelsugrue]

We are currently posting the lectures in order. We should be at that lecture soon. Thank you for supporting Dr. Sugrue!

[@kennethanderson8827]

I will forever (?) be grateful for what Michael Sugrue did to inspire my interest in the philosophical tradition of Western Civilization.

[@samloutalbotmusic]

It is an unbelievable thing that we can listen to these lectures. Best thing on KZbin. I’m getting through one a day. Problem is I can’t listen to anyone waffle now after getting used to such a blazing intellect

[@yavarnikanjam7954]

I latterly am learning how to speak English by listening to his lectures,

[@yavarnikanjam7954]

Lol 😆 I meant Literally I have started to learn English by listening to this lecture over and over. Given that I am an immigrant in English speaking country AKA Canada. Yet the ambition behind my action was the concept of the philosopher king@@cheesycheese7100

[@thomasphoenix3228]

"Intellectual terrorist" is quite possibly the most accurate description of Pascal I've ever heard. 😂

[@bilbaomadrid5040]

I am entranced by Professor Sugrues way of talking, and recounting stories. I just finished your Don Quixote lecture and I was hooked until the end!

[@WelshRabbit]

All of Dr Sugrue's lectures are superb. It was one of his courses that I bought as my first set of lectures (then on VHS tapes) from "SuperStar Teachers," later "The Teaching Company," later "The Great Courses." Dr Sugrue stands a tiptoe with the greatest teachers of our time. Through his lectures, notes and materials, may his wisdom live and be a blessing even for countless generations yet unborn. By the way, I think the paraphrased quote at minute 32:00 attributed to Lear's Fool was actually by Macbeth (just before the messenger arrives to announce that Birnam Wood is advancing to Dunsinane Castle).

[@enlightenedanalysis1071]

Thank you Dr. Sugrue, this was a truly excellent lecture. I really enjoy the last few minutes regarding Kierkegaard and Nietzsche's reactions to Pascal. Really appreciate these videos.

[@jmanderson84]

Reading Pensees now and feels like a gem. Love the aphoristic style.

[@andrewyancy8639]

Might be my favorite Sugrue lecture so far, which is surprising, because Pascal isn't sexy like Nietzsche or an intimidating authority like Kant. Isn't Pascal just that triangle guy? I guess I knew basically nothing about Pascal or the Pensses before this, but I was quite surprised by the intensity of it all. It has more of a feeling even than Nietzsche or Kierkegaard of a desperate, internal life or death struggle to find some unassailable truth, some meaning that we can hold on to. Maybe it's not a coincidence that this is the one lecture (at least that I've seen) in which Sugrue seems compelled to admit that he personally doesn't know the answers. "I just work here." I had to laugh at that.

[@m.b.crawford5464]

I’m not sure Pascal aimed to “paint” a picture of life as wretched in order to persuade his audience to accept religious truth. Even people born into privilege, immune to many of the vicissitudes of life, had to face immense arbitrary suffering at times, especially during the 17th century. I think he was being honest in his analysis of the human condition, not rhetorical.

[@The.Nasty.]

Thanks so much for these lectures they’re beyond stimulating… Sugrue hit the nail on the head when he said Pascal’s arguments at least make you think differently about the topics.

[@JamieEHILLS]

Michael, your mastery is truly inspirational, thank you very much 🙏

[@713screwstontx6]

Michael Sugrue and Robert Sapolsky my current and possibly from here on now personal idols !

[@mackymccallum8652]

"" Pascal's wager is theology for accountants. " Excellent!!

[@augustycizauzo6372]

Just bought this book. I'm so excited to read it after watching this video.

[@enlightenedanalysis1071]

I watched this a second time. Really great. Thank you.

[@kiaa11]

God bless you professor Sugrue!

[@lamprosgiannopoulos3521]

Fantastic professor! Your youtube lectures are criminally underseen!

[@enlightenedanalysis1071]

Loved every moment of this. Thank you.

[@institutosaudedor3432]

Meu irmão, nossa senhora esse prof Sugrue é absurdamente foda. Não consigo parar de assistir suas aulas.

[@mikedaniels3009]

100% oratory self-discipline! achieving almost absolutely uuhm-free lectures. Wonderful to listen to.

[@kevinrung4178]

I see that there are 38k views as of this writing. As for most of his lectures, I need to listen several times to get everything! I wonder how many have viewed this video a dozen or more times.

[@user-dy3os1kw5l]

I find Dr Surgur reading so charming！😍😍😍

[@johnnypingsmusic]

Brilliant as always, this is a tremendous amount of stuff to chew on

[@tg2314]

Tremendous Lecture--- " Condition of Man Inconstancy, Boredom. Unrest " Pascal

[@wanderingdude.]

Well worth the trip!

[@ricardo4618]

This lecture on Pascal reminded me a bit of Albert Camus. Does this sequence of lectures include Camus and absurdists? Or some Existentialists? If not, it would be great to have a lecture of Professor Sugrue on Absurdists and Existentialists as a podcast episode!

[@lucasala2045]

Professor Sugrue has 2 lectures on Kierkegaard. Not surprised this reminded you of Camus, while we can’t call Pascal the father of existentialism (that belongs to Kierkegaard), he had a massive influence on the existential movement.

[@ricardo4618]

@@lucasala2045 about kieerkgard classes, I'm aware of them. I was referring to the later ones such as sartre and camus, though. But thanks!

[@kaidoloveboat1591]

Very good, thank you

[@wanderingdude.]

nice name

[@ryans3001]

Thank you!

[@anthonynenna1697]

Did Professor Sugrue ever lecture or write on the transcendentalist movement? Ralph Waldo Emerson's essays for example? I read that he consulted other scholars on their on critiques.

[@aimowenaim]

I always felt that it was illogical to logic yourself into faith. Faith is by its nature illogical. I’m not trying to ridicule faith or pillory it by saying this I say this descriptively. Being non-religious Pascal’s wager was brought up as this trump card and I always felt it was a very weak argument. They seemed to be saying well there might not be a god like you are saying but even if you’ve won that argument really you’ve lost and I’ve won and if I’m right I’ve won and you’ve lost. Also, as you say, it struck me as a incredibly self-interested and selfish argument which also made it hypocritical coming from supposed Christians. It doesn’t make any argument for worshipping god. Why should you worship god? Oh because you’ll get something if you do and be punished if you don’t. This made me think of someone who doesn’t commit terrible crimes, not because they are wrong but out of fear of being caught and punished. Why don’t you kill that man who cut you in line? Oh I don’t want to go to jail. Not it’s wrong? Marcus Aurelius’ argument was much clearer to me. Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.

[@MrEgo-sl3fp]

Yeah I agree with you man. And another thing, I never got why some people hold such pride in their theological beliefs, and also show pride from their non theological baliefs. I would say that it is better to let go of such pride, and perhaps do as Marcus Aurelius recommended.

[@pinesandtraplines]

That depends on how personal you believe the divine/God is. In the Christian mythos, i believe thatd have been the case before Christianity had become so widespread. Pascal is talking as a modern man whos conception of God wasnt as impersonal as Marcus'. I agree that faith is ultimately illogical, but imo the good part about Christianity is the merging of logic and illogical. There are the very personal experiences of God, and there is the impersonal explainations of God and how He's tried to reach you personally and not just humanity as a collective. Christianity lead to a merging of philosophy and the mystical, in my view. Its not just something you experience, but also something you can work out partially with logic. Though, again, i believe it was Kierkegaard who said that we have to ultimately take a leap of faith. Its not complete as a faith if you forego one of those, and in my experience the Orthodoxy has been quite informative in terms of this. The Catholics i find to have gone too far into philosophy, with Augustine's thinking leading to a favoring of the rational/mental while in a way shunning the physical. This is why their priests eventually stopped being allowed to marry, while the Orthodox allow their priests to marry to the best of my knowledge. The banning of piests getting married is most likely what lead to all the scandals. While the Orthodox church isnt flawless, as no institution can be perfect, i prefer it to the Catholic church. The protestants themselves are offshoot Catholics largely in my eyes, due to coming from the Catholic world, however theres some that are outright heretics like the Mormons or others who call themselves the 2nd coming of Jesus or something similar. Such cults came about because of the breaking down of western christianity, due to the Catholics favoring the side of rationalism and the Augustinian tradition too heavily.

[@tonywolfe9513]

Logic itself is illogical, as it is posited by man, who’s only brush with the infinite is his fallibility. This goes for every man that has ever existed, with the exception of the God-man. And that is why He is the Logos, and He is the aim of our lives as a perfect model of what true love looks like when it is manifested in human flesh. God bless.

[@BaronM]

Thanks.

[@MH-yj4mm]

“Morbid introspection”… beautiful locution…

[@aminebouaita9202]

Amazing

[@cinnamon4605]

Woody Allen mentions "The denial of death" in Annie Hall (1977)

[@mohamedmilad1]

I actually think Pascal wager is a smart idea and not just about win or lose a bet.i saw it as prediction and probability and as our minds work on predictive coding and dealing with predictive errors and top down predictions, and our senses give us bottom up potentially, if my top down predictions meets unclear reality, my prediction errors is listening and my belief in existence of deity becomes more plausible and combine this with his ideas of practicing religious rituals and movement as a source of potential creativity, it’s more compelling to belief with authenticity of fulfilling spiritual life. I think he’s a genius and a head of his time on this point. His wager isn’t blind betting but an answer to our skepticism.

[@Robertbrucelockhart]

I searched in vain for the lines about distraction and Eliot’s “The Hollow Men. “. Perhaps Professor Sugrue had a different poem in mind

[@dr.michaelsugrue]

Sorry. I was wrong. Four Quartets, Burnt Norton.

[@Robertbrucelockhart]

@@dr.michaelsugrue Thanks! Burnt Norton was my nickname in college. 😂

[@christinemartin63]

When you're young, "witty and learned" are intellectually sexy and fun. When you have a few close brushes with death, suddenly (literally!), witty and learned are not nearly enough; you desperately seek substance (read wisdom) or as near as you can get to it. And quickly ... very, very quickly.

[@Dustin_the_wind]

This is probably the most relevant video on this site, to share this. For as it is perfect in example; although it is disheartening, albiet understandable of professor Surgue to maintain the narrative in the lack of understanding of Pascal's experience. I still think highly of the Professor none the less. Pascal met a diety it is obvious, when compared to my own experience. It tends to change the whole world for a person; if they can maintain themselves the heavy weight that comes with it. For when god fully shows itself to you, and you realize it is beyond all doubt god before you, your life is impossible to resume the same, for obvious reasons. It gets complicated, for the devil fully shows itself as well, to offer its inner sanctum to choose. Why god does not show everyone? I think it would destroy the world, simply put. Better left to faith, and the true act and lesson of living life, for moral and virtue, and not because you fear the wrath. Still trying to figure it out. Truth is indeed more strange than fiction. And yeah, it's a mess; believe it or not, if you are a scientifically grounded person with reasonable cognitive ability, this is exactly one of the ways it can go. Or you fall to pieces, which I'm struggling not to. I still have more questions, and now I see the world, run by disgusting people, corrupting the rest. Dont care about stuff, and life is a prison to me at this point.

[@davidfost5777]

I'm always looking for new interesting lectures on Psychology/Philosophy, please let me know if you guys have any recommendations, would be highly appreciated

[@gerardlabeouf6075]

Pierre grimes Is really great

[@BaronM]

Wow

[@edmund184]

35:55 there are plenty like that

[@cowgomoo444]

Pascal seems to be the very counterexample to his own wager. Very neatly summarized by Nietzsche: he actually did lose quite a bit because he believed. It’ll only be at the time of our deaths when we find out whether he achieved infinite gain or not. Very nice lecture.

[@mackymccallum8652]

37.06 "These are not the thoughts of a happy man."

[@fightingwords8955]

Excellent

[@nathalia65157]

Love this guy, but surprised at his jabs at spiritual and religious experience. Academia is changing with consciousness studies

[@davidstrubeck8195]

Coffee sip…Now

[@ttacking_you]

That's definitely the obvious reference point, but the presumption of coffee is a bit of a leap of faith. 🥃🍺🍸

[@cinnamon4605]

38:57

[@agreaterinfinity4587]

Montegne 14:40

[@darillus1]

epic

[@ttacking_you]

What kind of personality did Pascal have? I'm guessing something like a histrionic personality, that's what it sounds like. Now a mystical, hallucinogenic two-hour (give or take) experience? Sounds like a good peak.

[@localman7017]

I find the Pensees to be utterly unimpressive and I always chalked that up to the fact that Pascal never managed to finish it, the famous eponymous wager being probably the most repulsive and hucksterish part of it, but to his credit Pascal doesn’t emphasize it too much and just sort of uses it as a brief setup to the rest of his point

[@christinemartin63]

Long live all skeptics! They're usually the truthsayers that few want to believe because they call it as it is. (Isn't life difficult enough without the added self-delusion of supernatural mumbo-jumbo?)

[@hanskung3278]

It's not intellectual terrorism, it's the truth, we are empty so we keep busy to avoid that truth.

[@andrewyancy8639]

Doesn't "intellectual terrorism" here refer to the way Pascal employs the fear of hellfire and damnation as a way to convince people that religious faith is the best solution to meaninglessness? Pascal makes a good argument, especially his famous wager, but the counterargument also seems quite strong to me: if God is infinitely loving and forgiving, why would he condemn virtuous people to eternal torment merely because they are intellectually honest about what they believe?

[@tonywolfe9513]

@@andrewyancy8639 because you are not God. His demonstration of love was to send His Son to be tortured for barbarians. Methinks His love looks a lot different than our love. But, as He has given us the capacity to experience pleasure on earth (even the sinful ones), I think it’s reasonable to expect that those senses of pleasure are simply a foretaste of pleasure forevermore.

[@slalialley3786]

i will never forgive christianity for what it did to pascal.

[@tonywolfe9513]

Thank God he doesn’t need your or Nietzche’s forgiveness.

[@slalialley3786]

@@tonywolfe9513 yeah what a relief

[@johnstewart7025]

To live without God is to live from whim to whim? Life has laws, just as motion does. Is that proof of God. Laws imply a law giver. Li is the daoist term for the patterns in natural things. It is holy, but does that imply a cosmic personality? It is natural to pray or communicate with God. Does he hear us? We often feel he does because prayer settles us and brings us peace beyond understanding.

[@rogeredwards4871]

Unless you've experienced it yourself you'll never understand it's effects, and it can't be explained clearly because all spiritual truths are paradox, just read Meister Eckhart or any mystic from any religion.

[@gerardlabeouf6075]

Ye

[@Csox513]

I guess I’m masochist.

[@drbonesshow1]

Is suicide a sensible response? When all else fails?

[@devonashwa7977]

Yeah it is, your life is pointless if you do or not do it. So just do it

[@hanskung3278]

His bias, "if there is such a thing as God", " let's play along with his neurosis" ruins the objectivity of his analysis.

[@drbonesshow1]

Take away their "smart-phones" and the "dumb" lives of youth will be bored to extinction.

[@optimusprimum]

Religion ruined him. Turning his genius into self destruction do to the contradiction in terms that religion is.

[@tonywolfe9513]

According to whose metrics? Modern man? Define “ruined him.” Self-destruction is the ideal, as that is the only way to find one’s true self, or the self in Christ.

[@drbonesshow1]

Until God speaks to you directly there is no reasonable way to understand God.

[@shaunkerr8721]

Which is why we should all say "I do not understand God"

[@drbonesshow1]

@@shaunkerr8721 I don't really understand quantum mechanics, but that never stopped me from teaching those who knew less about it than I did. Actually, to really understand the quantum world you would have to be a quantum particle. Even Ant Man can't do that.

[@shaunkerr8721]

@@drbonesshow1 This is an appeal to authority fallacy and speaks nothing to my comment.

[@drbonesshow1]

@@shaunkerr8721 Nothing that you will ever know...

[@shaunkerr8721]

@@drbonesshow1 This is ad hominem and as such I see you no longer wish to speak to the point at hand. Good luck to you in life.