How One Idea Nearly Destroyed Medieval Philosophy & Dethroned God - Scotus on the Univocity of Being

How can finite human beings even speak about the Divine? For centuries, it was thought impossible for any human thought or language to accurately and really describe the divine. Only through negation and analogy could anything even dimly approach the nature of God....until the 13th philosopher Duns Scotus radically argued metaphysics can only be performed if concepts about the Being of God and Being in general were the same. Hence the name of this concept - the Univocity of Being, that the concept of Being as such must only have one Voice. This idea was so radical that Scotus was deemed a metaphysical idolater, even having dethroned God through pure ontology.
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#philosophy #ontology #mysticism #scotus #aquinas
Recommended Readings:
Duns Scotus - Philosophical Writings - 978-0872200180
Copleston - A History of Philosophy, Vol. 2: Medieval Philosophy - From Augustine to Duns Scotus - 978-0385468442

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

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[@aminrodriguez4707]

5:45, you studied.mostly in the anglosphere, in France they do study and treasure their scholastics.

[@TheModernHermeticist]

Were hitting quantum levels of esotericism right here. Way spookier than the clerical necromantic underworld.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

I'd rather read Scotus any day over boring medieval necromancy. This is the real stuff.

[@DHTC888]

Can y'all point out something in the video's timeline that's intense and profound for me, because the whole thing is going right over my black metal head

[@tedhand6237]

Can't wait until he gets to Pico's little treatise on Being. LMAO at hipster esotericism BTW.

[@Bildgesmythe]

​@@DHTC888 agreed, I've hurt myself in my confusion

[@brookechang4942]

@@DHTC888 26:14 and talking about "to be anything, you must first be in a general sense" is where it started to get a little more concrete for me, but this is definitely one of those "I'm gonna have to listen to this three or four more times and take notes to be able to wrap my head around it" videos. I THINK what Scotus is getting at is that logically speaking, something has to exist in order to have attributes-the whole "you have to be in order to be in a suit" thing.

[@radioactivegorgon2307]

It's kind of amazing to me how much argumentation occurred around trying to maintain God as an ideal human and yet one involved with non-ideal human life that we can attempt to reach-yet never with complete success. I find it to be a sort of underlying current to what creates a sense of the divine.

[@didack1419]

It's interesting to see how people struggle with making sense of the metaphysical divine exceptionalism while trying to be humble about how much they can pretend to know and understand about it.

[@rachelvargas8446]

There’s is no such thing as a being as god.

[@darinanelson]

Funniest philosophical presentation since Diogenes did that thing with the chicken.

[@jtzoltan]

@@rachelvargas8446 shocking! I've never heard such an opinion as this before. Tell me more...

[@davidchess1985]

I do wonder what people like Scotus, fresh from a day struggling with the nature of the transcendent Being of the Divine, really thought of say church officials announcing that God totally wants you to give 10% of your income to Bishop Fred here. They seem entirely disjoint.

[@wcropp1]

Dr. Sledge--as a student of philosophy and the "history of ideas," I particularly enjoyed this episode. Not many channels are willing to get into the weeds with Scholasticism, despite how influential some of these ideas and thinkers have been. Thanks for digging into this one, it is a fantastic introduction to the topic. As an off-topic aside, one of these days it would be awesome to see an episode on the history of esoteric herbalism, sacred plants, incense, entheogens, etc. Psychoactive or otherwise, the history of these plants and the associations they came to have is a fascinating topic. The other tools, equipment, etc., used in ceremonial magic probably all have an interesting history as well. I'm not sure how much scholarly research there is into this subject, I know everyone has a theory as to what exactly "soma" was, or what was given to initiates in the Mystery Shools in Greece and the like. Even so, some speculative hypotheses would be interesting to discuss. This is also a rather broad topic, it may need to be broken down into multiple episodes. Something like you did with absinthe would be awesome to see with historically significant plants used in witchcraft and magic, or at least I think so. Keep up the good work, and I'll keep watching!

[@siobhanomalley1968]

I agree, it would be excellent to see Dr Sledge do a few videos specifically on entheogens and mystery cults, I'm sure there has been at least one piece that delved into it a little but it's such a broad and varied topic. I'd love to see his take on the various references to altered states and the various trance-inducting practices throughout both western and eastern esotericism.

[@protagtom]

I would love to see a video on entheogens and ritual trance practices

[@tedhand6237]

I had the privilege of studying with OP Richard Schenck at DSPT doing a course on the active intellect in medieval philosophy. He often quipped "you have to get up pretty early in the morning if you want to argue with Duns Scotus."

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

That's a great quote - The Active Intellect is also on my agenda. One of the most important medieval idea that gets hardly no attention these days.

[@tedhand6237]

@@TheEsotericaChannel It was a good choice for connecting my medieval philosophy studies with the Kabbalah of Abraham Abulafia for sure. Put thinkers like Dietrich of Frieberg and Henry of Ghent on my radar.

[@wyattwatson9848]

I knew of Wahdat Al Wajud, but never realized there were other Unity of Being philosophies appearing from different traditions. It’s a killer for sure

[@someofmyvideos774]

“Anything you can do I can do meta” . I’m working that into a conversation wherever possible. I love this channel. The content is amazing and I really appreciate the absence of silly thumbnails.

[@siobhanomalley1968]

Haaa that make me cackle too, I couldn't believe he'd said that and had to rewind a few seconds to re-hear it 😂 genius 👌

[@Modus07]

Attributed to Rudolf Carnap.

[@thebyzantinescotist7081]

This came up in my recommendeds and I was super worried based on the title. A lot of people really misrepresent Scotus’s theory of univocity to make it seem more radical than it actually was. As a Scotist, I will say that I think you did an excellent job correctly explaining Scotus’s positions. I very much agree as well on the Copleston recommendation. He heavily follows early 20th century Scotists who are usually much better than contemporary literature on Scotus. Thank you for this video. Glad to see more discussion of Scotus around the internet. And glad to see you actually read Scotus.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

I think it's both more radical than appreciated and then oversold in some philosophy circles than necessary - but yes, I enjoy scotus. I even have a book of his for sale on my website.

[@julioaguila6285]

A moment to appreciate the fact Dr. Sledge is responding to so many comments.

[@DukensteinA1]

I bought a shirt to support you, Justin. I’m 6’6” and 350. The 4xlt didn’t cut it 😅. I need an Esoteric diet plan.

[@a.cesquire7856]

Univocity of Being seems to share some ideas with Wahdat al Wujud put forward by Ibn Arabi in the Sufi metaphysics tradition which I find interesting! Thanks for the video Dr Sledge!

[@InanaNinsianna]

“Pedantic logic chopper” 😂❤️ also, I have ADD and of course, when you said, “do I look like a Catholic” I ended up, looking up popes that had beards. I had no idea that it would become a subject unto itself, with its own lore, so I bookmarked it to read later.

[@nataliet4293]

I suddenly understand why your videos were getting recommended to me when i started watching elden ring videos. Man.

[@TheMarkRich]

I think, therefore my mind is melting.

[@beepboop204]

we need to learn how to drive, learn how to speak, but people act like we dont have to lean how to think

[@davidstrickland1127]

I think therefor i think...he he

[@owenbartrop8963]

That was a hell of a 40 minute trip! Thanks for your work.

[@MorningAndEveningStar]

Excellent video. Thank you for this. It makes me so happy. Duns Scotus is one of my favorite philosophers. Very glad to see him receive some of the attention he deserves. I'm not a neo-Scotist or anything like that, but apart from maybe Gershom Scholem, I don't know if there is a philosopher who has pushed forward my development as a person so much by engaging with them. Reading Scotus when I was 17 and 18 was seriously life-changing. I half-jokingly blame him for putting me on the path towards communism. An accessible text I'd also recommend for starters is "Duns Scotus on God" by Richard Cross, which touches on the famous three-pronged proof and the Christian Trinity.

[@2012jordie]

Fascinating! By far the most difficult video of yours I've watched so far. But I'll keep working on it. It seems to me that the laws against heresy were for Scotus (and many others) a frustrating constraint, and this is what makes it so hard to get to the core of his argument. When one has to avoid being burned at the stake, one must talk in circles. I might go further and say that the real difficulty of talking about the divine in the Middle Ages has nothing to do with any logical or philosophical problem. It's simply that the powerful elite of society have a particular point of view about the divine and will punish people for disputing that point of view. Naturally, since that point of view is what the social order is built on. I suspect this is the source of all class bondage and wealth inequality: the reduction of God to what is socially convenient, or what enables certain people to maintain power and control over others. If the king is the person everyone listens to and obeys, then the king may as well be God. And while that may be good enough for government, it utterly defeats the purpose of philosophy. Philosophy can't exist within a contained environment. It must be free to expand beyond the constraints of law and principles of social organisation, or it is useless. "Christian philosophy" is an oxymoron. Sorry if I'm just restating Philosophical History 101. I'm still working on my undergrad degree in ancient history and inhaling philosophy and esotericism in my free time. Some brilliant thinkers have come out of theology, and no doubt the wish to better understand God is what compelled them. But I can't help but feel that, on the whole, monotheistic religion has tremendously slowed the intellectual progress of humanity. The thinkers could've done so much more if they hadn't been forced to compromise with the ideas and agendas of the rich. We might've had atomic science in antiquity.

[@max_the_mantis5173]

Pretty sure if we bring up this KZbinr at our local mages meeting at least a few people will also be fans. We suspect that many wizards who take their craft seriously, are fellow fans of this man's work.

[@ashscheesecakes2064]

It's always an automatically great day when Esoterica uploads! Fantastic video, as always!! Thank you! 😁

[@beepboop204]

too true

[@bkylecannon]

I had never really considered your personal religion before, with how you speak I may have even assumed something more niche or even that you weren't, though it seems obvious after you pointed out not looking catholic. You do a great job of not letting it influence your content, at least as far as I can tell. Love the work!

[@crancourt1789]

We really need a Kimmy Gibbler joke counter, alongside a "wonder what happened to that Josh guy" joke counter.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

I only pull the Gibbler material when it's a special episode. Scotus deserves it.

[@jeffreyherda9684]

@@TheEsotericaChannel that joke had me nearly losing my lunch. Good job good sir.

[@klyanadkmorr]

I had to rewatch this listen concentrate 2-3 times just to get what you were saying Scotus was talking about

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Yeah this is a good example of how this channel is not an introductory level channel - this is seriously difficult material

[@klyanadkmorr]

@@TheEsotericaChannel Well I consider myself abit of a Pantheist considering my science mixed into philosophy and so had to arrange my brain thoughts to understand the needle thread Scotus was doing of that time to avoid complete Unity Oness of everything=a god but that is supposed to be outside all?, like a new logic Ven diagram design. Still I'm probably not getting his idea.

[@williamhesterjohnson]

Thank you for another wonderful episode. I like to imagine a plane of existence where Scotus and Tillich discuss the univocity of being and God as the ground of being/God above God... but out of Christian humility I'd have to admit only grasping a small amount of the discussion.

[@anayrre2062]

This incredible video can go hard in hand with foolish fish's, "science vs religion, wrong question" video. Such good stuff! We are positively blessed to have such creators talking about these concepts in such an approachable way. I finally feel that I have arrived at a point in my life when my years of study and trying to find my true call, have paid off.

[@kushluk777]

As a dialectical-materialist and Marxist, I couldn't agree more regarding the drive-by shooting here done on French post-structuralism.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Thanks - I just have so little patience for that obscurantist stuff

[@kushluk777]

I greatly respect you and your channel. Really excellent, fascinating work. It has also allowed me to speak to my highly religious relatives on a new level. Keep it up!@@TheEsotericaChannel

[@darrylviljoen6227]

​@@kushluk777I tried. Hit the brick wall of dogma, fanaticism and biblical infallibility.

[@jmarz2600]

As a free market Capitalist.... I agree!

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

28:52 Thank you Bl. Scotus for preserving analogy. Dominicans everywhere are grateful.

[@teachnola10]

“I pity the fool” who didn’t like this episode

[@nomaanhaque1704]

I love your work! Honestly the parables of history, religion and society are so awe inspiring to the creative artist. I had a request for you to maybe consider making a video on the Avesta: Yasna and the effect of that on the middle east and subcontinental oceania. It's the only known collection of Zorostranic text and I can understand the genuine skepticism at looking at a Sanskrit text. But please could you consider giving it a try incase you can help showcase some of its relevance in the history of alchemy or the Magi. Stay blessed wise one! Truly you have a microcosmic gift! ❤

[@siobhanomalley1968]

Thank you for this piece, Dr Sledge. It's really shed some light on a philosopher that I've seen mentioned many times but never understood. Although I probably still don't fully understand 😅 this breakdown of his works has given me a window in that is truly invaluable 🙌 I can only imagine the work you must put in to create these videos, you're an absolute legend 🫶

[@cheri238]

Bravo, Justin Sledge, with that PHD Of yours. I have written and listened all day long just with your understanding of plunges of great depths of wide open wisdom with knowledge. BRAVO, SIR!!!!! I can't get enough of your lectures, and I thank you.❤

[@geraldmeehan8942]

Thank you for yet another mind bendingly wonderful episode of Esoterica. Keep up the good work

[@henrydavidpurple8323]

Always excited for new content from ya. Thanks for what you do man.

[@ChrisLively]

Greetings from Chattanooga, TN. Dry? Boring? Not to me, this is where I choose to spend my free time, right now. What's that quote "Those who say, do not know.....". Have a good day and thanks for sharing and for your time and wisdom.

[@ihatespam2]

You’ve done it again. Something I knew nothing about, is now spreading through my mind like a mushroom cloud. An area I had no interest in, medieval philosophy, is suddenly interesting. Although it all stills seems like desperate apologetics to maintain a god concept, it’s is certainly of an order far beyond my ability to critique. It leaves me wondering, exactly who is the dunce here?

[@dushmanmardom]

In my years of Philosophy studies, Medieval Philosophy was rather encouraged, but then again it's Poland, and most professors are involved with Catholic University. That being said, I had a privilege of being taught Medieval Philosophy by a great professor who did her doctorate on Duns Scotus - so this episode hits close to home :)

[@jamiegallier2106]

I appreciate your wonderful and informative videos more than I can say. There is some intriguing fact in every one that makes my jaw drop. Much love for all you do. ❤

[@SirCoughsalot]

Such a great episode. Thanks for going up to bat for medieval philosophy in general and scholasticism in particular.

[@MatthewGermainSaferot]

Morning Dr.Sleddge that was an amazing video as always you out done yourself once again.

[@crustymcgee6580]

I've listened to this three times and I still have trouble understanding these concepts.

[@MeisterBeefington]

This is such an admirably clear presentation

[@jeffd7976]

This is incredible. Never heard of this. I'd love to hear more theology & philosophy, as it's prior to esoteric thought & practice

[@harryhoofcloppen]

“Anything you can do, I can do meta “made my day. 🎉

[@ieatlolz]

This is so awesome, so much more interesting than bossing around more demons! Ive been wanting to delve deeper into Scotus for a few years but there are so few resources thay succinctly describe his doctrine - this video is an absolute godsend ;). I would kill for you to do a course on medieval philosophy or something, maybe once the Merkhava series is finished someday. Much love!

[@Yakaru1]

That is a spectacular piece of explaining of extremely complicated ideas! What a great channel this is...

[@mjr_schneider]

I love how Scotus is so intricate and arcane that it takes a 30 minute video to cover even one of his ideas. Would you be interested in doing a video on Siger of Brabant someday? I can't find much information on him online but he seems like a really fascinating thinker.

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

If you think Scotus is intricate, just wait until you read Aquinas or Suarez

[@user-bw5ek8oz9g]

(Rarely did I rewind KZbin to understand that often.) This video is a great work you know why? Because it makes it like a thriller. You may read of all notable philosophers in Wikipedia or some student's book, and you know some statements or even systems they made. If you like philosophy and stuff like that, you probably like these statements/systems already, they are fun toys for you, you collect them in your mind as you did collect Bionicles as a kid (and you probably like Greek and Descartes-Locke generations more than Medieval one, just as you like original Toas and Toa Metru more than Toa Nuwa). But dr. Justin Sledge make it pulsating, you feel what all these people lived for, what thrilled them, why they felt it important, why it was the drama of their lives. That's wonderful. ...But I guess you have to be nerdy enough from start to see it as a thriller (and to make that philosophers-bionicles comparison).

[@UltimaEnigma]

Love it. Thank you for all you do Justin 💫

[@SobekLOTFC]

Keep up the great work, Dr Sledge! 👏

[@Protogonas]

Thank you for making my long drive commute to work enlightening with your videos!

[@markcharron]

Duns Scotus elevated primitive Franciscanism to new intellectual heights. It's so beautiful to me how Islamic Sufism and Christian Scholastic Franciscanism arrive at such similar and beautiful insights rather independently merely through a reading of Aristotle. Very much appreciated your glowing appraisal of medieval philosophy.

[@caycefischer497]

hi! this must be the twentieth video of yours I have watched , thank you so much for the in-depth, scholarly, and wise commentary on so much esoteric history! I am wondering if you’ve ever touched on topics of gender in Jewish or ancient mystic or magical practice - perhaps a topic for a future video, I’d be very interested! Thank you for your work!

[@PurpleHaze1824]

This man said "...The Ascended Master, Kimmy Gibbler." 😫😭😭

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

this is the way

[@beghards]

I woke up in a foul mood today, but the intricacy of his thought made me chuckle so much that now I'm light-hearted. Thank you Doctor for this gem.

[@vaporchild1821]

yaay!!! what a great way to end the week with this fresh upload on medieval theological beef

[@RKGrizz]

This channel is amazing. Thank you for the excellent content and presentation. I still am unsure why divinity needs to be outside the genus of being but I am sure if I rewatch that portion I will make some more sense of it all.

[@Midgard458]

You’re an outstanding professor. I like your lectures on all subjects, especially Kaballah, which is part of my Jewish faith. You are fair and balanced and that I like. I also like your manner of presentation. It is logical and without emotion, like a Vulcan.

[@aminrodriguez4707]

Awesome week end food for thought, thanks Doc

[@thefinestsake1660]

This might be my favorite episode. I want to listen to this one a few times!

[@Netotrefirefem]

My head kinda hurts and I think this is a couple of levels above my head, but it is REALLY interesting. Your content enlightens and also makes me want to learn more.

[@scriptea]

Oh damn! Parmenides and Duns Scotus in such a short window! Two of my favorites. Nice.

[@greenfire4115]

I’ve been trying to get into Scotus (via, I admit, Deleuze) and wasn’t expecting this when I clicked. Thanks so much!

[@JadeSune]

4:38-4:48 In high school I pored through the Catholic Encyclopedia. I remember a common, relevant lament in its pages. Wish I remembered a citation. This reputation arises from the direct failing of the Scholastics in grappling properly with rising Humanism, renaissance philosophy, Protestantism, and eventually Positivism. There, a lack of innovation, a decadent laziness, meant the same stultified, aged arguments were repeated ad nauseum, inviting easy ridicule. No new counterarguments or polemics were effectively developed or spread, not in time, and at any rate many Catholics were taken with new ideas of rationalism and kept their faith, so the threat of these other schools of philosophy weren't seen for what they were.

[@JadeSune]

Hah, Dr. Sledge beat me to it. Perhaps I should've listened to the next 30 seconds before writing.

[@mdlahey3874]

I think there were prerequisites to this video... And I plan to have a migraine on the day of the quiz...

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Yeah this video isn't exactly introductory level

[@Bildgesmythe]

😂

[@brookechang4942]

What an utterly fascinating video! It"s not often that I immediately re-watch a video after finishing it, but I'm happy to make an exception in this case-and not just because Scotus moves beyond "esoteric" and "impenetrable", and into somewhere between "sublime" and "wack".

[@bartolomeothesatyr]

The tension between sublimity and wackness is the struggle of all mankind.

[@TheJudgeandtheJury]

Thank you for the overview of this philosopher I will read him in the future.

[@erickoraganie8705]

This was an eyes-glaze-over episode for me. Would need to go back and listen to each line to really get what was being said. Utterly lost. Fascinating as usual thank you

[@erichoffmann8515]

Glad to see a video on Duns Scotus

[@jmarz2600]

I've been working my way through Marco Sgarbi's "Kant and Aristotle." This episode merits multiple replays.

[@Tlailax]

Commenting to say you are *amazing* -- thank you for everything -- and looking forward to the absinthe

[@steben3318]

Such language!!! a reminder how good humans can get and reminded me to go listen to some Heilung (medieval German lyrics) I don't know medieval either. Thank you Dr Sledge and all the others out there seeking clarity.

[@ratboy_]

This is one of your videos where I’m just like “I like your funny words, magic man.” But enjoyable nonetheless.

[@catoelder4696]

Another awesome video!

[@morbier4863]

Awesome video. It would be great if you could make more videos about medieval scholastics. You can explain quite advanced philosophical concepts in clear, concise and absorbing way, that even I who has no education in philosophy (beside brief surface level introduction to philosophy, including medieval scholasticism), sadly no time for reading books about philosophy and even though english is not my native language (understanding topics with specific jargon, like philosophy in foregin language is much harder than understanding speach about less "esotheric" topics) can keep up, understand and absorbe a lot of knowledge in just 19 min (I watch all videos on 2x speed, although I had to pause this video couple of times😂). I think more videos about underappreciated figures of medieval philosophy would interest and benefit a lot people, and me for sure (medieval intelectual culture is one of my strong interests).

[@SeekersofUnity]

Just superb.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

I worried this one went a little too hard on the technicalities of medieval philosophy - glad folks are digging it! I love Scotus.

[@williamrees6662]

As a Catholic priest, I had a similar hat, though not the beard. On the subject of being, have you ever read the Catholic philosopher of the early 19th century, Antonio Rosmini and his idea of the order of Being?

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

I've not but sounds interesting

[@williamrees6662]

@@TheEsotericaChannel His On the Origin of Ideas would be the starting point.

[@thebyzantinescotist7081]

I should mention since Rosmini came up here that there is a book in Italian on Scotus’s influence on Rosmini

[@williamrees6662]

@@thebyzantinescotist7081 Fantastic!

[@KENNETHedwardMitchell]

Pierce carried this through to contemporary thought. He’s esoteric also. I did my grad work at saint louis u so i devoured Scotus.

[@khilorn]

Aquinus reference! Everyone take a shot.

[@sanqingtemple6404]

Well done. One of your best.

[@estebanmondragon6726]

Yes, reading medieval scholasticism is awesome. All the problem of universals, the problem of translation between greek-syriac-arab-latin, and the problem of the first faculty of the soul are so interesting and incredibly relevant. To continue with this series you must do a video about Ockham. PS. I really don't get your problem with Deleuze, it's not if he ever conceives the univocity of being of Scotus as ontological. He just points out that Scotus was the first to create a logical concept of univocity, as Spinoza did in the ontological plane.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

My problem is that he attributes that position to Scotus despite the fact that Scotus clearly rejected it - something Deleuze is known to do to other philosophers (for instance forcing the A of the deduction onto Kant which clearly he rejected...hence him writing the B version and sticking to it). Scotus was by no means the first to come to the concept - it was widely known and rejected by Thomas, etc.

[@waltersstreet]

As always, fascinating

[@1001011011010]

"Do I look Catholic?" Totally could pass for an Eastern Catholic 100% In the Catholic Church the bishops etc still wear what looks like a kippa too, though for different reasons of course

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

Even priests can wear a black zucchetto, which looks very similar to a kippa, and comes from a shared tradition.

[@virioguidostipa5681]

Such an excellent video! Thank you so much Dr. Sledge. If I may, the most compelling and clear philosophical work on the Greek concept of being that I ever read has been Emanuele Severino work. A real beauty that could inspire anyone on this subject.

[@erichoffmann8515]

Great video 🎈

[@Dank-gb6jn]

I’m not sure how deep your content library goes, but if you haven’t done so already, I’d love to see a video on the gods and goddesses of ancient Canaan like Moloch and Asherah; since I find the religion of ancient Canaan to be vastly interesting. Would also love to see a video on how psychedelics may have influenced the rise of religion (McKenna’s interpretations about Çatalhöyük for example).

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

There are solid arguments now that moloch was actually never a god at all. And I think this psychedelic stuff is mostly nonsense.

[@Dank-gb6jn]

@@TheEsotericaChannel that’s interesting. I’ll have to research those arguments and glean new info. Personally, I find the psychedelic influence on the archaic world to be one that, while possibly far fetched, to be one of the more understudied and undervalued influences on the advancement of our species.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

It'd be more interesting if there were any evidence for it

[@markdpricemusic1574]

Wonderfully lucid presentation of some notoriously spaghettified abstractions. As a philosopher and recovering Catholic I can confirm your opinion that most of ''Church philosophy'' is far weirder than most people CAN think. Many thanks for this - and all your work. M.

[@matthewiskra771]

You had me laughing so much at your diss of French Post-Structuralism with a "Magister T" moment I spilled my tea. Now a want a T-shirt with "Magister T" says "Shut up, fool. Post-Structuralism is incoherent and anti-epistemological" or some such.

[@andreass2301]

This was a great video. I didn't understand a word of it. 10/10

[@Fr.O.G.]

As someone who majored in a philosophy around the same time as you, I remember anything from before the 17th century was ignored. You got a little Plato in 101, and then that was it. Maybe something between Plato and Descartes would come up in a Special Problems class, but other than that, not a peep. No Stoics, no Neoplatonism, no Confucianism, nada.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Were you in a hardcore analytic department?

[@Fr.O.G.]

@@TheEsotericaChannel Yes, but my school was also a med school, so my professors were mostly interested in medical ethics. I did have one professor who was a classicist, but even she was more interested in Kierkegaard than Aristotle. Dr. Sadler, one of your fellow KZbin philosophy teachers, told me this wasn't an unusual experience in the late 90s.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

That makes sense. I was really lucky and undergrad to get a wide range of offerings. But graduate school with shockingly limited. Though I will say that Memphis is fantastic in that you're required to do both analytic and continental work. That's super rare in this country and I really appreciated that dimension of my graduate school training. I think it also informs how I do philosophy now where I really want to have the rigor of analytics and especially logic but also the adventuresome spirit of continental philosophy.

[@maxswp]

Do you have a downloadable podcast? I really enjoy watching your videos but I would love to listen to audio at work where I get no cell service because I work in a freezer.

[@merxeddie6474]

I encountered Scotus peripherally through the works of Victorian Jesuit poet John Manley Hopkins.Some of the most profoundly beautiful and insightful verse of the natural world in English.Thanks for posting.

[@johnhiggins6602]

Oh how I appreciate that when Aristotle comes up, Dr Sledge says "Yeah, that guy again," in *exactly* the same tone that Dr Sabine Hossenfelder uses when she says that about Einstein in one of her physics videos. I would've laid even money on Abi Thorn over on Philosophy Tube pulling that shtick first, but, no, que sera sera.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Glad you got the Sabine reference it's totally on point

[@RM-ex1gn]

Great video as always Dr. Sledge. Never been super into reading philosophy but you got me interested in Ibn Rushd. Any advice on where to begin?

[@chocodoco4855]

First Roe v Wade and now Aristotle, IS THERE ANYTHING SAFE FROM SCOTUS???

[@PanSzawu]

Can you do an episode on Jakob Böhme please? His story is wonderful considering that he was a shoemaker and is impact on the rest of philosophy to come is enormous despite being not very well known. Thanks, Justin

[@matthewkopp2391]

I grew up in a United Church of Christ, and Paul Tillich was discussed at times, God as the Ground of Being itself. Tillich said that Christianity was always an ontological discourse philosophy. So when I discover figures like this it affirms Tillich’s main thesis for me. Of course, one of the figures Tillich was responding to was Heidegger, so there is the link, probably. or it might be more direct.

[@saintsword23]

Christianity is really weird in this aspect. Buddhism has a similar thing going on, where the religion is strongly split between what's going on with its contemplatives and intellectuals versus the experience the everyday layman gets. As I've aged I've been exposed to the former more and more, but as a youth I rejected religion hard because of the latter. It's unfortunate that my experience, at least here in the Midwestern United States, continues to be one of a Christianity hostile to anything outside the zealous insistence that Jesus of Nazareth was the one true God in the flesh and there is nothing you need to know other than that. I find the ontological discussion far more useful and illuminating than the sad and grotesquely incorrect Christological conclusions the politically motivated early councils came to.

[@fashionsbyohrbachs]

Having just read The Name of The Rose this was a perfect fit for my head space right now.

[@Skorm1011]

Dr. Sledge have you ever considered covering William of Conches' De Philosophia Mundi on the channel? I just finished reading it recently and thought it was super interesting. I figured many of the themes within might fit on this channel.

[@kaloarepo288]

Came across William of Conches recently in a video about Henry II of England -founder of the Plantagenet dynasty -he was educated by William of Conches. I however, got mixed up between the town of Conches in Normandy with Conques in the Pyrenees which is a stunning medieval village used as a backdrop for the movie "Beauty and the Beast."

[@phillipbernhardt-house6907]

Magister T is one of my favorite philosophers of the MCMLXXXs! ;)

[@ewinternetvideos]

Oh i was fighting for my life trying to understand this one

[@Mazza-Geen]

Really enjoying the recent ontological turn around here.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Yeah I've kind of been on a bender

[@Mazza-Geen]

Tbf, it's all you CAN talk about thanks to Plotinus.