Evil and Suffering

57 - Nothing to Fear: Epicureans on Death and the Gods

Posted on

Peter considers Epicurus’ attempt to dispel the fear of death and the gods, and along the way looks at the topics of soul, atheism, and philosophy as therapy.

90 - A Decorated Corpse: Plotinus on Matter and Evil

Posted on

Plotinus struggles to explain the presence of suffering, evil and ugliness in a world caused by purely good principles – and tells us what role we should play in that world.

167 - When Bad Things Happen to Good People: Suffering in Jewish Philosophy

Posted on

The Book of Job provokes Saadia, Maimonides, Ibn Tibbon and Gersonides to reflect on why God allows suffering.

9. Suffering and Smiling: the Buddha

Posted on

The Four Noble Truths of the Buddha, and the function they are supposed to play in our lives.

29. Practice Makes Perfect: Patañjali’s Yoga-Sūtra

Posted on

Yoga as presented by Patañjali offers a practical complement to the Sāṃkhya theory of the cosmos and the self.

291. Alle Maner of Thyng Shall be Welle: English Mysticism

Posted on

Julian of Norwich’s Shewings and the Cloud of Unknowing lay out challenging paths to knowledge of, and union with, God.

58. Amber Carpenter on Animals in Indian Philosophy

Posted on

An interview about the status of nonhuman animals in ancient Indian philosophy and literature.

297. The Prague Spring: Scholasticism Across Europe

Posted on

New ideas and and new universities in Italy and greater Germany including Vienna and Prague, where Jan Hus carries on the radical ideas of Wyclif.

3. Fertile Ground: Philosophy in Ancient Mesopotamia

Posted on

Do the cuneiform writings of Babylonian culture show that it had its own philosophy?

300b. The Relevance of Medieval Philosophy Today

Posted on

Peter King, Catarina Dutilh Novaes, and Russ Friedman discuss their approaches to medieval philosophy and its contemporary relevance.

6. Heated Exchanges: Philosophy in Egyptian Narratives and Dialogues

Posted on

Demands for ma’at (justice or truth) and a confrontation with the soul, in the Tale of the Eloquent Peasant and Dispute Between a Man and his Ba.

7. Richard Parkinson on Egyptian Poetry

Posted on

Egyptologist Richard Parkinson joins us to talk about the context and meaning of the Eloquent Peasant and other literary works of ancient Egypt.

18. One to Rule Them All: God in African Philosophy

Posted on

Is traditional African religion in some sense monotheist, despite the worship of many divinities?

21. The Doctor Will See You Now: Divination, Witchcraft, and Knowledge

Posted on

Special forms of knowledge and the explanation of misfortunes in African tradition.

64. God is a Negro: Henry McNeal Turner

Posted on

A late 19th-century churchman tries to explain how slavery fit into God’s plan and decide whether the future for African Americans lies in Africa or America.

391. Everything is Mine and Nothing: Lipsius and the Revival of Stoicism

Posted on

Justus Lipsius draws on Seneca and other Stoics to counsel peace of mind in the face of political chaos, but also writes a work on how such chaos can be avoided.

398. Pearls of Wisdom: Marguerite of Navarre

Posted on

A Renaissance queen supports philosophical humanism and produces literary works on spirituality, love, and the soul.

113. A Fighting God: Black Theology

Posted on

After Albert Cleage and James Cone propose a liberatory interpretation of Christianity, William R. Jones wonders whether God is a white racist. We also follow Black Theology among “Womanist” authors and in South Africa.

140. Cornel West on Himself

Posted on

Cornel West joins us to look back on the development of his thought and the many authors who have inspired him.