Becoming Human

In this episode, Alexandra Barylski, host of The Poetry Peddler, introduces Nathanial Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter through a discussion of the often skimmed (or totally skipped) introductory chapter, "The Custom House" before her discussion of "Chapter One: The Prison." She reads some ghostly passages from introduction directly, which are perfect for Halloween, so you'll get a taste of Hawthorne's own language through her audio.

Ignorance, humanity's greatest enemy, yet also the secret source of wisdom according to Greece's greatest influencer, Socrates, whose ideas went viral, caused a cultural crisis, and led to his prosecution for impiety, disturbing the peace of a social order that refused to ask: what is real knowledge? Shortly before his trial, Socrates encountered an expert in piety, Euthryphro, and asked: what is piety? What is justice? How do we know what something really is? Euthyphro's answer might shock you. Presented by Samuel Loncar, Ph.D. (Yale University), Becoming Human Project Founder Plato Project, Episode 1, Key quote from the Euthyphro: [Socrates to Euthyphro] "Tell me then, what this form itself is, so that i may lok upon it and, using it as a model, say that any action of yours or another's that is of that kind is pious, and if it is not that it is not." Learn More About the Project ~ https://substack.com/@samuelloncar/p-175027592 Support the Project ~ https://www.samuelloncar.com/plato-parsha-project Born in Athens, Greece, Samuel's ancestors' give him global roots: in Okinawa, Japan, among the Chippewa (or Ojibwe) people, and in Eastern Europe. Samuel's diverse background motivated his search for a truth that would respect his upbringing but answer his hardest questions, leading him to discover, at age 14, an ancient philosophy text that converted him to philosophy as a way of life. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University in 2019 and specializes in philosophy and its connection to religion, science, and the growth and preservation of knowledge in the digital age. Samuel is the founder and creator of the Becoming Human Project, a multi-media project to bring philosophy as a way of life to everyone and build a community of creators seeking a more meaningful life. Samuel Loncar, Ph.D. (Yale) is a philosopher, scholar of religion and science, poet, and Editor of the Marginalia Review of Books.

The Poetry Peddler podcast is a call to revive the living power of language through poetry as a way of life. Hosted by poet and editor Alexandra Barylski, this show explores poetry's crucial role in resisting the global language crisis. Each episode invites listeners into a world where language is a vital force of human spirit, freedom, and creativity, featuring original poems, and conversations on the transformative magic of words. This inaugural episode features part one of her conversation with Christian Wiman who is the author, editor, or translator of fourteen books, most recently, Zero at the Bone, Fifty Entries Against Despair. From 2003-2013 he was the editor of Poetry, and he is a former Guggenheim Fellow and the Clement-Muehl Professor of Communication Arts at Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, where she had the privilege of studying with him.

Who is the Poetry Peddler, and why is poetry so important today? Alexandra Barylski is an award winning poet, editor, and entrepreneur, and longtime producer for the Becoming Human Project. She is launching the Poetry Peddler Podcast, journal, and press, and sat down with me to discuss why editing is a critical skill today, how poetry touches the uncanny dimension of existence, how poetry and philosophy connect, and how practicing poetry as a way of life deepens our receptivity and openness to Living Language, the spiritual wellspring of consolation and joy. Join the Peddler! https://www.gofundme.com/f/for-women-for-poets-for-a-better-world?utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_content=amp13_t1&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link⟨=en_US&attribution_id=sl%3Aab048a49-31f8-42f5-8975-baba09377eac&ts=1756509312

How did the most famous philosopher of his time, a darling of the Parisian salons and an internationally renowned philosopher of science, disappear from memory? Dr. Emily Herring, author of Herald of a Restless World: How Henri Bergson Brought Philosophy to the People, explains the brilliant insights and legacy of Bergson in this wide-ranging Becoming Human Conversation with Samuel Loncar. The French philosopher Henri Bergson wrote brilliantly about the brain, biology, memory, time, and creativity, exploring the relationship of science, philosophy, and mysticism, yet he has been largely neglected and forgotten. As Herring explores why this is happened, and how much we have to learn from Bergson today, she opens a path to a new, more creative and hopeful vision of philosophy and science.

According to Rabbi Simon Jacobson of The Meaningful Life Center, technology is catalyzing a spiritual awakening, making spiritual knowledge the "key commodity of the future." Rabbi Jacobson is a best-selling author of Towards a More Meaningful Life and reaches hundreds of thousands daily through his YouTube channel. In this far-reaching Becoming Human Conversation, we explore anxiety and "healthy angst," why religion is declining and spirituality is growing, what the spirit is, why the "messianic age" is about the elevation of human consciousness, and how he would respond if he was representing humanity to a delegation of ethically advanced aliens, and they asked, "What is the matter with humanity?" Support the Becoming Human Project Conversations by becoming a Project member, subscribing to the Becoming Human Project's Substack, and supporting on Patreon. MISSION ➤https://www.samuelloncar.com/mission MEMBERSHIPS ➤ https://www.samuelloncar.com/memberships 🎧 LISTEN to BECOMING HUMAN ORIGINS Ep. 1-2 for FREE How Philosophy Remade Science and Religion ➤https://www.samuelloncar.com/podcast Becoming Human: Origins tells the story of how an atheistic revolution in philosophy, beginning with Socrates and Jesus, remade religion and science, and set the stage for our post-human age. It argues that the dominant story of reason, science, and religion is a modern myth, and must be replaced if we are to make real progress. BIO Samuel Loncar, Ph.D. (Yale) is a philosopher of science and religion, poet, and Editor of the Marginalia Review of Books. ➤ MRB https://marginaliareviewofbooks.com

Fate is the power of the unchosen to determine your life. It is real and we all know it, or we would never be frustrated. The key question is: can we overcome our fate? Is fate compatible with freedom? An existential strategy is the only way to overcome the power of fate and avoid being a pawn of your environment and history. To conquer fate, we must pursue a scientific understanding of reality, and overcome our limitations. The result is a life ready for immortality. Long-term planning in short-sighted Western corporations is 10 years, 30 at most. China has a 100 year + strategy for its space program. The Vatican, the oldest continuous city-state with the greatest intelligence network and treasury of any modern country, has been around for at least 1600 years. It thinks in terms all of human history. AI proponents and transhumanist tell us we may soon live to be 200, or even being as deathless as the Homeric gods. Clearly, we are not ready for such time scales. Most individuals, corporations, and governments lack the most important thing: a strategy for existence itself, the very thing required to "plan for immortality." This demands a clear vision do what humans truly are and can become, and a vision and plan for living a life beyond current time scales. How do we prepare to live among the stars? We need to know how to exist here on earth. Instructor: Samuel Loncar, Ph.D. | Yale University

The simulation theory is all around us, putting somehow the meaning of our very existence into question. Do we really exist? What does it mean that we question our own existence? A true philosophy of existence must answer these questions, and explain why we ask them, guiding us towards a more conscious, free, and scientific way of life. This is the purpose of the Becoming Human Project: to realize human Existence. Instructor: Dr. Samuel Loncar | Yale University