Episode 113, Epicurus and the Art of Happiness (Part III - Further Analysis and Discussion)

Welcome to ‘Episode 113 (Part III of III)’, in which we’ll be analysing Epicurean metaphysics and ethics.

You’re going to a party, but you don’t care if the other guests will like your dress. You pull onto your drive; you don’t consider what your neighbours will think of your car. You sell books that you’ve written, share photographs that you’ve taken, and post your thoughts on the world to any internet user who will listen – yet, you are unmoved and unmotivated by the popularity of your work.

Imagine if you didn’t have to worry about your career, your fame, or wealth. Imagine if you didn’t have to fret about falling in love or maintaining that love once you’ve found it. Imagine never feeling daunted by the fact you’re going to die, and that something may or may not be waiting for you beyond the grave. If you could free yourself from these anxieties, do you think you would be happy? Well, isn’t happiness the goal of life, after all?

According to the Epicureans, we should answer these questions with a resounding ‘yes’. For his followers, Epicurus worked out exactly how we can achieve this state of happiness and tranquillity, and the good news is that it is within reach for all of us. All we need to do is follow one principle: pursue pleasure and avoid pain. It’s just that simple.

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/focuses on what is natural and necessary

This episode is proudly sponsored by Gaston Luga backpacks.

Head over to www.gastonluga.com and get 15% off any purchase with the discount code PANPSYCAST.

Contents

Part I. The Path to Tranquility

Part II. Metaphysics, God, and Death

Part III. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 113, Epicurus and the Art of Happiness (Part II - Metaphysics, God, and Death)

Welcome to ‘Episode 113 (Part II of III)’, in which we’ll be discussing the metaphysics of Epicureanism.

You’re going to a party, but you don’t care if the other guests will like your dress. You pull onto your drive; you don’t consider what your neighbours will think of your car. You sell books that you’ve written, share photographs that you’ve taken, and post your thoughts on the world to any internet user who will listen – yet, you are unmoved and unmotivated by the popularity of your work.

Imagine if you didn’t have to worry about your career, your fame, or wealth. Imagine if you didn’t have to fret about falling in love or maintaining that love once you’ve found it. Imagine never feeling daunted by the fact you’re going to die, and that something may or may not be waiting for you beyond the grave. If you could free yourself from these anxieties, do you think you would be happy? Well, isn’t happiness the goal of life, after all?

According to the Epicureans, we should answer these questions with a resounding ‘yes’. For his followers, Epicurus worked out exactly how we can achieve this state of happiness and tranquillity, and the good news is that it is within reach for all of us. All we need to do is follow one principle: pursue pleasure and avoid pain. It’s just that simple.

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/focuses on what is natural and necessary

This episode is proudly sponsored by Gaston Luga backpacks.

Head over to www.gastonluga.com and get 15% off any purchase with the discount code PANPSYCAST.

Contents

Part I. The Path to Tranquility

Part II. Metaphysics, God, and Death

Part III. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 113, Epicurus and the Art of Happiness (Part I - The Path to Tranquility)

Welcome to ‘Episode 113 (Part I of III)’, in which we’ll be discussing the life and ethics of Epicurus.

You’re going to a party, but you don’t care if the other guests will like your dress. You pull onto your drive; you don’t consider what your neighbours will think of your car. You sell books that you’ve written, share photographs that you’ve taken, and post your thoughts on the world to any internet user who will listen – yet, you are unmoved and unmotivated by the popularity of your work.

Imagine if you didn’t have to worry about your career, your fame, or wealth. Imagine if you didn’t have to fret about falling in love or maintaining that love once you’ve found it. Imagine never feeling daunted by the fact you’re going to die, and that something may or may not be waiting for you beyond the grave. If you could free yourself from these anxieties, do you think you would be happy? Well, isn’t happiness the goal of life, after all?

According to the Epicureans, we should answer these questions with a resounding ‘yes’. For his followers, Epicurus worked out exactly how we can achieve this state of happiness and tranquillity, and the good news is that it is within reach for all of us. All we need to do is follow one principle: pursue pleasure and avoid pain. It’s just that simple.

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/focuses on what is natural and necessary

This episode is proudly sponsored by Gaston Luga backpacks.

Head over to www.gastonluga.com and get 15% off any purchase with the discount code PANPSYCAST.

Contents

Part I. The Path to Tranquility

Part II. Metaphysics, God, and Death

Part III. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 100, Plato's Cave (Part II - Souls)

Welcome to ‘Episode 100 (Part II of II)’, in which we’ll discussing the nature of the Platonic soul.

A philosophical education can feel like a long and arduous path. Sometimes you think you have seen the light; you think that you have knowledge, only to discover you knew nothing. It is times like this where the learner must examine their blind spots and begin their path to understanding once again while accepting that the next attempt might too end where it began.

The philosopher Plato likened this path to the ascent from a dark cave up into the light of the sun. He also said that those who have seen the illuminated world above have a responsibility to go back to show others the way. Today we go back, not because we have seen the sun, but because we have travelled the path enough to know we can do a little better than we did before. The blind leading the blind? Perhaps, but we might stumble into something interesting along the way.

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With special thanks to the following creators for their sound samples.

InspectorJ, InspectorJ(2), InspectorJ(3), InspectorJ(4), straget, jameswrowles, JG_Booysen, ethang, womb_affliction, bennychico11, HerbertBoland, ShadyDave, and 3bagbrew.

Contents

Part I. Forms

Part II. Souls

Episode 100, Plato's Cave (Part I - Forms)

Welcome to ‘Episode 100 (Part I of II)’, in which we’ll be discussing Plato’s allegory of the cave.

A philosophical education can feel like a long and arduous path. Sometimes you think you have seen the light; you think that you have knowledge, only to discover you knew nothing. It is times like this where the learner must examine their blind spots and begin their path to understanding once again while accepting that the next attempt might too end where it began.

The philosopher Plato likened this path to the ascent from a dark cave up into the light of the sun. He also said that those who have seen the illuminated world above have a responsibility to go back to show others the way. Today we go back, not because we have seen the sun, but because we have travelled the path enough to know we can do a little better than we did before. The blind leading the blind? Perhaps, but we might stumble into something interesting along the way.

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/escapes the cave

With special thanks to the following creators for their sound samples.

InspectorJ, InspectorJ(2), InspectorJ(3), InspectorJ(4), straget, jameswrowles, JG_Booysen, ethang, womb_affliction, bennychico11, HerbertBoland, ShadyDave, and 3bagbrew.

Contents

Part I. Forms

Part II. Souls

Episode 88, Buddhism (Part V - Further Analysis and Discussion)

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Welcome to 'Episode 88 (Part V of V)’, where we’ll be concluding our discussion of Buddhism, as well as engaging in some further analysis.

Jack was walking down a street. It was a day like any other. As ever, his mind was a flurry of thoughts, worries, and anxieties, stimulated by coffee and the bright light of his phone. In a bid to relieve his stress, he put his phone in his pocket, and tried to notice the details he would usually ignore. 

As he walked past the pharmacy, he saw a sick man coughing and spluttering; he was throwing medication back to stop his disease from decaying his body. Jack kept walking and came across an old woman waiting at a bus stop. She was fragile, crooked, and anxious; clearly age had taken much from her. Crossing the road away from the bus stop, he waited for the traffic to pass. Driving slowly past him was a hearse: a coffin on full display, surrounded by flowers, proceeded by a stream of weeping mourners. 

Jack fell to his knees, overwhelmed with despair, “we all get sick, we all age, and we all die. We cannot escape this fate!” His head against the pavement, he didn’t move for almost an hour. When he got up, he was approached by a homeless man, to whom he said, “sorry, I don’t have any change.” The man replied, “It is you who needs a little change, young monk. I know why you fall to your knees in despair: the inescapable suffering of life weighs on us all. Let me tell you of someone who was once like you, who tried to remove suffering from our minds… let me tell you the story of Siddhartha Gotama, The Buddha.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/escapes the cycle of rebirth
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This episode is proudly sponsored by Gaston Luga backpacks.

Head over to www.gastonluga.com and get 10% off any purchase with the discount code PANPSYCAST10.

Contents

Part I. The Life of Siddhārtha Gautama

Part II. The Four Noble Truths

Part III. The Cycle of Life

Part IV. The Eightfold Path

Part V. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 88, Buddhism (Part IV - The Eightfold Path)

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Welcome to 'Episode 88 (Part IV of V)’, where we’ll be discussing Buddhist practices and the eightfold path.

Jack was walking down a street. It was a day like any other. As ever, his mind was a flurry of thoughts, worries, and anxieties, stimulated by coffee and the bright light of his phone. In a bid to relieve his stress, he put his phone in his pocket, and tried to notice the details he would usually ignore. 

As he walked past the pharmacy, he saw a sick man coughing and spluttering; he was throwing medication back to stop his disease from decaying his body. Jack kept walking and came across an old woman waiting at a bus stop. She was fragile, crooked, and anxious; clearly age had taken much from her. Crossing the road away from the bus stop, he waited for the traffic to pass. Driving slowly past him was a hearse: a coffin on full display, surrounded by flowers, proceeded by a stream of weeping mourners. 

Jack fell to his knees, overwhelmed with despair, “we all get sick, we all age, and we all die. We cannot escape this fate!” His head against the pavement, he didn’t move for almost an hour. When he got up, he was approached by a homeless man, to whom he said, “sorry, I don’t have any change.” The man replied, “It is you who needs a little change, young monk. I know why you fall to your knees in despair: the inescapable suffering of life weighs on us all. Let me tell you of someone who was once like you, who tried to remove suffering from our minds… let me tell you the story of Siddhartha Gotama, The Buddha.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/escapes the cycle of rebirth
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This episode is proudly sponsored by the Reading Our Times podcast.

You can find Reading Our Times on all major streaming sites, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Deezer.

For more information, please visit www.theosthinktank.co.uk.

Contents

Part I. The Life of Siddhārtha Gautama

Part II. The Four Noble Truths

Part III. The Cycle of Life

Part IV. The Eightfold Path

Part V. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 88, Buddhism (Part III - The Cycle of Life)

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Welcome to 'Episode 88 (Part III of V)’, where we’ll be discussing Buddhist metaphysics.

Jack was walking down a street. It was a day like any other. As ever, his mind was a flurry of thoughts, worries, and anxieties, stimulated by coffee and the bright light of his phone. In a bid to relieve his stress, he put his phone in his pocket, and tried to notice the details he would usually ignore. 

As he walked past the pharmacy, he saw a sick man coughing and spluttering; he was throwing medication back to stop his disease from decaying his body. Jack kept walking and came across an old woman waiting at a bus stop. She was fragile, crooked, and anxious; clearly age had taken much from her. Crossing the road away from the bus stop, he waited for the traffic to pass. Driving slowly past him was a hearse: a coffin on full display, surrounded by flowers, proceeded by a stream of weeping mourners. 

Jack fell to his knees, overwhelmed with despair, “we all get sick, we all age, and we all die. We cannot escape this fate!” His head against the pavement, he didn’t move for almost an hour. When he got up, he was approached by a homeless man, to whom he said, “sorry, I don’t have any change.” The man replied, “It is you who needs a little change, young monk. I know why you fall to your knees in despair: the inescapable suffering of life weighs on us all. Let me tell you of someone who was once like you, who tried to remove suffering from our minds… let me tell you the story of Siddhartha Gotama, The Buddha.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/escapes the cycle of rebirth
Gaston+Luga+Panpsycast.jpg

This episode is proudly sponsored by Gaston Luga backpacks.

Head over to www.gastonluga.com and get 10% off any purchase with the discount code PANPSYCAST10.

Contents

Part I. The Life of Siddhārtha Gautama

Part II. The Four Noble Truths

Part III. The Cycle of Life

Part IV. The Eightfold Path

Part V. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 88, Buddhism (Part II - The Four Noble Truths)

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Welcome to 'Episode 88 (Part II of V)’, where we’ll be discussing the central teachings of Buddhism, the four noble truths.

Jack was walking down a street. It was a day like any other. As ever, his mind was a flurry of thoughts, worries, and anxieties, stimulated by coffee and the bright light of his phone. In a bid to relieve his stress, he put his phone in his pocket, and tried to notice the details he would usually ignore. 

As he walked past the pharmacy, he saw a sick man coughing and spluttering; he was throwing medication back to stop his disease from decaying his body. Jack kept walking and came across an old woman waiting at a bus stop. She was fragile, crooked, and anxious; clearly age had taken much from her. Crossing the road away from the bus stop, he waited for the traffic to pass. Driving slowly past him was a hearse: a coffin on full display, surrounded by flowers, proceeded by a stream of weeping mourners. 

Jack fell to his knees, overwhelmed with despair, “we all get sick, we all age, and we all die. We cannot escape this fate!” His head against the pavement, he didn’t move for almost an hour. When he got up, he was approached by a homeless man, to whom he said, “sorry, I don’t have any change.” The man replied, “It is you who needs a little change, young monk. I know why you fall to your knees in despair: the inescapable suffering of life weighs on us all. Let me tell you of someone who was once like you, who tried to remove suffering from our minds… let me tell you the story of Siddhartha Gotama, The Buddha.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/escapes the cycle of rebirth
reading-our-times-4ewYVvfaqWH-5rwVhZKeRxP.1400x1400.jpg

This episode is proudly sponsored by the Reading Our Times podcast.

You can find Reading Our Times on all major streaming sites, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Deezer.

For more information, please visit www.theosthinktank.co.uk.

Contents

Part I. The Life of Siddhārtha Gautama

Part II. The Four Noble Truths

Part III. The Cycle of Life

Part IV. The Eightfold Path

Part V. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 88, Buddhism (Part I - The Life of Siddhartha Gautama)

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Welcome to 'Episode 88 (Part I of V)’, where we’ll be discussing the life of the Buddha.

Jack was walking down a street. It was a day like any other. As ever, his mind was a flurry of thoughts, worries, and anxieties, stimulated by coffee and the bright light of his phone. In a bid to relieve his stress, he put his phone in his pocket, and tried to notice the details he would usually ignore. 

As he walked past the pharmacy, he saw a sick man coughing and spluttering; he was throwing medication back to stop his disease from decaying his body. Jack kept walking and came across an old woman waiting at a bus stop. She was fragile, crooked, and anxious; clearly age had taken much from her. Crossing the road away from the bus stop, he waited for the traffic to pass. Driving slowly past him was a hearse: a coffin on full display, surrounded by flowers, proceeded by a stream of weeping mourners. 

Jack fell to his knees, overwhelmed with despair, “we all get sick, we all age, and we all die. We cannot escape this fate!” His head against the pavement, he didn’t move for almost an hour. When he got up, he was approached by a homeless man, to whom he said, “sorry, I don’t have any change.” The man replied, “It is you who needs a little change, young monk. I know why you fall to your knees in despair: the inescapable suffering of life weighs on us all. Let me tell you of someone who was once like you, who tried to remove suffering from our minds… let me tell you the story of Siddhartha Gotama, The Buddha.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/escapes the cycle of rebirth
Gaston+Luga+Panpsycast.jpg

This episode is proudly sponsored by Gaston Luga backpacks.

Head over to www.gastonluga.com and get 10% off any purchase with the discount code PANPSYCAST10.

Contents

Part I. The Life of Siddhārtha Gautama

Part II. The Four Noble Truths

Part III. The Cycle of Life

Part IV. The Eightfold Path

Part V. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 87, Confucianism (Part IV - Further Analysis and Discussion)

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Welcome to 'Episode 87 (Part IV of IV)’, where we’ll be concluding our discussion of Confucian beliefs and practices, as well as engaging in some further analysis.

One day when Jack, Olly, and Andy were accompanying Confucius, Confucius said: “Why don’t each of you tell me what you have your mind set on.”

Andy was the first to reply, he said he wanted to be as profitable and the prestigious as the Duke of Zhou. Once he had profit and prestige, he could have all things his heart desired. 

Jack, having suspected that Andy had given a poor response, said he wished to cultivate humanness by helping others to help themselves. He wanted to allow others to see how their selfishness prevented them from becoming truly human and from experiencing true joy. 

Finally, Olly simply responded that he wished not to make any promises he couldn’t keep but that he hoped to learn from the ancients, respect the roles he had been assigned, and care for his friends and family. 

Confucius sat quietly for a moment and then said: “Andy, you have mistaken what made the Duke of Zhou so well pleased. Jack, you have said the right words but for the wrong reason. Olly, you can learn from the ancients but also from your less capable friends, see if you share any of their qualities.”

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Contents

Part I. The Life of Confucius

Part II. The Analects

Part III. Practices

Part IV. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 87, Confucianism (Part III - Practices)

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Welcome to 'Episode 87 (Part III of IV)’ where we’ll be discussing Confucian practices.

One day when Jack, Olly, and Andy were accompanying Confucius, Confucius said: “Why don’t each of you tell me what you have your mind set on.”

Andy was the first to reply, he said he wanted to be as profitable and the prestigious as the Duke of Zhou. Once he had profit and prestige, he could have all things his heart desired. 

Jack, having suspected that Andy had given a poor response, said he wished to cultivate humanness by helping others to help themselves. He wanted to allow others to see how their selfishness prevented them from becoming truly human and from experiencing true joy. 

Finally, Olly simply responded that he wished not to make any promises he couldn’t keep but that he hoped to learn from the ancients, respect the roles he had been assigned, and care for his friends and family. 

Confucius sat quietly for a moment and then said: “Andy, you have mistaken what made the Duke of Zhou so well pleased. Jack, you have said the right words but for the wrong reason. Olly, you can learn from the ancients but also from your less capable friends, see if you share any of their qualities.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/steals a sheep

Contents

Part I. The Life of Confucius

Part II. The Analects

Part III. Practices

Part IV. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 87, Confucianism (Part II - The Analects)

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Welcome to 'Episode 87 (Part II of IV)’ where we’ll be discussing Confucius’ central teachings.

One day when Jack, Olly, and Andy were accompanying Confucius, Confucius said: “Why don’t each of you tell me what you have your mind set on.”

Andy was the first to reply, he said he wanted to be as profitable and the prestigious as the Duke of Zhou. Once he had profit and prestige, he could have all things his heart desired. 

Jack, having suspected that Andy had given a poor response, said he wished to cultivate humanness by helping others to help themselves. He wanted to allow others to see how their selfishness prevented them from becoming truly human and from experiencing true joy. 

Finally, Olly simply responded that he wished not to make any promises he couldn’t keep but that he hoped to learn from the ancients, respect the roles he had been assigned, and care for his friends and family. 

Confucius sat quietly for a moment and then said: “Andy, you have mistaken what made the Duke of Zhou so well pleased. Jack, you have said the right words but for the wrong reason. Olly, you can learn from the ancients but also from your less capable friends, see if you share any of their qualities.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/steals a sheep

Contents

Part I. The Life of Confucius

Part II. The Analects

Part III. Practices

Part IV. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 87, Confucianism (Part I - The Life of Confucius)

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Welcome to 'Episode 87 (Part I of IV)’ where we’ll be discussing the life of Kǒng Fūzǐ.

One day when Jack, Olly, and Andy were accompanying Confucius, Confucius said: “Why don’t each of you tell me what you have your mind set on.”

Andy was the first to reply, he said he wanted to be as profitable and the prestigious as the Duke of Zhou. Once he had profit and prestige, he could have all things his heart desired. 

Jack, having suspected that Andy had given a poor response, said he wished to cultivate humanness by helping others to help themselves. He wanted to allow others to see how their selfishness prevented them from becoming truly human and from experiencing true joy. 

Finally, Olly simply responded that he wished not to make any promises he couldn’t keep but that he hoped to learn from the ancients, respect the roles he had been assigned, and care for his friends and family. 

Confucius sat quietly for a moment and then said: “Andy, you have mistaken what made the Duke of Zhou so well pleased. Jack, you have said the right words but for the wrong reason. Olly, you can learn from the ancients but also from your less capable friends, see if you share any of their qualities.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/steals a sheep

Contents

Part I. The Life of Confucius

Part II. The Analects

Part III. Practices

Part IV. Further Analysis and Discussion

Episode 86, Taoism (Part IV - Further Analysis and Discussion)

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Welcome to 'Episode 86 (Part IV of IV)’ where we’ll be analysing the philosophy of Taoism.

There was once a wise farmer named Oliver who, enjoying the evening’s sun at the end of a summer’s day, watched on as one of his prized horses escaped from his farm. That evening, having heard the news, Jack and Andrew came to Oliver’s farm to express their sympathies. Oliver turned to his neighbours upon their arrival and said, “maybe.”

The next day the horse returned, but brought with it six wild horses. Jack and Andrew, seeing the horses from their homes, ran to Oliver’s exclaiming his good fortune. Olly turned to the men and said, “maybe.”

The following day, Oliver tried to saddle and ride one of the wild horses. He was thrown off the horse’s back and broke his leg. Jack and Andrew came to offer their condolences for the misfortune. Sat upright in his bed, without a wince, Oliver spoke clearly to the men once more, “maybe.” 

The day after that, conscription officers came to the village to recruit soldiers for the army, but because of his broken leg, Oliver was rejected. 

Relieved, Jack and Andrew came to Oliver to proclaim how fortunately everything had turned out. Olly turned to them and answered, “maybe.”

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Contents

Part I. The Life of Lao Tzu

Part II. The Tao Te Ching

Part III. Practices

Part IV. Further Analysis and Discussion

Links

Tao Te Ching (Penguin)

Lao Tzu (Stanford Encyclopedia)

Taoism (Stanford Encylopedia)

The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet, Benjamin Hoff

Compare Translations of the Tao Te Ching

Episode 86, Taoism (Part III - Practices)

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Welcome to 'Episode 86 (Part III of IV)’ where we’ll be discussing the ethical and spiritual practices of Taoism.

There was once a wise farmer named Oliver who, enjoying the evening’s sun at the end of a summer’s day, watched on as one of his prized horses escaped from his farm. That evening, having heard the news, Jack and Andrew came to Oliver’s farm to express their sympathies. Oliver turned to his neighbours upon their arrival and said, “maybe.”

The next day the horse returned, but brought with it six wild horses. Jack and Andrew, seeing the horses from their homes, ran to Oliver’s exclaiming his good fortune. Olly turned to the men and said, “maybe.”

The following day, Oliver tried to saddle and ride one of the wild horses. He was thrown off the horse’s back and broke his leg. Jack and Andrew came to offer their condolences for the misfortune. Sat upright in his bed, without a wince, Oliver spoke clearly to the men once more, “maybe.” 

The day after that, conscription officers came to the village to recruit soldiers for the army, but because of his broken leg, Oliver was rejected. 

Relieved, Jack and Andrew came to Oliver to proclaim how fortunately everything had turned out. Olly turned to them and answered, “maybe.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/follows the Tao

Contents

Part I. The Life of Lao Tzu

Part II. The Tao Te Ching

Part III. Practices

Part IV. Further Analysis and Discussion

Links

Tao Te Ching (Penguin)

Lao Tzu (Stanford Encyclopedia)

Taoism (Stanford Encylopedia)

The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet, Benjamin Hoff

Compare Translations of the Tao Te Ching

Episode 86, Taoism (Part II - The Tao Te Ching)

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Welcome to 'Episode 86 (Part II of IV)’ where we’ll be discussing the Tao Te Ching.

There was once a wise farmer named Oliver who, enjoying the evening’s sun at the end of a summer’s day, watched on as one of his prized horses escaped from his farm. That evening, having heard the news, Jack and Andrew came to Oliver’s farm to express their sympathies. Oliver turned to his neighbours upon their arrival and said, “maybe.”

The next day the horse returned, but brought with it six wild horses. Jack and Andrew, seeing the horses from their homes, ran to Oliver’s exclaiming his good fortune. Olly turned to the men and said, “maybe.”

The following day, Oliver tried to saddle and ride one of the wild horses. He was thrown off the horse’s back and broke his leg. Jack and Andrew came to offer their condolences for the misfortune. Sat upright in his bed, without a wince, Oliver spoke clearly to the men once more, “maybe.” 

The day after that, conscription officers came to the village to recruit soldiers for the army, but because of his broken leg, Oliver was rejected. 

Relieved, Jack and Andrew came to Oliver to proclaim how fortunately everything had turned out. Olly turned to them and answered, “maybe.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/follows the Tao

Contents

Part I. The Life of Lao Tzu

Part II. The Tao Te Ching

Part III. Practices

Part IV. Further Analysis and Discussion

Links

Tao Te Ching (Penguin)

Lao Tzu (Stanford Encyclopedia)

Taoism (Stanford Encylopedia)

The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet, Benjamin Hoff

Compare Translations of the Tao Te Ching

Episode 86, Taoism (Part I - The Life of Lao Tzu)

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Welcome to 'Episode 86 (Part I of IV)’ where we’ll be discussing the life and context of Lao Tzu.

There was once a wise farmer named Oliver who, enjoying the evening’s sun at the end of a summer’s day, watched on as one of his prized horses escaped from his farm. That evening, having heard the news, Jack and Andrew came to Oliver’s farm to express their sympathies. Oliver turned to his neighbours upon their arrival and said, “maybe.”

The next day the horse returned, but brought with it six wild horses. Jack and Andrew, seeing the horses from their homes, ran to Oliver’s exclaiming his good fortune. Olly turned to the men and said, “maybe.”

The following day, Oliver tried to saddle and ride one of the wild horses. He was thrown off the horse’s back and broke his leg. Jack and Andrew came to offer their condolences for the misfortune. Sat upright in his bed, without a wince, Oliver spoke clearly to the men once more, “maybe.” 

The day after that, conscription officers came to the village to recruit soldiers for the army, but because of his broken leg, Oliver was rejected. 

Relieved, Jack and Andrew came to Oliver to proclaim how fortunately everything had turned out. Olly turned to them and answered, “maybe.”

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/follows the Tao

Contents

Part I. The Life of Lao Tzu

Part II. The Tao Te Ching

Part III. Practices

Part IV. Further Analysis and Discussion

Links

Tao Te Ching (Penguin)

Lao Tzu (Stanford Encyclopedia)

Taoism (Stanford Encylopedia)

The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet, Benjamin Hoff

Compare Translations of the Tao Te Ching

Episode 73, Plato’s Phaedo: The Death of Socrates (Part IV - The Death of Socrates, Further Analysis and Discussion)

Classic Cast.jpg

Welcome to 'Episode 73 (Part IV of IV)', where we'll be bringing our series to an end with Socrates’ death, and some further analysis and discussion.

Let me tell you about the day Socrates drank the poison. You must be aware of his trial and apology? The Athenians have not stopped talking about it since Meletus and the others condemned him. Do not worry, he did not die in fear and nor is he truly gone. He argued his case much like he always had. He died the philosopher’s death, having practiced for it his entire life.

What does this mean? Socrates spoke persuasively about matters concerning the immortality of the soul. He said the life of a true philosopher helps the prisoner, chained hand and foot in their body, to escape from the dark cave of ignorance and into the light of wisdom. This, in turn, provides the soul with the perfect means to release itself from the body after death.

When the hour arrived, and Socrates finally took the hemlock, he did not flinch. Those of us who bore witness could not help but shed a tear – we were not as brave as the wise man who lay before us. What? You would like to hear more? Are you not convinced of the immortality that Socrates proposed? Come, take a seat, I will tell you the full story…

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/prepares for death

Contents

Part I. The Soul and Body

Part II. Arguments for the Soul’s Immortality

Part III. In Defence of Immortality

Part IV. The Death of Socrates, Further Analysis and Discussion

Attributions

Thank you to the following creators for allowing us to use their work in this episode.

Tri-Tachyon: https://soundcloud.com/tri-tachyon/albums.

PSOVOD: https://freesound.org/people/PSOVOD/sounds/416057.

All other music and sound effects used in Episode 73, Plato’s Phaedo (Parts I-IV) are fully licensed. To request certificates, please contact jack@thepanpsycast.com.

Episode 73, Plato’s Phaedo: The Death of Socrates (Part III - In Defence of Immortality)

Classic Cast.jpg

Welcome to 'Episode 73 (Part III of IV)', where we'll be reading and analysing the arguments against the soul’s immortality.

Let me tell you about the day Socrates drank the poison. You must be aware of his trial and apology? The Athenians have not stopped talking about it since Meletus and the others condemned him. Do not worry, he did not die in fear and nor is he truly gone. He argued his case much like he always had. He died the philosopher’s death, having practiced for it his entire life.

What does this mean? Socrates spoke persuasively about matters concerning the immortality of the soul. He said the life of a true philosopher helps the prisoner, chained hand and foot in their body, to escape from the dark cave of ignorance and into the light of wisdom. This, in turn, provides the soul with the perfect means to release itself from the body after death.

When the hour arrived, and Socrates finally took the hemlock, he did not flinch. Those of us who bore witness could not help but shed a tear – we were not as brave as the wise man who lay before us. What? You would like to hear more? Are you not convinced of the immortality that Socrates proposed? Come, take a seat, I will tell you the full story…

The file size is large, please be patient whilst the podcast buffers/downloads/prepares for death

Contents

Part I. The Soul and Body

Part II. Arguments for the Soul’s Immortality

Part III. In Defence of Immortality

Part IV. The Death of Socrates, Further Analysis and Discussion

Attributions

Thank you to the following creators for allowing us to use their work in this episode.

Tri-Tachyon: https://soundcloud.com/tri-tachyon/albums.

PSOVOD: https://freesound.org/people/PSOVOD/sounds/416057.

All other music and sound effects used in Episode 73, Plato’s Phaedo (Parts I-IV) are fully licensed. To request certificates, please contact jack@thepanpsycast.com.