Thank you professor. May you rest in peace and in the comfort of eternal gratitude, as we are so very thankful for the work. It's my understanding that Sugrue was a fan of Kierkegaard, and if it wasn't for his enthusiasm I would have never made the big steps of going back and reading the source materials for myself. The professor truly inspired me, and it will never be forgotten. Michael Sugrue, I know your body has lost its flame of life, but the light and warmth of your teachings will live on for many many moons to come. Thank you. You will not be forgotten ❤
I'm devastated to hear this only just now... what...? Michael will always be a companion for me in my philisophical inquiries. May his soul Rest in Peace. One of the great articulators of philosophy who built a vehicle we could all utilize for deeper understanding and truth, Michael Sugrue.
@@LostSoulAscension yes indeed! The great professor, Michael Sugrue inspired many with his skill and passion, I myself amongst them as well. Cheers to you friend, and may he live long in our hearts and thoughts!
@@JoseSanchez-zo5tb lols not to come at you & Mr walter, but read the book 'four arguments for the elimination of television' by Jerry Mander for an in depth description of how lighting and technicality affect interest in a 'video'(those descriptions only take up a few chapters of the book, but read it anyway, it's an AMAZING book), you'd be surprised. I think the original comment meant that Prof. Sugrue's lectures can easily sustain our interest without all these technologically advanced ways of keeping our attention, because even without having read Manders book, if you're into the advertising sect/film-making sect, you are probably ultra-aware of all these methods as you watch any film or video, i know i sure am. I hope you do not find any offence in my comment, I am just sharing a perspective.
@@jjs8426 Youre actualaly right, i havent seen a philosophical lecture either with all these editing tricks but i mean almost any other video on youtube, try watching a mainstream philosophy video, or any top 10 philosophy youtube channels, the cuts and the changing between screens happens every 5 seconds, and that's how they keep you there, there's a guy that makes book summarys and he even admitted to doing all those filming tricks, like actually who out of the general populace is gonna sit there and listen to a 10 min video about, lets say, spinoza if its not manipulated to make it seem enjoyable
This professor is as cool as the other side of the pillow. His presentations are smooth, articulate, no um’s, no notes. I admire his style and respect his knowledge of the subject. Nicely achieved! 👍
@@arronmiller7229 Major major cap. Michael Sugrue is brilliant in his own right; to say otherwise is just riding the JP hype train. Been a fan of Peterson long before he blew up and both his and Sugrue’s interpretations on contemporary literature, great thinkers and existential quandaries are on the upper echelon of modern thought. JP has the edge on Sugrue but not nearly as large of a gap as you’re insinuating.
@@edwinbeta2806 One or two. As the great Alan Watts once said, people who are interesting, are interested. I'm pretty sure someone who is passionate about toilet bowls, of all things, would have the power to make it interesting enough to make other people go down the rabbit hole. It's amazing that we get to have this, for free, no less.
This has to be one of the best lectures ever. This guy has a real talent. His pace is perfect, his deliverance is smooth. He strips the profound questions bare naked so we all can see what terribly tough choices we face.
I hope your father is doing well. I revisit these lectures often, they are on e pedestal above all others, Professor Sugrue explains in a way that connects directly to anyone. This is education at its finest.
No they can’t because you momentarily reached bliss and now it ceased and that is life and death. God and the devil dancing. Yin and yang. Positive and negative. 1+1.
Yes if they got rid of the truly cheesy and cliche classical music at the beginning. Oh who am I kidding. Sincere cliche and sincere cheesiness is as endearing as it is nauseating
My University doesn't offer a philosophy course, so you can imagine how ecstatic I was when the algorithm suggested this channel to me. Brilliant lectures, looks like I can take a philosophy course after all!
The channel Wireless Philosophy has playlists on different philosophical topics, and all videos are 8-10 minute presentations by actual Philosophy Professors. There's also a general Philosophy series by Oxford university. I also recommend the channel called Closer to Truth, where a brain scientist interviews mainly philosophers, theologians, and scientists about topics related to their fields of study. There are also tons of other actual Philosophy Professors who upload their course content. ua-cam.com/users/WirelessPhilosophyplaylists ua-cam.com/play/PL2FEB728FF960FBD9.html ua-cam.com/users/CloserToTruthTV I wish you many interesting discoveries!
I listened to these lectures years ago and loved them. I am awestruck to find them again. Sugrue is so clear and articulate. He can break down some of the most complex philosophical ideas in a way that any intelligent person can understand.
Everyone who is watching his videos should hit the subscribe button, even though he has passed away his channel deserves millions of subscribers. We miss you, Thank you Professor.
If a brilliant scriptwriter wrote a script and format for these lectures to follow, Sugrue's own phenomenal lecture would make it seem trite. Sugrue, moves seamlessly from not just topic to topic, but, from paragraph to paragraph like a VERY well written book. This, is what blows my mind about this guy.
This stands out amongst his lectures. Beautifully laying out a tour de force of ideas and speaking with such passion and poetry that leaves me mesmerized even after multiple listens.
I haven't taken a philosophy course since college, over 25 years ago, yet this man, makes philosophy accesible and fun to get into...God bless this man !
in the case of Abraham@Isac- it is a story and not a history (as all the Bible) - Kierkegaard fights a phantom:God, who forbids to murder (Decalogue nr 6),here, wants someone to do sth contra? No sense at all. Biblical hermeneutics (probably some footnotes with an explanation in many Bibles would clarify it; Story is composed of two written sources,E and "RJE". Hegel's logic was perfectly anti-Aristotelian,contra classical principles of identity,non contradiction and excluded middle.
I am currently reading Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing by Kierkegaard and your lecture really illuminates the book and author for me. Thank you very much.
I came across this book and am reading it now. I just told my pastor after church this morning, "This is the first philosopy book I totally understand and can go further with." PS: The author's dedication won me over before I even began reading --- "To that solitary individual" 'this little work is dedicated.'
Kierkegaard creates an amusing paradox by defining the ethical existence in opposition to the traditional Greek rational approach by framing it within a rationalized framework. Perhaps his desire to be that ethical man while being unable to diaregard his need to be rational created his philosophical melancholy. Creating a dichotomy that one cannot reconcile within oneself certainly, at least at a glance, seems a recipe for internal anguish. One of the most difficult aspects of practicing faith while attempting to be rational is accepting that certain facts amd ideas are unknowable and incomprehensible; to use the gifts of reason and free will, results of being created in God's own image, while submitting to the idea of being unable to grasp the infinite and seemingly paradoxical nature of the omnipotent and supernatural that separates God from his creation. Choosing to believe, to utilize gifts and talents, but to accept an unscratchable itch of unfathomability is a task and a burden, given unto us almost as if pointing us directly to a need for prayer and meditation through which to know Him and His will, both celebrating our role as children and humbling us in our limitations.
Ah the classic defense of mysticism, for how do we know god or how could we ever know god in any true manner. What you failed to see is that Kierkegaard is pointing out how this sort of contradictory views that religious people find themselves with what is truth or what is false, is that it requires a tacit need to retain faith an innately irrational need to rely on the system of belief and belief in god to fullfil our burning desires for a true belief. The reality is there is no true belief! Most likely the Abrahamic god of the 10,000 year old universe isn’t real and most likely Zeus isn’t sitting upon mount Olympus observing us. Reason is flawed but to paradoxically be faithful yet also rational is what anguishes modern man as he tries to meet two opposing ideals yet is expected to wholly accept both. It’s about taking a path, entering a pedagogy that is removed from the framework of loyalty to a system of belief but rather into a realm of dispersed perceptive understanding of the world which very much can include forms of spirituality.
@@Bibky What I was getting at was not a defense of mysticism so much as a thought on the difficulty of being Kierkegaard; to create a mutually exclusive dichotomy between faith an reason, and to have to define the path that abandons reason using reason, much like attempting to define chaos by using patterns, and is almost exactly what you described: anguish fueled by an inability to reconcile faith and reason. The latter part of what I had to say was more a personal rebuttal againt the need for such a dichotomy, and that a practitioner of faith can and should use reason; they should apply logic and scrutiny to the world amd their own existence, but must come to terms with the unknowable nature of the supernatural and admit a certain level of inability to fit it into a neatly structured framework. Essentially, I am stating that a faithful person can be rational and pregmatic, but must be able to accept that they will not find complete answers to all of their questions if they are not to be dragged down by the weight of trying to force the irrational and rational into a complete, reconciled structure.
@@bananonymouslastname5693 I agree with you on this. Kierkegaard dealing in absolutes is his great flaw. The ideas as presented here suggest that our faculties can't stay connected and balanced. A professing Christian should understand that they are embodied creatures created by a sovereign and absolute God; and that created man is a creature incapable of being the absolute. They have passions, intellect, and feelings, all of which have a right way of being. So while there is truth to the aesthetic man vs. ethical man distinction, that mainly applies to the extremes of each, to the point of dehumanization. People find themselves in anguish when trying to live in those extremes. G.K. Chesterton has the great quote about how a madman has lost everything BUT his reason, Kierkegaard's ethical life seems to fit this as well. Kierkegaard might then call me an aesthetic man because I believe there is right way of enjoying pleasures in creation... luckily for us he's not the judge!
38:23 is answered in Rom 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Profoundly beneficial resolution of the existential problem. I made my decision to go with God in 1978, and have never regretted it. And btw, that God revealed himself through his son's sacrifice at Calvary and subsequent Resurrection.
So you will kill your children if asked to? Throughout history, some people have killed their child because they thought God told them to. This isn't a moral choice but one of unquestioning acceptance of dogma.
I love these lectures and relied on them heavily when I was studying for my comprehensive exams. This format inspired me to create my own philosophy and theology channel/podcast.
@@allthingsgardencad9726 if this is the case it is always the case and not just when its beneficial. there are no moral objections to the victories of the other
@@shaunkerr8721 I've always preferred concise and thorough lectures, with a dash of humility. As opposed to the undisciplined ravings of a man with deep-seated emotional liabilities. If you can't stop yourself from crying or raging behind the mic, maybe you don't need to be behind the mic.
@@CaptainPieBeard Preferences and perspectives are valuable, regardless of the facts surrounding the likability, discipline, and/or objectivity of the individual giving them. My issue isn't w AJ, whom I am not a fan of, but, is w the precedent it sets. Perhaps you are an optimist and believe such actions lead to a change in others perspectives and such silencing will be used judiciously and not for political, corporate, and/or religious ends, but, I am more pessimistic in this regard. In the eight months since posting this I have seen several other channels silenced/defunded on this platform for increasingly banal infractions. Control always starts w silencing the obvious whom many would rather see go away and then cascades into other domains of speech through forced silence (at worst) or has a chilling effect on free speech leading to ppl communicating less through choice (at best). Either option is wrong, IMHO. Humility is of no consideration to me; it is purely an aesthetical choice.
@@shaunkerr8721 I'm not commenting on Jones' relationship with society. I'm just commenting on the fact that I don't find him to be a good example of "soulful nutrition". I find him to be the opposite and he pushes people away from some of the correct points he often makes. Though I suppose you're correct and that does just come down to aesthetics. I would agree with you that silencing him is deeply unsettling and sets a terrible precedent.
@@CaptainPieBeardSince Alex Jones is a vulgar violent animal alcoholic who can’t control himself and continually lies, terrorizes, DEFAMES…. he should be muzzled. A $1.1 BILLION verdict didn’t do it then hopefully banning him will.
I learned of Christian Existentialism from a friend. I didn't research it a whole lot as it was before the Internet. However, what did happen was an acknowledgement that switched my brain onto the rails it needed to better understand what faith meant. To be a Christian is to have faith in the knowledge of Christ and his life and death. Christians mistaken this faith as fact or as we often put it "I know Christ is the Savior", or something to that effect. Well, what I learned is freedom from the doubt of your faith and how to gain more faith is fundamentally wrought in letting go of this falsehood of "you know". If you knew you would have been there but that is not possible, so you live on faith. Most of life is faith based. We believe a lot of things happened but we weren't there to know for certain. So accept the idea that most of your belief system is based on a presumption of the truth or what you believe to be true, and that's okay. But once you understand this, you no longer can carry I know Christ, blah blah blah, and can live peacefully in the idea that you humbly believe in Him. Once you do this all the puffery of religion goes away and you don't even need the church anymore to reaffirm what you already believe to be the truth. This is what the brain needs. It needs peace in what you believe, not puffery to ensure your beliefs are in tact. In these cases, they are not in tact, they just make for a very rigid and an undesirable Christian.
@@TheGreatAustino You don't have "to know that you are right" about Christ. You have to have faith in his factual death. Yes, it is a fact that Jesus was murdered and there is no body because we do believe its true, he did rise from the dead. Just keep it simple and ignore all man made belief. No church, no Jesus freaks, no nonsense. Just you and your faith. That's it. Don't complicate it. Americans make money off you by complicating topics such as this. Stop falling for it.
Your comment made me realize that faith and rationality aren't necessarily dichotomous. First of all, in the sense that your comment about Christian existentialism makes rational sense. Secondly, that by rejecting metaphysics (in the sense of abstract objects), you ultimately put all your faith in human psychology and experience. Much like what Hume describes in the problem of induction. Thus the Thologian and empiricist aren't really separated by means of faith/rationality in of themselves, but by faith in God
Kierkegaard is without a doubt my favorite "modern" philosopher, only just a hair behind Kant by necessary concession (it's hard to dethrone Kant's spot at the top, even if I may have drawn more substance from Kierkegaard in actuality, primarily because of his position as being my introduction to secular philosophical thought and therefore holding a special place in my heart). My favorite work by him is a smaller less well-known essay titled "The Crowd is Untruth", it resonated with me so strongly and tied together many of my loose threads of thought so tightly that it spontaneously sprung inside me an endless well of thankfulness and respect for the man who brought such soothing words to my thirsting soul. Of course, he has many other classic seminal works that deserve mention, "Either/or", "Fear and Trembling", and "The Concept of Anxiety", come immediately to mind as very influential on my spiritual growth. Many take away a depressive overviee from his works but they've always had the opposite effect on me, I inevitably come away more invigorated and lively from Kierkegaard; the dark contemplations he sets me are merely straight and narrow paths which when walked faithfully lead to endless joyful enlightening.
Amazing lecturer. Thank you! In my experience, the only other spellbinding lecturer Of this intellectual category (that I had as an undergrad) was Harvey Goldberg teaching World Revolutions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1964.
I’ve never heard the “absurdity of faith” put into a philosophical perspective so concisely in which it makes it seem not so absurd. Really enjoyed this.
Nothing can replace the actual experience that a long life provides. Too often, people who are too young but with lots of energy are seriously considered by others who are too young to discern whether they should lend credence to what is being communicated.
long life often comes to consideration of God people run on the proverbial exercise wheel their whole lives empty choice to empty choice only to at the end come to the most important questions either or
I wondered what Kierkegaard would have made of Plato's Symposium (or Phaedrus), which in total contrast, sees the aesthetic as a very means of divine transcendence. Thankfully a google search reveals he wrote on the subject. A good place to start for those of us skeptical - at least at some level - with Kierkegaard and Existentialisms general bifurcation of the human condition.
I can’t believe I can access so much quality information and, frankly, wisdom , for free 🤷🏻♂️ modern times are shite when it comes to society and politics and stuff. But on the other hand it’s all good man 🤣😂 Thank you prof. Sugrue ! ❤️👍🏻
How are modern times good, when the planet is burning because we only care about pleasure, and our politicians, our multinationals and billionaires don't care to do anything about it, because they only care about getting re-elected, about stock prices, about making the next big product? Kierkegaard is dead on the money when he says aesthetic pleasure is self-destructive.
Truly spoiled in this time. People pay very good money for lectures like these in the past. Now I can wake up, smoke a joint, and literally injest some of the best lectures ever. Amazing.
@@DarkAngelEU You have to be able to acknowledge the mind’s natural tendency towards pessimism, and differentiate between the good and the bad. We live in an age where living conditions have massively improved for the ordinary person. Just 100 years ago living conditions were markedly worse. And although the internet is undoubtedly a cesspit, there’s plenty of great, free easily-accessible knowledge and wisdom for those who seek it out. The world is far from perfect, but historically it’s been a lot worse. Thankfully awareness for global warming and how we’ve devastated the biosphere has been exponentially increasing the past couple of years, and I believe humans are going to make great progress in preserving the planet for posterity.
@34:00 approximate time, Abraham did argue, (bargain?) in a way, with God when God said He was going to destroy Sodom. Abraham asked: "What if there are twenty righteous people there?" or something like that. Moses and Ezekiel, argued or bargained, with God. God refused to cook his food as God told him. God then changed the request.
I've come to the conclusion after decades of trying to decide what is true that I will believe whatever I set out to believe and put in the effort to learn. There will never be a way for me to know if I'm right.
I totally agree with Kierkegaard's definition of the human condition and his definition of true faith. That means I disagree with Sugrue's conclusion that Soren is a disturbed individual. What a great lecture.
I know that this lesson is given with the undertones that religious belief is a generally frowned upon position to take, but this if anything further strengthens my personal belief.
The frustration of life is when you're young you have all the time in the world to read and learn from the great philosophers. When you're older, you have the experience and wisdom necessary to contextually understand the writings of these philosopher. Unfortunately as we gain wisdom, we trade it for time. And the exchange rate isn't as negotiable as we often like to believe. Time can be wasted, wisdom can be ignored, but the efficiency of the exchange rate between time and experience still holds true. This truth may inform the reasoning behind the meek nature of many of our elders, despite their wisdom and experiences surpassing anything we can hope to achieve in our younger years and the more impetuous and head strong nature we possess in those years.
Bravo!! A great conduit of lofty ideas, doing them justice at every turn. Never would have heard this were it not for this technology. What a man, what a time!
Thank you professor. May you rest in peace and in the comfort of eternal gratitude, as we are so very thankful for the work. It's my understanding that Sugrue was a fan of Kierkegaard, and if it wasn't for his enthusiasm I would have never made the big steps of going back and reading the source materials for myself. The professor truly inspired me, and it will never be forgotten. Michael Sugrue, I know your body has lost its flame of life, but the light and warmth of your teachings will live on for many many moons to come. Thank you. You will not be forgotten ❤
Absolutely
I'm devastated to hear this only just now... what...? Michael will always be a companion for me in my philisophical inquiries. May his soul Rest in Peace. One of the great articulators of philosophy who built a vehicle we could all utilize for deeper understanding and truth, Michael Sugrue.
@@LostSoulAscension yes indeed! The great professor, Michael Sugrue inspired many with his skill and passion, I myself amongst them as well. Cheers to you friend, and may he live long in our hearts and thoughts!
When did he pass away?
@@zak87 February 2024
No fancy lighting, no elaborate editing, just pure brilliance and erudition. Thank you Mr Michael, we owe you a lot.
Seriously. Does he not realize recordings exist prior to today? He’s trying to sound unnecessarily poetic
@@JoseSanchez-zo5tb lols not to come at you & Mr walter, but read the book 'four arguments for the elimination of television' by Jerry Mander for an in depth description of how lighting and technicality affect interest in a 'video'(those descriptions only take up a few chapters of the book, but read it anyway, it's an AMAZING book), you'd be surprised. I think the original comment meant that Prof. Sugrue's lectures can easily sustain our interest without all these technologically advanced ways of keeping our attention, because even without having read Manders book, if you're into the advertising sect/film-making sect, you are probably ultra-aware of all these methods as you watch any film or video, i know i sure am.
I hope you do not find any offence in my comment, I am just sharing a perspective.
Its Philosophy... actually I've never seen a Philosophical lecture or video with fancy lighting or elaborate editing
@@fibonacci3138 Yes, however WHO is out there making these kinds of videos you speak of?
@@jjs8426 Youre actualaly right, i havent seen a philosophical lecture either with all these editing tricks but i mean almost any other video on youtube, try watching a mainstream philosophy video, or any top 10 philosophy youtube channels, the cuts and the changing between screens happens every 5 seconds, and that's how they keep you there, there's a guy that makes book summarys and he even admitted to doing all those filming tricks, like actually who out of the general populace is gonna sit there and listen to a 10 min video about, lets say, spinoza if its not manipulated to make it seem enjoyable
This professor is as cool as the other side of the pillow. His presentations are smooth, articulate, no um’s, no notes. I admire his style and respect his knowledge of the subject. Nicely achieved! 👍
I caught an "um" around 20:05
couldn't agree more ;)
Cool as the other side of the pillow
But plenty of Now...
Who tf say nicely achieve ☠️
A gift to humanity, rest in peace , your light will guide us forward!
Im going to tell my children this is Jordan Peterson
Hahahaha, great comment!
LMAO
JP is a false Prophet
@@arronmiller7229 JP is a hack
@@arronmiller7229 Major major cap. Michael Sugrue is brilliant in his own right; to say otherwise is just riding the JP hype train. Been a fan of Peterson long before he blew up and both his and Sugrue’s interpretations on contemporary literature, great thinkers and existential quandaries are on the upper echelon of modern thought. JP has the edge on Sugrue but not nearly as large of a gap as you’re insinuating.
Professor Sugrue is definitely one our best. Soren Kierkegaard. This is priceless.
"Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom."
Soren Kierkegaard
That part on boredom really hit me to my inner core.
What an icon. How I wish I'd had such passionate teachers growing up.
Perhaps there were some. Public speaking/lecturing/teaching is a skill and gift
@@edwinbeta2806 One or two. As the great Alan Watts once said, people who are interesting, are interested. I'm pretty sure someone who is passionate about toilet bowls, of all things, would have the power to make it interesting enough to make other people go down the rabbit hole. It's amazing that we get to have this, for free, no less.
He is really good. But it is really surprising how little do Westerners know about religions.
This has to be one of the best lectures ever. This guy has a real talent. His pace is perfect, his deliverance is smooth. He strips the profound questions bare naked so we all can see what terribly tough choices we face.
I hope your father is doing well. I revisit these lectures often, they are on e pedestal above all others, Professor Sugrue explains in a way that connects directly to anyone. This is education at its finest.
Agree! Very nicely said “This is education at its finest!”
Can these lectures even get any better? Bravo!
Agree!!
Yes, if they were twice as long. Lol
No they can’t because you momentarily reached bliss and now it ceased and that is life and death. God and the devil dancing. Yin and yang. Positive and negative. 1+1.
Of course, make them about 1/2 shorter... Easily done for those who know how to teach well.
Yes if they got rid of the truly cheesy and cliche classical music at the beginning.
Oh who am I kidding. Sincere cliche and sincere cheesiness is as endearing as it is nauseating
UA-cam doesnt deserve content this good.
I watched this last month and have read Either/Or and Fear and Trembling. I am now a huge Kierkegaard fan. My deepest thanks!
This man is MAGNIFICENT! I love these lectures... Respect and Gratitude from the UK.
My University doesn't offer a philosophy course, so you can imagine how ecstatic I was when the algorithm suggested this channel to me. Brilliant lectures, looks like I can take a philosophy course after all!
Have you come across Rick Roderick? His lectures are a great introduction to philosophy.
what shitty university do you go to?
what sort of university do you go to that doesn't have any philosophy courses? Like a vocational school?
Do you live in Africa or something wtf
The channel Wireless Philosophy has playlists on different philosophical topics, and all videos are 8-10 minute presentations by actual Philosophy Professors. There's also a general Philosophy series by Oxford university. I also recommend the channel called Closer to Truth, where a brain scientist interviews mainly philosophers, theologians, and scientists about topics related to their fields of study. There are also tons of other actual Philosophy Professors who upload their course content.
ua-cam.com/users/WirelessPhilosophyplaylists
ua-cam.com/play/PL2FEB728FF960FBD9.html
ua-cam.com/users/CloserToTruthTV
I wish you many interesting discoveries!
I listened to these lectures years ago and loved them. I am awestruck to find them again. Sugrue is so clear and articulate. He can break down some of the most complex philosophical ideas in a way that any intelligent person can understand.
Everyone who is watching his videos should hit the subscribe button, even though he has passed away his channel deserves millions of subscribers. We miss you, Thank you Professor.
Watching this after hearing about his death has got me teary eyed RIP
You talk as if you can opt out of it
If a brilliant scriptwriter wrote a script and format for these lectures to follow, Sugrue's own phenomenal lecture would make it seem trite. Sugrue, moves seamlessly from not just topic to topic, but, from paragraph to paragraph like a VERY well written book. This, is what blows my mind about this guy.
WOW! I didn't notice any monitors or crib notes. Who can speak on such a subject so thoroughly for 40+ minutes? Amazing! Superb!
@@Paddy984 would you mind expanding on that? It sounds fascinating !
@@AE0N777the speaker is speaking fluently with no speaking notes (as another commenter said, not even an “um or uh”!
I’d genuinely like to know how he did it
These are the most stimulating lectures on the internet
This stands out amongst his lectures. Beautifully laying out a tour de force of ideas and speaking with such passion and poetry that leaves me mesmerized even after multiple listens.
This is one of the greatest things I've ever heard.
"People who have not suffered for their beliefs have not earned the right to". Wow, this is deep.
Brilliant Lecture! This professor has an exceptional style and captivating delivery.
I'm really enjoying how these lectures are delivered... they are becoming part of my daily digest for knowledge and thinking. Thank you Michael!
if you change your profile name....i may take you seriously...!!!
Love the way he delivers lectures, exceptional clarity and a smooth way of transitioning from one topic to another. Thank you!
Also really good at being objective.
damn, im super late to michael sugrue , but im very grateful im here now.
As said in all the other comments, the delivery was really great. Thank you for kindly sharing this content for free. Much love.
Thank you for making Kierkegaard understandable to this layperson.
😊😊😊😊
Thanks!
I haven't taken a philosophy course since college, over 25 years ago, yet this man, makes philosophy accesible and fun to get into...God bless this man !
I feel so lucky to have found Professor Sugrue
I felt lucky to have found Kierkegaard, and now, Professor Sugrue.
Terrence Malick's film 'the tree of life' (and many other of his films) beautifully encapsulates kierkegaardian thought.
Malick's protagonists says you have to choose between nature and grace.
Malick's Knight of Cups is the film that totally captures the Kierkegaardean philosophy, Tree of life kinda reflects on Heidegger's philosophy.
so does his film A Hidden Life. kierkegaardian through and through.
Knight of cups and hidden life both take the knight of faith in two different directions. Such good movies
As an aesthetic man, I really enjoyed the intellectual pleasure I received from watching this video.
K
*Kierkegaard has entered the chat*
I hope this contributes to your Aesthetic. Intelligence is absolutely an attractive feature
@@GreenOpurge You guys should exchange numbers so you can both stroke his ego a bit more.
@@Natharsus I just might do that. Thanks for the suggestion mate!
I've only watched three videos from him, I've learned so much than I had gleaning from the pages of books. You're such a perspicuous teacher.
I really dig this man, the way he delivers the knowledge instantly leads to a binge
Michael your insight and intellect re-ignited a flame within me I thought had gone out. Thank you so much. You are a saint.
No, I'm a teacher. Maximillian Kolbe is a saint. If you mistake me for a saint, you need to pay closer attention.
Kierkegaard is one of my favorite philosophers in western philosophy!
Honestly, I pressed like, then I started watching. He doesn't disappoint.
it's things like this that make the internet and youtube worthwhile. thanks so much!
this was really, really depressing. i loved it
How is it so? You just realized that there is very little which we control? Eye opening.
@@tbillyjoeroth We control what matters. That is all that is really important.
@@mike-0451 it depends on what you mean by that. If you make the aesthetic choice, than no. If you make the spiritual choice, than yes.
I am sooooo grateful for these lectures being shared and to the AI that suggested these. Wonderful lectures, thank you!
in the case of Abraham@Isac- it is a story and not a history (as all the Bible) - Kierkegaard fights a phantom:God, who forbids to murder (Decalogue nr 6),here, wants someone to do sth contra? No sense at all. Biblical hermeneutics (probably some footnotes with an explanation in many Bibles would clarify it; Story is composed of two written sources,E and "RJE". Hegel's logic was perfectly anti-Aristotelian,contra classical principles of identity,non contradiction and excluded middle.
Who are you thanking?
Does this without notes folks. On the fly based off his own intellect. Awesome speaker.
thank you for uploading all of these!! timeless material, wonderful lectures
I haven't seen any philosophy videos on this account in years. I was recommended this today for a reason. Glory to God.
I love these lectures and had the lot on tape years ago - glad that they are now on youtube - thanks
I am currently reading Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing by Kierkegaard and your lecture really illuminates the book and author for me. Thank you very much.
I came across this book and am reading it now. I just told my pastor after church this morning, "This is the first philosopy book I totally understand and can go further with." PS: The author's dedication won me over before I even began reading --- "To that solitary individual" 'this little work is dedicated.'
I have found a kindred! Thank you, LORD.
As a moral man I am unmoved by this ultimately irrrational video and will continue to obey the LORD my God. Thank you.
Kierkegaard creates an amusing paradox by defining the ethical existence in opposition to the traditional Greek rational approach by framing it within a rationalized framework. Perhaps his desire to be that ethical man while being unable to diaregard his need to be rational created his philosophical melancholy. Creating a dichotomy that one cannot reconcile within oneself certainly, at least at a glance, seems a recipe for internal anguish.
One of the most difficult aspects of practicing faith while attempting to be rational is accepting that certain facts amd ideas are unknowable and incomprehensible; to use the gifts of reason and free will, results of being created in God's own image, while submitting to the idea of being unable to grasp the infinite and seemingly paradoxical nature of the omnipotent and supernatural that separates God from his creation.
Choosing to believe, to utilize gifts and talents, but to accept an unscratchable itch of unfathomability is a task and a burden, given unto us almost as if pointing us directly to a need for prayer and meditation through which to know Him and His will, both celebrating our role as children and humbling us in our limitations.
Ah the classic defense of mysticism, for how do we know god or how could we ever know god in any true manner. What you failed to see is that Kierkegaard is pointing out how this sort of contradictory views that religious people find themselves with what is truth or what is false, is that it requires a tacit need to retain faith an innately irrational need to rely on the system of belief and belief in god to fullfil our burning desires for a true belief. The reality is there is no true belief! Most likely the Abrahamic god of the 10,000 year old universe isn’t real and most likely Zeus isn’t sitting upon mount Olympus observing us. Reason is flawed but to paradoxically be faithful yet also rational is what anguishes modern man as he tries to meet two opposing ideals yet is expected to wholly accept both. It’s about taking a path, entering a pedagogy that is removed from the framework of loyalty to a system of belief but rather into a realm of dispersed perceptive understanding of the world which very much can include forms of spirituality.
@@Bibky What I was getting at was not a defense of mysticism so much as a thought on the difficulty of being Kierkegaard; to create a mutually exclusive dichotomy between faith an reason, and to have to define the path that abandons reason using reason, much like attempting to define chaos by using patterns, and is almost exactly what you described: anguish fueled by an inability to reconcile faith and reason.
The latter part of what I had to say was more a personal rebuttal againt the need for such a dichotomy, and that a practitioner of faith can and should use reason; they should apply logic and scrutiny to the world amd their own existence, but must come to terms with the unknowable nature of the supernatural and admit a certain level of inability to fit it into a neatly structured framework. Essentially, I am stating that a faithful person can be rational and pregmatic, but must be able to accept that they will not find complete answers to all of their questions if they are not to be dragged down by the weight of trying to force the irrational and rational into a complete, reconciled structure.
When you try to sound smart
@@richardhunter3441 When you try to sound condescending.
@@bananonymouslastname5693 I agree with you on this. Kierkegaard dealing in absolutes is his great flaw. The ideas as presented here suggest that our faculties can't stay connected and balanced. A professing Christian should understand that they are embodied creatures created by a sovereign and absolute God; and that created man is a creature incapable of being the absolute. They have passions, intellect, and feelings, all of which have a right way of being. So while there is truth to the aesthetic man vs. ethical man distinction, that mainly applies to the extremes of each, to the point of dehumanization. People find themselves in anguish when trying to live in those extremes. G.K. Chesterton has the great quote about how a madman has lost everything BUT his reason, Kierkegaard's ethical life seems to fit this as well. Kierkegaard might then call me an aesthetic man because I believe there is right way of enjoying pleasures in creation... luckily for us he's not the judge!
38:23 is answered in Rom 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Profoundly beneficial resolution of the existential problem. I made my decision to go with God in 1978, and have never regretted it. And btw, that God revealed himself through his son's sacrifice at Calvary and subsequent Resurrection.
And none of it makes any sense to us worms, and yet it is so, and here we are, you and I, brother.
So you will kill your children if asked to? Throughout history, some people have killed their child because they thought God told them to. This isn't a moral choice but one of unquestioning acceptance of dogma.
"God" being......?
You have no idea?
*No* surprises there.
There is clearly no curing you idolaters of your idolatry
Sounds like you made a _logical_ decision...
The internet shines brightest when information like this speech is available for everyone who has ears to hear it
Just as I started Either/Or. perfect!
You sir, are the manifestation of crystal clear articulation of insight. Thank you for this series of lectures !
I've never heard for kierkegaard before, but he literally wrote down everything ive been thinking for the past 4 years
Check him out my man Soren is great
@@aarontrujillo4860 I have been!
Sokrates Północy.
I love these lectures and relied on them heavily when I was studying for my comprehensive exams. This format inspired me to create my own philosophy and theology channel/podcast.
35:00
"Morals come from Him, they don't run Him"
Might makes right
@@allthingsgardencad9726 if this is the case it is always the case and not just when its beneficial. there are no moral objections to the victories of the other
@@allthingsgardencad9726 when might makes you, it is absurd to think you could know right better than might
@@LoganKing4 only if your not the mightiest
Fear and Trembling is terrific and I highly recommend it!
this is gold
This is so nutritional for the soul compared to everything else on UA-cam.
You mean since youtube kicked off Alex Jones, correct?
@@shaunkerr8721
I've always preferred concise and thorough lectures, with a dash of humility. As opposed to the undisciplined ravings of a man with deep-seated emotional liabilities.
If you can't stop yourself from crying or raging behind the mic, maybe you don't need to be behind the mic.
@@CaptainPieBeard Preferences and perspectives are valuable, regardless of the facts surrounding the likability, discipline, and/or objectivity of the individual giving them. My issue isn't w AJ, whom I am not a fan of, but, is w the precedent it sets. Perhaps you are an optimist and believe such actions lead to a change in others perspectives and such silencing will be used judiciously and not for political, corporate, and/or religious ends, but, I am more pessimistic in this regard. In the eight months since posting this I have seen several other channels silenced/defunded on this platform for increasingly banal infractions. Control always starts w silencing the obvious whom many would rather see go away and then cascades into other domains of speech through forced silence (at worst) or has a chilling effect on free speech leading to ppl communicating less through choice (at best). Either option is wrong, IMHO. Humility is of no consideration to me; it is purely an aesthetical choice.
@@shaunkerr8721
I'm not commenting on Jones' relationship with society. I'm just commenting on the fact that I don't find him to be a good example of
"soulful nutrition". I find him to be the opposite and he pushes people away from some of the correct points he often makes.
Though I suppose you're correct and that does just come down to aesthetics.
I would agree with you that silencing him is deeply unsettling and sets a terrible precedent.
@@CaptainPieBeardSince Alex Jones is a vulgar violent animal alcoholic who can’t control himself and continually lies, terrorizes, DEFAMES…. he should be muzzled. A $1.1 BILLION verdict didn’t do it then hopefully banning him will.
I learned of Christian Existentialism from a friend. I didn't research it a whole lot as it was before the Internet. However, what did happen was an acknowledgement that switched my brain onto the rails it needed to better understand what faith meant. To be a Christian is to have faith in the knowledge of Christ and his life and death. Christians mistaken this faith as fact or as we often put it "I know Christ is the Savior", or something to that effect. Well, what I learned is freedom from the doubt of your faith and how to gain more faith is fundamentally wrought in letting go of this falsehood of "you know". If you knew you would have been there but that is not possible, so you live on faith. Most of life is faith based. We believe a lot of things happened but we weren't there to know for certain. So accept the idea that most of your belief system is based on a presumption of the truth or what you believe to be true, and that's okay. But once you understand this, you no longer can carry I know Christ, blah blah blah, and can live peacefully in the idea that you humbly believe in Him. Once you do this all the puffery of religion goes away and you don't even need the church anymore to reaffirm what you already believe to be the truth. This is what the brain needs. It needs peace in what you believe, not puffery to ensure your beliefs are in tact. In these cases, they are not in tact, they just make for a very rigid and an undesirable Christian.
Have faith that realization sets in 2 l8 when all faith in man's institutions has evaporated leaving only lord's faith still standing.
Could you summarize this for smooth brained people such as myself?
@@TheGreatAustino You don't have "to know that you are right" about Christ. You have to have faith in his factual death. Yes, it is a fact that Jesus was murdered and there is no body because we do believe its true, he did rise from the dead. Just keep it simple and ignore all man made belief. No church, no Jesus freaks, no nonsense. Just you and your faith. That's it. Don't complicate it. Americans make money off you by complicating topics such as this. Stop falling for it.
@@TheGreatAustinomaking the choice to believe is more important than the rationality of belief or non-belief
Your comment made me realize that faith and rationality aren't necessarily dichotomous. First of all, in the sense that your comment about Christian existentialism makes rational sense. Secondly, that by rejecting metaphysics (in the sense of abstract objects), you ultimately put all your faith in human psychology and experience. Much like what Hume describes in the problem of induction.
Thus the Thologian and empiricist aren't really separated by means of faith/rationality in of themselves, but by faith in God
Thank you! Wow! My favorite philosopher Soren K.
This came at the right time in my life
Wow, very enthralling lecture. This guy was great to listen to. Good job, algorithm.
Kierkegaard is without a doubt my favorite "modern" philosopher, only just a hair behind Kant by necessary concession (it's hard to dethrone Kant's spot at the top, even if I may have drawn more substance from Kierkegaard in actuality, primarily because of his position as being my introduction to secular philosophical thought and therefore holding a special place in my heart). My favorite work by him is a smaller less well-known essay titled "The Crowd is Untruth", it resonated with me so strongly and tied together many of my loose threads of thought so tightly that it spontaneously sprung inside me an endless well of thankfulness and respect for the man who brought such soothing words to my thirsting soul. Of course, he has many other classic seminal works that deserve mention, "Either/or", "Fear and Trembling", and "The Concept of Anxiety", come immediately to mind as very influential on my spiritual growth. Many take away a depressive overviee from his works but they've always had the opposite effect on me, I inevitably come away more invigorated and lively from Kierkegaard; the dark contemplations he sets me are merely straight and narrow paths which when walked faithfully lead to endless joyful enlightening.
I happened upon Purity of Heart Is to will One Thing. It has pushed me along the straight path joyfully. (Your comment resonated with me).
I would pay top-dollar for a paperback or hardcover copy of Sugrue’s transcribed lectures. Will it ever happen? God only knows!
An amazing lecture, such clear insights. I found Kierkegaard really hard to read but this lecture is helping me make sense of it!
Amazing lecturer. Thank you! In my experience, the only other spellbinding lecturer Of this intellectual category (that I had as an undergrad) was Harvey Goldberg teaching World Revolutions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1964.
I’ve never heard the “absurdity of faith” put into a philosophical perspective so concisely in which it makes it seem not so absurd. Really enjoyed this.
look into wittgensteins view on religion. also a really interesting take on this
@@rabbitrun777 Holy shit didn’t know he had anything to say about that damn
I really needed this one. Thank you.
I would like this video a hundred times if I could!
This lecture is a complete banger. Kierkegaard was an incredible man. The Nega Nietzche
Nothing can replace the actual experience that a long life provides. Too often, people who are too young but with lots of energy are seriously considered by others who are too young to discern whether they should lend credence to what is being communicated.
long life often comes to consideration of God people run on the proverbial exercise wheel their whole lives empty choice to empty choice only to at the end come to the most important questions either or
Immensely greatful for uploading this video!🤍
I didn’t choose the aesthetic life, the aesthetic life chose me
Lol 😆
Rest in peace. Your sessions live on.
I wondered what Kierkegaard would have made of Plato's Symposium (or Phaedrus), which in total contrast, sees the aesthetic as a very means of divine transcendence. Thankfully a google search reveals he wrote on the subject. A good place to start for those of us skeptical - at least at some level - with Kierkegaard and Existentialisms general bifurcation of the human condition.
Finally someone that actually watched the lecture.
This is a great talk. Thank you very much Sir
Why am I just coming across these lectures. I find them educating, satisfying and entertaining. Wow!
Wow! Outstanding, a privilege to hear and thank you for sharing!
I can’t believe I can access so much quality information and, frankly, wisdom , for free 🤷🏻♂️ modern times are shite when it comes to society and politics and stuff. But on the other hand it’s all good man 🤣😂 Thank you prof. Sugrue ! ❤️👍🏻
How are modern times good, when the planet is burning because we only care about pleasure, and our politicians, our multinationals and billionaires don't care to do anything about it, because they only care about getting re-elected, about stock prices, about making the next big product? Kierkegaard is dead on the money when he says aesthetic pleasure is self-destructive.
Truly spoiled in this time. People pay very good money for lectures like these in the past. Now I can wake up, smoke a joint, and literally injest some of the best lectures ever. Amazing.
@@DarkAngelEU You have to be able to acknowledge the mind’s natural tendency towards pessimism, and differentiate between the good and the bad. We live in an age where living conditions have massively improved for the ordinary person. Just 100 years ago living conditions were markedly worse. And although the internet is undoubtedly a cesspit, there’s plenty of great, free easily-accessible knowledge and wisdom for those who seek it out. The world is far from perfect, but historically it’s been a lot worse. Thankfully awareness for global warming and how we’ve devastated the biosphere has been exponentially increasing the past couple of years, and I believe humans are going to make great progress in preserving the planet for posterity.
@@DarkAngelEU there never were different times
@@maegnificant Panta rei
@34:00 approximate time, Abraham did argue, (bargain?) in a way, with God when God said He was going to destroy Sodom. Abraham asked: "What if there are twenty righteous people there?" or something like that. Moses and Ezekiel, argued or bargained, with God. God refused to cook his food as God told him. God then changed the request.
I've come to the conclusion after decades of trying to decide what is true that I will believe whatever I set out to believe and put in the effort to learn. There will never be a way for me to know if I'm right.
I have now actually finished watching this video and have realized that I think like Kierkegaard
6:04 huge .. such a potent articulation of human belief and behaviour. That's one you can ponder for a while. Thanks prof 🙏🙏
One of my top favorites in your entire ouvre of lectures. And my hubby absolutely loved it!
I totally agree with Kierkegaard's definition of the human condition and his definition of true faith. That means I disagree with Sugrue's conclusion that Soren is a disturbed individual. What a great lecture.
I hope the vault if this legend of a professor opens right up. Very grateful for this mans heavy lifting of a large range of some very dense material
You are phenomenal, Dr Sugrue.
I know that this lesson is given with the undertones that religious belief is a generally frowned upon position to take, but this if anything further strengthens my personal belief.
I was about to say, the more I listen the more it just seems real to me, the truth becomes too self evident.
What is highly esteemed of man is an abomination to God. -Jesus
The frustration of life is when you're young you have all the time in the world to read and learn from the great philosophers. When you're older, you have the experience and wisdom necessary to contextually understand the writings of these philosopher.
Unfortunately as we gain wisdom, we trade it for time. And the exchange rate isn't as negotiable as we often like to believe. Time can be wasted, wisdom can be ignored, but the efficiency of the exchange rate between time and experience still holds true.
This truth may inform the reasoning behind the meek nature of many of our elders, despite their wisdom and experiences surpassing anything we can hope to achieve in our younger years and the more impetuous and head strong nature we possess in those years.
When philosophers didn’t cry.
I remember purchasing one of his Philosophy lectures back in the early 1990's worth every penny
interesantisima! en este momento estoy leyendo el concepto de la angustia y este video me ha ayudado mucho a comprenderlo - que BIEN explicado esta!
Bravo!! A great conduit of lofty ideas, doing them justice at every turn. Never would have heard this were it not for this technology. What a man, what a time!
"Kant's God is a prussian" best line ever
What a great conclusion! Fantastic.
35:15 how someone can drop a line that hard, as if it was nothing
fun and easy to understand intro to Kierkegaard. thanks for the upload.