This book by Sarah Chayes makes the argument that corruption is the precursor for violent extremism and not the other way around. The Prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he at least avoids hatred. . . . This he can always do if he … Read more
Leo Strauss was a German-American political philosopher, and in this book records his oral commentary of Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Chapter 1: Introduction (Nietzsche’s Philosophy, Existentialism, and the Problem of Our Age) There is a connection between Nietzsche and fascism. Although Nietzsche was not a fascist, his philosophy is an extreme version of conservatism, and … Read more
The Superman Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche is about Zarathustra, the prophet, who has come to preach the meaning of life: to strive towards becoming the Superman. Zarathustra was historically a Persian prophet, and Nietzsche’s style in this book, is to mimic religious text, in an ironical way, to show how the profound can be … Read more
In The Psychology of Revolution, Gustave Le Bon says that belief is unconscious and uninfluenced by reason. The revolution is the work of believers. It is hated by some and praised by others, and is a dogma that is either accepted or rejected as a whole, without the use of logic. Reason may spark a … Read more
The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind by Gustave La Bon explains the psychology of crowds, their vulnerabilities, and their greatest virtues. It is easy to be infected with the enthusiasm and the emotions that crowds evoke, which is why it is necessary to apply critical thinking, and not to yield every impulse you … Read more
Defining the Soul The philosophy of six thousand years has not searched the chambers and magazines of the soul. In its experiments there has always remained, in the last analysis, a residuum it could not resolve. In The Oversoul, which may have played a big part in inspiring Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Emerson discusses his … Read more
The Discovery of the Unconscious is a book that explores the history of the dynamic psychiatry. It starts with an introduction to Mesmer (responsible for Hypnotism), and then transitions to Janet, who’s main contribution was explaining neuroses and hysteria by deviations in mental energy. Then we are introduced to Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic revolution – his … Read more
Romanticism heavily influenced the schools of psychoanalysis. This can be seen through the teachings of Freud and Jung. Janet was a representative of Enlightenment thought, and to some extent, so was Adler. The dynamic psychiatrist was also like an artist or a writer in that he draws from personal experiences to inform his ideas about … Read more
Psychoanalysis had many followers and many detractors. One of these detractors was Dr. Max Kesserling, a specialist in nervous diseases in Zurich. He accused Freud of being convinced of the truth of his teachings, and when attending one of Freud’s lectures, he noticed that while Freud encouraged questions, his answers were vague and unconvincing. Kesselring … Read more
Carl Gustav Jung, like Adler, broke off his relationship with Freud. But he was also like Freud in that his philosophical ideas are influenced by Romanticism. Jung proclaimed that he discovered an objective truth about human nature that is between science and religion, and this is the most distinguishing feature of his perspective. His family … Read more