Podcast Summary
Exploring significant life moments and philosophical insights: Design custom rings online with Blue Nile, access certified physicians for weight loss prescriptions through PlushCare, and gain new perspectives on modern life through John Gray's 'The New Leviathans'.
When it comes to significant life moments, such as proposing with a unique ring or starting a weight loss journey, it's essential to have confidence in your choices. For the former, Blue Nile offers the convenience of designing a custom ring online and having it delivered to your door. For the latter, PlushCare provides online access to certified physicians who can prescribe weight loss medications. Meanwhile, delving into the philosophical realm, John Gray's new book, "The New Leviathans," encourages us to view the present through the lens of Thomas Hobbes' influential work, "Leviathan." Hobbes, who believed the default condition of human beings is conflict, is still relevant today, according to Gray. By examining Hobbes' ideas, we can gain fresh insights into the complexities and paradoxes of our modern world.
Hobbes' Complex View of Human Nature: Despite promoting peace and rationalism, Hobbes saw fear as the dominant human impulse, believed in a strong state for peace, but underestimated the complexity of achieving it.
Thomas Hobbes, despite his admirable attempts to promote peace and rationalism through his philosophy, held a complex and contradictory view of human nature. He saw fear as the dominant human impulse, stemming from his own timid and fearful disposition, shaped by living through a civil war. Simultaneously, he was intellectually proud and uncompromising, dismissing previous philosophers and their ideas. Hobbes believed the solution to human conflict was the Leviathan, a powerful state focused on maintaining peace. However, he underestimated the challenge of achieving peace and stability, as it required more than just a strong ruler or state. Ultimately, Hobbes' misunderstanding of the complexity of human nature and the challenges of implementing his solutions remain relevant today.
The Power of Absurdity and Language in Human Life: Human beings find meaning in life through language, even if it's absurd, but this privilege can be dangerous when it leads to harm for beliefs or ideologies. Hobbes' vision of sovereigns seems naive compared to modern totalitarian states' control over language and belief.
While Hobbes believed human beings were primarily driven by self-preservation, Primo Levi's philosophy highlighted the importance of absurdity and language in human life. Human beings make sense of their lives through words, even if they are nonsensical. However, this privilege of absurdity can be dangerous when it leads people to risk their lives and harm others for the sake of beliefs or ideologies. Hobbes may not have been pessimistic enough about the power and reach of modern sovereigns, or Leviathans, as they extend beyond just maintaining peace to offering meaning, material progress, and a sense of belonging. These new Leviathans, like totalitarian states, have the power to control language and belief, making Hobbes' original vision seem naive.
The Promise of a Better Life for Political Legitimacy: Historically, regimes have offered more than peace to maintain legitimacy, promising progress and a better material life. However, delivering on this promise is becoming increasingly challenging due to global issues like the pandemic and climate change.
Throughout history, regimes have sought to offer more than just peace to maintain political legitimacy. Lenin's regime in Russia, for instance, ended the civil war and brought peace but created an "artificial state of nature," where people lived in fear of each other due to ideological orthodoxy. In contrast, modern liberal states promise not only peace but progress, particularly in material consumption and technological advancements. However, the delivery of this promise has been jolted by challenges like the pandemic and climate change, making it difficult to ensure continuous material improvement for future generations. An interesting example of this is the Chinese regime, which had a massive expansion during the longest period in human history but is now facing challenges in maintaining this progress. The promise of a better material life may be a necessary condition for political legitimacy in today's world, but achieving it is becoming increasingly difficult. I chose the siege of Leningrad as a stage in my book because it illustrates the extreme conditions people can endure when the promise of a better life is not fulfilled.
Russia's Intellectual Influence and Historical Parallels: Russia's history challenges Western assumptions of civilization's permanence, as seen in the siege of Leningrad where both Soviet and Nazi regimes created artificial states of nature, leading to significant bodily transformations.
The author's fascination with Russia and its history, particularly during the late 19th century, stems from the intellectual influence of Saiza Belin and the relevance of Russian thinkers in confronting insoluble dilemmas. The author finds parallels between Russia's past and current situations, challenging Western liberal assumptions that such events could never occur elsewhere. The siege of Leningrad serves as a poignant example, with the Soviet and Nazi regimes creating artificial states of nature that resulted in significant bodily transformations for the population. This historical event mocks the Western liberal claim to have created a civilization that could last forever.
Creativity thrives even in extreme circumstances: Despite living under oppressive regimes, people found ways to express themselves creatively through poetry. Putin's rule and the ongoing war in Russia are complex, with Putin's power resting on a coalition and Navalny seen as a threat, while the war's outcome remains uncertain.
Even in the most extreme circumstances, such as living under Nazi occupation or during wartime, people felt the need to express themselves creatively through poetry. This speaks to the human spirit and resilience, as some poets wrote despite never expecting their work to be read during their lifetimes. Another key takeaway is the complex nature of Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war in Russia. While Putin's power and control are often portrayed as unyielding, his authority is described as precarious, resting on a coalition of organized crime and security services. Putin is shown to be an expert in survival, having studied it carefully, and he saw Alexei Navalny, a political opponent, as a potential threat. The war in Ukraine is depicted as not going as well as anticipated, with signs of waste, sloth, and disillusionment among military advisers. The future of Putin's rule and the duration of the war remain uncertain.
Putin's patience and China's appreciation for Western thought: Putin continues to wait and challenge opposition, while Ukraine struggles with Russian forces. China values Western authors like Hobbes, recognizing their relevance.
Putin's strength and skill in international politics, though questionable, have allowed him to wait and bide his time in the face of opposition. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian counter-offensive is hindered by the enormous scale and volume of Russian positions. Additionally, the future of the conflict may depend on political changes in the US. Regarding the discussion on Hobbes and China, it was suggested that China, unlike the West, still values classical Western authors and their teachings, recognizing their relevance and worth. Lastly, the concept of hyper-liberalism, though a small part of the book, may draw significant attention from reviewers.
The Challenges Facing the Western World: The Western world's focus on individual freedom and economic market liberalism has led to neglect of structural inequalities, but addressing systemic issues in capitalism is crucial for a better future.
That liberalism, which emerged from religious and pre-liberal norms, has become more universally aggressive through economic market liberalism and political regime change. However, the focus on identity politics within liberalism has led to a neglect of addressing structural inequalities in capitalism. The idea of individual freedom in the Western world is deeply ingrained and may not be easily exorcised. The West, like other civilizations, will likely face challenging times, and the outcome is uncertain. The speaker suggests that instead of predicting winners, we should focus on addressing systemic issues in capitalism. The speaker also references the limitations of exorcism as a solution to societal issues, drawing parallels to the Soviet regime and its repressive apparatus.
Continuing Western Values Amidst Challenges: Maintain tolerance, respect diverse viewpoints, and free speech despite internal and external pressures to uphold Western values
Despite the internal challenges facing the Western world, it's important to continue upholding values such as tolerance, respect for diverse viewpoints, and free speech. These practices should not be abandoned, even in the face of external pressures from autocratic regimes like Russia and China. While there may not be a magic solution or a single policy that can deliver the West from its internal problems, it's crucial to keep striving for these ideals. The West's issues are largely internal to its civilization, and attempting to exploit them is a tactic often used by external forces. John Grey, the guest on the podcast, emphasized the importance of continuing these practices, even as the future remains uncertain.
