Johannes A. Niederhauser

And when you’re ready to understand your time, join this course. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com

If you happen to be one of the truly inquisitive minds who long to understand themselves and this age, this wondrous period we thoughtlessly refer to as modernity, then you must by all means read Goethe's second Faust. It is this is his true Faust, for here the Faustian spirit interwoven with Mephisto comes into its own and births modernity. This is a text not for the faint of heart and only the true aristocrat of the mind will be able to appreciate this allegorical masterpiece.It is in the second part of the Tragedy of Modernity that Goethe no longer holds back. All pretence at residue Christianity is out the window. Mephistopheles now is the entirely released principle of negation, while Faust cleansed of his scholasticism seeks beauty in the newly emerging world. The second Faust thus tells of the birth of modernity, a process through which we are still living, and which is by far not yet decided. It is an open occurrence, not a deterministic doom-loop as reactionary readings like Spengler's suggest. Faust and Mephisto, as two principles, invent the abstraction of paper money, by which the greatest land developments become possible; Faust's disciple produces an artificial human being who by the help of the first philosopher Thales aims to become fully human; Faust finds within his soul the profound memory of the Ancient world buried underneath the confusion of the Christian dream and seeks to reconnect and appropriate its beauty in the form of Helen; Faust ultimately becomes the first full man of planetary organisation, falling for the siren call of triumph over nature, an allegory for his denial of memory and all-too worldly pursuits. This, however, is by no means a deterministic view of history, but one possibility of technological modernity. So I'd like to invite you to join my course on this masterpiece of world literature, where we shall trace the explosion that is modernity.The course begins Saturday, April 4, 2026 (6-8pm CET/12-2pm EST).I will personally teach this course. And just by way of introduction my name is Johannes A. Niederhauser, I have a PhD in philosophy on Heidegger from Warwick, and my areas of thought are in Ancient and post-Kantian German philosophy. I am also the founder and spiritus rector of Halkyon Academy. I look forward to leading this 11-week live course and learn with you. Through close, act-by-act reading and discussion, we'll explore:* The birth of paper/fiat money and the political economy of modernity (Act I)* Alchemy, the creation of the homunculus, and the Classical Walpurgis Night (Act II)* Faust's encounter with Helen and the fusion of classical antiquity with modern consciousness (Act III)* Visionary land-reclamation projects, environmental engineering, the dark side of progress (Act IV–V)* How court politics connects to modern monetary policy, seductive bargains to leadership ethics, and technology to nation-building* Faust's ascension to HeavenBy the end, you'll gain fluency in reading a difficult, multi-layered text like this, as well as a keen eye for how the modern world actually operates. AndStudy options include:Seminars (standard active/live participation tier) Full access to 11 live lectures + seminars (weekly on Saturdays). All recordings available afterward. Submit 3 short writing assignments (due in weeks 3, 6, and 9). Eligible to present your final work at the Symposium on June 20, 2026. Core option for those wanting live discussion, feedback on writing, and the chance to present.Private Tutorials (premium/most intensive tier) Includes everything in Seminars (live sessions, recordings, Symposium eligibility). Additional private 1-on-1 meetings with Dr. Johannes A. Niederhauser in weeks 3, 6, and 9 for in-depth discussion of your thoughts and work. Submit up to 6 writing assignments (more extensive feedback and guidance). Best for those seeking personalized, deeper engagement.Self-Study (flexible/recordings-only tier) Access to all course materials (recorded lectures/seminars + readings). No live session attendance required. Submit only 1 essay during the course period. Ideal if you prefer to go at your own pace without live commitment.There are payment plans available for all study tiers. And if you are a currently enrolled university student you may submit proof of enrolment to this email to get a student discount.All live sessions (lectures + seminars) are recorded and available to participants. You'll receive links to the core text and relevant further readings.This is a rare opportunity for patient, dialogical thinking in the classical spirit of Bildung—forming soul, spirit, and character.Follow this link to enrol now.Again, spaces are limited for the live cohort—don't miss the chance to witness what Goethe saw as our destiny.See you inside!Johannes This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com

Robert Musil’s The Man Without Qualities“Without doubt the greatest writing, ranking with the finest our epoch has to offer.” — Thomas MannUlrich, the protagonist of The Man Without Qualities, is a figure we are all familiar with. A man of means and extraordinary talent living in Vienna on the eve of the First World War, he has already been successful as a soldier, a mathematician and an engineer. Women find him irresistible. Society opens every door. Yet none of it seems like it adds up to anything. He decides to “take a year’s leave from his life” and step back from all the things he could become to figure out if there’s anything he actually wants to be.But he quickly discovers the problem is bigger than him. All around him sense of direction is dissolving. Something is ending — or has already ended. People still go to the opera, and raise toasts to progress, but a whole way of life is on the verge of collapse, and nobody seems to notice or to know what to do.Sound familiar? We’re not studying a quirky character from Vienna of 1913, but rather you in 2026. Gumbrecht is teaching a live online course on The Man Without Qualities this April! Very limited places remaining. You can apply here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com

I’m reading again from Onians’ excellent work “The Origins of European Thought.”Also, for a limited time Offer (pun intended!) you may use coupon KAIROS for 25% off all my philosophy courses here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com

Cultivate your attention this year This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com

Here is a link to my Faust course. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com

Analytic philosopher Peter Unger in 2014 declared that analytic philosophy is mostly if not entirely devoted to empty ideas that have no bearing on reality whatsoever. Not only are they empty in this regard however. They are also empty in themselves. This, in turn, makes them sort of monetary. Like money, analytic formal logic can randomly be applied to any given context (thereby destroying the context and content). Here is the piece by Ellie referred to in the video. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com

Frictionless design is everywhere around us, drawing us into its interfaces, silently habituating us into relinquishing our attention for optimal user engagement. Not only the digital spaces we inhabit also the analogue is increasingly subjected to be frictionless. This denial of being, of the negativity inherent in being obliterates memory, history, time. How can we think and act to escape this?Philosophy of Health CoursePlato on Beauty Course This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com

Houlgate’s scholarly approach to Hegel can be described as a “revised-metaphysical” interpretation of Hegel, which underscores the immanent, presuppositionless development of speculative thought in Hegel’s system. This reading challenges influential critiques by thinkers like Martin Heidegger, Jacques Derrida, and Gilles Deleuze, who accuse Hegel of adhering to a predetermined conception of being. Houlgate argues instead that Hegel’s logic unfolds dynamically, free from foundational assumptions, and he extends this analysis to connections between Hegel, Heidegger, and Derrida on the deconstruction of “essence” or “ground.”At his new online course at my Halkyon Academy across two lecture seminars Professor Stephen Houlgate will provide a profound introduction into the opening of Hegel’s Science of Logic. Where thought begins with pure being, passes through nothing, and unfolds into becoming. We shall see why this “presuppositionless” start matters, how the “dialectical method” really works, and what follows from this for ontology, logic, and metaphysics. Along the way, you’ll also be able to situate the passages within the legacies of Kant, Parmenides, and Heraclitus while practicing line-by-line interpretation.Follow this link to enrol in the course. Live seminar lectures will take place on November 25 & December 9. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit halkyon.substack.com