Sadler's Lectures
Lectures on classic and contemporary philosophical texts and thinkers by Gregory B. Sadler
I'm that YouTube Philosophy Guy! Find more than 3,000 videos in my main channel. Support my video and podcast work! https://www.patreon.com/sadler or https://www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
Learn more about this podcast channel - https://youtu.be/qRvL0gqlyrw and https://gregorybsadler.substack.com/p/the-sadlers-lectures-podcast
Due to popular demand - and with the work underwritten by my Patreon supporters - I have been converting my videos into MP3 files listeners can listen to anywhere they want!
I have a second podcast, Mind & Desire, publishing original episodes on a variety of topics in philosophy, which you can find here - https://gregorybsadler.substack.com/podcast
Learn more about this podcast channel - https://youtu.be/qRvL0gqlyrw and https://gregorybsadler.substack.com/p/the-sadlers-lectures-podcast
Due to popular demand - and with the work underwritten by my Patreon supporters - I have been converting my videos into MP3 files listeners can listen to anywhere they want!
I have a second podcast, Mind & Desire, publishing original episodes on a variety of topics in philosophy, which you can find here - https://gregorybsadler.substack.com/podcast
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 15, 2025 • 12min
Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Beauty Of Cosmic Matters - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology
Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, and in particular on his discussion of a number of dimensions to the world and universe which we can contemplate the beauty of, and thereby come to an appreciation of providential and intelligent ordering of the universe. These include the earth itself, the ocean, the air, and the aether or the heavens.
To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler
If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc

Sep 14, 2025 • 10min
Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - The Stars As Gods - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology
Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, and in particular on the set of arguments that he presents for the stars (including the sun, moon, and planets) being gods, and playing their orderly and constant roles within the cosmos, and doing so voluntarily.
To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler
If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc

Sep 12, 2025 • 12min
Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Arguments That The World Is God - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology
Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, and in particular on the sequence of arguments that he provides, drawing from the works of earlier Stoic authors, intended to make the case for the world itself being God.
To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler
If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc

Sep 11, 2025 • 14min
Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Argument From Degress Of Being - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology
Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, in particular one of the arguments for the existence of the gods presented by Balbus, which we can call the argument from degrees of being. This type of argument doesn't fit neatly into the modern conventional classification of ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments for the existence of the divine. It works by noting that there are different degrees (gradus) of being, going from bare being through plants, animals, humans, and other higher rational beings (gods), arguing that the top grade of being cannot be empty or non-existent.
To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler
If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc

Sep 10, 2025 • 13min
Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Argument From Intelligence - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology
Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, in particular one of the arguments for the existence of the gods presented by Balbus, which we can call the argument from intelligence. It might be viewed as a variant on a cosmological argument, working from an effect to the necessary existence of a cause. In this case, the existence of human intelligence, and claimed impossibility of that resulting from a cause that is not itself intelligent, leads to the conclusion of the existence of a divine intelligence.
To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler
If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc

Sep 9, 2025 • 13min
Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Argument From Cosmic Arrangement - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology
Specifically it focuses upon the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, in particular one of the arguments for the existence of the gods presented by Balbus, which we can call the argument from cosmic arrangement, which might be classed as a design or teleological argument. The general idea is that we observe order and arrangement to the universe, which presumably would need to come from very powerful and intelligent being, i.e. the gods.
To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler
If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc

Sep 8, 2025 • 12min
Cicero On The Nature Of The Gods book 2 - Argument From Divination - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero's work, On The Nature Of The Gods, which critically examines Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic perspectives on matters of theology and cosmology
Specifically it focuses upon on the presentation of Stoic cosmology and theology by Quintus Lucilius Balbus in book 2, in particular one of the arguments for the existence of the gods presented by Balbus, which we can call the argument from divination. The argument essentially consists in claiming that divination, that is consulting the knowledge or will of divine beings, could not work if there were no divine beings. Since divination does work, there must be divine beings.
To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler
If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
You can find over 3,500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Purchase Cicero's On The Nature Of Gods - amzn.to/3JITSZc

Sep 6, 2025 • 17min
Philip Jose Farmer, The Lovers - The Lalitha, Parasitism, and Parallel Evolution - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th century fantasy and science fiction writer, Philip Jose Farmer's novella The Lovers (which can be found anthologized in his Strange Relations
It discusses the type of rational being Jeanette Rastignac turns out to be, a species of pseudo-arthopoda called a "lalitha"
To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler
If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Get Philip Jose Farmer's Strange Relations here - https://amzn.to/3ivJXtj

Sep 5, 2025 • 20min
Philip Jose Farmer, The Lovers - The Lovers Hal and Jeanette - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th century fantasy and science fiction writer, Philip Jose Farmer's novella The Lovers (which can be found anthologized in his Strange Relations
It discusses the two characters, Hal Yarrow and Jeanette Rastignac, who are the lovers referenced in the title, focusing on their developing relationship as it is depicted in the novella
To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler
If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Get Philip Jose Farmer's Strange Relations here - https://amzn.to/3ivJXtj

Sep 4, 2025 • 21min
Philip Jose Farmer, The Lovers - The Planet of Ozagen - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th century fantasy and science fiction writer, Philip Jose Farmer's novella The Lovers (which can be found anthologized in his Strange Relations
It discusses the planet of Ozagen, which provides the setting for the majority of the chapters of the novella. Evolution has occurred differently on this planet by comparison to earth, and the dominant species of the planet is the Wogglebug, a type of pseudo-arthopoda.
To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler
If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM
You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Get Philip Jose Farmer's Strange Relations here - https://amzn.to/3ivJXtj


