The Wes Cecil Podcast

Explore the shifting values in our lives as the host encourages us to become our own arbiters of meaning. Discover the powerful metaphor of Langston Hughes tossing books into a harbor as a choice in personal values. Delve into debates on free will and how our childhood experiences shape our perceptions. The discussion contrasts traditional societal narratives with the quest for individual authenticity, urging reflection on what truly inspires us. Learn the importance of quality input in forming internal values and experimenting to find personal measures that resonate.

The final set-up for Socrates’ speech establishes both the importance of one who knows above generally accepted wisdom as well as the complete dismissal of the mythological concepts as presented so far. Plato has Socrates present a stunning refutation of the whole idea that what everyone has said so far can actually be true as a way of beginning his presentation of THE TRUTH.Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes!Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jean-Francois Lyotard, Gilles Deleuze, Foucault, Baudrillard all discussed major aspects of what is today often called Techno-Feudalism. While some of the modern conceptions are certainly apt and insightful, they often overlook the fundamental trick being played on us of extracting value from us while pretending to provide value for us. Further, this is not post-industrial but rather industrialism gone wild in its consumption of capital, mining, manufacturing, building, energy and human capacity. When we think it is both necessary and somehow ‘information’ rather than forced on us and industrial, we miss a lot of what is happening in our world.Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes!Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A further exploration of the ways in which a willingness to open ourselves to the cultural influence of West Africa could potentially really help transform our lives for the better.Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes!Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While these speeches seem very different - and they are on the surface - they actually articulate a similar outlook expressed in very different terms. The idea of love driving us towards a unity with a universal force is key to understanding Plato’s ideas of Love and why and how he has been so influential.Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes!Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover how cultural values shape our identity and why questioning them is essential. Explore the contrast between West African communal societies and hierarchical agrarian cultures. Learn about the enduring legacy of African Americans and how their values persist in modern America. Delve into the origins of significant American musical genres rooted in West African traditions. Hear about the impact of the Atlantic and Islamic slave trades on cultural structures and the concept of personal excellence over abstract roles.

So much for Phaedrus. Plato quickly moves to present core elements of his world view while undercutting the simple love for the gods. Again, everything is political, philosophical and very critical of his society all at the same time. Notice all of the now common concepts that Plato is sneaking in under the guise of a simple set of hymns to praise the gods. What could be wrong with that??Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes!Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Explore the intriguing contrast between fear and joy in shaping our lives. Discover how fear has historically been a tool for control and how unlearning it can lead to a more fulfilling existence. Wes delves into the essence of joy, distinguishing it from fleeting happiness, and emphasizes the importance of embracing internal pleasures. He critiques societal values that prioritize grit over joy, urging listeners to model joy for future generations. Ultimately, he advocates for rationally assessing fears to choose joy and enhance overall well-being.

The first speech comes from Phaedrus. He is sincere and well intentioned but delivers a seemingly very limited take on the nature of Love. As ever, there is a level of philosophy, politics and religious argumentation going on that is not that obvious on the surface.Sign-up for Wes’s PATREON to get your questions answered by Wes!Plus, gain access to course materials, reading lists, peer discussions, bonus lectures, and Wes’s weekly diaries from France. Only $2 / month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Explore the battle between play and work in our lives as Wes challenges the notion of 'I have to' versus 'I will.' He argues that much of what we deem labor should instead be seen as play, transforming our experiences. Delve into the concept of the slave mentality in workplaces, illustrated through the Walmart example, and consider practical strategies to reclaim joy in our work. Witness how reframing tasks can lead to creativity, inspired by figures like Miles Davis and Picasso, and learn to approach job hunting as a mutual interview.