The Wisdom Of
Kristian Urstad and Stephen Webb
In this podcast we explore great works of philosophy and literature and art, and try to pull out of them what’s most interesting and inspiring! Whether they come from the works of Plato, or Dostoevsky or Picasso, here we explore ideas that move mountains and rock the soul! So, come join us, won’t you? Come worship at the alter of ideas, and come celebrate the dancing of thought. Welcome to the Wisdom Of!
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 23, 2026 • 17min
The Great Gatsby, CARELESSNESS and AI
A major theme in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is carelessness. It's more relevant than ever today... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Humanhttps://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/
Mar 23, 2026 • 6min
Simone Weil - Gravity, Grace and Love!
Simone Weil was a French philosopher and mystic! ... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Humanhttps://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/
Mar 19, 2026 • 9min
The Rise of the Emoticons
Are emoticons and emojis as benign as they seem? ... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Humanhttps://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/
Mar 13, 2026 • 14min
Kaufman's The Faith of a Heretic - The dissent that keeps knowledge alive!
A dive into intellectual heresy and why dissent sparks philosophical beginnings. Examples from Anaxagoras to Socrates show religion and myth being questioned. Modern thinkers like Descartes, Bacon, and Mill are framed as daring skeptics. The episode champions liberal education, live teaching, and the humble courage to think independently.
Mar 7, 2026 • 16min
The Personal Journals of Camus and Kierkegaard!
A dive into Kierkegaard's private journals: family influence, a broken engagement, and his austere quest for authentic faith. A tour of Camus' notebooks across decades: early seeds of the absurd, later moral and political struggles, and recurring solace in sunlight and sea. Short readings highlight mortality, beauty, and the tension between solitude and public life.
Mar 7, 2026 • 7min
The Samurai Sword and AI
A reflection on how the katana’s craft and Bushido’s strict rules shaped restraint and moral duty. A look at clocks shifting from prayer to commerce and how technology can outgrow its original purpose. A warning that AI may be an uncontrolled, society-wide experiment. A call to find rites or frameworks that bind powerful tools to ethical practice.
Feb 26, 2026 • 15min
Max Weber - The age of the disenchantment of the world!
The German sociologist Max Weber uses the word disenchantment to describe the character of a highly modernized, secular and bureaucratic society. Couldn't we all do with some re-enchantment! ... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Humanhttps://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/
Feb 20, 2026 • 14min
Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death
Neil Postman was a media theorist and a prophetic critic of modern technology... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Humanhttps://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/
Feb 15, 2026 • 13min
Heidegger - The Disappearance of the World!
A dive into Heidegger's idea that our world is a web of meaningful relationships rather than mere objects. Examples show how tools and food gain meaning through use and care. Technology and factory systems are pitched as forces that sever those ties. A call to recover relational engagement to keep the world from vanishing.
Feb 10, 2026 • 13min
Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet - Writing as an existential necessity!
The great poet Rainer Maria Rilke advises all aspiring artists to ask themselves one question: Are you prepared to sacrifice everything? Because that's what it takes! ... Check out my new book! It's called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Humanhttps://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/
