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
May 11, 2026 • 14min
Karl Jaspers - What does it mean to be a hero in the modern age?
The philosopher Karl Jaspers wrote a little book called Man in the Modern Age, where, among other things, he talks about what it means to be a hero in our modern age, something, I think, we’d do well to reflect on a bit! ... Check out my new books! This one is called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Humanhttps://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/
May 4, 2026 • 15min
Byung-Chul Han - The disappearance of thinking!
A critique of hyperactive modern life and how constant productivity muffles deep thought. A call to recover thinking through withdrawal, silence, and distance. A comparison of calculative versus meditative thinking. Concerns about information overload replacing theory and the role of interpretation, narrative, and transformative insight.
Apr 29, 2026 • 15min
Freedom, Happiness, and Control: Dostoevsky’s The Grand Inquisitor and Huxley's Mustapha Mond!
Through these two seminal fictional characters, Dostoevsky and Huxley offer us a stark warning about our future! ... Check out my new books! This one is called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Humanhttps://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/
Apr 23, 2026 • 8min
Stop deferring - Choose yourself into existence!
A philosophical take on why delaying choices becomes an existential refusal to become yourself. Kierkegaard’s idea that personhood is chosen, not given, drives a discussion on commitment, responsibility, and the costs of perpetual sampling. The talk explores how preferring possibilities over action prevents a life with continuity and substance.
Apr 17, 2026 • 13min
Nietzsche and van Gogh - The significance of the year 1888!
The trajectories in the lives of Nietzsche and van Gogh in the year 1888 reveal remarkable parallels! ... Check out my new books! This one is called: The Last Human: How Technology is Changing What it Means to be Humanhttps://www.amazon.com/Last-Human-Technology-Changing-Means/dp/1069510831/
Apr 12, 2026 • 14min
Dostoevsky on the limitations of innocence!
A close look at Dostoevsky's portrayals of radical innocence through characters like Mishkin and Alyosha. A contrast between childlike purity that collapses and mature compassion that endures. A discussion about how innocence can be tested and strengthened by experience. A call to translate sensitivity into practical, resilient goodness for today's youth.
Apr 6, 2026 • 16min
Boccaccio's DeCameron - Escaping the chaos and living rightly again!
In his The Decameron, written in 1353, Giovanni Boccaccio responded to the devastation of the Black Death by imagining a small group of young people who flee plague-ridden Florence and escape to the countryside. Can this be made relevant 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 30, 2026 • 16min
Hegel and Plato - The Problem of Democracy
A lively dive into Plato and Hegel’s critiques of democratic rule. They explore worries about uninformed voters, demagogues, and choices driven by private preference. The conversation weighs calls for wiser leadership, the role of education, and how shared civic reasoning might strengthen democratic resilience.
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 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/
