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
Dec 6, 2020 • 31min
Love - Homer's Odyssey
Homer's Odyssey is about the Greek hero Odysseus and his long journey home after the Trojan War where his wife Penelope and son Telemachus await him.
Nov 29, 2020 • 33min
Love - Sappho
Sappho was a greek poet from the island of Lesbos in the Aegean sea. Sappho's sensual poetry often centred around the overwhelming power of love and it was often directed towards other women. In this episode, we talk about how intimate, physical, and personal her view of love was!
Nov 28, 2020 • 35min
Love - Plato's Symposium
The Symposium is one of Plato's greatest dialogues. It's one of the most influential texts on love in the western world. In this episode, we discuss his idea of the ladder of love, and how it is love can completely transform our life!
Nov 15, 2020 • 28min
Meaning - Cervantes' Don Quixote
Don Quixote is a book written by Miguel de Cervantes published in 1605. It's about an everyday man who one day turns into a knight errant and decides to right the wrongs of this world.
Nov 14, 2020 • 32min
Meaning - Hemingway's A Clean Well Lighted Place
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is a five page short story written by Ernest Hemingway, published in 1933. It’s about three people and their individual confrontation with nothingness or nada.
Nov 3, 2020 • 33min
Meaning - Camus' The Plague
The Plague is a book written by Albert Camus, published in 1947. The story is about a deadly plague that ravages the town of Oran, and the people who try to fight against it. They do the best they can, even though they know that there is no cure and that their attempts are ultimately futile.
Oct 31, 2020 • 32min
Meaning - Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a book written by Friedrich Nietzsche, published in 1883. The story chronicles the sayings and the travels of the sage Zarathustra. Zarathustra teaches that God is dead and that we must remain faithful to the earth.
Oct 30, 2020 • 30min
Meaning - The Book of Job
The Book of Job is a book from the Old Testament. It was written around the 6th century BC. The story is about Job, a completely innocent and upright man, who is made to suffer terribly as a result of a bet made between God and Satan. Initially, Job can’t understand why God would allow for his to happen to him. Eventually he comes to realize that God’s creation is much bigger, and so less about him personally, than he had assumed.
Oct 24, 2020 • 40min
Meaning - The Epic Of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest known story we have. It’s from Mesopotamia and it dates back all the way to around 1800 BC. The story is about Gilgamesh, the ruler of Uruk, and his quest for immortality. What he eventually realizes is that immortality is not what the aim of life is all about, but rather, in everyday projects and good deeds, in the concerns of this life.
