History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
History of philosophy without any gaps; concepts trace back to original texts
41:28The spirit Paul speaks of is Stoic substance, not Platonic void
Paul himself never distinguished the material world from immaterial "spirit"—this dichotomy was imposed only after Platonism took over Christianity later. In Paul and Stoic philosophy, "spirit" is real, physical matter.
43:52Community organizers read the Melian Dialogue as a power-building manual, not a cautionary tale
Thucydides has Athens argue to Melos that justice only applies between power-equals, and the weak have nothing but hope as leverage; American community organizers reading this found Athens's argument persuasive.
50:00Sappho's ‘Brother Poem’ caused a sensation, but may have come from looted antiquities
The Sappho ‘Brother Poem’ papyrus published in 2014 had holders provide three or four contradictory accounts of its discovery; Egypt was in political upheaval at the time, and scholars widely suspect it emerged via black-market looting, with authenticity unconfirmed to this day.
23:37The First Public Atheist Was a Country Priest Who Didn't Dare Publish
Meslier wrote the Testament denying God's existence but dared only to copy three manuscripts for posterity; Bayle used skepticism to show that religious questions exceed reason, and therefore no one has the right to persecute others in the name of faith.