Philosophy Portal, 2023 Update (1)
From Science of Logic to the Écrits and Beyond!
Philosophy Portal is in its second official year. This post should give you an overview of what has been going on, the context of what is now available on the site, and what to expect moving into the rest of 2023. In the first year, we focused on two philosophical foundations, Hegel’s phenomenology, explicated in Phenomenology of Spirit, and Nietzsche’s existentialism, explicated in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. This year we have continued building on this foundation, first focusing on Hegel’s logic, explicated in the Science of Logic.
The Science of Logic started January 16th 2023, and has been unfolding the past two months. The (monstrous) book as a whole can be divided into three sections: the Doctrine of Being, Essence and Concept. The month of February was dedicated to the Doctrine of Being, and the month of March was dedicated to the Doctrine of Essence. This April I will be attempting to teach the Doctrine of Concept. Throughout teaching the book, my approach has been two-fold:
To stay true to Hegel’s own project/vision/voice, giving a full and systematic overview to its logical unfolding
To bring it to life, demonstrating the way in which Hegel’s logical form can be used to approach contemporary content
Whether we are thinking about the relationship between evolutionism and idealism, political-economy/libidinal economy, quantum gravity, grounding of sexual-digital identity, mediating contemporary spirit, or thinking spiritual leadership/life, Hegel’s logic can help us think the gaps, cracks, negativities in a positive becoming.
Moreover, for this course, I have not been alone, but rather been accompanied by six fellow travellers who have brought their own perspective and expertise, and who have, above all, demonstrated that Hegel’s logic is relevant for thinking the contemporary field of knowledge. So far, this has included presentations from:
Thomas Hamelryck, professor of bioinformatics at the University of Copenhagen, teaching about the brain sciences, and specifically the work of Karl Friston and his unified theory of the brain
William Rupush, a doctoral candidate in quantum physics, teaching about the mathematics of category theory, and its relation to the Doctrine of Being
Alex Ebert, creative/singer/musician, teaching about the nature of creativity and sublation, specifically as it relates to dynamics of lack and excess
Daniel Garner of O.G. Rose, general philosopher, teaching about the paradigm of the Modern Counter-Enlightenment, and the way Hegel can function as a foundation for this paradigm
Next month, we will host both Layman Pascal, co-founder of The Integral Stage, to discuss Integral Theory and metaphysics, and Thomas Winn, a doctoral candidate in continental philosophy, to discuss Heidegger’s Hegel.
All of these guest lectures have significantly enriched the course as a whole, and I think that they have given the students both a window into how Hegel can be thought today, how Hegel is still our contemporary, and his logic has application to many fields related to science, maths, creativity and paradigmatics.
In about a month, the Science of Logic course will have finished. But its contents will not be inaccessible. As previous courses through Philosophy Portal, I have worked to make sure that all recorded courses are available for a lifetime. These courses can be found here:
Freudian Unconscious (2019 (2021))
The Freudian Unconscious course was made before Philosophy Portal existed. It was my second official course offering after a first experimental course titled Exploring the Self (which is unfortunately no longer available). I have since updated the course with videos from 2020 and 2021, related to the Return to Freud. The course still stands as an important introduction to core Freudian ideas.
Now moving into the rest of 2023, Philosophy Portal’s work continues. First we will start with a mini-intensive course focused on Alenka Zupančič’s What Is Sex? This course, for the first time, will be taught in collaboration with another organisation, Theory Underground, and specifically co-presented with David McKerracher. This mini-intensive course starts May 7th and will offer four classes in May and June. I have a special relation with this text, in the sense that I have already completed a YouTube series focused on its contents, but feel like it deserves an actual course so that we can more fully explore its connection to contemporary libidinal-economy, and open discussion spaces about how to think its political consequences. Moreover, in the logic of Philosophy Portal as a whole, I think focusing on one of the greatest contemporary Lacanian theorists, will help us prepare for Lacan’s Écrits, which will be the second major course offering for 2023. Like the Science of Logic course I will not be the only teacher for this course, but will be joined by pyrotheologist Peter Rollins, who will teach about how Lacanian psychoanalysis has influenced his theology, and psychoanalytic theorist Isabel Millar, who will teach us about patipolitics, or the politics of suffering and enjoyment. This course starts July 16th.
Special note: both courses can be purchased together/are designed to go together
Special note: early bird specials for both courses are extended until April 30th
Apart from courses, the biggest announcement last month was the release of a new book: Systems and Subjects: Thinking the Foundations of Science and Philosophy. The large majority of the research and writing of this book was conducted in 2019, as a part of a post-doc work at the Bertalanffy Centre of the Study of Systems Science (BCSSS). Due to personal and technical reasons, it could only be released now. I have been editing and updating the book on and off in-between 2021-2023. Now I feel it is ready to the see the light of day. The book as a whole is inspired by putting Ludwig von Bertalanffy’s foundations of systems science into dialogue with the continental tradition. There are four major sections in the work, and while systems science is the thread throughout all four major sections, each section is also inspired by an individual figure in the continental tradition: 1. Heidegger, 2. Freud, 3. Nietzsche, and 4. Hegel. The goal here is to push the limits of both discourses, systems science and continental theory, to both update the foundations of science and philosophy, and approach contemporary deadlocks and problems in the contemporary field.
You can also find previous works on the Philosophy Portal website:
Global Brain Singularity (2020)
This book is my doctoral thesis, and basically represents the result of over 5 years of intensive study into evolutionary theory and the future of human civilisation
This book is a conversational trialogue with Kevin Orosz and Daniel Dick, and is great for opening dialogue with friends about personal issues, whether it is gender identity, pain/suffering in relation, love and death, and much more.
This is the first official Philosophy Portal anthology. It is the culmination of the Phenomenology of Spirit course, and asks the meta-question: how would Hegel see our world, after the qualitative transitions involved in the emergence of the digital age?
The YouTube channel for Philosophy Portal has still been active. I have been using it to host discussions with philosophical minds about their on-going work, whether it be related to a course, a new book, or an on-going creative project. You can find some of the latest discussions below:
For They Know Not What They Do w/ Michael Downs, David McKerracher
The Psychoanalysis of Artificial Intelligence w/ Isabel Millar
Whether you are interested in following a past course, a future course, read a new book or an old book, or just stay in touch through The Tube, if you are of a philosophical mind, you should find something of deep interest for you here. Consider this a check up, a general update to the overall mission of Philosophy Portal. There has been a lot going on behind the scenes, and a lot to look forward to for the rest of the year. If you are interested in getting involved, feel free to reach me through the website, or inquire about the opportunities to work 1-on-1.