Philosophy Rekindled

Alice Flanagan

Philosophy Rekindled examines early 20th century philosophers focusing on a one book at a time. The book of focus for 2020 is the 1920 New York published version of Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

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Society & CultureSociety & Culture

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Episode 87: Episode 24 – Part 10 Panel Discussion (Part 5) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 87: Episode 24 – Part 10 Panel Discussion (Part 5) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter XXIII,Evolution and Culture and the Conclusion in five parts and this is the final part - Part 5. Well, Ouspensky you have had us captivated for the whole of 2020 and our panellists have had moments where we have loved what you have to say and others where we don’t agree with you at all. Chapter XXIII was a real eye opener as to what the ‘real Ouspensky’ may have truly thought about humanity and our panellists are left thinking ‘Who are you and what have you done with Ouspensky?’ but surprise is a key aspect of a good book I suppose. There is plenty to discuss with the end of Chapter XXIII, the section on ‘Evolution or Culture’ and the Conclusion.We would like to thank all our listeners most sincerely for taking this journey with us. We are so thrilled you have taken interest in this dusty old book from a century ago. We are taking a short break and will be back with something new soon. All the best from Pete and Alice! (philosophyrekindled@gmail.com).

Episodes

Episode 87: Episode 24 – Part 10 Panel Discussion (Part 5) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 87: Episode 24 – Part 10 Panel Discussion (Part 5) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter XXIII,Evolution and Culture and the Conclusion in five parts and this is the final part - Part 5. Well, Ouspensky you have had us captivated for the whole of 2020 and our panellists have had moments where we have loved what you have to say and others where we don’t agree with you at all. Chapter XXIII was a real eye opener as to what the ‘real Ouspensky’ may have truly thought about humanity and our panellists are left thinking ‘Who are you and what have you done with Ouspensky?’ but surprise is a key aspect of a good book I suppose. There is plenty to discuss with the end of Chapter XXIII, the section on ‘Evolution or Culture’ and the Conclusion.We would like to thank all our listeners most sincerely for taking this journey with us. We are so thrilled you have taken interest in this dusty old book from a century ago. We are taking a short break and will be back with something new soon. All the best from Pete and Alice! (philosophyrekindled@gmail.com).

Episode 86: Episode 24 – Part 9 Chapter Reading ‘Conclusion’ Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 86: Episode 24 – Part 9 Chapter Reading ‘Conclusion’ Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Part 9 of Episode 24 is the Conclusion of Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky read by Alice Flanagan.Well Ouspensky, it has been a long journey and now we reach the conclusion. It has been a rollicking good read with lots of twists and turns. As is customary in any conclusion there is a summary of the main points of the book however, Ouspensky manages to tie in one more reference – the Apocalypse from Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians ‘There shall be time no longer’. He throws in the odd word about this new level of consciousness being only for the ‘superhuman’ but wraps up with his final paragraph giving the rest of us hope (as any author worth his salt is want to do).

Episode 85: Episode 24 – Part 8 Chapter Reading ‘Evolution or Culture’ Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 85: Episode 24 – Part 8 Chapter Reading ‘Evolution or Culture’ Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Part 8 of Episode 24 is the audio version of ‘Evolution or Culture’ of Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky read by Alice Flanagan.As an add-on to Chapter XXIII Ouspensky has included a section called ‘Evolution or Culture’ where he explores the question – must cosmic consciousness result as part of the evolutionary process or can it be awakened through education and self-development? It’s a great question and (spoiler alert) Ouspensky argues the latter but notes this only applies to the ‘special race of men’ he mentioned earlier in the chapter.

Episode 84: Episode 24 – Part 7 Panel Discussion (Part 4) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 84: Episode 24 – Part 7 Panel Discussion (Part 4) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Well, Ouspensky just gets more and more terrifying as this chapter progresses and our panellists have a lot to say about it. Is Ouspensky showing us a side we haven’t seen before or have we missed something? One thing is for sure and that’s our panellists aren’t happy to hear Ouspensky’s thoughts on the ‘Master Race’ (a race that has ‘Cosmic Consciousness’) that dwell amongst us and what they might have in store for the rest of us.

Episode 83: Episode 24 – Part 6 Panel Discussion (Part 3) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 83: Episode 24 – Part 6 Panel Discussion (Part 3) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter 23 in several parts and this is Part 3. Well, the moment we have all been waiting for has arrived – Ouspensky’s annihilation of Dr Bucke. Our panellists are not sure why Ouspensky has made such an effort to quote Bucke just to bring him down – perhaps they had a falling out, or perhaps Ouspensky is exposing a more far-reaching agenda. Our panellists have picked up a few additions that Ouspensky has made on his own accord and to put it mildly if he is right what he has to say is terrifying.

Episode 82: Episode 24 – Part 5 Chapter Reading (Part 3) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 82: Episode 24 – Part 5 Chapter Reading (Part 3) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Part 5 of Episode 24 is the third and final part of the audio version of Chapter XXIII of Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky read by Fred Flanagan.This chapter will be read by my late father Fred Flanagan as a nod to the past and the person who introduced me to the book.Ouspensky has set the scene by quoting pages and pages from Dr Bucke and you’d think this meant he's a fan but alas (for Dr Bucke) no. In this part of the chapter Ouspensky annihilates Dr Bucke and has some very interesting/questionable things to add of his own.

Episode 81: Episode 24 – Part 4 Panel Discussion (Part 2) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 81: Episode 24 – Part 4 Panel Discussion (Part 2) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter 23 in several parts and this is Part 2. Well buckle up because Ouspensky is putting the spotlight on Dr Bucke (and not in a good way). Ouspensky will have his say in the next part of the panel discussion but for now our panellists have the floor and they are not sympathetic to Dr Bucke and what he has to say. Ouspensky has quoted Dr Bucke for a reason and as we look closely (very closely) we suspect Dr Bucke’s agenda has a bit of a dark side.

Episode 80: Episode 24 – Part 3 Chapter Reading (Part 2) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 80: Episode 24 – Part 3 Chapter Reading (Part 2) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Part 3 of Episode 24 is the second part of the audio version of Chapter XXIII of Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky read by Fred Flanagan.I'm releasing the chapter reading for Chapter 23 in 3 parts because of its length this is Part 2. This chapter will be read by my late father Fred Flanagan as a nod to the past and the person who introduced me to the book.Well, Ouspensky put a lot of time and effort into trawling through Dr R.M. Bucke’s book Cosmic Consciousness and quotes many excepts from it. Many, many excerpts in fact and one might think that perhaps Mr Ouspensky is a fan (spoiler alert - he’s not). So why does Ouspensky devote so much of this chapter to Dr Bucke? I suggest he is exposing Bucke as a bit of positivist in sheep’s clothing. So, judge for yourself and in the next part of the chapter reading Ouspensky will have his say.

Episode 78: Episode 24 – Part 2 Panel Discussion (Part 1) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 78: Episode 24 – Part 2 Panel Discussion (Part 1) of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter 23 in several parts and this is Part 1. Well Ouspensky we should have seen this coming as you dropped many hints along the way. Our panellists have raised an eyebrow (or two) at some of Ouspensky’s revelations in the first part of this chapter. Some of the things he said 100 years ago are eerily true in 2020 which raises much discussion. This chapter has the shock value of an atomic explosion if you understand some of the hidden in plain view references. Don’t worry our panellists will point these out!

Episode 78: Episode 24 – Part 1 Chapter Reading Part 1 of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 78: Episode 24 – Part 1 Chapter Reading Part 1 of Chapter XXIII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Part 1 of Episode 24 is the first part of the audio version of Chapter XXIII of Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky read by Fred Flanagan.I'm releasing the chapter reading for Chapter 23 in 3 parts because of its length this is Part 1. This chapter will be read by my late father Fred Flanagan as a nod to the past and the person who introduced me to the book.In Part 1 of this chapter Ouspensky challenges whether we really understand the meaning of life. He suggests we are fixated in the material and social systems and miss the whole point. Ouspensky doesn’t stop there though suggesting that there are two separate races of man living simultaneously on the planet. One race, in the minority, has the ability to attain cosmic consciousness and with this knowledge comes power. The rest of us will have to get used to the concept of ‘some are more equal than others’. Hear him out and make up your own mind.To listen to the panel discussion of this chapter, see parts 4 and above of this episode.

Episode 77: Episode 23 – Part 8 Panel Discussion (Part 5) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 77: Episode 23 – Part 8 Panel Discussion (Part 5) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter 22 in five parts and this is Part 5. Well Ouspensky is finishing this chapter on a high (ok yes pun intended) as he enters into the region of drugs and the mystical state. He quotes from Prof. James’ book ‘Mystical States under Narcosis’ which our panellists agree must have been a rollicking good read (not). We then move on to the pamphlet from Mr Blood who coins the term ‘The Anaesthetic Revelation’ (it just gets better and better). Our panellists finish their discussion on the alternate paths to the mystical state suggested by Ouspensky being that of nature. Now whilst we are discussing drugs in this podcast our panellists are not advocating drug taking (just to be clear) however sex and rock and roll … well we leave that one up to you!To listen to an audio version of the chapter reading, see Parts 1 to 3 of this episode and to listen to the panel discussion see parts 4 and above of this episode.

Episode 76: Episode 23 – Part 7 Panel Discussion (Part 4) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 76: Episode 23 – Part 7 Panel Discussion (Part 4) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Well as if Ouspensky would dare leave Helena Blavatsky out of his Rock Star Hall of Fame, not a chance! Our panellists don’t share his enthusiasm for Helena’s writings however and we move quickly to Prof. James who has a lot to say about mysticism, religion and sex (although he is ever so discreet about the latter). So after this, Ouspensky’s ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll’ chapter has only one aspect to address … but that’s for the next podcast.To listen to an audio version of the chapter reading, see Parts 1 to 3 of this episode and to listen to the panel discussion see parts 4 and above of this episode.

Episode 23 – Part 6 Panel Discussion (Part 3) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 23 – Part 6 Panel Discussion (Part 3) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter 22 in several parts and this is Part 3. Well Ouspensky’s new Rock Star- Professor James (although we think the Prof is potentially the Johnny Rotten variety of rock star) explores mysticism in religions around the world and our panellists have some lively discussion around this. Our discussion includes Saint Teresa’s brilliant description of the mystical experience along with many other ancient writers extending all the way to China with Lao-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu. To listen to an audio version of the chapter reading, see Parts 1 to 3 of this episode and to listen to the panel discussion see parts 4 and above of this episode

Episode 23 – Part 5 Panel Discussion (Part 2) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 23 – Part 5 Panel Discussion (Part 2) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter 22 in several parts and this is Part 2. What, after all, is mysticism? Well Ouspensky that’s a great question and our panellists are impressed by the answers you provide. We also loved the excerpts on Jacob Boehme and his description of illumination (despite Ouspensky referring to Boehme as ‘a common shoemaker’ – another to add to our list of faux pas perhaps). Ouspensky has really hit his stride by now and we are as keen as mustard to hear more. To listen to an audio version of the chapter reading, see Parts 1 to 3 of this episode and to listen to the panel discussion see parts 4 and above of this episode.

Episode 23 – Part 4 Panel Discussion (Part 1) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 23 – Part 4 Panel Discussion (Part 1) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter 22 in several parts and this is Part 1. Well Ouspensky appears to have a little issue with some of the theosophical authors of the time and this did not escape our panellists. There is a lot to discuss with the writings of Max Muller who examines the teachings from Ancient India and the knowledge they hold of the ‘real’ world. There is a lively discussion around the original teachings of religion - so what happened there? We are setting the scene to explore the role of mysticism in bringing forth the ‘communion with the invisible world’ and so this is just the beginning of a very interesting chapter.To listen to an audio version of the chapter reading, see Parts 1 to 3 of this episode and to listen to the panel discussion see parts 4 and above of this episode.

Episode 23 – Part 3 Chapter Reading (Part 3) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 23 – Part 3 Chapter Reading (Part 3) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Part 3 of Episode 23 is the third part (of three) of the audio version of Chapter XXII of Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky read by Alice Flanagan.This chapter is packed to the rafters with examples throughout history of the mystical experience. Hampered by the constraints of language each extract provides a glimpse of the experience of the ‘real’ world. Ouspensky explores various means of obtaining mystical states including those under narcotics to those through contact with nature. If I was to be so bold, I could say this chapter is Ouspensky’s version of ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll’! A brilliant chapter all round. To listen to the panel discussion of this chapter, see parts 4 and above of this episode.

Episode 23 – Part 2 Chapter Reading (Part 2) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 23 – Part 2 Chapter Reading (Part 2) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Part 2 of Episode 23 is the second part (of three) of the audio version of Chapter XXII of Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky read by Alice Flanagan.This chapter is packed to the rafters with examples throughout history of the mystical experience. Hampered by the constraints of language each extract provides a glimpse of the experience of the ‘real’ world. Ouspensky explores various means of obtaining mystical states including those under narcotics to those through contact with nature. If I was to be so bold, I could say this chapter is Ouspensky’s version of ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll’! A brilliant chapter all round.To listen to the panel discussion of this chapter, see parts 4 and above of this episode.

Episode 23 Part 1 Chapter Reading (Part 1) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 23 Part 1 Chapter Reading (Part 1) of Chapter XXII Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Part 1 of Episode 23 is the first part (of three) of the audio version of Chapter XXII of Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky read by Alice Flanagan.This chapter is packed to the rafters with examples throughout history of the mystical experience. Hampered by the constraints of language each extract provides a glimpse of the experience of the ‘real’ world. Ouspensky explores various means of obtaining mystical states including those under narcotics to those through contact with nature. If I was to be so bold, I could say this chapter is Ouspensky’s version of ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll’! A brilliant chapter all round.To listen to the panel discussion of this chapter, see parts 4 and above of this episode.

Episode 22 – Part 6 Panel Discussion (Part 5) of Chapter XXI Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 22 – Part 6 Panel Discussion (Part 5) of Chapter XXI Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter 21 in five parts and this is Part 5. Well Ouspensky is finishing this chapter on a high as he lists everything you wanted to know about the noumenal world (or world of causes) but were too afraid to ask and it’s a cracker. Pete Lancett has dubbed these 12 points ‘the beastly beatitudes of P.D. Ouspensky’ but all jokes aside this is a fabulous list and our panellists are not about to skip a thing going through them.To listen to an audio version of the chapter reading, see Part 1 of this episode and to listen to the panel discussion see parts 2 and above of this episode.

Episode 22 – Part 5 Panel Discussion (Part 4) of Chapter XXI Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

Episode 22 – Part 5 Panel Discussion (Part 4) of Chapter XXI Tertium Organum by P.D. Ouspensky

We are covering our panel discussion for Chapter 21 in several parts and this is Part 4. There is much to discuss around Ouspensky’s concept of ‘false idols’ and the chief false idol may come as a surprise (or not – as the case may be). There is more discussion around the restrictions of language in describing any experiences of the ‘real world’ but Ouspensky gives it a crack none the less and our panellists are ‘picking up what he’s putting down’. We are on board all the way with Ouspensky in this part of the chapter (but that doesn’t stop Pete Lancett having the odd rant).To listen to an audio version of the chapter reading, see Part 1 of this episode and to listen to the panel discussion see parts 2 and above of this episode.