This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit jeffreynall.substack.comThe humanities continue to be undermined by funding cuts and demands to center education on strictly defined workplace roles. In this talk, delivered March 19, 2023 before the UU Fellowship of St. Augustine, in Florida, Jeffrey Nall, Ph.D. draws on his experience as a high school dropout turned humanities professor to argue that the humanities offer college students and lifelong learners invaluable lessons in the art of living lives of intention and excellence.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit jeffreynall.substack.comDr. Jeffrey Nall's January 28, 2024 talk on Albert Einstein, the humanities, and peace before the UU Church of Brevard in West Melbourne, Florida. The talk also highlights some of Einstein’s less well known views on individualism, warfare, nationalism, and his concerns about “fascist” elements of Jewish Zionism following the Deir Yassin massacre of April 9, 1948.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit jeffreynall.substack.comVideo #4: Rev. Dr. King’s Other Dream: Ending Economic InjusticeNarrow commemorations of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and work demean his life, thought, and work. Depictions of King that tell the story of his civil rights activism to the exclusion of his opposition to militarism and economic injustice obscure his holistic conception of justic…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit jeffreynall.substack.comThere was a great outpouring of love and appreciation for bell hooks when we learned she had died of kidney failure on December 15, 2021. hooks helped many better understand the character of sexism and racism and how these forms of human oppression uniquely intersect with other dimensions of social life. She also taught many of us how to think more critically, communicate more courageously, and love more authentically.

Episode Three: Confucius Didn’t Say ThatThe third episode of the Humanities in Revolt podcast explores the widespread practice of circulating quotes that are misattributed to great thinkers. At first glance, this seems like something only a humanities professor would or should care about. But there’s more here than we might notice at first glance. Yes, the inaccurate attribution of a saying to a great thinker of the past is bound to be a pet peeve of a humanities professor. But the objection isn’t that ancient thinkers are brought into dialogue with contemporary problems, or that the general public is trying to make sense of a classic work. The very purpose of this newsletter is to affirm the relevance and applicability of the humanities to everyday life. Another basic premise of this project is that all human beings have the intellectual capacity to critically examine their lives and achieve excellence. Pearls of wisdom can help open up new channels of thought and action, and we should be talking about them in the public square.The problem with misattributed quote memes is, first of all, that they are factually incorrect. Those of us who value truth will understand this basic objection. But there’s more to the criticism than this. As we explore in the podcast, quote misattribution in social media is often accompanied by an intellectual passivity that contradicts the apparent purpose of sharing the excerpted text in the first place. Not only is there a failure to fact check the authorship of the insight, the quote often takes the place of the sharer’s own voice. This is problematic.Great quotes alone cannot clarify the world for us. Clarity comes through active conscious thought and dialogue. A related criticism is that too many presume that the meaning of the provided quote is self-evident. But the richness of many expressions is usually found when we ask ourselves what meanings lie behind the words. After all, words are just symbolic indicators that help us point the way in comprehending, explaining, and generally making sense of human experiences, feelings, and values. Rarely does a string of words on a weighty matter convey these fundamental meanings without serious reflection on the part of the receiver.Instead of simply “relaying” what an Ancient thinker had to say, we need to contemplate and interrogate their ideas. What did they mean? How does this idea hold up, today?Some of the most illuminating educational experiences I’ve ever had as a humanities professor involved asking a room full people to share what they think a given passage from a great book means and how it relates to their thinking and experience. The beauty and value of a great quote is most earnestly expressed in the insightful reflection and dialogue it produces.Listen and Discuss!When you’re done listening to the episode, let us know what you think. * Is it unethical to misattribute a statement to a great thinkers of the past? Do we have an ethical obligation to accurately quote the dead? Why or why not?Take this one question poll* Do you have a favorite thinker you like to quote?* How do you share or use quotes of great thinkers? Social media shares, bumper stickers, tattoos?* How do others in your social media world use them? Any thoughts about it?* Do you think quotes are generally used to invite or undermine dialogue? * What role should great quotes play in thinking about contemporary problems?If you found this episode interesting, please share it with others and like our post by clicking the heart icon. Help Us Grow If you haven’t subscribed, please do so. If you know of others who would enjoy these kinds of discussions, invite them to subscribe. Better yet, give them a gift subscription, and help Humanities in Revolt at the same time. If you’re able to become a paid Subscriber we promise to put your contribution to work growing our audience and developing our content.Podcast PlatformsThe Humanities in Revolt podcast can be found here and on platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube.Read the OriginalBelow you’ll find the original Substack post this podcast post is based on.ServicesDr. Nall delivers energetic live presentations and engaging workshops on the subjects featured in Humanities in Revolt. Those interested in booking a workshop or talk can get in touch through Facebook or by leaving a comment on this post.SubscribeSubscribers will receive periodic posts pertaining to the broad domain of humanistic inquiry, from the insights of great thinkers throughout human history, the meaning and importance of critical thinking and ethics, the underappreciated poetry in everyday existence, to contemporary cultural analysis and the ongoing struggle to combat human oppression and violence. You will also have the opportunity to engage the author and our online community in dialogue about each post.Subscribe nowWhy get a paid subscription?Paid subscriptions directly support Dr. Jeffrey Nall’s efforts to produce and share publicly accessible independent scholarship and analysis. Supporting donations can also be made through PayPal. For more about my work go to JeffreyNall.com and find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jeffreynall.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode I argue we often leave our moral goodness up to chance and that we have more in common with those who held dehumanizing opinions in the past than we recognize. Our rejection of unjust ideologies such as racism, sexism, and homophobia is less a testament to our superior moral character than our luck in inheriting the fruits others' labor. Namely, the fruits of the moral giants' labor who came before us and dared to think and act in ways that cut against the grain of dominant society. By recognizing that our moral superiority of opinion is largely due to luck, we stand ready to follow the lead of ethical change agents who came before us and do the difficult work of thinking courageously and critically about the contemporary moral questions that, today, go ignored, dismissed, or simply unrecognized.Let’s Discuss!When you’re done listening to the episode, let’s strike up a dialogue. Let me know what you think. Specifically, I’d really like to know your thoughts on this question:What present moral problem is mostly unseen or inadequately addressed? As a bonus, it’d be great to learn about the kinds of ethical projects others have or are now undertaking.What kinds of ethical insights have you developed through your own effort?Have you ever undergone moral transformation? What was the change, and how did you make it?Are there ethical changes you believe you ought to undertake but have not yet taken action? What are the impediments to enacting those changes?If you found this episode interesting, please share it with others and like our post by clicking the heart icon. If you aren’t a subscriber, please join us. Paid subscriptions are greatly appreciated, but free subscriptions are also welcomed with gratitude.The Humanities in Revolt podcast can be found here and on platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube. Below you’ll find the original Substack post this podcast post is based on.ServicesDr. Nall delivers energetic live presentations and engaging workshops on the subjects featured in Humanities in Revolt. Those interested in booking a workshop or talk can get in touch through Facebook or by leaving a comment on this post.SubscribeSubscribers will receive periodic posts pertaining to the broad domain of humanistic inquiry, from the insights of great thinkers throughout human history, the meaning and importance of critical thinking and ethics, the underappreciated poetry in everyday existence, to contemporary cultural analysis and the ongoing struggle to combat human oppression and violence. You will also have the opportunity to engage the author and our online community in dialogue about each post.Why get a paid subscription?Paid subscriptions directly support Dr. Jeffrey Nall’s efforts to produce and share publicly accessible independent scholarship and analysis. Supporting donations can also be made through PayPal. For more about my work go to JeffreyNall.com and find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jeffreynall.substack.com/subscribe

This post inaugurates the podcast component of Humanities in Revolt. In this episode and those to come I will give voice to previously published Substack posts. You can also find this and future podcast episodes on platforms like Spotify and YouTube.Thank you to our paid subscribers for allowing this project to expand and flourish! If you aren’t a subscriber, please join us. Paid subscriptions are greatly appreciated, but free subscriptions are also welcomed with gratitude.In this episode I explain the theme of the newsletter and podcast. (See below for the original post or click this link.) That aim is to explore the art of being human by taking the humanities out of the ivory tower, and into the homes and streets of everyday life. I also give my take on what the humanities, at their best, raise objections to and what they affirm. After you give it a listen please share with others and, as always, share your thoughts in the comment section.What do you see as the best in the humanities? What role do they have to play in the 21st century amidst so much ecological-social-political instability and crises? What relationship should the humanities have with the sciences and technology?SubscribeSubscribers will receive periodic posts pertaining to the broad domain of humanistic inquiry, from the insights of great thinkers throughout human history, the meaning and importance of critical thinking and ethics, the underappreciated poetry in everyday existence, to contemporary cultural analysis and the ongoing struggle to combat human oppression and violence. You will also have the opportunity to engage the author and our online community in dialogue about each post.Why get a paid subscription?Paid subscriptions directly support Dr. Jeffrey Nall’s efforts to produce and share publicly accessible independent scholarship and analysis. Supporting donations can also be made through PayPal. For more about my work go to JeffreyNall.com and find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jeffreynall.substack.com/subscribe