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Show Notes
Who's Your Guru? (and is Slavoj Žižek any good?)
Sam, Joe and Ali discuss gurus, including the online type:
- our times are thick with public intellectuals, influencers, and self-proclaimed experts
- Sam's frequent references to Slavoj Žižek, and Joe's conclusion that he doesn't make much sense, and isn't much chop intellectually.
- Sam on literal guru worship in the Hare Krishnas - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_for_Krishna_Consciousness
- should we just speak for ourselves, rather than filter our thoughts or present them in relation to influential figures?
- figures like Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray
- the resort to online gurus during times of uncertainty, about how to know and think (the so-called epistemological crisis)
- A few of Joe's past figures get a mention: Stephen Pinker, Michael Shellenberger,
- how problematic it can be when these gurus leave their area of expertise
- many people will detect that guru lane drift, but many others still trust their Guru's every word, which is perhaps the whole point of gurus
- the power of dialogue with other humans in understanding our own internally competing perspectives, and helping us evaluate information and perception
- striving for clarity amidst an overload of information.
Useful sources:
- The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (peer reviewed) - Zizek entry https://iep.utm.edu/zizek/
- Zizek Wikipedia
- Zizek wikiquote
- Some key Zizek ideas from The Conversation
Creators & Guests
- Ali Catramados - Host
- Joe Loh - Host
- Sam Ellis - Host
- (00:00) - Introduction and Hosts
- (00:28) - Topic inro: Online Gurus
- (00:41) - Slavoj Žižek
- (02:52) - Growing up with guru worship in the Hare Krishnas
- (04:22) - The Dangers of Guru Worship
- (05:57) - The Influence of Public Intellectuals
- (11:31) - The Impact of Social Media on Gurus
- (15:33) - The Crisis of Trust in Modern Media
- (28:13) - Capitalism and Media Coverage
- (28:34) - The Search for a Reliable Source
- (29:01) - Disappointment in Trusted Institutions
- (29:53) - The Role of Institutions and Individual Sources
- (32:08) - The Struggle with Information Overload
- (32:48) - The Burden of Individual Choice
- (34:42) - The Quest for Understanding and Trust
- (36:09) - The Fear of Uncertainty and the Search for a Guru
- (38:15) - The Dangers of Single-Source Reliance
- (40:16) - The Role of Dialogue in Understanding
- (44:19) - The Challenge of Finding Clarity in Chaos
00:28 Topic inro: Online Gurus
00:41 Slavoj Žižek
02:52 Growing up with guru worship in the Hare Krishnas
04:22 The Dangers of Guru Worship
05:57 The Influence of Public Intellectuals
11:31 The Impact of Social Media on Gurus
15:33 The Crisis of Trust in Modern Media
28:13 Capitalism and Media Coverage
28:34 The Search for a Reliable Source
29:01 Disappointment in Trusted Institutions
29:53 The Role of Institutions and Individual Sources
32:08 The Struggle with Information Overload
32:48 The Burden of Individual Choice
34:42 The Quest for Understanding and Trust
36:09 The Fear of Uncertainty and the Search for a Guru
38:15 The Dangers of Single-Source Reliance
40:16 The Role of Dialogue in Understanding
44:19 The Challenge of Finding Clarity in Chaos