In Michel Foucalt's Aesthetics, Method, and Epistemology his unique perspective on the relationship between language, knowledge, and power, is demonstrated as well as his commitment to analyzing how these forces shape our cultural and historical experience. There will be a bonus season available for all subscribers on Apple Podcasts diving into Foucault's works.

A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful by Edmund Burke explores the psychological and physiological basis of our perceptions of beauty and sublimity. Burke argues that beauty is associated with qualities that induce relaxation and pleasure in the senses, such as smoothness, smallness, and gradual variation. In contrast, he asserts that sublimity arises from experiences of pain, danger, and awe, often connected to ideas of power, vastness, and obscurity. Burke's work examines how these aesthetic categories are rooted in our sensory experiences and the ways in which they influence our emotional responses.

Phenomenology of Perception by Maurice Merleau-Ponty is a significant work in the phenomenological tradition that challenges the Cartesian mind-body dualism. Merleau-Ponty argues that perception is not a passive reception of sensory information by a detached mind, but rather a dynamic interaction between the embodied subject and the world. By exploring the role of our lived body, intentional structures, and the phenomenal field, Merleau-Ponty critiques classical theories of perception and offers a new understanding of consciousness as embodied and perspectival. Stay tuned and subscribe on Apple Podcasts for an exclusive season diving deeper into the works of Merleau-Ponty

Immanuel Kant's Critique of Judgment provides a glimpse into his philosophical system and the overarching themes explored in the work. Kant emphasizes the importance of critique in philosophy, arguing that we must examine the limitations of our cognitive abilities before making judgments. The Critique of Judgment focuses on aesthetic and teleological judgments, examining how we judge beauty and the purposiveness of nature.

In Heidegger's Off the Beaten Track, he dedicates a piece 'The Origin of the Work of Art' inquiring into the nature of art, focusing on the relationship between the artwork, the artist, and art itself. He argues art is not just a mere object but holds with it a work-character, and it is this work-character that defines art.

Our second episode is on Hegel's Aesthetics. In this text, Hegel provides a philosophical framework for understanding the nature and development of art. Hegel believes art represents the ideal, it is the perfect embodiment of truth and beauty. Hegel explores the relationship between art and the public.

This season on aesthetics kicks off with an essay on the nature of beauty, written by Ancient Greek philosopher Plotinus. Plotinus argues against the tendency of language to conceal truth, and promotes the pursuit of understanding over mere verbal analysis. It explores the nature of beauty, first by examining how beauty manifests in physical objects and then by examining the beauty of the soul. Plotinus ultimately argues that true beauty lies in the realm of intellect, a realm of pure and perfect being that is accessible only to those who have purified their souls.

Albert Camus' "The Myth of Sisyphus" discusses the concept of the absurd and how it relates to various aspects of human existence. Camus argues that the absurd is a fundamental truth of life, acknowledging that life has no inherent meaning, yet choosing to live with this understanding.