Fools and Sages
Welcome to the Fools and Sages Podcast, where deep conversations intersect with practical wisdom. Hosted by Brian Lee and Boaz Soifer, this show invites listeners into thought-provoking conversations that illuminate the transformative insights Boaz gained from nearly three decades of dialogue with Brian.
Episodes
Brian reads the short poem, The Second Coming, by WB Yeats, written after WWI, and these Fools discuss its imagery, historical context, and philosophical implications.
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See the Fools and Sages show notes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GVCVW1h2_-4JOU22KREzTO0lVDiN3icg?usp=drive_link
These Fools examine anger through psychological and philosophical frameworks. Is it a “secondary emotion?” A signal of other internal material? What does it mean to not be a victim of our own anger, and how do we go about living in healthy relationship with our anger?
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These Fools go into Brian’s history and discuss key teachers he had in his formative chapters learning fighting and later, internal martial arts. Brian shares stories from his early days learning from Peter Lee, and offers some glimpses into martial arts theory not often available to the layperson.
patreon.com/FoolsandSagesPodcast
https://www.instagram.com/foolsandsagespodcast/
These Fools are thrilled to welcome special guest Krishnan Venkatesh, a philosophy professor at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM and formative member of St. John’s Eastern Classics Graduate Program. A rich discussion starts out with whether there are core differences between Eastern and Western philosophy, and touches on many topics, including the influence of Eastern thought on American thinkers like HD Thoreau, fragmentation of...
These Fools chat about the significance of hats, from their roles protecting us from weather in various climates to the role of the head itself as the seat of consciousness. This leads to a discussion of meditation, the relative merits of standing and sitting for it, and insights about the mind-body connection, drawing on Brian’s deep experience in martial arts.
This week these Fools discuss the advent of cryptocurrency. What does it represent in the evolution of Marshall MacLuhan’s “extensions of man?” How do ideas like local currency relate to crypto? How do currencies and economics relate to nature itself? How is crypto relevant to the rest of a new chapter unfolding?
Patreon: patreon.com/FoolsandSagesPodcast
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These Fools explore the idea of the “Self” and how various thinkers have conceptualized it. Does the Self only exist in a religious context? Who are we in a secular world? The need to know the Self and understand its relationship to subjects such as consciousness and time, may be the most important catalyst of philosophy itself. Join these Fools for the journey!
These Fools explore the link between individual psychological tendencies and mass consciousness. Are ideologies the outcome of individual dysfunctions projected into the group? Modernism and post-modernism get a look through the lens of materialism and spirit, as these Fools consider how societies create the environment for individual freedom and healthy collaboration. Enjoy!
These Fools talk about Brian’s apricot trees, and his musings on the deep meaning of the term “fruitfulness” - its origins in language and usage, its implications for our interrelationship with nature and stewardship, and its insights into the nobility of common struggle, the tension between surrender and control, and meaning itself. Dedicated to Frank Andrews: may he rest in peace.
These Fools contemplate a case from Boaz’s coaching practice, in which play is proposed as an antidote to the voice of excessive self-criticism (perfectionism.) They discuss the ideas of play and its role in human development as well as the psychology of self-criticism, and explore how these topics interrelate (and how they don’t.) What constitutes play for an adult? What is meant by “integrating” psychological material? How do we ...
These Fools welcome guest Geoffrey Moore, world-renowned business strategist famous for books such as “Crossing the Chasm” and consultant with leading enterprises such as Salesforce, Intel, and Microsoft. Geoff introduces “The Infinite Staircase,” his proposal for a metaphysics that provides a secular framework for ethics. He and these Fools explore the human experience and how we develop in our search for meaning. Geoff is a treas...
These Fools explore the archetypal meaning of history’s most famous dictator, whose name is synonymous with humanity’s darkest potential. In a competitive field, why do we uniquely associate Hitler with evil? A phenomenological review touches on rhetoric, black magic, the meaning of moral courage and individual responsibility, and ultimately, meaning itself. Have yourself a good listen.
These Fools welcome guest Allison Gerard, Managing Director of Moral Courage, to the podcast. Moral Courage, founded by Irshad Manji, teaches people of all ages “to turn heated issues into healthy conversations and sustained teamwork.” Allison shares her definition of moral courage and the factors in our societal discourse that make it imperative today. The discussion turns to politics, psychology, neuroscience, and of course the p...
These Fools start out talking about the transient quality of work, family, community, and life in general, in the West and especially in the US, and muse about the role of “Place” in antidoting it. Aristotle, Hegel, Wendell Berry, Hopi prophecy, Freud, and other sources come up as the Fools consider how Place shapes identity, the nature of Nature, and the individual/collective, internal/external journeys we’re unfolding as we try t...
These Fools react to recent news and consider the ethical implications of cloning extinct species, and whether we could expect to give Dire Wolves belly rubs. This provides a jumping-off point to look at various philosophers’ views on ethics and how we can evaluate our actions in pursuit of “doing the right thing.” Happy listening!
These Fools start out talking about Brian’s recent musings on how the integration of image makes a “philosophical machine” like Tiger & Dragon works so much better than a more rational explanation of a similar concept. This leads to an exploration of the role of image in creating our semantic world, a conversation about Hesse’s Demian and the loss of innocence, and an admonition about the role of courage and authenticity in mee...
These Fools discuss “getting older.” What do we mean by development? How do we know if we’re doing it right? How does our relationship to our mortality change as we get older, and what impact does that have on what development means to us? Fools draw on Sages from Eastern philosophy, Greek philosophy, German hermeneutics and phenomenology, and a bit of Monty Python. Join us!
These Fools consult the I Ching - the ancient Chinese oracle - about the current state of things. Brian explains the origin and history of the I Ching, how to use it, and its metaphysical essence, then shares the resulting reading and some interpretation.
These Fools are joined by Paul Fenn, Founder of Local Power and inventor of “Community Choice Aggregation” for municipal energy procurement. Paul shares his fascinating background that includes a deep relationship to philosophy, political theory, psychology, energy policy and municipal engagement, leading to a discussion of the state of the American psyche, (for which Paul has a fearless diagnosis,) and a discourse on “what we shou...
In this episode, these Fools take a recent X post by Jon Haidt as fodder for conversation, relating to our need to “regain our attention” and stop fragmenting ourselves and our reality. They explore the nature of fragmentation, discipline, self-improvement, and - most importantly - reveal the three methods of demon-slaying. Happy listening!
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