Why Ignorance Rules the World: Socrates, Euthyphro, and the Search for Knowledge, Ep.1
Release Date: 10/17/2025
Nietzsche on Russia, Europe, and the Munich Security Conference | Spirit News, Ep. 3
Becoming Human
Spirit News: A Hegalian Perspective on Current Affairs| Ep. 3 | A philosopher's take on the news with Yale-trained philosopher, Dr. Samuel Loncar. In this episode, I explore the transformative impact of social media on traditional news, the foundational theories of social structure by classical theorists like Elias, Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, and the implications of these theories on contemporary society. I discuss the evolution of societal norms, the dynamics of geopolitics and imperialism, and the role of America in European defense, culminating in an analysis of the emerging global...
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Spirit News: The Death of Legacy Media, Walking Monks, & Kierkegaard Makes the Evening Edition | Ep 2
Becoming Human
Spirit News: A Hegelian Perspective on Current Affairs Philosopher Dr. Samuel Loncar explores the intersection of philosophy and modern news, emphasizing the relevance of Hegelian thought in understanding contemporary society. In the latest episode of Spirit News, he dives into the changing landscape of media and the rise of new platforms. Legacy news networks are losing viewers, and it’s time to rethink what we consider "newsworthy." Course: The Existential Enlightenment: An Introduction to Søren Kierkegaard...
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Merlin Enthralled, AI, & Richard Wilbur: Time & Eternity, Ep.1 :
Becoming Human
Time & Eternity: Poetry and Philosophy in Dialogue with Dr. Samuel Loncar and Alexandra Barylski. | A Becoming Human Media Podcast In this inaugural episode, we delve into the intricate relationship between poetry, philosophy, and the human experience. We explore the crisis of literacy in modern education, the role of AI, and the enduring legacy of poet Richard Wilbur. LEARN MORE Samuel Loncar, Ph.D. (Yale University) and Alexandra Barylski, M.A. (Yale University) are the Editors of Marginalia Review of Books, philosophers, poets, and writers.
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Spirit News: Nietzsche on Davos, Feast Day of Thomas Aquinas, and a Hegelian Perspective on News
Becoming Human
Spirit News: A Hegelian Perspective on Current Affairs Philosopher Dr. Samuel Loncar explores the intersection of philosophy and modern news, emphasizing the relevance of Hegelian thought in understanding contemporary society. He discusses the paradox of news prioritizing timeliness over true relevance, the contradictions inherent in political ideologies, and the legacy of Thomas Aquinas in shaping modern thought. The conversation culminates in a Nietzschean analysis of the World Economic Forum at Davos, highlighting the complexities of globalism, AI, and the role of the European Union....
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Gregory Shaw: Is Platonism the Answer to our existential crisis? | A Becoming Human Conversation
Becoming Human
Do we have to choose between mind and matter, or are they somehow one? We live today in a battle between two rival streams of ancient wisdom, one that demonized matter as evil and one that divinized it. The great Syrian Neoplatonist, Iamblichus, was the descendant of priest-kings, and wrote one of the most difficult and important texts of late antique philosophy: On the Mysteries. This conversation with Dr. Gregory Shaw, one of the world's leading experts on the Neoplatonism of Iamblichus, provides powerful insights into non-dualist Platonism and how ancient philosophy helps us bring...
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Mothering As A Subversive Activity: Hester Prynne | The Scarlet Letter, Chp 7-8, Ep. 6
Becoming Human
Chapters 7-8 are two of the most dramatic chapters in The Scarlet Letter. In this episode of The Poetry Peddler, Alexandra Barylski provides the plot essentials before diving into why Hester Prynne is an image of Courage itself.
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A Woman's Choice: Agency and Meaning in The Scarlet Letter, Chap. 4-6 | Ep. 5
Becoming Human
What if what Hawthorne called the supernatural is actually a profound way of showing in literature what modern psychology has proven to be the case? In episode five of The Scarlet Letter series, Alexandra Barylski discusses the mental health crisis, why Hawthorne might have understood our moden moment better than us, and how Hester Prynne can help us see that choice is the key to our spiritual freedom.
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Who Was John the Baptist? | A Conversation with Dr. James F. McGrath
Becoming Human
Who really was John the Baptist? A prophet? An antiestablishment rebel and activist? Jesus' teacher? In this Becoming Human Conversation, philosopher and scholar of religion Samuel Loncar interviews the scholar James F. McGrath about his groundbreaking research on John the Baptist. James F. McGrath, author of "Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist" and "John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer," and the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University, shows how John is a fascinating religious figure in his own...
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Fear and Trembling: Self-Knowledge Begins in Recognition, Ch. 3 The Scarlet Letter, Ep. 4
Becoming Human
In this episode of The Poetry Peddler Scarlet Letter series, poet, writer, and editor Alexandra and discusses why the path to self-knowledge begins with aknowledging our fear.
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The Witch, the Gossips, & the Madonna: Chapter 2 of The Scarlet Letter
Becoming Human
Public shaming is central to The Scarlet Letter, and it's one of the reasons that the story of Hester Pryne feels so relatable to our world today. In this episode of The Poetry Peddler series on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Alexandra Barylski - the show's host, a poet, and long time English teacher - explores the psychological effects of public shaming and how women must learn to navigate their public and private lives while learning to avoid (or carry) archetypal female labels.
info_outlineIgnorance, humanity's greatest enemy, yet also the secret source of wisdom according to Greece's greatest influencer, Socrates, whose ideas went viral, caused a cultural crisis, and led to his prosecution for impiety, disturbing the peace of a social order that refused to ask: what is real knowledge?
Shortly before his trial, Socrates encountered an expert in piety, Euthryphro, and asked: what is piety? What is justice? How do we know what something really is? Euthyphro's answer might shock you.
Presented by Samuel Loncar, Ph.D. (Yale University), Becoming Human Project Founder Plato Project,
Episode 1, Key quote from the Euthyphro: [Socrates to Euthyphro] "Tell me then, what this form itself is, so that i may lok upon it and, using it as a model, say that any action of yours or another's that is of that kind is pious, and if it is not that it is not."
Learn More About the Project ~ https://substack.com/@samuelloncar/p-175027592 Support the Project ~ https://www.samuelloncar.com/plato-parsha-project
Born in Athens, Greece, Samuel’s ancestors’ give him global roots: in Okinawa, Japan, among the Chippewa (or Ojibwe) people, and in Eastern Europe.
Samuel’s diverse background motivated his search for a truth that would respect his upbringing but answer his hardest questions, leading him to discover, at age 14, an ancient philosophy text that converted him to philosophy as a way of life. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University in 2019 and specializes in philosophy and its connection to religion, science, and the growth and preservation of knowledge in the digital age.
Samuel is the founder and creator of the Becoming Human Project, a multi-media project to bring philosophy as a way of life to everyone and build a community of creators seeking a more meaningful life. Samuel Loncar, Ph.D. (Yale) is a philosopher, scholar of religion and science, poet, and Editor of the Marginalia Review of Books.