Whether it is in the realm of the personal, the political or the religious, we are saturated with promises that we can overcome the seeming contradictions that we face. That there is a way for us to overcome the obstacles that are preventing peace, prosperity and fulfillment.

Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in the revival of non-dogmatic spirituality. In an age of anxiety, the promises of “Perennial Philosophy” are alive and well in the claims of various self-appointed gurus. Gurus who, with the air of humility and reticence, offer their help in penetrating the veils of illusion, so that we might (re)discover our oneness with the One.

However, the Perennial Philosophy is neither limited to the world of contemporary mysticism, nor is it at its strongest there. Beyond the territory of The Secret, Progressive Spirituality, the Enneagram, Psychedelic Enlightenment and the New Age, we find the same structures at work in the political economy and various self-help techniques.

In this course, I will be drawing out how the supposed solutions to our contemporary situation offered by progressive politics and liberal spirituality are actually intertwined with the problem. Not only that, but the course will offer a way of understanding how we can instigate real change in the personal and political fields.

In order to do that, we will be taking the strange route of reviving the thought of a 18th/19th century philosopher… Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. A philosopher who made the seemingly insane claim to offer his reader Absolute Knowledge.

While Hegel is one of the most difficult philosophers to read, you don’t need to worry, as this will be an accessible introduction to his thought.

The reason for turning to an old German intellectual to help us understand and critique the contemporary situation, is because it is quite possible that Hegel’s work is both the highpoint of philosophical reflection, and one that holds the keys to understanding how real transformation is possible.

This course will also be an important introduction to the work and world of Pyrotheology, which owes a great debt to Hegel’s incendiary reading of Christianity. A reading that we have still barely scratched the surface of.

FORMAT

Each Sunday I will be giving a talk that can be watched live, or watched/listened to later. The course revolves around one central text (see below).

The video and audio will continue to be available after the course, so you can go at your own pace.

DATES

• 17th November - The Law of Contradiction

• 24th November - The Deadlock of Self-Help

• 1st December - The Deadlock of Progressivism

• 8th December - The Deadlock of Mysticism

• 15th December - The (Pyro)Theological Cure

All seminars will be given at 11am PST. You can watch live, or watch/listen to later.

HOW TO JOIN

To take part in the course you need to sign up to Patreon at the Blaze level. This is not only give you access to this course, but a dozen other courses and over 30 hours of single lectures.