IN THE RAW turns 30 today. What a momentous occasion indeed!
It’s only fitting that I should have a great guest to make this special day, and I think I managed to do that. Joining me today is Tweetophon, the author of a very interesting new philosophical book called Elea, which is available now from Amazon.
The book is so interesting and unusual I’m not sure how I’d describe it, so I’ll let the author himself do so.
"Classical antiquity played host to a great intellectual struggle. Philosophers, possessed by the desire to know, engaged in free inquiry and developed an astounding array of positions. They formed schools and engaged each other in philosophical debates. That same spirit grips our generation; we gather online to develop our beliefs and to clash like rams. Antiquity is born again, beautiful and new.”
Elea is your portal to a remote temple nestled within a forested valley. As you explore the text, you will be drawn into philosophical discussions inspired by classical Hellenic and Chinese antiquity. The temple’s adherents wish to establish a metaphysical account that will provide context for any issue one might consider, and to secure a moral standard for all ethical judgments.
The text consists of short chapters that are connected by branching paths. At the end of each chapter you will decide how to proceed. Elea is written to be very accessible to all readers. Familiarity with ancient thinkers such as Parmenides and Zhuang Zhou will enrich the experience. The book is strongly rooted in a monist interpretation of the Eleatic fragments and philosophical Daoism. The characters you meet will explore the nature of Being, presenting an understanding of reality as an all-embracing and unshakeable unity.
As well as talking about the book, we cover a number of related topics including the failure of the academic discipline of philosophy to engage the minds of young people with a philosophical bent, and much more. This is a fascinating discussion.
IN THE RAW 30: Tweetophon