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Life is complicated. It is afflicted with more big questions than big answers. As one is tested by the suffering and irrationality of life, the questions become more compelling and imperative, and the answers become more urgent and necessary in order to be a good person and to live a happy life. What does it mean to be a good person? What is a happy life? What is love? Who am I before I was told who I am? Why haven’t I found myself yet? Why do I have regrets? Is the world just? Everything seems to have been figured out, except how to live. In this podcast, we will ask and answer the hard questions, and we will question the simple answers, the answers you’ve been told to believe almost from the moment of birth. Think for yourself. There is no feeling like it, and it really is the only good fight left. You may not be rewarded for your wisdom, but you will be rewarded by your wisdom. “The Laughing Philosopher” is Robert M. Khoury, Ph.D., a scholar and writer with a lifetime of teaching and learning at the intersection of sociology and philosophy.
Welcome home to philosophy! Where we wonder about everything and anything is possible! I’m Dr. Robert Khoury, The Laughing Philosopher. Life is complicated. The world is complicated. And you are complicated. Figuring out how to live a happy, meaningful life guided by wisdom and reason is not easy. Is life a game? What is love? Should I fear death? Is this a just world? Almost from the moment of birth, you’ve been told how to behave, how to fit in, and how to fulfill other people’s expectations. You fear that you will lack importance or cease to exist in the lives of others if you think for yourself and question the rules and roles you’ve been told define you. Wisdom and reason will remove this illusion so you can live authentically in the world around you, find your true purpose, and become your real self.
New Episodes Published Twice a Month on Thursdays!
Click Here to Subscribe to The Laughing Philosopher Podcast.
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Thursday Jan 11, 2024
Thursday Jan 11, 2024
Thursday Jan 11, 2024
"Know yourself” is Socrates’ imperative. Why? There is no perfect life. No one is infallible. Everyone makes mistakes because some of our beliefs and assumptions are false. Just because we think it or believe it doesn’t mean it is true. Yet, beliefs are neither proof nor evidence, but only claims. So, we can’t trust everything we believe to be true. But, still we do. False certainties lead us away from truth and virtue. Which path leads us to wisdom?
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
What are the secrets of beauty? How does each of six major schools of philosophy interpret the beauty of da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” the 1972 film, “The Godfather,” and the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue? As we strive to appreciate what we see, beauty is beautiful because of the lenses we wear. Duchamp’s urinal is as beautiful as Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”.
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
Life is too complicated. So, we use shortcuts to safely navigate life’s risks and dangers unharmed. And the more we take shortcuts, the more established and permanent they become. Bad shortcuts result in bad habits and repeat the same bad behaviors again and again. Our mistakes feel automatic. The cure is inside a coffee machine.
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
The illusion of selfhood is holding you back. You are more than who you think you are. Selflessness will free you to try new paths to self-improvement. You will be less obsessed with other people’s acceptance and approval. You will be more humble and compassionate. You won’t need to choose between your well-being and the well-being of others. The self is an empty costume, and it’s time to undress it, and live better!
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Thank you for listening. I hope that what you’ve learned will help you to be a better person and live a better life. Think for yourself! Question everything. Accept nothing that does not agree with your own wisdom, experience, and good sense. In this crazy world, the good are wise, the wise are virtuous, and the virtuous are happy.
Be good.