Akallabeth

In this episode, we discuss Camus's strengthening definition of the absurd and what follows from that definition. We then continue into Camus's critiques of the existentialists as they reach the limits of reason and make, what Camus argues is, an unsubstantiated leap out of the absurd. This leap, Camus claims, is philosophical suicide. We finish up with Camus's critiques of phenomenology and, in particular, the work of Husserl. 

Now that Camus has defined the constraint by which his argument rests, he begins his essay. In this first portion, Camus spends his time figuring out what absurdity actually is. What is the definition of absurdity and how does the feeling of absurdity point us to that definition? Once we have a definition, have others writers and philosophers also landed on a similar definition? 

We start our reading of Albert Camus's 'The Myth of Sisyphus' and discuss suicide, the absurd, and Camus's boundaries for the argument he's about to make. 

I'm joined again today by Kelly and we actually talk about the Hobbit this episode. We cover the whole book and then spend some time linking the ending of the Hobbit to the beginning of the Fellowship. 

I'm joined today by Kelly from The Middle Page to discuss the Hobbit. This was a long conversation so I broke it into 2 episodes. In this first part, we catch up from the end of the silmarillion to the beginning of the story. We cover what happened to the dwarves, how Smaug came to Erebor, and a chance meeting between Gandalf and Thorin. Next week we'll discuss the rest of the book and bridge the gap between the Hobbit and the Fellowship. 

We did it folks, we got through the Silmarillion. In this episode we cover the final chapter and start talking about the third age. 

The penultimate episode of the Silmarillion where we discuss the downfall of Numenor.

We finish the Quenta Silmarillion this week as we discuss the falls of Doriath and Gondolin. Then we get into what is debatably the most epic battle in all of Tolkien's writing and it lasts for about a page. 

Discussing the 5th Battle and Turin Turambar. Really uplifting, feelgood episode

We discuss the epic battle between Fingolfin and Morgoth and then move on to one of the most well renowned tales of the Silmarillion: Beren and Luthien.