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Professor Kozlowski Lectures

Benjamin Kozlowski

Professor Kozlowski lectures on various subjects in Philosophy, Theology, and the Humanities.

For a list of courses and projects, visit his website at: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/

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22 episodes
Avg 1 hr 47 min
English

Episodes 22

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Tuesday · 1 hr 59 min
HBM - Paradise Lost 5-8
Today we wrestle with the whole of Raphael's digressions from the central plot of Paradise Lost - the war of the angels in heaven, Milton's recapitulation of Genesis 1 and 2, and some interesting side questions about the Renaissance controversies surrounding the nature of the cosmos, angelic diet and sexuality, and a big glaring theological muddle surrounding human sexuality.
Tuesday · 1 hr 57 min
HBM - Paradise Lost 3-5
Now that our discussion is officially behind our reading, let's take the opportunity to run through some of the main ideas in Books 3-5 of Paradise Lost, including Milton's (perhaps inconsistent) emphasis on human (and angelic) freedom, Satan's doubts, and the characterization of Eve, God, and Adam.
August 22 · 2 hr
HBM - Renaissance Magic and Milton's War
Today we set out many of the topics we'll need to know in our ongoing study of British Magick - including the varieties of Magical practices common among Renaissance thinkers, some of the ideas of especially prominent Renaissance magicians, and the 17th-century British history surrounding John Milton and the writing of Paradise Lost.
August 20 · 1 hr 42 min
HBM - Paradise Lost 1-2
Today we discuss the opening chapters of Milton's Paradise Lost, to ask ourselves: why do we find Satan so compelling in this poem? We'll discuss the reasons why Satan seems persuasive, as well as Milton's hints that Satan is not trustworthy - and why they don't seem to be sufficient.
August 19 · 1 hr 49 min
HBM - Apocrypha and Pseudepigraphica
Today we get as close as we're going to get to reading actual magical grimoires and practical magic instruction - we're looking at three famous texts with differing relationships to the Judeo-Christian Canon and theology. Namely, 1. The Book of Tobit, an Intertestimental book included in some Biblical traditions and not in others, about driving off a demon with some fish parts. 2. The Apocryphon of John, a key text associated with Gnosticism, supposedly written by John the apostle, but which presents a very different interpretation of the Genesis creation story. 3. The Testament of Solomon, a catalogue of demons that continues to baffle scholars, insofar as it invokes a tradition as old as Christianity, and bears some of the hallmarks of ancient composition, but probably didn't exist in its present form until the Renaissance.
August 18 · 1 hr 46 min
HBM - The Story of the New Testament (Canon)
Today we discuss how the New Testament came to be: first, by looking at the historical evidences surrounding Jesus of Nazareth, then by examining the complicated and confusing world of writers and writings that emerged in the first centuries of Christianity's growth, then finally by looking at Constantine and Eusebius' efforts to codify Christian teaching, theology, and canon.
August 18 · 1 hr 51 min
HBM - Magic and the Old Testament
Today we talk about the Old Testament's complicated relationship to magic. We'll discuss passages that seem to acknowledge the existence of magical or spiritual forces, familiar texts that are fertile ground for magical interpretations, and strange and esoteric prophecies that become the template for later would-be prophets and magicians.
August 17 · 1 hr 41 min
HBM - Virgil, Rome, and Translation
Today we discuss the text, context, and legacy of Virgil's Aeneid. We'll talk about its role as the preeminent poem of Western literature, its value as propaganda to Augustus Caesar, and the myths and legends that shaped it. We'll also examine the changing face of religion and mythology in the Roman empire, as Christianity and Zoroastrianism supplant the pagan practices that predated them. And, finally, we'll discuss the complicated art of translation by contrasting several translations of the Aeneid against one another.
August 17 · 1 hr 44 min
HBM - Ancient Greek Mythology and Magic
Today we discuss Hesiod's Theogony and The Homeric Hymn to Demeter, not necessarily for the stories, but to understand how the Greeks conflate their understanding of magic, myth, religion, and history.
August 14 · 2 hr 55 min
HBM - Logical Fallacies and Writing Technique
Today we take our first look at the study of nonsense with a discussion of logical fallacies - some familiar and well-worn, and some that I dare to invent and name like I'm a real bigshot scholar. We'll also talk about my expectations for good writing - which makes sense in a class about writing. Readings for today include "On Bullshit" by Harry Frankfurt and the Informal Fallacies site on Texas State's philosophy page.
August 13 · 1 hr 43 min
History of British Magick - Syllabus Lecture
Professor Kozlowski introduces his students to the ins and outs of his Studies in Arts and Humanities class for Fall of 2026.
August 12 · 2 hr 21 min
History of British Magick - Introduction
At long last, we begin our study of British Magick with an introductory lecture about what you can expect from the series, our goals and parameters for the study, and how we will structure the lectures. So it begins. If you wish to be initiated into the greater mysteries of magickal thinking - or just want to support the show - please visit our Patreon! For more forays into the secret wisdom of art, literature, and philosophy, check out our website! And for more detail about how this series came to be, check out the Professor Kozlowski Lecture Notes podcast!
May 28 · 1 hr 55 min
Propaganda in a Liberal Democracy
Today we discuss Jason Stanley's How Propaganda Works - a book I've been reading on-and-off since the History of Social Thought class, but which seems more important and relevant every day. ⁠Please support my work through Patreon⁠ Check out our sister channel: Professor Kozlowski Lecture Notes ⁠And check out my other projects on my website
May 18 · 3 min
Professor Kozlowski Lecture NOTES?!
Shamelessly promoting our new paid sister channel, Professor Kozlowski Lecture Notes, where you can find our discussions of V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Sandman, and all the rest of our forthcoming research into "A Brief History of British Magick" and beyond. You can also listen along by joining the Patreon - paid patrons get access to all Notes recordings without paying for each lecture individually. It's a BARGAIN!
May 13 · 2 hr 25 min
A Statement of Intent in 2026
Today Professor Kozlowski does some long-overdue housekeeping. We'll talk about our ambitions for the future, specifically our project on The History of British Magick for the summer of 2026, and how we might get paid doing it - as well as the usual pleas for Patreon subscriptions and other contributions. (Like, Share, Subscribe!) Please support my work through Patreon And check out my other projects on my website
March 19 · 35 min
Biblical Politics - A Primer
The Bible is a long, difficult text with many apparent conflicts, especially when it comes to a believer's responsibilities to secular government. Here we will look at the seven most obvious models of political participation in the Bible, and try to reach a theology of Godly government. This lecture is intentionally brief (at least by Professor Kozlowski standards), in the interest of clarity and ease of access. If you think it might start some productive conversations, please share it with those who might benefit from hearing it - but be careful: words may be more dangerous than they appear in 2026. Some may be interested in peaceful disagreements; others may only pretend to be; others still may react with violence. Use your discretion. If you are interested in the more robust version of this discussion, with all the direct quotes and references put back in, I recommend my lectures on Politics and the Bible, Medieval Christian Political Philosophy, Conservatism, Communism and Anarchism, and Activism. Just because I don't always show my work doesn't mean I'm not doing it. If you're interested in my other projects, check out my website: ProfessorKozlowski.wordpress.com If you want to support what I'm doing, please consider contributing to my Patreon: patreon.com/professorkozlowski
S7 · E11
February 10 · 1 hr 30 min
Faust Scenes 10-19
Professor Kozlowski finally reaches plot development in Goethe's Faust, Part One. He discusses Margareta as a character, Faust's (and the audience's) relationship to her, and the looming sense of destruction hanging over everyone. What could go wrong?
January 5 · 2 hr 35 min
Gatsby's party sucked.
Professor Kozlowski, introvert and buzzkill extraordinaire, poops on that most famous of lavish, extravagant parties: the one thrown by Gatsby in Chapter 3 of The Great Gatsby. A century of interpreters have mythologized this party as a symbol of doomed American innocence and romance - an innocence Hollywood and the Trump administration seem determined to re-create. Are we right to idolize the rich, raucous world of Gatsby's roaring twenties - or does the party just suck? To see what other literary classics Professor Kozlowski can ruin for you, check out his website: ProfessorKozlowski.wordpress.com If you want to contribute to Professor Kozlowski's war on fun, please consider his Patreon: patreon.com/professorkozlowski
Sep 20, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
History of Social Thought - Debrief
Professor Kozlowski wraps up his study of political philosophy by discussing the ups and downs of the project, summarizing some of the most important findings, and musing about the future (which will hopefully contain less Hobbes). If you're interested in Professor Kozlowski's other online projects or want to keep up with his work, visit his website: professorkozlowski.wordpress.com If you would like to contribute to Professor Kozlowski's work, please visit his Patreon: patreon.com/ProfessorKozlowski Donations are always appreciated, and mean more time devoted to online projects instead of paid classes! If you'd like to contact Professor Kozlowski directly, use: profbkozlowski2@gmail.com
Sep 20, 2025 · 1 hr 43 min
Language and Propaganda
Professor Kozlowski concludes his series on political philosophy with a look at the nature of propaganda and its (often-unnoticed) effect on language. By examining the ideas of George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language," Harry Frankfurt's "On Bullshit," and Jason Stanley's How Propaganda Works, we aspire to reach a deeper understanding of how language can serve, insidiously and invisibly, as propaganda. Finally, by examining some excerpts of Amartya Sen's The Idea of Justice, we can see how we can clarify and combat these efforts to confuse and confound our discussions of justice and political decency.

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