Johnathan Bi shares his journey from successful tech founder to independent philosophy lecturer, explaining why he walked away from founder equity to pursue his passion for bringing philosophical works to a broader audience. Through a unique modern patronage model backed by tech leaders, he's creating high-production lecture videos while maintaining his own independence.

The conversation explores how modern education systems, particularly in places like Beijing, systematically push students away from humanities toward technical subjects. Bi offers fascinating insights into the parallels between Renaissance patronage and modern content creation, revealing how he's built sustainable funding relationships while staying true to his scholarly mission. His approach challenges conventional wisdom about career paths and content monetization, suggesting a new model for independent intellectual work in the digital age.

I'm joined by Nina Power and DC Miller to discuss Plato's Republic. Topics include physical training and physical pleasure, philosophy under political repression, the training of philosophy, wealth, social class, and the role of irony in philosophy.

Starting with the opening scene of The Republic, we explore how philosophy operates under political pressure and the relationship between justice, truth, and madness. We discuss the role of wealth in philosophical pursuit, Christianity's synthesis of Greek philosophical ideas, and whether philosophy should be universally accessible or the province of a select few.

03:02 Plato’s Republic and Justice
07:09 Should Philosophy Be Popular?
14:35 Wealth
34:29 Thinking
35:17 Christianity and Free Speech
36:43 Beauty
38:11 Philosophy and Social Class
43:26 Madness and Philosophy
53:28 The Role of Physical Training in Philosophy
59:51 Irony

I explore Nietzsche's critique of Christianity in The Genealogy of Morals, and specifically how it stands against what we find in the New Testament, especially the Gospel of John. Nietzsche’s understanding of Christian belief as naive and slavish is inconsistent with the sophisticated epistemology presented by John. I discuss the pursuit of truth, the function of miracles, and the essence of sin according to John. Christ seems to be advocating for the pursuit of truth, not some kind of naive, blind faith. Nietzsche’s accusations against Christianity just don't hold up, and probably reflect his own personal struggles with resentment.

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• (00:00) - Nietzsche vs. John
• (02:28) - Introduction
• (05:27) - Nietzsche's Critique of Christianity
• (09:42) - Christ on Truth and Belief in John
• (20:06) - The Rationality of Christianity
• (26:36) - Knowledge and Ethics
• (31:41) - Nietzsche's Critique of Truth
• (36:02) - Truth and Freedom