Often, we speak of despair as something not that we do but something which seizes us, as a force outside of ourselves. We conceive of despair as a blackness, a void, an emptiness into which we fall, into which we are dragged. The more we find ourselves to experience something missing in our lives, no matter what we do or in what we place our hopes, the more we incline to despair. And thus, despite the love of the true and the good rooted in our deepest natural yearnings, we submerge ourselves in a black meaninglessness.
So how are we, today, to find hope–that of which despair is a rejection and a loss?
This is the first lecture in the Ethics: Good Life seminar, posted in full:
If you would like to attend the rest of the seminar — discussion sessions begin on 1/16 — you can sign up here. This seminar is being offered for as little as $20 for the full eight weeks, so it’s quite a steal.