OTIUM Travel
POLITICAL THEOLOGY WITH PAVEL SHCHELIN
Dates — 10 classes on Tuesdays from February 18th to April 22nd
at 17-00 Central European Time (UTC+1)
Duration — 2 hours (one hour lecture and one hour discussion)
Format — online in ZOOM conference
in a group of up to 12 participants (the number of places is limited)
Lecturer — Pavel Shchelin
If you would like to take part in the course, please fill out the registration form
COURSE OBJECTIVE:
To offer participants a deep dive into the philosophical paradigm of symbolism as an alternative to the two key foundations of modern reality - materialism and virtuality. During the course, participants will reflect on such fundamental questions as the nature of eternity and how ideas about the sacred determine the actions of political subjects on the horizon of millennia.
From an applied point of view, the course is aimed at developing an ethically and teleologically centered approach to decision-making. We will learn to ask ultimate questions in order to see the bullfights of ultimate choices that underlie the entire diversity of human activity. The course will help to form strategic thinking that allows us to recognize the deep driving forces of political reality.
Lesson 1. The Visible World and the Invisible World
The first lesson is devoted to the first topic of philosophy - "what is it to be"/"how can one be" and what paradigms are possible in principle when answering this seemingly simple question. Where does the Name come from, what does it mean to "grow into a name" and why is this a challenge not only for a person but also for any phenomenon?
Lesson 2. Image and Time
We will explore the problematic of time through the treasures of Orthodox thought. How is the basic law of being realized through the symbol of the Trinity? We will seek answers to these questions, revealing the depth of the connection between image and time.
Lesson 3. Time and Politics
This lesson will reveal the connection between time and politics, starting from the Old Testament, through the thoughts of St. Augustine and ending with Dostoevsky. Why does the answer to the question "when?" include answers to almost all other political questions?
On the political community: Church, People, State
Lesson 4.
We will examine the relationship between the political and religious principles embedded in the concept of the "symphonic personality". The result will be an understanding of the true meaning of such familiar, but often empty concepts as "king", "church", "people", "society".
Lesson 5.
Where does the concept of the Nation come from? We will consider the decisions made 400 years ago that made the transformation of political language into the language of illusions and simulacra logically inevitable.
Lesson 6. Right, Left, Whole
We will look “inside” identity and consider how everything is arranged from a functional point of view — from a person to a family, a company, a state, and the world.
Lesson 7. The Mystery of Power
Based on the Old Testament and the materials covered in the course, we will reveal the nature of the phenomenon of power. What is included in its zone of possibilities, what remains inaccessible to it, and what is its price for a person and a nation?
Session 8. The Main Law of Power
The title speaks for itself. It is a kind of warning sign — like "220 Volts" on a transformer box — for those who want to look "behind the curtain" of power games.
Session 9. Overcoming the Political
We will record the dual role of the political phenomenon in the history of mankind and learn what is the true alternative to war. For lovers of intellectual discussions, a critical analysis of Carl Schmitt "from the right" will be presented.
Lesson 10. The Tetramorph Symbol and its Meaning
In this lesson, the author offers you his own experience of working with symbolic space at the applied level. How the symbolism of the 4 faces of the angel from the Prophet Ezekiel reflects the fundamental properties of human and social self-organization. What does it mean "to be a Taurus, an Angel, an Eagle or a Lion"?