[ Philosophy Post #2 : Do Souls Exist? A Short Talk on Philosophy in English and Esperanto ]
I’ve recently begun working on a series of short reflections on philosophy and economics — topics that I find both intellectually rich and deeply relevant to how we live our lives. These talks are meant to be accessible and thought-provoking, offering a mix of traditional ideas and new perspectives.
This first entry in the philosophy series takes up a classic question: Do souls exist? The idea was prompted by a recent review of Edward Feser’s book Immortal Souls, which defends the idea of the soul from a Catholic, Thomistic standpoint. While the book is dense and wide-ranging, it raises a central issue that’s worth pausing over — especially in our era of scientific skepticism and diverse worldviews.
In this talk (presented first in English, then in Esperanto), I question the assumption that the soul exists, and explore how Buddhism — with its doctrine of anattā or “non-self” — offers a radically different take. Rather than seeing the soul as immortal or essential, Buddhist philosophy invites us to let go of the idea entirely.
The talk was recorded using a simple teleprompter setup, allowing me to read a prepared script directly from my screen. That makes it easier to present the same ideas in multiple languages, including Esperanto.
More short talks will follow — on both philosophical and economic themes — and I hope you’ll find them worth thinking about.
Here’s the video in English and Esperanto - I don't know what I sound like in Esperanto. I am still a beginner. This stuff might even seem weird, but I find a lot of Edward Feser's arguments quite weird as well, as a matter of fact.