Meta-Narratives: Essays on Philosophy and Symbolism

by Jay Dyer

Jay Dyer, the popular comedian, TV host, and author shares fifteen essays that have never before been published in book form. The essays span a variety of topics, including his thoughts on symbology, apologetics, alchemy, and number theory. In an essay on metaphysics, he argues that with the exception of a few philosophers, it has been jettisoned for pragmatism, postmodernism, and other forms of self-destructive prattle. He also leads readers on a deep dive of Phaedo, the dialogue of Plato that concerns the final words of Socrates. The discussion revolves around a proposal by Socrates’s associates to defend his views of the afterlife and the immortality of the soul, followed by a counter argument by a Pythagorean and a final rebuttal by Socrates. In another essay titled “The Philosophy of Creation,” he argues that “reason” itself is nonsensical in the deterministic paradigm of Darwinian naturalism and that the crusaders of modern empiricism are committed adherents of the holy inquisition of scientism. Get valuable insights on a variety of topics with Essays on Philosophy and Symbolism.

Genres: Philosophy, Essays

214 pages, Paperback

Published June 29, 2022

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like in his video essays and debates, Jay Dyer never shies away from Nietzschean polemic and coarse rhetoric in his writing, but only ever in conjunction with sound argumentation and reasoning to underline his points. The essays cover wide ground, with Platonic metaphysics acting as the uniting thread between most of them. The majority of readers familiar with Dyer are likely aware of the flaws in scientism and empiricism, but here Jay usefully lays out the historical, philosophical antecedents of these ideas and traces their developments through Aristotle and Aquinas into the Enlightenment.

“My intuition is almost always right.” – Jay Dyer

[Bash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am now less of a slow boy in regards to philosophical and metaphysical concepts. I'll probably read again when I am more grounded.

[Steven]

After having read this from end to end, I can verify that it is - in fact - Jay's Analysis. Some essays were outside of my interests, but it was definitely a better fit for me than the film analysis books would be.

[Jay Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost arcana and articles

[Joshua Coello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good refutation of scientism and materialism. Great defense of the importance of metaphysics.

[JT Electronix · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good follow-up to jay's youtube vids

There are several areas of knowledge and topics that Jay Dyer does not always have the time to go into details with his various videos out on youtube.
If you already are a fan and want to know where he gets some of his ideas from, this isn't a bad option to read.
I learned quite a bit of how some of the ancients think and how people today are still making the same mistakes.
This is also for folks who thought Jay was saying "priest-o-cratics" instead of "pre-so-cratics".
You also get to see what is behind what otherwise appears to be random 'tangents' of his.

[Robert Kiesling · Rating 5 out of 5]

solid as usual

Timely. J does it again. I’m impressed by his research and his willingness to tackle difficult subjects head on. Look forward to the next one.

[Hatem Al moqri · Rating 1 out of 5]

To get the most obvious criticism out first
the book is clearly unfinished as 70% of the citation is missing or has "?"

As for the content problems there are few
1- lack of basic essay structure whih is probably because most of the essays seem to be stream of consciousness
2- the book advocate logic but barely utilise it as Dyer would make a narrative connection between concepts as a substitute for actual logical entailment making him a modern sophist who depends on rhetorical skill instead of argumentation
3- Dyer would use and/or reference concepts from different thinkers and schools without explanation and then moves on quickly without letting much room for the concept to breathe which makes the book awful for any beginner and barely informative for people who are familiar with what he says

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. I was even inspired to brush up on my Plato. I imagine if a run of the mill empiricist is ever capable of understanding your argument they will immediately attempt to make the move to a form of neo-Platonism in a vain attempt to salvage the possibility of their ungrounded, unjustified, hallowed logic and reason. Thank you for rekindling my love of wisdom.

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Meta-Narratives" is a book written by Jay Dyer, first published in 2020. Dyer is a writer and philosopher known for his work in the field of conspiracy theory and esotericism.

In the book, Dyer explores the concept of meta-narratives, which he defines as overarching stories or grand narratives that shape our understanding of the world. He argues that these meta-narratives are often constructed and propagated by powerful elites, and that they serve to maintain the status quo and control the masses.

Dyer examines a range of meta-narratives, from the dominant ideologies of liberalism and progressivism to the conspiracy theories of the New World Order and the Illuminati. He argues that these meta-narratives function as forms of social control, and that they are often deeply rooted in esoteric and occult traditions.

"Meta-Narratives" has been controversial, with some critics accusing Dyer of promoting fringe and conspiratorial views. However, others have praised the book for its thought-provoking analysis of the role of narrative in shaping our understanding of the world.

GPT