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The Philosophy Of Alan Watts – Making Sense Of Senselessness

Pursuit of Wonder | October 25, 2025



Alan Watts’s impact on the world continues to reverberate. His teachings remind us about our potential connection to everything we love, hate, and don’t care about, as well as our foolishness in thinking we know enough to take anything, including his ideas, too seriously.

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Recommended readings associated with this video: 
The Way of Zen by Alan Watts: https://amzn.to/2OpO4rC
The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts: https://amzn.to/2rszc2P

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Comments

This post currently has 36 comments.

  2. @Banana_Split_Cream_Buns

    October 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

    I didn't really "get" Alan Watts in the truly spiritual sense until one time I walked through nature while I was on mushrooms. From that moment on I understood I was not an aberration to the Universe, but a part of the Universe, like everything and everyone else is a part of the Universe.

  4. @JonSmith-cx7gr

    October 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

    Watts was extrememly erudite and easy to listen to but ultimately he was quite simply a waffling bullshi**er whose depth of love for the sound of his own voice far transcended any depth of actual thought. His ability to arrange words is to philosophy what the abuility to build a house of cards is to the construction industry. i.e. of no real value whatsoever. A man whose mantra's seemed to be 'always use 4000 words when 20 wil suffice' and 'if you arrange enough words non stop for long enough, people will find their own 'deep' meaning therein. (Does anybody know if he has an inscription on his grave and if so, how many tens of metres high is his gravestone……?)
    His talks actually all follow an identical formua: waffle on for a while, insert pauses every few words for dramatic effect, include rambling rhetorical questions as you go, explain a foreign word/crowbar in references/stories/myths from other 'exotic' countries to show how incredibly wise you are (usually Chinese, Greek, French, German, Latin or Sanskrit) as some kind of validation for what you are rambling about. Throw in some basic psychological self waffle which can be found in any and all womens magazines. Go off on a tangent while continuing the previousy mentioned formula. Repeat ad infinitum.

  11. @nineofive.2573

    October 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

    Since everyone is dropping there favorite quotes from Alan I’ll write this which has always stuck with me. “Just like the apple tree apples the world peoples”.

  15. @chrislife1101

    October 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

    Alan watts was who got me into philosophy when I was 14, I started listening to him just to sound smart and cool, but eventually I really started to listen to what he was saying and trying to understand it. Opened my eyes to other perspectives of life

  23. @adambycina1817

    October 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

    I am a long time listener to the Alan Watts recordings (thank goodness we have them, I feel like I'm listening to Socrates) and want to thank you for this video. Whoever you are, you have a genius for distilling wisdom into its purest essence without the hopeless cliches I could come up with in explaining the concepts and ideas you present on your channel. I put you in the same class as Alan Watts or Socrates.

  25. @jimolson9649

    October 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

    Alan knew that religion and all other systems in the United States were meant to control the mind, body and resources of the chattel who simple beLIEve all the bullshit and propaganda.

  31. @cecilcharlesofficial

    October 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

    Alan Watts reminds me, daily, that life is, in fact, magical. Those who attack him know his power, because it's the power of an awakened person. The power of a person who can be sustained by life itself, rather than needing the approval of others (thus being under their control). And yet that thing we fear – some god-like person with no morals – that's not how we act when we're in love with the world. Instead, we become the best version of ourselves. Full of joy and gratitude and awe and laughter. "Kind-hearted as a grandmother. Dignified as a king," as the Tao puts it. But it takes faith. Surrender. Let yourself do what you will. Have faith in God's will (it's all the same). See what happens. You'll be surprised.

  32. @PhilosopherThom

    October 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

    I would have EQ'd the voice-over here to be less sharp sounding. Otherwise this was a good reminder of what Alan Watts was about again. (I spend a short but intense time studying his teachings). Thank for that

  35. @christhedemocrat

    October 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

    Remember when you were a kid and your parents took you to the park?
    Remember the joy you felt
    I feel like that most of the time.
    Basically I'm Happy
    Sometimes Blissful. Often coupled with a feeling that God is Unconditional Love.
    Most of these feelings comes from my innate Love for the diversity and strange curiosity of nature aka existence.
    A Large part of it comes from My Southern Baptist upbringing. As I witnessed the sheer joy of someone catching the Holy Spirit.
    We are feeling creature thar think, not thinking creatures that feel.
    Nothing Matters without Emotion (feelings)
    I feel Blessed to be able to find a Happy Place in my Mind fairly quickly.
    Only one problem that bugs me…
    Why is there evil. There's absolutely no reason for evil to exist. Racism, murder, hatred, slow agonizing death, poverty and the cycle of Life (the preditor eats the pray) seems to be the work of evil. I haven't resolved this 45 years. It's terribly troubling for me. Pondering evil too much is useless. Fighting against evil is the Ultimate Wisdom.
    Great video. I Love Allen Watts

  36. @Beatjoy5511

    October 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

    I remember watching fma and they explore different ideas of philosophy.

    A couple that stuck with me was the law of equivalent exchange (in order to gain something you have to first give something of equal value)

    N all is one and one is all.

    It reminded me a lot of eastern philosophy

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