Maps of Meaning Lecture Series, Jordan Peterson

The collection before you comprises Jordan Peterson's lectures at the Department of Psychology, University of Toronto. These lectures are presented in 13 half-hour videos and are based on a book titled "Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief." In this series, Jordan Peterson, drawing on wide-ranging branches of knowledge and art, from philosophy and neuroscience to painting and literature, looks at myths from a new perspective and offers a different interpretation of them. In his view, myths are not merely idle fantasies and "untrue" stories, for they cannot be understood, nor can their relationship with "truth" be grasped, solely through an analysis based on the natural sciences. With the rise of irreligiosity and scientism after the Renaissance, myth and religion were largely regarded as reprehensible and futile phenomena, and modern science and politics were considered a complete break from this ancient world. No spirit remained in the body of these historical concepts of humanity. This is an occurrence that thinkers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries reported in various ways. But in Peterson's opinion, among all of them, Nietzsche was the most perceptive, for he saw the killing of "God" and all the ensuing afflictions with great precision and accurately predicted the history of the twentieth century. With a phenomenological gaze, these ancient stories are suddenly transformed from worthless nonsense into intelligent narratives of humanity as an "awakened" being. And this, of course, does not imply the superiority of either of these perspectives—scientific and phenomenological—over the other. From among ancient stories and the Bible, Peterson reveals the story of human consciousness and self-consciousness, and from Egyptian myths, he unveils the history of the formation of the individual and individual rights. And suddenly, from a very ancient story, he arrives at an empirical experiment in recent years and, through biology and neuroscience, establishes a link between two narratives of humankind that seemed entirely separate from one another. Peterson studied political science as an undergraduate. Moreover, many of his youthful years were spent during the Cold War and the threat of nuclear attack. For this reason, the political issues of the twentieth century are of great importance to him—but not from an economic perspective or a military analysis. With the aid of legends and myths, he engages in a psychological analysis of political issues and the distinctive violence of the twentieth century, and he attempts to look at political leaders not through a political lens but from the perspective of individual psychology. In doing so, he strives to offer compelling reasons, drawn from psychology and mythology, for the bewildering violence of the twentieth century, which is difficult to examine through a politico-economic lens. Peterson's work is not merely a historical inquiry to demonstrate this unbreakable bond. Through various projects and extensive experience in clinical psychology, he applies these mythological methods in his therapeutic approach to different patients. For this reason, these lectures can be viewed not only as a means of conveying new information in various fields but also as a form of therapy—the same view Wittgenstein held of philosophy: philosophy as therapy. And here, Peterson has endeavored not to confine himself to a single domain but to use all human possibilities "to show the fly the way out of the fly-bottle" {1}.

اما هدف ما از ترجمه ی چنین درس گفتاری چه بوده است ؟ چرا این درس گفتار ؟ چرا روان شناسی ؟ و یا اصلا چرا ترجمه ؟ از دو دهه ی پیش و با  قدرت گرفتن اینترنت به عنوان پدیده ای جهانی ، آرام آرام شیوه های جدیدی از آموزش شروع به رشد کرد . روش هایی که تا قبل از آن برای کسی قابل تصور نبود . چندین و چند سایت مختلف برای آموزش موضوعات مختلف ساخته شده اند . از زبان چینی تا روش های تا کردن لباس ، از جدی ترین مسائل در علم بیوفیزیک تا روش صحیح ضربه به توپ بیلیارد . در این بین ما چه می کنیم ؟ وضعیت آموزش در ایران و به خصوص در حوزه های مختلف علوم انسانی ، جدای از مسائل محتوایی از حیث فرم بسیار کم تحرک و ساکن است . در این فضای فرتوت ، بزرگ ترین دانشگاه های جهان درس گفتار های مختلف خود را روی اینترنت  گذاشته اند و منبع عظیمی در دسترس عموم قرار گرفته است . اما به دلایل مسائل مختلف ( من جمله مسائل فنی اینترنت و عدم تسلط به زبان انگلیسی ، آلمانی و یا فرانسوی برای درک دقیقِ مطالب) دانشجویان و علاقه مندان ایرانی کم تر می توانند به این درس گفتار ها دسترسی داشته باشند . البته تلاش های خوبی در زمینه ی ترجمه در مجموعه هایی مثل ((Ted.com  و در دانشگاه شهید بهشتی برای ترجمه ی دروس آنلاین MIT  شده است ، و البته سایت هایی مثل مکتب خانه و کلاسِ درس هم برای آغاز کردن فضای ویدئو های آموزشی به زبان فارسی بسیار کوشا و موفق بوده اند . اما ذکر چند  مسئله ضروری به نظر می رسد . اول آن که معمولا این کار محدود به یک ویدئوی کوتاه در مورد یک موضوع خاص بوده است ، و نه ترجمه ی کامل یک درس گفتار . این کار به خودی خود می تواند کاری بسیار مفید باشد ، اما به نظر ما ، خلاء ترجمه ی یک مجموعه ی درسی کامل ، که شکل پیوسته تری داشته باشد، در این بین احساس می شد . و علاوه بر این ، با توجه به حجم بالای فیلم ها و سریال های زیرنویس شده به فارسی و عادت تماشاگران به این  پدیده ،   ما به این جمع بندی رسیدیم که به جای انتشار ترجمه ی متن ، آن را تبدیل به زیرنویس کنیم تا بتوانیم از مزیت های انتقال مفهوم تصویری و  متن فارسی به شکل توامان استفاده کنیم . اگر تلاش و کمک داشنجویان ، اساتید و علاقه مندان آزاد وجود داشته باشد ، می توان این پروژه را نه فقط به  یک درس گفتار، بلکه به انتقال منابعی غنی از حوزه های مختلف به زبان فارسی  تعمیم داد و آن را با منابع فعلی که در بالا ذکر شد  و هم چنین با پروژه ای مشابه در مورد اساتید ایرانی  تبدیل به فضایی برای شکاندن جو رخوت زده و ساکن در آموزشِ عالی ایران کرد. و اما چرا این درس گفتار ؟ جردن پیترسون یکی از محبوب ترین و به نام ترین اساتید دانشکده روان شناسی دانشگاه تورنتو است . و گروه روان شناسی دانشگاه تورنتو در رتبه بندی های معتبر در بین 25 دانشکده ی برتر روان شناسی در جهان، و در رتبه ی دوم در کانادا قرار دارد. پس این درس گفتار ها ، در عالی ترین سطح آموزشی جهان ارائه شده اند . اما این مطمئنا تمام دلیلِ انتخابمان نیست . پیترسون با مسائلی دست و پنجه نرم می کند که از یک حیث ، می توان به آن  هم چون مشکلی عمومی در سطحی وسیع نگاه کرد . مسئله ی بی معنا شدن همه چیز ، واژگون شدن منطقیِ ثبات اخلاقی و  ترس از فرانکشتاین ها {2} . در این بین رویکرد ما بیش از آن که مبتنی بر قبول و همراهی کامل با محتوای آن باشد ، بیشتر بر مطرح شدن ، اهمیت یافتن و بیرون آمدن  این سوالات مهم  تاکید دارد . درس گفتارهای  پیترسون حوزه هایی را به ما یاد آوری می کند که ممکن است از کنارشان به راحتی عبور کنیم. در حالی که در دل این داستان ها و اسطوره ها ، تکه هایی از هستی انسانی ، تصویر های از خود ما ، وجود دارد که با فراموش کردن آن ها ،  تنها دوباره به خواب می رویم . متن نامه دکتر پیترسون به مناسبت ترجمه فارسی طرح واره های معنا‎

I am very pleased that these 13 lectures are being published in the ancient Persian language. These lectures were first presented at the University of Toronto and then broadcast by the TVO channel in Ontario, Canada. My aim in writing the book that forms the basis of these lectures was to gain a more precise understanding of the terrifying psychological forces that, in the late twentieth century, brought us to the brink of atomic annihilation and mass murder. I hope that the teachings I have gathered from the mythological wisdom of various societies will help reduce the dangerous rift between the people of Iran and the West, and also help identify the intertwined golden roots that link our ancient cultures together, in a way that benefits both sides. I believe it is our task to emerge from the glorious ruins of the edifices our ancestors built toward the sun, and to gather together in that land of light with our like-minded fellows. I believe that by doing so, we will bring our world closer to the possible paradise and distance it from the hell whose danger is right at our doorstep. I hold that the commonalities among human beings in every corner of the world are far more significant than the differences between them. We can no longer justify remaining ignorant in the face of truth and drowning in vengeful sentiments and hatred-laden cruelty through an arrogant insistence on our unique understanding of ancient moral traditions. I believe that truly mature individuals are those who, although raised within the context of such traditions and educated to be diligent in understanding and respecting them, nonetheless bear the heavy burden of free choice as a sacred responsibility. I hope that the examination of history and thought embedded in these lectures will advance the process of a deep and resonant global dialogue among people of good will. I hope that these dialogues will help soothe human wounds so that scientists, philosophers, and religious scholars can learn from one another what is necessary for a fruitful life. I hope that by speaking with and listening to people who are different from us, we can gain the wisdom needed to pass honorably through the world of suffering, as well as the contentment arising from the inevitable limitations of our existence. I hope that in this way we can avoid the corruption and the desire for revenge that always seduces us as a path. Thank you for participating in this class. January 26, 2014 Dr. Jordan Peterson Professor of Psychology, University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Translators’ Introduction to the Maps of Meaning TV series to be published on anthropology.ir

The collection before you is a series of psychology lectures by Dr. Jordan Peterson from the University of Toronto in Canada. These lectures are based on the book "Maps of Meaning: Architecture of Belief" and presented as thirteen, thirty minute videos that are a condensed version of the original lectures. Dr. Peterson draws widely on both the sciences and the arts - from philosophy and neuroscience to visual arts and literature - to present mythology from a novel perspective based on his own unique interpretations. For Peterson, it is only when we cease to analyze humanity's ancient stories as if they were naïve empirical scientific observations of the natural world, and stop thinking of mythology as a mere collection of outdated and un-"real" superstitious illusions, that we begin to gain insight into the true relationship they bear with reality. With the ever growing expansion of secularism and scientific empiricism since the renaissance, myths and religions have generally come to be regarded as outdated and looked down upon with contempt, while modern science and politics imagine themselves as rooted in an enlightened rationality that has ostensibly broken itself free of these archaic worlds. This event has been discussed in various forms by a number of intellectuals of the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, Dr. Peterson believes that of all of these thinkers, Nietzsche was perhaps one of the most astute and insightful. For it was Nietzsche who recognized the "death of God" and all of its ensuing consequences with such exquisite precision that it allowed to see with devastating clarity what was to come in the 20th century.

Adopting a phenomenological outlook towards these archaic stories is what helps transform them from outdated superstitious 'nonsense' to intelligent action-oriented observations by our ancestors, who were unwittingly narrating our species' "awakening". Peterson's aim is not to argue for the superiority of either of these two world-views (scientific/empirical and phenomenological) over the other. Rather, he unveils the story of man's awakening and self-consciousness that is buried under the metaphorical language of archaic stories and sacred texts. In so doing he retraces the history of the development of the individual and the 'natural rights' and 'sovereignty' attributed to them as far back as ancient Egypt. He smoothly transitions from ancient mythological narratives to descriptions of modern scientific experiments in biology or neuroscience, seamlessly uniting these two world-views that previously seemed unbridgeable.

Peterson's task is not only limited to revealing the consilience between these two world-views. His extensive experience as a clinical psychologist has revealed the relevance of mythology to psychotherapy. He discusses several real-world cases from his practice where mythological narratives aided his clients. Therefore, one can look at these lectures as more than a mere interdisciplinary study, but also as transformative and therapeutic. This is perhaps similar in spirit to Wittgenstein's take on philosophy: philosophy as therapy. Perhaps it is in this spirit that Peterson avoids getting stuck in one particular subject area and instead draws on the full toolbox of human faculties to "show the fly the way out of the fly bottle" {1}.

Dr. Peterson did his undergraduate studies in Political Science. Much of his adolescence was spent in acute awareness of the Cold War and the looming danger of atomic annihilation. The political events of the 20th century are therefore of paramount importance to him--and not merely from an economic or militaristic point of view. Peterson uses myths and stories to perform a psychological analysis of political issues central to the 20th century and the sheer scale of violence that was so unique to it. He analyses the political leaders of this era not through a political lens, but rather through his particular take on the human psyche. Searching the depths of psychological and mythological studies, he attempts to arrive at a more satisfying explanation for the truly dizzying degree of violence experienced in the modern age, indeed, such a degree of violence that one has difficulty explaining it away with mere political-economical analysis.

But what was our goal in translating such a lecture series? Why this particular lecture series? Why psychology? And why translate? With the growth in the past two decades of the global phenomenon of the internet, new approaches to education have begun to spring up-approachesthat were hard to even imagine before. Multiple websites devoted to teaching different topics have come online, everything from Chinese lessons to instruction on how to fold your clothes, from the most serious topics in Biophysics to the correct way of hitting a billiard ball. What is our role in such a context? The teaching situation in Iran, particularly in the humanities, is very stagnant--both in form as well as content. Meanwhile, the largest universities across the world have made their lectures available online, making an immense database of material freely accessible to the public. However, due to various issues (including technical issues and linguistic barriers) Farsi speaking students and enthusiasts have a hard time accessing these vast resources. It is noteworthy to acknowledge great attempts at translating video collections such as those on TED. Likewise Shahid Beheshti University's attempts at translating MIT's online courses, or websites such as maktabkhooneh.org and kelasedars.org have made productive and successful efforts at establishing a virtual space for educational videos in Farsi. Despite all of this, however, these efforts are usually limited to short videos about a specific topic rather than a complete translation of a whole lecture series. While this too can indeed be useful, we felt the absence of a lecture series belonging to one course and presented in one continuous unit. Given the popularity of subtitled movies and TV series, and the familiarity of the Iranian audience with the phenomenon of subtitles, we decided to make the translations available as subtitles rather than just as a transcript. This way the advantages of video as a medium are preserved as well. If students, professors or interested individuals express the necessary enthusiasm and effort then this project could expand beyond this one course and serve as only the first in a series of translated courses. These could then be made available on the existing Iranian databases mentioned above, along with courses by Iranian professors, and with the ultimate hope of setting the current state of stagnancy in higher education in Iran into motion. Dr. Peterson's Letter for Persian Translation of "Map of Meaning"

I am exceptionally pleased to have these thirteen lectures, first delivered at the University of Toronto, and then telecast by TVO in the province of Ontario, Canada, translated into the ancient language of the Persian peoples.

I wrote the book upon which the lectures are based to further our shared understanding of the terrible psychological forces that lead us to the brink of thermonuclear destruction and genocide in the latter decades of the twentieth century. I hope that the lessons I derived from the communal mythological wisdom of mankind will now help the now dangerously separated people of Iran and the West identify the golden threads that weave together and unite their ancient cultures, for the benefit of both.

I believe that we are bound by the deepest of obligations to emerge from the magnificent and crumbling houses built by our ancestors into the sun, and in that place of light greet and dine with those who are striving to do likewise. I believe that by doing so we can move our world towards the heaven it could and should be instead of the hell we could so easily make of it.

I believe that what human beings everywhere have in common is more important than how they differ.

I do not believe that we may justify our own wishes to remain ignorant of the truth and steeped in resentful and hateful cruelty by arrogantly claiming our unique understanding of the moral traditions of the past. I believe, instead, that truly mature individuals are properly disciplined by respecting and striving to understand those traditions, but that they then must accept the weight of living moral decision as their irreducible and sacrosanct individual responsibility.

I hope that the examination of history and thought that is part and parcel of these lectures, now translated, may further the process of deep and carefully articulated global communication between people of good will. I hope that such communication will begin to heal the wounds lacerating the body of mankind, so that scientist, philosopher and religious individual alike can learn from one another what is truly necessary for life more abundant. I hope that in speaking and listening carefully to those who differ from us we can gather together the wisdom to make our way forward with integrity through the worlds of suffering and triumph imposed on us by the necessary limitations of our being. I hope that we can in that manner avoid the terrible corruption and desire for revenge that beckons as an ever-tempting alternative.

Thank you for attending to these lectures.

January 26, 2014 Dr. Jordan B Peterson Professor of Psychology University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada

{1} Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations - 309 {2} Frankenstein: A story by Mary Shelley. Frankenstein is a young and ambitious scientist who, by assembling pieces of dead bodies and applying electrical force, creates a living creature in the shape of a human, with dimensions slightly larger than an ordinary human. A creature with a hideous and terrifying face, upon whose entire body the stitch marks from the sutures are visible. This creature is so horrifying that everyone, even its creator, flees from its malevolence. A monster that even its creator cannot control and is himself overpowered by it.

Jordan Peterson, translated by: Mani Hamidi and Aran Gharibpour

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeMCpanMlrs5QMUFsyzjeOw/videos?shelf_id=0&view=0&sort=dd

http://anthropology.ir/node/21738