Shows
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents PvI#106: Heart Tchochkes w/ Seth Stephon BrownSeth is an improviser and aspiring professional "muse," which is a type of life coach that hangs out with you to see where you could be more in touch with your humanity so that you can then work out a coherent plan for your adult life. He discusses with Mary and Mark the conflict between authentic individual humans and a social structure filled with oppressive systems. Should we "deprogram" ourselves from our standardized upbringing? Is there actually an authentic core we would uncover if we do so, or just a void ready to be filled with the...
2025-11-3044 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPvI#102: Pit of Despair w/ Seth PaskinMark's Partially Examined Life co-host Seth joins us (i.e. Mark and Mary) to introduce Seth to improv and continue introducing philosophy to Mary.
We discuss Seth's attraction to depressing texts, act out couples' therapy and monster beauty parlor, and open up a few philosophical cans of worms: Is truth relative? (Hint: no!) Does outer beauty reflect inner beauty?
Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.
The post PvI#102: Pit of Despair w/ Seth Paskin first appeared on The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast.
2025-10-0600 min
Philosophy vs. ImprovPit of Despair w/ Seth Paskin
Mark’s Partially Examined Life co-host Seth joins us (i.e. Mark and Mary) to introduce Seth to improv and continue introducing philosophy to Mary.
We discuss Seth’s attraction to depressing texts, act out couples’ therapy and monster beauty parlor, and open up a few philosophical cans of worms: Is truth relative? (Hint: no!) Does outer beauty reflect inner beauty?
You can choose to watch this episode unedited on YouTube:
My image for the last episode was created with Claude AI, which informed me that it is not actually an image generator, so I h...
2025-10-0647 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents PvI#102: Pit of Despair w/ Seth PaskinMark's Partially Examined Life co-host Seth joins us (i.e. Mark and Mary) to introduce Seth to improv and continue introducing philosophy to Mary. We discuss Seth's attraction to depressing texts, act out couples' therapy and monster beauty parlor, and open up a few philosophical cans of worms: Is truth relative? (Hint: no!) Does outer beauty reflect inner beauty? Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.
2025-10-0447 min
The Partially Examined LifePEL Presents PvI#102: Pit of Despair w/ Seth PaskinMark's Partially Examined Life co-host Seth joins us (i.e. Mark and Mary) to introduce Seth to improv and continue introducing philosophy to Mary.
We discuss Seth's attraction to depressing texts, act out couples' therapy and monster beauty parlor, and open up a few philosophical cans of worms: Is truth relative? (Hint: no!) Does outer beauty reflect inner beauty?
Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.
2025-10-0449 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Back-to-School Nightcap 2025Mark, Seth, and Dylan add some more detail and thought to our recent episodes, including more about Steven Pinker and re-litigation of the utility of Irigaray's second-wave feminism in light of the distinction between philosophical and political speech.
2025-09-2010 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 375: Luce Irigaray's Feminism (Part One)On The Sex Which Is Not One (1977) and other Irigaray selections from the French Feminism Reader (2000), featuring guest Jenny Hansen (who wrote the introduction to the book chapter). What role should sexual difference play in philosophy and society? Irigaray qua second-wave feminist claims that unleashing the feminine can and should transform philosophy, public policy, and relationships. Check out the America Dissected podcast. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.
2025-09-0844 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents PvI#100: Maximizing Turtle Revenue w/ Tim Sniffen and Anthony LeBlancIt's our season finale, and the end of Bill's regular participation on the show. You may wish to weep, but let your tears be of joy as well as reminiscence. We are re-joined by two of our favorite improv guests for a Team Play episode to talk ship of Theseus, philosophy vs. mythology vs. video games, Renaissance contemporaries, long-lived turtles, "realist" morality, goodbyes, and our final boardroom scene. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.
2025-09-0750 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovMaximizing Turtle Revenue w/ Tim Sniffen and Anthony LeBlanc
It’s our season finale, and the end of Bill’s regular participation on the show. You may wish to weep, but let your tears be of joy as well as reminiscence.
We are re-joined by two of our favorite improv guests for a Team Play episode to talk ship of Theseus, philosophy vs. mythology vs. video games, Renaissance contemporaries, long-lived turtles, “realist” morality, goodbyes, and our final boardroom scene.
Follow us @MarkLinsenmayer, @MisterSniffen, and @anthonyleblanc.
You can choose to watch this on unedited video.
PvI will continue with new (temporary? permanen...
2025-09-0550 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 374: Discussing Liberalism (Lincoln, et al) with Walter Sterling (Part Two)Continuing our discussion of the dangers to and weak points of liberal democracy, including consideration of Patrick Deneen's Why Liberalism Failed (2018) Francis Fukuyama's "Liberalism and Its Discontents" (his 2020 essay), and Steven Pinker's Enlightenment Now (2018). Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.
2025-09-0148 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents PMP#204: Naked Gun Rapid FiringWhat is the state of the stream-of-gags formula that used to stand tall in the films of the Zucker Brothers (mainly Airplane) and Mel Brooks? A new generation attempts to revive that with a new Naked Gun film. How does this new effort relate to the classic films? Are these kinds of films particularly timeless? Rewatchable? Do young people appreciate this kind of thing? Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and (for the third or so) Al speculate wildly as usual. Get an ad-free experience, plus bonus talking for this and nearly every episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop...
2025-08-3150 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents NEM#237: Maia Sharp's Homey SubversionMaia has released ten lush, Americana-influenced singer-songwriter albums since 1997 and has collaborated with artists like Art Garfunkel, Bonnie Raitt, and Trisha Yearwood, and been covered by Cher, Paul Carrack, etc. We discuss "Counterintuition" (and listen to the title track) from Tomboy (2025), "Phoenix" from The Dash Between the Dates (2015), and "A Home" from Fine Upstanding Citizen (2005) (co-written with her father Randy Sharp and popularized in a cover version by The Chicks). Intro: "I Need This to Be Love" from Hardly Glamour (1997). More at maiasharp.com. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Support us on Patreon. ...
2025-08-281h 17
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 374: Discussing Liberalism (Lincoln, et al) with Walter Sterling (Part One)What's the crisis of liberal democracy? Dylan, Wes and Seth are joined by St. John's College President J. Walter Sterling to discuss Abraham Lincoln's "On the Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions" (1838) plus the beginnings of Steven Pinker's Enlightenment Now (2018), Patrick Deneen's Why Liberalism Failed (2018), and Francis Fukuyama's "Liberalism and Its Discontents" (the 2020 essay). Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Visit functionhealth.com/PEL to get the data you need to take action for your health. Enrollment is now open for M...
2025-08-2546 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPhilosophy vs. Improv #99: Philosophy of Humor w/ Nessa VossNessa teaches philosophy at Lone Star Community College and writes on the philosophy of humor. We thought we should get this topic out before we wrap our season (and Bill's regular participation) and reach 100 episodes. We go through the main theories (superiority, incongruity/surprise, unconscious triggering, i.e. funny because it's true on some level we don't necessarily want to admit). Then Nessa (fictionally) becomes our podcast format consultant. We wrap up by considering the appeal of various stand-up comedians. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.
2025-08-2453 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents Closereads: Peter Railton's "Moral Realism" (Wrap Up)We are concluding our treatment of Peter Railton's "Moral Realism" (1984), and given that you likely haven't listened to the seven preceding parts, this discussion can serve as a standalone summary of not only Railton's view, but of the best efforts of Mark and Wes to actually figure out what a plausible naturalistic, empirical account of ethics could amount to. You can consider this a conclusion to our recent PEL episode series on meta-ethics. Read along with us, starting on PDF p. 42. Sign up to support Closereads at patreon.com/closereadsphilosophy to get all parts of...
2025-08-2358 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 373: Michael Walzer on Just Wars (Part Two)Continuing on on Just and Unjust Wars (1977), ch. 5-6. When might it be morally permissible to strike first? When is it permissible (or obligatory?) to intervene in another country's internal affairs militarily? We discuss Walzer's historical examples and apply his theories to current wars. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsors: Visit functionhealth.com/PEL to get the data you need to take action for your health. Get a $1/month e-commerce trial at shopify.com/pel. Enrollment is now open for...
2025-08-181h 00
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPretty Much Pop #203: What Superman?In light of the new James Gunn film Superman, Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk about the character, his stories, and past films and shows. Did Zack Snyder (Man of Steel) miss the point? Are the Richard Donner films (chiefly 1978's Superman: The Movie) as good as nostalgia would have us recall them? How does one write a convincing plot centered around a flawless, basically all-powerful hero? How should the Lex Luthor character fit in? Get an ad-free experience, plus bonus talking for this and nearly every episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop for only the...
2025-08-1749 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastNEM#236: Tee Templeton's Psychedelic Ending...OK, maybe not his ending, but it's a late career boost into overdrive: This 66-year-old has been making music since the '80s, but you're only going to find two of his releases on the streaming services right now, and only this new album (released 20 years after the previous one) has the polish to count as a world-conquering, professional release. We discuss two songs from this new album Diner of Doubt: "My Dead Friend," and "I Have a Lotta Dreams," plus "Build Another One" (and the intro, "Chinese Lights") from Might Could Have (2004). End song: "Oh Dee...
2025-08-161h 12
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 373: Michael Walzer on Just Wars (Part One)On Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Illustrations (1977), ch. 4-6 on "jus ad bellum," which refers to moral justifications for going to war. Self-defense is permissible while aggression is not, but this leaves many questions unanswered, and Walzer gives us many historical examples to consider. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsors: Visit functionhealth.com/PEL to get the data you need to take action for your health. Check out Richard Dawkins' The Poetry Of Reality Podcast at thepoetryofreality.com.
2025-08-1147 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPhilosophy vs. Improv #98: RagnarockingRecorded back in June, posting now as we near the end of our season and Bill's tenure on the show, this episode now bleeds with dramatic irony. Mark and Bill discuss how to give a good speech, AI in academics, and we have a tear-stained visit to Empty Street. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.
2025-08-1052 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents PMP#200: Hollywood Studio Antics (feat. The Studio and Erica Spyres)In immediate reaction to the Apple TV+ Seth Rogan show The Studio, we talk about Hollywood's obsession with itself and how studio dynamics interfere with what exactly we all get to see. Also, what's with the fascination with old Hollywood? What's the appeal of Hollywood gossip? Erica our first-season co-host returns to join Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear this ad-free with bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel. If you enjoy our show, check out the All...
2025-07-0657 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL '24-'25 Transition NightcapMark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan reflect on our past year of PEL recording, catch you up on our habits and interests, and talk about what might come next. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to this and every recording ad-free, plus numerous Nightcaps and many hours of other bonus content. Learn about Mark's spring Core Texts in philosophy class at partiallyexaminedlife.com/class.
2024-12-301h 08
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Thick-of-Fall Nightcap 2024Mark, Wes, and Seth talk about horror media and what scares us in light of Halloween. We then give some follow-up discussion re. our Williamson and Chappell interviews. Do we actually want to participate in Williamson's science-minded analytic philosophy of the future? Were we too one-sided in our trans coverage? We respond to an email about our trans episode. If you're not hearing the full version of this discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2024-11-1710 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-Ep. 351: Sophie Grace Chappell on Transgender (Part Two)Mark, Seth and Dylan continue talking about philosophy surrounding trans phenomena in light of our interview with Sophie Grace about Trans Figured. In this supporter-exclusive discussion, we get into sex and gender as cluster concepts, ethical theory in equity discussions, and the practical matters you'd expect: sports participation, pronouns, bathrooms and dress codes. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. This full episode can also be purchased a la carte at patreon.com/partiallyexaminedlife.
2024-10-0513 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 351: Guest Sophie Grace Chappell on Transgender (Part One)Mark, Seth, and Dylan interview this British philosophy prof about her new book, Trans Figured, and philosophy's role in discussing the phenomena of transgender (which, yes, can be used as a noun, according to Sophie). Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Part two of this episode (with just the PEL guys) will only be available to PEL supporters. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get this along with our massive package of ad-free episodes and bonus content. Sponsors: Apply for convenient term life insurance from Fabric by Gerber Life at meetfabric.com/PEL. Try the Chutzpod podcast...
2024-09-3053 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 347: Nyaya Sutra Against Buddhist Skeptics (Part Two)Mark, Seth, and Dylan now turn to ch. 4 of Dasti/Phillips' Nyaya Sutra: Selections with Early Commentaries about the self. Buddhism famously claims that there is no self, and the Nyaya philosophers respond with both common-sensical arguments (e.g. psychological properties must be possessed by something) and religious (without a soul, what persists through reincarnation?). Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and bonus content including a supporter-exclusive part three to this discussion. Listen to a preview. Sponsor: Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/partially and get 10...
2024-08-1237 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Mid-Summer Nightcap 2024Mark, Wes, and Seth talk about worries about the utility of various subgenres or explanation types in philosophy, Dr. Drew's recent interview with Seth and Seth's writing project about non-linguistic communication, accuracy in historical or scientific details in philosophy, and our current political moment (our candidate choices, the debate, etc.). If you're not hearing the full version of this discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2024-07-0512 min
The Dr. Drew PodcastBreaking Down Philosophy: Seth Paskin's Journey with Partially Examined LifeThis week, Dr. Drew talks to Seth Paskin, co-host of the acclaimed podcast Partially Examined Life. Seth discusses his new book celebrating 15 years of the popular philosophy podcast. Together, Dr. Drew and Seth explore the challenges of studying philosophy in the U.S., Seth’s unique approach to making philosophy accessible to listeners, and the essential skill of reading philosophical texts. They also take an in-depth look at Stoicism and the Stoic community.
Seth's Book: www.amazon.com/Partially-Examined-Life-Philosophy-Podcasters-ebook/dp/B0CW1BQ8NX
Please support the show by checking out our sponsors!...
2024-06-191h 00
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 343: Plotinus the Neo-Platonist (Part One)On selections from the Enneads (270 C.E.), as presented by Elmer O'Brien as the first four essays in The Essential Plotinus: "Beauty," "The Intelligence, Ideas and Being," "The Descent of the Soul," and "The Good or The One." Featuring Mark, Wes, Dylan, Seth, and guest Chris Sunami. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Learn about our new book at partiallyexaminedlife.com/book (which Chris edited).
2024-06-1038 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 341: Guest Karyn Lai on Daoism in the ZhuangziMark, Dylan, Seth, and Theo Brooks discuss the Zhuangzi (ca. 325 BCE) UNSW Sydney prof. Karyn, co-author of the History of Philosophy Podcast Chinese series. We talk through Daoist advice about virtue, political action, perspectivism, and more. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Learn about our new book at partiallyexaminedlife.com/book.
2024-05-1358 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Nightcap w/ Chris Sunami (March 2024)Mark, Seth, and Dylan are joined by the editor of our new book (see partiallyexaminedlife.com/book) to talk a bit about his background, meeting celebrities (or being met qua celebrity) and more generally how a writer or performer's real personality relates to their work, various things we're reading and watching, scientists' attitudes towards philosophy, and the usual musings about future episodes. If you're not hearing the full version of this discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2024-03-2210 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Winter Nightcap (Concluding 2023)Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan set ourselves as part of our ongoing Kierkegaard reading to re-listen to our 2010 episode 29 on Kierkegaard's The Sickness Unto Death. This leads us to our personal histories regarding faith and how the idea of faith intersects with our philosophy studies. If you're not hearing the full version of this discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2024-01-0711 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-Ep. 330: Kierkegaard's "Either/Or": The Aesthetic Life (Part Three)Mark, Wes, and Seth read through more of Kierkegaard's Diapsalmata, translated as "Refrains," which are the aphorisms that begin the book and demonstrate the aesthetic point of view. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2023-12-0811 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-Ep. 328: Yascha Mounk Against Identity Politics (Part Three)Mark, Wes, Dylan, and now Seth too discuss further Mounk's project in The Identity Trap and what philosophically we can glean from it. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2023-11-1010 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Fall Nightcap 2023Mark, Wes, and Seth talk more about bullshit, Derrida and other difficult and arguably bullshitty philosophy, expressing truths through bodily movement, horror movies, and our coverage of author-guests and works that provide an introductory roadmap to some philosophical area. If you're not hearing the full version of this discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2023-10-2811 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 327: Harry Frankfurt on Bullsh*t and Authenticity (Part One)Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth discuss the celebrated 1986 essay "On Bullshit." Does bullshit necessarily involve lying? Frankfurt defines it as instead indifferent to truth, though still deceptive about what kind of speech act the audience is supposed to think that it is. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.
2023-10-1641 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 325: Paul Grice on Meaning and Conversation (Part One)On "Meaning" (1957), "Utterer's Meaning and Intentions" (1969), and "Logic and Conversation" (1975), featuring Mark, Seth, Dylan, and guest Steve Gimbell. Grice tries to give a rigorous analysis of what it means for a speaker (as opposed to a sentence) to mean something in particular. Let the increasingly elaborate potential counter-examples commence! Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion, including a supporter-exclusive part three to this episode coming out next week.
2023-09-1846 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL End-of-Summer Nightcap 2023Mark, Seth, Dylan, and eventually Wes talk about traveling, Barbie, gender, evolutionary psychology, cognitive science, and more. If you're not hearing the full version of this discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2023-08-2910 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Tech Nightcap July 2023Mark, Wes, and Seth talk about how we might cover philosophy of technology, and other areas like medical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics, etc. Do we remember things that we recorded a few years back? What summer films are we looking forward to? Finally, can we cover David Foster Wallace? If you're not hearing the full version of this discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2023-07-2111 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 318: Friedrich Schiller on the Civilizing Potential of Art (Part One)Can art make us better people? Musician Markus Reuter joins Mark, Wes, and Seth to discussion the first half of On the Aesthetic Education of Man (1795). Given the failure of the French Revolution, this famous German poet wondered what could make the masses capable of governing themselves? His answer: Beauty! Aesthetic appreciation puts us at a distance from our savage desires, enables the abstract thought necessary for Kantian rationalist morality, and yet keeps us in touch with our feelings so that we don't just become cogs in the industrial machine. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com...
2023-05-2944 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Nightcap Late March 2023Mark, Seth, and Dylan talk about what makes for a fitting tribute for those departed, mourning customs, how Daoism has personally affected us, and more. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2023-03-2008 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Nightcap Early March 2023Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth reflect on the interpretive challenges of the Daodejing, and in the full Nightcap, take on the question of whether philosophy works as self-help. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2023-03-0508 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Nightcap February 2023Mark, Wes, and Seth anticipate our Dao De Jing and Dostoevsky recordings and talk about Russian literature. In the full episode, we also talk about covering Hebrew ethics, and, of course, Chat f-ing GPT. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2023-02-1812 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 307: G.E. Moore Defends Common Sense (Part One)On "A Defense of Common Sense" (1925), featuring Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan. Moore defends our pre-philosophical certainty in beliefs about the existence of physical objects and other minds against skeptics and idealists. Is his apparently simple argument effective or just glib? Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.
2022-12-2641 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 305: Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" (Part One)On McCarthy's 1985 anti-Western novel, featuring Wes, Seth, and Dylan. How does violence play a role in the way the world works? This novel about a rogue band of scalp hunters presents a pessimistic, nihilistic philosophy where violence is central to the human condition and is the way to self-knowledge. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.
2022-11-2840 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-PEL Nightcap November 2022: Listener TestimonialsWe recently put out a call among our supporters for some short audio clips of folks telling us about their relationship to PEL, and here they are. Mark, Seth, and Dylan play and respond to some of these. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2022-11-2709 min
Burn Your DraftSummer Announcement 2022Burn Your Draft is taking a break for the summer and will be back in fall 2022 with our new student producer and host, Albert Kerelis ’24. We’ll have a bunch of interviews with ’22 grads to share, as well as a couple more from the class of 2020 and 2021.
Infinite thank yous and appreciations go to Amelie; we'll miss you!
While we're on break, check out these other podcasts which have Reedies working on them:
Shel We Read a Poem? with Lauren Hudgins '06
https://shelwereadapoem.buzzsprout.com/
The Partially Examined Life with Seth Paskin '90
https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/
Planet Money with Robert...
2022-06-0201 min
Museu de vozes desconexasEpisode 202: Julia Kristeva on Disgust, Fear and the Self (Part One) Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: Episode 202: Julia Kristeva on Disgust, Fear and the Self (Part One)Pub date: 2018-11-05Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationOn Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection (1980), ch. 1 and 2. Kristeva writes about "abjection," where we violently reject things like corpses, bodily wastes and other fluids, and the Lovecraftian unnameable that lurks at the edge of our awareness. Her book is also all about the self, suggesting modifications to Fre...
2022-02-0846 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Special: Nightcap New Year's Party to Welcome 2022Welcome to an extra special, intentionally public edition of Nightcap to catch you up on what Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan are all up to personally and intellectually and hash out what we want to potentially cover on the show over the next year.
2022-01-0247 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Special: Nightcap Early September 2021A little political ranting precedes a consideration of what we might read in aesthetics, philosophy of science, and philosophy of sport. What do we remember about emotions? Finally, Seth's morbid interests and Devo. If you enjoy this kind of free-form discussion, you can get it on the reg by becoming a PEL Citizen via one of the methods identified at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2021-08-2930 minPhilosophicaEp. 275: Hegel's Project in the "Phenomenology of Spirit" (Part One) Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: Ep. 275: Hegel's Project in the "Phenomenology of Spirit" (Part One)Pub date: 2021-08-02Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationOn G.W.F. Hegel's 1807 opus: A series of treatments of various theories in epistemology (among other things), seeing how they're internally incoherent, which then moves us to more sophisticated theories. Part two of this episode is only going to be available to you if you sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com...
2021-08-021h 00
Burn Your Draft#17: The Dizzying Math behind Spin Chains with Nate MacFadden '19, Math/PhysicsJoin Seth Paskin '90 as he interviews interdisciplinary Math/Physics graduate Nate MacFadden in Fall 2019 on his research into just how predictable quantum phenomena like spin chains really are. Don't worry if that's already got your head spinning, because this episode's packed with a lot more than just math: from the hard and soft skills of thesising, to why your high school job might matter more than you think.
2021-04-2315 minMuseu de vozes desconexasREISSUE-PEL Ep 75: Lacan & Derrida Criticize Poe's "The Purloined Letter" (w/ New Intro) Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: REISSUE-PEL Ep 75: Lacan & Derrida Criticize Poe's "The Purloined Letter" (w/ New Intro)Pub date: 2020-07-03Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationEnjoy this normally paywalled episode from Apr. 2013 about Jacques Lacan’s “Seminar on ‘The Purloined Letter'” (1956) and Jacques Derrida’s “The Purveyor of Truth” (1975). How should philosophers approach literature? Lacan read Edgar Allen Poe’s story about a sleuth who outthinks a devious Minister as an illustration of his model of the psyche, and...
2021-04-042h 11Burn Your Draft#14: Wholesale Electricity Markets with Mitzi Zitler '19, EconomicsSeth Paskin '90 interviewed Mitzi Zitler '19 back in fall of 2019 about her thesis work investigating the wholesale electricity market in Oregon, and some of its interactions with California markets. Mitzi's thesis title: "Econometric analysis of real-time wholesale electricity prices at major west coast trading hubs".
2021-03-0318 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 263: Lise Van Boxel's "Warspeak" on Strategies for Valuing (Part One)On Warspeak: Nietzsche's Victory Over Nihilism (2020) with Dylan, Seth, and guests Michael Grenke and Jeff Black. What's a viable counter-ideal to the asceticism that Nietzsche thought is so pervasive? Lise's book works out strategies for re-valuing that emphasize Nietzsche's positive comments about the feminine and the power of words. Part two of this episode is only going to be available to you if you sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. Get it now or listen to a preview. Sponsors: Get 50% off The New Yorker and a free tote bag at NewYorker.com/PEL...
2021-02-1541 minPhilosophicaEp. 257: Locke Against Innate Ideas (Part Two) Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: Ep. 257: Locke Against Innate Ideas (Part Two)Pub date: 2020-11-30Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationContinuing on Book I of John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689). We consider Locke's arguments that since there are no universally agreed upon principles, therefore there are no beliefs that we're all born with, or that we all (without the need for experience) immediately recognize as true as soon as we gain the use...
2020-12-0149 minPhilosophicaEp. 257: Locke Against Innate Ideas (Part One) Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: Ep. 257: Locke Against Innate Ideas (Part One)Pub date: 2020-11-23Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationOn Book I of John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689). How do we know things? Locke thought all knowledge comes from experience, and this might seem uncontroversial, but what are the alternatives? We consider the idea that there are some ideas we're just born with and don't need to learn. But what's an "ide...
2020-11-2448 minPhilosophicaPEL Presents PMP#69: Story Songs w/ Rod Picott Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: PEL Presents PMP#69: Story Songs w/ Rod PicottPub date: 2020-11-17Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationPlenty of songs try to tell stories, but do the pop song format and narrative really mix? Songwriter and short story author Rod Picott joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to talk about classics by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, formative nightmares like "Leader of the Pack" and "The Pina Colada Song, borderline cases like "Boh...
2020-11-2147 minPhilosophicaPREMIUM-Ep. 256: Kropotkin's Anarchist Communism (Part Two) Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: PREMIUM-Ep. 256: Kropotkin's Anarchist Communism (Part Two)Pub date: 2020-11-16Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationMark, Wes, Dylan, Seth get into specific points and textual passages from Peter Kropotkin's The Conquest of Bread (1892). In this preview, we start by considering that Kropotkin is right that mutual aid is a natural tendency and so communism is very much feasible, why hasn't it happened already? In the full discussion, we discuss K's...
2020-11-1607 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-Ep. 256: Kropotkin's Anarchist Communism (Part Two)Mark, Wes, Dylan, Seth get into specific points and textual passages from Peter Kropotkin's The Conquest of Bread (1892). In this preview, we start by considering that Kropotkin is right that mutual aid is a natural tendency and so communism is very much feasible, why hasn't it happened already? In the full discussion, we discuss K's version of the "you didn't build that" argument, plus guaranteed minimum income, identity and criminal justice in a stateless world, religion, and more. To hear this second part, you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2020-11-1607 minPhilosophicaPEL Presents (sub)Text: The American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby" Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: PEL Presents (sub)Text: The American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby"Pub date: 2020-11-08
2020-11-131h 23PhilosophicaPREMIUM-Ep. 255: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (Part Two) Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: PREMIUM-Ep. 255: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (Part Two)Pub date: 2020-11-02Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationIf you'd like to hear more of the discussion on Sun Tzu that we started in part one, you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. Here are some exchanges from part two, where we continue with Brian Wilson working through the text, considering Sunzi's strategies and assumptions, and how...
2020-11-0208 minPhilosophicaEp. 255: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (Part One) Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: Ep. 255: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (Part One)Pub date: 2020-10-26Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationOn the Chinese military treatise from around the 5th century BCE. How does a philosopher wage war? The best kind of war can be won without fighting. The general qua Taoist sage never moves until circumstances are optimal. We talk virtue ethics and practical strategy; how well can Sunzi's advice be app...
2020-10-2647 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-Ep. 254: Michael Sandel Against Meritocracy (Part Two)Mark, Wes, Dylan and Seth continue the discussion on The Tyranny of Merit to talk further about how social values can and do change, and whether these changes can be engineered in the way that Sandel seems to want. We interviewed Michael Sandel in part one. To hear this second part, you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. This preview includes a couple of exchanges from near the beginning to give you a flavor of what to expect.
2020-10-1911 minBurn Your Draft#3: UFOs and the People Who Love Them with Molly Johnson '19, SociologyMake sure to grab your tin foil hats for this episode of Burn Your Draft and get ready to hear from Molly Johnson on the sociological aspects of UFO subculture. Seth Paskin '90 hosts this episode.
2020-08-3112 min
Burn Your Draft#0: Burn Your Draft Live Debut Event with Seth Paskin '90, PhilosophyIn this special episode we hear from Seth Paskin '90, Reed alumnus and co-founder of Burn Your Draft, on the motivation behind the podcast. We’ll also hear about his own experience as a co-founder and co-host of the podcast, The Partially Examined Life, and his time thesising at Reed as a philosophy major.
This live interview was recorded during the 2020 Paideia week on January 25th in the living room of Prexy, a building on the Reed College campus that housed presidents of the college in the early days of Reed. It’s now the home of the Center for Life...
2020-08-311h 20The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPMP#50: MJ’s Last Dance w/ Seth PaskinBrian, Erica, Mark, and Seth from The Partially Examined Life interrogate the 10-part ESPN documentary on Michael Jordan's Bulls' six championships.
Was it worth ten hours? Does its time-jumping structure work? Is it really hagiography, or is the vision of ultra-competitiveness repulsive? Why are sports amenable to creating cultural icons? Does the doc's success mean many more?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.
The post PMP#50: MJ’s Last Dance w/ Seth Paskin first appeared on The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast.
2020-07-0700 min
Pretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#50: MJ’s Last Dance w/ Seth PaskinBrian, Erica, Mark, and Seth from The Partially Examined Life interrogate the 10-part ESPN documentary on Michael Jordan's Bulls' six championships.
Was it worth ten hours? Does its time-jumping structure work? Is it really hagiography, or is the vision of ultra-competitiveness repulsive? Why are sports amenable to creating cultural icons? Does the doc's success mean many more?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.
2020-07-0151 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 246: Susan Sontag on Interpreting Art (Part Two)Continuing on Sontag's essays "On Style" (1965) and "The Death of Tragedy" (1963). Mark, Wes, Seth and Dylan keep talking about the appropriate distance to retain (or not) to a work of art, which is supposed to be relevant to moral action in the world. We also spell out how this is relevant to our recent episodes on tragedy. Start with Part One or get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL! End song: "Mela" by Julie Slick, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #115.
2020-06-2952 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 244: Camus on Strategies for Facing Plague (Part One)On Albert Camus' existentialist novel The Plague. How shall we face adversity? Camus gives us colorful characters that embody various approaches. Yes, the plague is an extreme situation, but we're all dying all the time anyway, right? Join Mark, Wes, Dylan and Seth to tease out Camus' positions from this bleak yet colorful text. Don't wait for part two; get the unbroken Citizen Edition now. Please support PEL!
2020-05-2547 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 243: Aristotle's "Poetics" on Art and Tragedy (Part One)These notes from 335 BCE are still used in screenwriting classes. Aristotle presents a formula for what will move us, derived from Sophocles's tragedies. What is art? The text describes it as memesis (imitation), and tragedy imitates human action in a way that shows us what it is to be human. Aristotle has lots of advice about how to structure a plot optimized to our sensibilities. Join Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth to see if you think he's right. Don't wait for part two; get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition now. Please support PEL!
2020-05-1148 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 241: Political Philosophy and the PandemicHow should we think politically about the current global crisis? Do extreme circumstances reveal truths of political philosophy or do they reinforce whatever it is we already believe? Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan talk about applying philosophical insights to real-life situations rife with unknowns, John Rawls' veil of ignorance and Adam Smith on our interconnectedness, utilitarianism, libertarianism, and more. A source we used was "How Coronavirus Is Shaking Up the Moral Universe" by John Authers. Please support PEL! End song: "Date of Grace" by Rob Picott, as discussed on Nakedly Examined Music #80.
2020-04-201h 04
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 239: Montesquieu Invents Political Science (Part Two)Continuing on The Spirit of the Laws (1748) by Charles Louis de Secondat, aka Baron de Montesquieu. Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth talk more about the "motive force" behind each type of government and the separation of powers. Begin with part 1 or get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL! End song: "King of the Hill" by MINUTEMEN. Listen to Mark interview Mike Watt on Nakedly Examined Music #108.
2020-03-3050 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 238: Lingering QuestionsMark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth summarize thoughts about our recent series on social construction, gender and sex, and Judith Butler's notion of "grievable lives." Should we stop covering so much contemporary work and/or political topics? End song: "The Size of Luv" by Mark Lint from Mark Lint's Dry Folk (2018). Get this and every episode ad-free with a PEL Membership. Please support the podcast!
2020-03-161h 14
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 237: Walter Benjamin Analyzes Violence (Part Two)Continuing on Benjamin's "Critique of Violence" (1921). Mark, Wes, and Seth keep trying to figure out this difficult essay. Is Benjamin really advocating a workers' revolution to end the state, or just reflecting on a hypothetical to explore the limits of the concept of violence? According to Judith Butler's interpretation of the essay, the takeaway is the alternative to motivation through force, i.e. speech, which Benjamin (in other essays) gives some religious significance, but the way he actually concludes the essay is in a discussion of "divine violence" as somehow transcending means-end analysis and the...
2020-03-0945 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 236: Judith Butler Interview: "The Force of Nonviolence"On The Force of Nonviolence: An Ethico-Political Bind (2020). What is it to be nonviolent in political activity? Most ethics allow for self-defense, but Judith has a problem with defining "self" as well as "violence," and offers a full critique of the individualism that underlies typical Western approaches to both ethics and politics. Mark, Seth, and Wes interview Judith about these issues and the connection to Gender Trouble. End song: "Dancing with Death," discussed on Nakedly Examined Music #111 with Marty Willson-Piper. Get this episode ad-free with a PEL Citizenship. Please support PEL!
2020-02-241h 03
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 235: Judith Butler's "Gender Trouble" (Part Three)Concluding "Gender Trouble" (1990), with just Mark, Wes, and Seth going carefully through pt I, sec v: "Identity, Set, and the Metaphysics of Substance," and pt III, sec iv: "Subversive Bodily Acts: Bodily Inscriptions, Performative Subversions." Start with part one or get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL! End song: "I'm a Boy" by Lys Guillorn as interviewed for Nakedly Examined Music #44.
2020-02-171h 06
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 223: Guest Ned Block on Consciousness (Part Two)We talk with Ned about a second Blockheads (2019) article, Michael Tyle's "Homunculi Heads and Silicon Chips: The Importance of History to Phenomenology," which provides a variation off of the David Chalmers fading qualia argument, and then Mark, Seth, Dylan, and Wes continue exploring the details uncovered by our interview after Ned leaves. Please support PEL! End song: "Your So Dark Sleep/Goodbye" by The Black Watch, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #102.
2019-08-1954 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 220: 10-Year Retrospective of The Partially Examined LifeMark, Seth, Dylan, and Wes reflect on the changing state of podcasting and public philosophy over the last decade, how our goals and interests have changed since we started we started. Why don't colleges pay their faculty to educate the public through regular, broadcasted conversations like ours? If you think we're snarky, take a look at actual philosophy faculty! Should we continue to do more literature, poetry, and other topics that are not strictly philosophy? Also, the stalled state of the PEL book. Thanks so much to each and every Partially Examined Life listener for making it...
2019-07-061h 02
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Audioplayers: "Life Is a Dream" by Pedro Calderón de la BarcaYour hosts are joined by real actors to do an unrehearsed read of Calderón's 1636 comedy La Vida Es Sueño, using Stanley Appelbaum's 2002 translation. Ep. 217 will cover the philosophical issues the play raises. Recorded in NYC on 4/7: Talene Monahon (Rosaura), David Epstein (Segismundo), Bill Youmans (Clotaldo), Erica Spyres (Estrella), Chris Martin (Basilio), Mark Linsenmayer (Clarín), Seth Paskin (Astolfo), Dylan Casey (soldier 1 and servant 1), and Wes Alwan (soldier 2 and servant 2). Music by Jonathan Segel, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #38. Please help us to do more audioplays by supporting PEL.
2019-05-272h 17
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEpisode 203: Kristeva vs. Lovecraft on Horror and Abjection (Part One)More on Julia Kristeva's Powers of Horror (1980) plus H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" (1928). What is the object of fear? Mark, Seth, and Dylan get clearer on Kristeva's view of the establishment and loss of the integrity of the self, what the "object" of abjection is, and what this all might have to do with feminism. Most of the Lovecraft goodness is in part 2. Please support PEL to get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition, along with Mark's Kristeva Close Reading. Sponsor: Visit thegreatcoursesplus.com/PEL for a one-month free trial of The G...
2018-11-1953 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-Ep 201 Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations" (Part Three)Mark and Seth get further into the specifics of Marcus's metaphysics and how this is supposed to relate to behavior. Can his directives really come solely "from reason" as he claims? How does this interact with the behaviors that we pursue "by nature," i.e., without conscious deliberation required? Seth is concerned with how individualistic the philosophy is. Mark is concerned that if you discard the metaphysics (as modern skeptics largely do), why should you expect the rest of the philosophy to be coherent? Become a supporter to get the full discussion.
2018-11-0513 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEpisode 199: Elizabeth Anderson on Equality (Part Three: Discussion)Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan continue to discuss "What Is the Point of Equality?" (1999) and how it lays foundations for Private Government (2017). What is democratic equality, and can a Rawlsian/liberal/neutral-with-regard-to-defining-the-good state consistently advocate for this ideal? Our interview starts in Part One. You can get all three parts together, and more with a PEL Citizenship or $5 Patreon pledge. Please support PEL! End song: "Straight Job" by Rod Picott. Hear him on Nakedly Examined Music #80.
2018-10-011h 05
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-Ep 198 Plato's "Parmenides" (Part Three)Mark and Seth continue our conversation from ep. 198 by going through the arguments in the second half of the dialogue. This puzzling section is largely a monologue by the character Parmenides, with the stated aim of showing the implications from first, the assumption that the One exists, and then that the One does not exist. But is this really Parmenides's One or the Platonic Form of Oneness? Can these be the same thing?
2018-09-1311 min1: Erica's ListEpisode 170: Guy Debord's "Society of the Spectacle" (Part One) Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: Episode 170: Guy Debord's "Society of the Spectacle" (Part One)Pub date: 2017-08-14Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationWhat is culture? In modern capitalism, Debord’s 1967 book describes it as all about the economy. It’s not just our jobs that keep us trapped, but our life outside of working hours is also demanded by “the system” via our activity as consumers, and this commoditization infiltrates every corner of our lives. Debord want...
2018-02-1554 min1: Erica's ListEpisode 136: Adorno on the Culture Industry Podcast: The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: Episode 136: Adorno on the Culture IndustryPub date: 2016-03-28Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationOn Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer's "The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception" from Dialectic of Enlightenment (1944), plus Adorno's "Culture Industry Reconsidered" (1963). How does the entertainment industry affect us? Adorno (armed with Marx and Freud) thinks that our "mass culture" is imposed from the top down to lull us into being submissive workers. End son...
2018-02-022h 07
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEpisode 182: Reflections on PEL 2017 (Part One)To what extent has our podcast changed in reaction to current politics? Mark, Seth, Wes, and Dylan reflect back on our year, discuss how we select texts, and give some thumbnail sketches of potential topics. Also, does authorial intent matter, and how to talk philosophically about works that aren't philosophical texts. Attention: Only the first 45 min of this discussion will be posted on the blog feed. If you like PEL, consider becoming a PEL Citizen or supporting us via Patreon to get the whole thing now.
2018-01-2951 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEpisode 170 Second Opinions: Leftists on "Society of the Spectacle"Mark and Seth ask Doug Lain (Zero Squared), Brett O'Shea (Revolutionary Left Radio), and C. Derick Varn (Symptomatic Redness) what they think of Debord and PEL's treatment of the book on Ep #170. End song: "Open Your Eyes (Wake Up)" from Tyler Hislop, interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #24.
2017-08-281h 07
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEpisode 157: Richard Rorty on Politics for the Left (Part Two)Continuing on Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in 20th Century America (1998). We talk more about Rorty's description of the conflict between the "reformist left" and the "cultural left." Do political-comedy shows serve a a positive political purpose? Can an enlightened political viewpoint really be a mass movement at all? Is it better to pursue specific political campaigns or be part of a "movement?" Can Rorty's diagnosis cure Seth's malaise? Listen to part 1 first, though you should probably just get the ad-free, unbroken Citizen Edition. End song: "Wake Up, Sleepyhead," by Jill Sobule, as interviewed on Nak...
2017-02-061h 03
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEpisode 156: Philosophy and Politics Free-Form Discussion (Part One)How does studying philosophy help you to make sense of the political landscape? Wes, Mark, Dylan, and Seth play pundit and reflect on political rhetoric, elitism, and much more. There is no text for this episode! Freedom! Please support PEL!
2017-01-1651 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEpisode 145: Emmanuel Levinas: Why Be Ethical?On "Ethics as First Philosophy" (1984). More existentialist ethics, with a Jewish twist this time! Seth returns to join Mark and Wes in figuring out how to best leave off all this aggressive "knowing" and other forms of individual self-assertion to grasp the more primordial appearance of the Other in all his or her vulnerability, which Levinas thinks makes us wholly responsible for others right off the bat. End song: "To Valerie" from The MayTricks' So Chewy (1993). Get this and every episode ad-free by becoming a PEL supporter at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2016-08-222h 02
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastQ&A with the Partially Examined Life, Pittsburgh 9-25-15What is it like to do philosophy in public? As prelude to our ep. 125 appearance at the Pittsburgh Continental Philosophy Network Conference on theory and public space, Mark, Seth, Wes, and Dylan sat down for questions by moderator Erica Freeman, conference host Justin Pearl, and numerous attendees.
2015-10-0500 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEpisode 123: Economics with Hayek and Sen (Intro by Seth Benzell)On F.A. Hayek's "The Use of Knowledge in Society" (1945) and Amartya Sen's On Ethics and Economics (1987). Is economics a pseudoscience? Are its assumptions by necessity too over-simplifying? Hayek objects to the idea of planning an economy, because the planners aren't in a position to know enough. With guest Seth Benzell, who starts us off with a "precognition" of the material. End song: "People Who Throw Away Love" by Mark Lint from The Cheese Stands Alone. Get this and every episode ad-free by becoming a PEL supporter at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
2015-09-072h 15
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPrecognition of Ep. 123: Economics (F.A. Hayek and Amartya Sen)Guest Seth Benzell outlines Hayek's "The Use of Knowledge in Society" (1945) and Sen's On Ethics and Economics (1987).
2015-08-1912 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 119 Aftershow (PREMIUM) on Nietzsche feat. Greg SadlerSeth Paskin and Danny Lobell were joined by Dr. Gregory B. Sadler, David Buchanan, Erik Weissengruber, Tom Kirdas, Ken Presting, and Bill Coe. Recorded July 26, 2015. This is the first 15 minutes of a two-hour conversation, available in full to PEL Citizens or free on our YouTube page.
2015-08-0717 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastClose Reading (PREMIUM) of Heidegger on TruthMark and Seth go line-by-line through the first half of "On the Essence of Truth" to help you understand Heidegger's language. This is a 17-min preview of a 2 hr, 37-min bonus recording. Citizens, log in and listen now.
2015-02-2316 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPrecognition of Ep. 104: Robert NozickSeth Paskin introduces Anarchy, State, and Utopia about libertarianism and the limits of legitimate government power.
2014-10-2711 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPrecognition of Ep. 85: John RawlsSeth Paskin summarizes the John Rawls's A Theory of Justice.
2013-12-0610 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPrecognition of Ep. 80: HeideggerA short summary of Heidegger's "Essay on Humanism," read by Seth Paskin.
2013-08-0713 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPREMIUM-Episode 73: Why Do Philosophy? (And What Is It?)Mark, Seth, Wes, and Dylan share what drove them into philosophy and keeps them there. How is philosophy different than (or similar to) science? Than religion? Art? The consensus seems that philosophy, to us, is inevitable for the curious. It's just inquiry, unbounded (in principle at least) by any fixed assumptions. We did no formal reading for this discussion, but did tell each other to keep in mind Plato's "Apology." Get the full discussion at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
2013-03-2331 min