The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey•partiallyexaminedlife.com

The Partially Examined Life is a podcast by some guys who were at one point set on doing philosophy for a living but then thought better of it. Each episode, we pick a short text and chat about it with some balance between insight and flippancy. You don't have to know any philosophy, or even to have read the text we're talking about to (mostly) follow and (hopefully) enjoy the discussion. For links to the texts we discuss and other info, check out www.partiallyexaminedlife.com. We also feature episodes from other podcasts by our hosts to round out your partially examined life, including Pretty Much Pop (prettymuchpop.com, covering all media), Nakedly Examined Music (nakedlyexaminedmusic.com, deconstructing songs), Philosophy vs. Improv (philosophyimprov.com, fun with performance skills and philosophical ideas), and (sub)Text (subtextpodcast.com, looking deeply at lit and film). Learn about more network podcasts at partiallyexaminedlife.com.

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Episodes

Episode 105: Kant: What Is Beauty?

On Critique of Judgment (1790), Part I, Book I. What is beauty? Disinterested pleasure!

Nov 15, 2014•2 hr

Episode 104: Robert Nozick’s Libertarianism

On Anarchy, State & Utopia (1974), ch. 1-3 and 7. What are the moral limits on government power? No redistributive taxation, suckah! With guest Stephen Metcalf.

Oct 27, 2014•2 hr 3 min

Precognition of Ep. 104: Robert Nozick

Seth Paskin introduces Anarchy, State, and Utopia about libertarianism and the limits of legitimate government power.

Oct 26, 2014•12 min

Episode 103: Thoreau on Living Deliberately

On Henry David Thoreau's Walden (1854). Should all true philosophers go live in the woods and seek Truth in nature? Probably YOU should.

Oct 14, 2014•1 hr 47 min

Episode 102: Emerson on Wisdom and Individuality

On Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “The American Scholar” lecture (1837) and his essays “Self-Reliance” and “Circles” (1841). Be yourself! Don't conform! Realize your oneness with the universe!

Sep 20, 2014•2 hr 7 min

Episode 101: Maimonides on God

On Guide for the Perplexed about God's lack of properties, featuring guest comedian Danny Lobell of the Modern Day Philosophers podcast.

Sep 01, 2014•1 hr 42 min

Episode 100: Plato’s Symposium Live Celebration!

Our big live episode (also on video) about love, sex, self-improvement, and ancient Greek pederasty! Featuring a set by Mark Lint, plus Philosophy Bro on Plato's "Apology."

Aug 15, 2014•2 hr 29 min

Episode 99: Looking Back on 100 Discussions and 5+ Years

What have we learned? How has our take on the PEL project changed? On the eve before our big ep. 100 live show, we sat down to reflect on what we've been doing here. With guest Daniel Horne.

Aug 11, 2014•1 hr 50 min

Episode 98: Guest Michael Sandel Against Market Society

Interviewing him on his book "What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets" and continuing the discussion of his first book, "Liberalism and the Limits of Justice."

Jul 26, 2014•1 hr 28 min

Episode 97: Michael Sandel on Social Justice and the Self

On "Liberalism and the Limits of Justice" (1982) where Sandel critiques Rawls's version of liberalism as based on a bogus picture of us as purely choosing beings.

Jul 19, 2014•1 hr 45 min

Episode 96: Oppenheimer and the Rhetoric of Science Advisers

Discussing Lynda Walsh's book "Scientists as Prophets: A Rhetorical Genealogy" (2013) with the author, focusing on Robert J. Oppenheimer.

Jul 01, 2014•2 hr 6 min

Precognition of Ep. 96: Oppenheimer’s Rhetoric

Guest Lynda Walsh describes her book Scientists as Prophets: A Rhetorical Genealogy , focusing on J. Robert Oppenheimer's conflicted position after WWII as science advisor and anti-nuke spokesman.

Jun 29, 2014•12 min

Episode 95: Gödel on Math

On two unpublished essays considering the implications of Godel's incompleteness theorems and asserting mathematical realism. With guest Adi Habbu.

Jun 16, 2014•1 hr 50 min

Precognition of Ep. 95: Gödel

Guest Adi Habbu lays out Kurt Gödel's famous incompleteness theorems and describes some highlights from "Some Basic Theorems on the Foundations of Mathematics and their Implications" (1951) and "The Modern Development of the Foundations of Mathematics in Light of Philosophy" (1961).

Jun 15, 2014•9 min

Episode 94: Schopenhauer on Reading, Writing, and Thinking

On Arthur Schopenhauer's essays, "On Authorship and Style," "On Thinking for Oneself," and "On Genius" (all published 1851).

May 23, 2014•1 hr 40 min

Episode 93: Freedom and Responsibility (Strawson vs. Strawson)

On P.F. Strawson's "Freedom and Resentment" (1960), Galen Strawson's "The Impossibility of Moral Responsibility" (1994), and Gary Watson's "Responsibility and the Limits of Evil: Variations on a Strawsonian Theme" (1987). With guest Tamler Sommers.

May 03, 2014•1 hr 36 min

Precognition of Ep. 93: Free Will (via Strawsons)

Guest Tamler Sommers (from the Very Bad Wizards podcast) summarizes Galen Strawson's "The Impossibility of Moral Responsibility" (1994) and his father P.F. Strawson's "Freedom and Resentment" (1960).

Apr 29, 2014•14 min

Episode 92: Henri Bergson on How to Do Metaphysics

On Bergson's "An Introduction to Metaphysics" (1903). With guest Matt Teichman.

Apr 12, 2014•1 hr 39 min

Precognition of Ep. 92: Henri Bergson

Guest Matt Teichman introduces Bergson's essay "An Introduction to Metaphysics."

Mar 30, 2014•16 min

Episode 91: Transhumanism (Plus More on Brin)

More on David Brin's novel Existence , plus Nick Bostrom's essay "Why I Want to Be a Posthuman When I Grow Up" (2006). With guest Brian Casey.

Mar 29, 2014•1 hr 33 min

Episode 90: Sci-Fi and Philosophy with Guest David Brin

Discussing David Brin's novel Existence (2012) with the author. Also with guest Brian Casey.

Mar 26, 2014•1 hr 35 min

Precognition of Ep. 90: Sci-Fi and Philosophy with David Brin

Introductory salvo by Mark Linsenmayer before our interview with author David Brin.

Mar 25, 2014•8 min

Episode 89: Berkeley: Only Ideas Exist!

On Bishop George Berkeley's Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous (1713).

Mar 12, 2014•1 hr 34 min

Precognition of Ep. 89: Berkeley’s Idealism

Wes Alwan introduces George Berkeley's Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous .

Mar 11, 2014•31 min

Partially Examined Life Not School Digest #4: Sartre, Heidegger, Zizek, Marx, and Theater

Excerpts from discussions on Sartre's Nausea , Heidegger's "The Question Concerning Technology," Slavoj Zizek's Year of Dreaming Dangerously , Marx and Engels's "Communist Manifesto," Peter Schaffer's play Equus , and Cormac McCarthy's The Sunset Limited: A Novel in Dramatic Form .

Mar 01, 2014•1 hr 9 min

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