Overthink

Butts

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Bottom, rump, booty, fanny, tush, and derriere! In episode 171 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about butts. Why do humans have bigger rear ends tha...

Care with Premilla Nadasen

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The discourse around today's crisis of care responds to the shredding of America's social safety net, but leaves out the most vulnerable almost entire...

Discipline

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With the rise of hustle culture, the grind, and capitalist productivity, we often associate discipline with toxicity. But is there still value in disc...

Closer Look: Levinas, On Escape

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we seek to escape from ourselves? In episode 168 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a closer look at Emmanuel Levinas’s article “On Escape....

Evil

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Are some people born evil, or are we all capable of evil acts? In episode 167 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about all things evil. They think thr...

Pedantry with Arnoud Visser

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Mansplainers, know-it-alls, and Grammar Nazis. In episode 166 of Overthink, Ellie and David think about the figure of the pedant with philosopher Arno...

Pornography

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Content warning: this episode involves discussion of sexual violence and sexual assault.Can pornography be liberating or does it just reveal a hatred ...

Closer Look: Haraway, Cyborg Manifesto

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Is the way we interact with technology moving us towards a cyborg future? In episode 164 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a closer look at Donna Har...

Personality

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Can Buzzfeed quizzes, Myers-Briggs Types, and Enneagrams tell us anything valid about who we are? In episode 163 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss...

Addiction with Hanna Pickard

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

To what extent is drug addiction voluntary? In episode 162 of Overthink, Ellie and David chat with philosopher Hanna Pickard about her book, What Woul...

Spontaneity

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to be spontaneous? In episode 161 of Overthink, Ellie and David get spontaneous. They look at Aristotle’s theory of spontaneous ge...

Closer Look: Epicurus Reader

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to say that the good life is a life of pleasure? Although you might think of champagne and caviar, Hellenistic philosopher Epicurus ...

Illness

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to be ill? In episode 159 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss illness. They explore how illness has been mythologized, how it may ...

Talking Politics with Sarah Stein Lubrano

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Why does talking about politics so often feel useless? In episode 158 of Overthink, Ellie and David speak with Sarah Stein Lubrano, author of Don’t ...

Manipulation

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Should we be sympathetic towards manipulators? In episode 157 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about manipulation. They discuss what makes up a mani...

Closer Look: Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How do new forms of social control under capitalism foreclose the possibility of social critique? In episode 156 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a ...

Treason

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Do we ever have a duty to commit treason? In episode 155 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about “the crime of crimes.” They look at the eme...

Living With Men with Manon Garcia

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Content warning: this episode extensively discusses rape, sexual violence, and incest.In episode 154 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk to philosopher...

Cuteness

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do Labubus, Beanie Babies, Hello Kitty, and Furbies have in common? They’re all cute! In episode 153 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss cute...

Closer Look: Foucault, History of Sexuality Vol. 1

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time for something new! In episode 152 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a deep dive into Michel Foucault’s The History of Sexuality, V...

Meritocracy

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We've all been sold the ideal of meritocracy. The American dream, our education system, and our politics are all based on it. But what if meritocracy ...

Aztec Philosophy with Sebastian Purcell

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why are Aztecs often considered pessimists from a philosophical perspective? In episode 150 of Overthink, Ellie and David chat with philosopher Sebast...

Surfing

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hang loose! In episode 149 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about all things surfing. They explore the long history of wave-riding across the globe,...

Loneliness

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can we explain the rise of loneliness in our world? In episode 148 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss the difference between loneliness and sol...

Confidence

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Don’t shy away from this one! In episode 147 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss confidence. Modernity has created a crisis of confidence, leading...

Togetherness with Dan Zahavi

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can we ever be truly alone? In episode 146 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk with philosopher Dan Zahavi about his book, Being We: Phenomenologi...

AI Chatbots

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Chat GPT, Gemini, Meta AI, and Grok. In episode 145 of Overthink, David and Ellie talk about AI chatbots. Are relationships between humans and AI valu...

Limerence

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why does falling for someone so often feel like a painful obsession? In episode 144 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss the unspoken difficulties of...

Degrowth

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Which industries should cease to exist immediately? And what ‘bullshit jobs’ should they take with them? In episode 143 of Overthink, Ellie and Da...

Natality with Jennifer Banks

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why does much of the history of philosophy neglect the topic of birth? In episode 142 of Overthink, Ellie and David chat with Jennifer Banks about her...

Femininity

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tradwives, the divine feminine, and “that girl” on social media. In episode 141 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss femininity. They look to Sim...

Masculinity

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Performative males, hustle bros, sissies, and manfluencers. In episode 140 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss masculinity. What does it mean to be ...

Neighbors

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to love thy neighbor? And who counts as a neighbor in the first place? In episode 139 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about neigh...

Black Women's Magic with Lindsey Stewart

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How did Black Women become magical? In episode 138, Ellie and David talk to Lindsey Stewart about her book, The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids,...

Post-Truth

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With conspiracy theories, fake news, and anti-science rhetoric everywhere, we are living in an age of post-truth. In episode 137 of Overthink, Ellie a...

Burnout

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What makes burnout different from exhaustion or fatigue? In episode 136 of Overthink, Ellie and David look at the history of the term burnout and its ...

Travel

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Aperol spritzes, ‘Euro summers’, and aesthetic beach pics. In episode 135 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss all things travel. They discuss th...

Weirdness with Eric Schwitzgebel

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

All metaphysical theories are…really weird. In episode 134 of Overthink, Ellie and David chat with Eric Schwitzgebel about his book Weirdness of the...

Air

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Time to take in a breath of fresh air. In episode 133 of Overthink, Ellie and David close out their four-part series on the elements with air. They co...

Earth

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This one’s going to rock your world. In episode 132 of Overthink, Ellie and David dig into the earth for the third part of their four-part series on...

Water

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Oceans, baths, ponds, and amniotic sacs? In episode 131 of Overthink, David and Ellie take a deep dive into the topic of water as part of their four-p...

Fire

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are all fires inherently bad? In episode 130 of Overthink, David and Ellie launch a four-part series on the elements, starting off hot with fire. They...

Discretion with Barry Lam

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What value might there be in having fewer rules? In episode 129 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk to philosopher and host of Hi-Phi Nation Barry Lam ...

Cleanliness

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 128 – CleanlinessHow often should you shower to remain ‘clean’? How many times can you re-wear your jeans before they are considered ‘...

Oligarchy

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is Trump’s presidential reign turning the US into an oligarchy? Or did the US fall into oligarchic rule many years ago? In episode 127 of Overthink,...

Ecstasy

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lasers, fog machines, silent prayers…and don’t forget the ecstasy! In episode 126 of Overthink, Ellie and David dive into the experience of ecstas...

Trans Identity with Talia Mae Bettcher

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How should we make sense of the Trump administration’s assault on Trans rights? In episode 125 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk to philosopher Tal...

Intuition

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our intuitions are never wrong… right? In episode 124 of Overthink, Ellie and David wonder what intuition actually is. Is it a gut feeling, a ration...

Breakups

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s not you, it’s me… In episode 123 of Overthink, Ellie and David get into the highs and lows of breakups. What, if anything, is valuable abou...

Writing

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You might want to jot down some notes on this one! In episode 122, Ellie and David explore where writing began, the value of writing, and our reasons ...

Dark Moods with Mariana Alessandri

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a world that has developed a collective fear of the dark, how can we navigate the not-so-positive feelings that we experience? In episode 121 of Ov...

Disagreement

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the holiday dinner table to the Twitter fandom wars, disagreements are inescapable. In episode 120 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk through dif...

Driving

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wanted to go on a road trip with the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan? After listening to this episode, you certainly won’t! In episode 119...

Comfort

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get comfy as you listen to this episode! In episode 118 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss all things comfortable…and uncomfortable. They talk th...

Black Consciousness with Lewis Gordon

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you need black skin to be Black? How might concepts such as white privilege be limiting our understanding of how racism works? In Episode 117 of Ov...

Extinction

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dinosaurs, mammoths, ibexes, frogs: a great deal of animals have gone the way of the dodo. Are we next? And would the world be better off without us? ...

Hope

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the one you’ve been hoping for. In episode 115 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss the meaning of hope, from casual travel plans, to electo...

Friendship

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Even with endless social scripts around romance, we hardly know what it means to be a good friend. In episode 114 of Overthink, Ellie and David reflec...

Awkwardness with Alexandra Plakias

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Clogged toilets, odious jokes, difficult condolences… awkward moments are everywhere you look. In episode 113 of Overthink, Ellie and David invite p...

Hyperreality

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why is there a Parthenon… in Nashville? Jean Baudrillard might have the answer. In Episode 112 of Overthink, Ellie and David pick apart hyperreality...

Envy

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why are you so obsessed with me!? In episode 111 of Overthink, Ellie and David untangle envy, jealousy, and admiration, in everything from Sigmund Fre...

Intensity

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What do skydiving, guitar-playing teenagers, and deep-seated psychic states have in common? They're all intense! In episode 110 of Overthink, Ellie an...

Predictive Brain with Andy Clark

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Phantom phone buzzes? Painless mosquito bites? Toy masks flipped inside-out? It might be your brain bringing order to its complex world. In episode 10...

Success

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cooked, slayed, delivered, ate. In episode 108 of Overthink, Ellie and David break down what it means to succeed, and why this sneaky word pervades ou...

Organisms

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 107 of Overthink, David and Ellie take up a philosophical perspective on biology’s squirmiest concept: the organism. From Kant’s distin...

Fun

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Even philosophers need downtime. In episode 106 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a break and chase down fun’s place in today’s world — from it...

Civil Disobedience with Noëlle McAfee

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do political subjects have a default obligation to obey the law? In episode 105 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss civil disobedience in the presen...

Reading

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is one for the books. In episode 104 of Overthink, Ellie and David consider what makes reading so rewarding, and, for many people today, so chall...

Laziness

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re taking it easy! In episode 103 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a leisurely dive into laziness, discussing everything from couchrotting to t...

Mixed-Race Identity

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 102 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss diverse ideas of racial mixedness, from family-oriented models of mixed race to José Vasconcelos...

AI Safety with Shazeda Ahmed

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome your robot overlords! In episode 101 of Overthink, Ellie and David speak with Dr. Shazeda Ahmed, specialist in AI Safety, to dive into the phi...

Overthinking

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Overthink goes meta! In the 100th episode Ellie and David reflect on the podcast’s journey and the origins of its (flawless!) title. They take up th...

Zombies

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Who’s afraid of zombification? Apparently not analytic philosophers. In episode 99 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk all about zombies and their un...

Reputation

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

They say this one is the real deal. In Episode 98 of Overthink, Ellie and David untangle the philosophy behind the way we compare, judge, and defend o...

Cities

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The village is aglow! In episode 97 of Overthink, Ellie and David guide you through the ideas that make a metropolis tick. From Plato’s spotless Rep...

Fatphobia with Kate Manne

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“They find our bodies repulsive.” On episode 96 of Overthink, Ellie and David bring on Dr. Kate Manne, philosopher and author of Unshrinking: How ...

Biohacking

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Night vision. Superhuman strength. And… kale salad? In episode 95 of Overthink, Ellie and David explore the weird world of biohackers, who leverage ...

Debt

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You owe this one a listen. In episode 94 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss everything debt, from student loans and bank bailouts to the importance...

Pity

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us who you pity and we’ll tell you who you are! In episode 93 of Overthink, Ellie and David guide you through the philosophy behind this “wel...

Non-Monogamous Love with Justin L. Clardy

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let a thousand flowers bloom! In episode 92 of Overthink, Ellie and David have a panoramic conversation on love beyond monogamy with philosophy profes...

Mommy Issues

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is mom still doing your laundry!? In episode 91 of Overthink, Ellie and David explore the twisty world of mommy issues, from the OG mother Mary to tod...

Daddy Issues

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Who’s your daddy? Episode 90 is all about daddy issues. Ellie and David investigate father-child relations and the sexual, emotional, and familial w...

Psychedelics

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No, you’re not hallucinating! In episode 89 of Overthink, Ellie and David investigate the loopy world of psychedelics. Did you know that after doing...

Food with Shanti Chu

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ellie and David are serving… dinner! In episode 88 of Overthink, your favorite podcasters explore the philosophy of food, discussing everything from...

Authenticity

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Time to be real! In episode 87 of Overthink, Ellie and David go back and forth about authenticity. They explore its deep roots in existentialist philo...

World

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Give us a listen, and we’ll give you the world! In Episode 86 of Overthink, Ellie and David ask: what does it mean to live in a world? From animal s...

Sexual Consent

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode gets an enthusiastic yes from us. In episode 85 of Overthink, Ellie and David dive into the crux of sexual consent. They work through som...

Standpoint Epistemology with Briana Toole

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to be marginalized? Does marginalization give some people more epistemic authority than others? And, if so, what should we all do wi...

Exercise

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Western philosophy started… at the gym. In episode 83 of Overthink, Ellie and David tackle the philosophy of workouts, from Plato’s days as a wres...

Regret

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Coulda, woulda, shoulda… In Overthink’s long-awaited epsiode 82, David and Ellie fret over the meaning of regret, in everything from life-altering...

Fashion

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tweed suits, penny loafers: who said philosophers were out of touch? In episode 81 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk everything from Shein to Ferraga...

Art and AI with Raphaël Millière

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Machine minds can work a paintbrush, but are they really making art? In episode 80 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk with guest Raphaël Millière, s...

Intellectuals

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From Émile Zola to Edward Said, from Antonio Gramsci to… Joe Rogan? In episode 79 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss the figure of the high-mind...

Boredom

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One must imagine Sisyphus…bored. Take a break from boredom and listen to episode 78 of Overthink as David and Ellie guide you through the fabulously...

Orgasm

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fireworks, a gushing waterfall, little death. The orgasm. In episode 77 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss how phenomenology and psychoanalysis int...

Bad Movies with Matthew Strohl

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guilty pleasures or cult classics, at the end of the day they’re just bad movies. In episode 76 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk with Matthew Stro...

Silence

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

*cricket noises* In episode 75 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss silence and its connection with awe, ecstasy, and the experience of the divine. T...

Lived Experience

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What kind of authority do we appeal to when we invoke lived experience? Isn't all experience "lived"? Why does the *discourse* today so frequently ref...

Cultural Appropriation

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What do Gwen Stefani, Iggy Azalea, and Camille Monet have in common? They are all blonde women who are probably guilty of cultural appropriation. In e...

Why Live? with Céline Leboeuf

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To be or not to be? That is the question. At the center of Hamlet’s soliloquy is the issue of whether life is worth living. In episode 72 of Overthi...