Episode #242 ... Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the philosophy behind the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. We talk ...
Episode #241 ... The Tragedy of Julius Caesar - William Shakespeare
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the philosophical themes of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare....
Episode #240 ... Varieties of Religion Today (Charles Taylor)
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk more about the work of Charles Taylor and his book The Varieties of Religion Today. We...
Episode #239 ... Authenticity and the history of the self. (Charles Taylor)
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the work of the philosopher Charles Taylor. First, we trace the historical origi...
Episode #238 ... Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We talk about the mix of Romantic and Enl...
Episode #237 ... The Stoics Are Wrong - Nietzsche, Schopenhauer
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about two famous critiques of Stoicism. One by Friedrich Nietzsche who thought the Sto...
Episode #236 ... Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the collection of journals known as Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. We mark the ...
Episode #235 ... The Philosophy of Zen Buddhism - Byung Chul Han
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about one of Han's earlier books where he offers an alternative to classic western ide...
Episode #234 ... The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we try to produce a philosophical guide for the book The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Mila...
Episode #233 ... A philosophy of self-destruction. (Dostoevsky, Bataille)
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about two different theories for why we ritualize self-destructive behavior. We check ...
Episode #232 ... Byung Chul Han - The Crisis of Narration
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the book The Crisis of Narration by the philosopher Byung Chul Han. We talk abou...
Episode #231 ... The Late Work of Wittgenstein - Language Games
28 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the late work of Wittgenstein in Philosophical Investigations. We talk about the...
Episode #230 ... Hope as an Existentialism (Ernst Bloch)
14 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the early work of Ernst Bloch. Hope as anticipatory consciousness. The darkness ...
Episode #229 - Kafka and Totalitarianism (Arendt, Adorno)
25 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about Kafka's book The Castle and how the symbolism is interpreted by two powerhouse p...
Episode #228 ... Albert Camus - Kafka and The Fall
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about Camus' book The Fall and what the main character represents in his larger projec...
Episode #227 ... Albert Camus - On Exile
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the concept of exile from the work of Camus. We focus on a couple stories from h...
Episode #226 - Albert Camus - The Rebel
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about Camus’ concept of rebellion and how it offers a powerful alternative to abstra...
Episode #225 ... Albert Camus - The Plague
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We look at Albert Camus' The Plague. We talk about a common misreading from the Myth of Sisyphus. We...
Episode #224 ... Albert Camus - The Stranger
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the book The Stranger by Albert Camus. We talk about why Camus saw himself as an...
Episode #223 ... Religion and the duck-rabbit - Kyoto School pt. 3
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the relationship between philosophy and religion. We talk about the duck-rabbit ...
Episode #222 ... Dostoevsky - Love in The Brothers Karamazov
16 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the philosophical themes around love in The Brothers Karamazov. We talk about Do...
Episode #221 ... Dostoevsky - The Idiot
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the book The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky. We talk about the curse of sainthood. T...
Episode #220 ... Dostoevsky - Demons
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss the philosophical themes of the book Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky. We talk about wes...
Episode #219 ... Dostoevsky - Crime and Punishment
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the philosophical themes that Dostoevsky had in mind when writing Crime and Puni...
Episode #218 ... Dostoevsky - Notes From Underground
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the philosophical themes of one of Dostoevsky's most famous books: Notes From Un...
Episode #217 ... Religion and Nothingness - Kyoto School pt. 2 - Nishitani
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about expanding our view of what a religious quest includes. The limits of dualistic t...
Episode #216 ... The Self-Overcoming of Nihilism - Kyoto School pt. 1 - Nishitani
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we look at the work of Keiji Nishitani. We examine Nihilism in a deeper way than we've ever co...
Episode #215 ... How Mysticism is missing in our modern lives. (Critchley, Heidegger)
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about whether it's possible to achieve not just freedom of the will, but freedom from ...
Episode #214 ... Framing our Being in a completely different way. (Heidegger)
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we look at Heidegger's critique of metaphysics and the traditional subject-object framing in p...
Episode #213 ... Deleuze Interprets Nietzsche (Difference, Joy, Affirmation)
13 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about Deleuze's interpretation of Nietzsche's work. We talk about difference taken to ...
Episode #212 ... Nietzsche and Critchley on the tragic perspective. (Amor Fati pt. 2)
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we begin by talking about Nietzsche's concept of life-affirmation. Contrasting it with the ren...
Episode #211 ... Nietzsche returns with a hammer!
22 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about Nietzsche's views on the decay of western society. We talk about his problems wi...
Episode #210 ... The Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Paulo Freire, Education)
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. His critique of the banking model of educati...
Episode #209 ... Improving our world through applied ethics. (Peter Singer, Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek)
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about Peter Singer's response to an anticapitalist critique of his work. Katarzyna de ...
Episode #208 ... The moral evolution of a philosopher. (Peter Singer)
18 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we track the changes in Peter Singer's ethical views throughout his career. We talk...
Episode #207 ... Fear is toxic to a democracy. (Martha Nussbaum)
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk more about the work of Martha Nussbaum and her book The Monarchy of Fear. We discuss e...
Episode #206 ... Capitalism is dead. This is Technofeudalism. (Yanis Varoufakis)
21 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the concept of Technofeudalism as described by Yanis Varoufakis. We talk about t...
Episode #205 ... Why a meritocracy is corrosive to society. (Michael Sandel)
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the dark side of meritocracy, the effects it has on the way people see each othe...
Episode #204 ... The importance of philosophy, justice and the common good. (Michael Sandel)
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about some of the benefits of being a practitioner of philosophy. Michael Sandel's vie...
Episode #203 ... Why the future is being slowly cancelled. - Postmodernism (Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism)
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue developing our understanding of the ideas that have led to what Mark Fisher calls ...
Episode #202 ... Why we can't think beyond capitalism. - Neoliberalism (Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism)
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we begin our discussion on the work of Mark Fisher surrounding his concept of Capitalism Reali...
Episode #201 ... Resistance, Love, and the importance of Failure. (Zizek, Byung Chul Han)
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about a potential way to find meaning for someone prone to postmodern subjectivity. We...
Episode #200 ... The Postmodern subject and "ideology without ideology" (Zizek, Byung Chul Han, Marx)
27 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about several different common versions of the postmodern subject in contemporary cult...
Episode #199 ... A conservative communist's take on global capitalism and desire. (Zizek, Marx, Lacan)
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the distinction between left and right. Lacan's thoughts on desire. How Capitali...
Episode #198 ... The truth is in the process. - Zizek pt. 3 (ideology, dialectics)
24 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we go into a deeper explanation of ideology and dialectics. Liberal democratic capitalism is f...
Episode #197 ... New Atheists and cosmic purpose without God - (Zizek, Goff, Nagel)
10 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we regularly do on this program-- we steelman different philosophical positions. Hopefully the pr...
Episode #196 ... The improbable Slavoj Zizek - Part 1
24 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we give an introduction to the thinking of Slavoj Zizek-- at least as much as is possible in ~...
Episode #195 ... Could Anarcho-Capitalism be the solution to our problems? - Anarchism pt. 4 (Rothbard, Friedman, Malice)
10 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk more about anarchism. Thank you so much for listening! Could never do this without y...
Episode #194 ... Do we really need the police? - Anarchism pt. 3 - (Gelderloos, Security)
27 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we answer some questions about the potential security risks of an anarchist society. Thank yo...
Episode #193 ...The chief export of the western world is trash. - Anarchism pt. 2 (Bookchin, Social Ecology)
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about some of the work of Murray Bookchin. We talk about anarchism as a historical tre...
Episode #192 ... Should we overthrow the government tomorrow? - Anarchism pt. 1 (Chomsky, Malatesta)
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about some common misconceptions about Anarchism, the weaknesses of traditional govern...
Episode #191 ... The modern day concentration camp and the failure of human rights. (Giorgio Agamben)
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the philosophy of Giorgio Agamben. Human rights, a political tactic to dehumaniz...
Episode #190 ... Are emotions a waste of time? - Neo-Stoicism (Martha Nussbaum)
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the lessons found in the ancient Greek play titled Hecuba. We talk about the gre...
Episode #189 ... Everything that connects us is slowly disappearing. - Byung Chul Han pt. 2
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the disappearance of rituals, truth, community, communication, public spaces and...
Episode #188 ... Achievement Society and the rise of narcissism, depression and anxiety - Byung-Chul Han
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about positive power, neoliberalism, narcissism as a reaction to modern life, how tech...
Episode #187 ... How much freedom would you trade for security? (Foucault, Hobbes, Mill, Agamben)
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today's episode we talk about the upsides of a surveillance state. The ongoing social dilemma of ...
Episode #186 ... Are we heading for a digital prison? - Panopticon (Foucault, Bentham, Cave)
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about Jeremy Bentham's concept of the Panopticon. Michel Foucault's comparison to soci...
Episode #185 ... Should we prepare for an AI revolution?
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the revolutionary potential of generative AI. For better or worse. Suppor...
Episode #184 ... Is Artificial Intelligence really an existential risk?
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Get more: Website: https://www.philosophizethis.org/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/philosophize...
Episode #183 ... Is ChatGPT really intelligent?
22 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss ideas from John Searle and Noam Chomsky and consider several questions surrounding ...
Episode #182 ... What if free will is an illusion?
02 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Get more: Website: https://www.philosophizethis.org/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/philosophize...
Episode #181 ... What if consciousness is an illusion?
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Get more: Website: https://www.philosophizethis.org/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/philosop...
Episode #180 ... What if everything is consciousness? - Phillip Goff on Panpsychism
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about one theory of consciousness known as Panpsychism. www.philosophizethis.org ...
Episode #179 ... Why is consciousness something worth talking about?
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Get more: Website: https://www.philosophizethis.org/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/philosophize...
Episode #178 ... Susan Sontag - How Much Is Your View Of Everything Affected By Metaphors?
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Get more: Website: https://www.philosophizethis.org/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/philosoph...
Episode #177 ... Susan Sontag - Do you speak the language of pictures and videos?
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Get more: Website: https://www.philosophizethis.org/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/philosophiz...
Episode #176 ... Susan Sontag - Do you criticize yourself the way you criticize a movie?
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the essay titled Against Interpretation by Susan Sontag. :) www.philosophizeth...
Episode #175 ... Simone Weil - Vessels of God
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue talking about the work of Simone Weil. www.philosophizethis.org www.patreon....
Episode #174 ... Simone Weil - The Mathematician
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue talking about the work of the brilliant Simone Weil. Hope you love it. www.ph...
Episode #173 ... Simone Weil - The Need for Roots
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue talking about Simone Weil. Hope you love it. www.philosophizethis.org www.pa...
Episode #172 ... Simone Weil - Attention
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we begin some general discussions in the direction of the thought of Simone Weil and tell some...
Episode #171 ... Guy Debord - The Society of the Spectacle
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about a famous call to action by the philosopher Guy Debord. Learn more about your a...
Episode #170 ... Albert Camus - The Fall
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we explore some of the themes discussed in The Fall by Albert Camus. Thank you so much for lis...
Episode #169 ... Bruno Latour - We Have Never Been Modern
20 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we cover thought provoking pieces of an early work by a great philosopher named Bruno Latour. ...
Episode #168 ... Introduction to an Ethics of Care
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we begin discussing an Ethics of Care. Thank you so much for listening! Could never do this w...
Episode #167 ... Jose Ortega - Revolt of the Masses
25 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue talking about the work of Ortega. This time about his book Revolt of the Masses. ...
Episode #166 ... Jose Ortega - Circumstance
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we begin talking about the work of Jose Ortega Y Gasset. Thank you so much for listening! Co...
Episode #165 ... Ralph Waldo Emerson - Nature and Other Things
30 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue our discussion of Emerson. Thank you so much for listening! Could never do this ...
Episode #164 ... Ralph Waldo Emerson - Self Reliance
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about Emerson and his essay about self reliance. Thank you so much for listening! Co...
Episode #163 ... The Creation of Meaning - Escape From Evil
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue talking about the work of Ernest Becker. Thank you so much for listening! Could ne...
Episode #162 ... The Creation of Meaning - The Denial of Death
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we begin talking about the work of Ernest Becker. Thank you so much for listening! Could nev...
Episode #161 ... Karl Popper - The Open Society and Its Enemies
15 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about a famous book from the work of Karl Popper. Thank you so much for listening! Cou...
Episode #160 ... The Creation of Meaning - Kierkegaard - Silence, Obedience and Joy
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss the work of Soren Kierkegaard. His famous work The Lily of the Field and The Bird o...
Episode #159 ... The Creation of Meaning - Nietzsche - Amor Fati
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue our discussion on the creation of meaning. Thank you so much for listening! Could ...
Episode #158 ... The Creation of Meaning - Nietzsche - The Ascetic Ideal
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we look at the creation of meaning through the work of Nietzsche. Thank you so much for list...
Episode #157 ... The Creation of Meaning - Beauvoir
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about the creation of meaning. Thank you so much for listening! Could never do this ...
Episode #156 ... Emil Cioran part 2 - Failure and Suicide
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue talking about Cioran. Thank you so much for listening! Could never do this witho...
Episode #155 ... Emil Cioran - Absurdity and Nothingness
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we begin our discussion on Emil Cioran. Thank you so much for listening! Could never do this...
Episode #154 ... Pragmatism and Truth
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss Pragmatism. Thank you so much for listening! Could never do this without your help....
Episode #153 ... The Frankfurt School - Walter Benjamin pt. 2 - Distraction
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue talking about Walter Benjamin. Thank you so much for listening! Could never do t...
Episode #152 ... The Frankfurt School - Walter Benjamin pt. 1
19 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we begin discussing the work of Walter Benjamin. Thank you so much for listening! Could neve...
Episode #151 ... The Frankfurt School - Erich Fromm on Freedom
06 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue our discussion of the work of Erich Fromm. Thank you so much for listening! Coul...
Episode #150 ... The Frankfurt School - Erich Fromm on Love
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss Erich Fromm and his work The Art of Loving. Thank you so much for listening! Coul...
Episode #149 ... On Media pt. 2 - Marshall McLuhan
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss the work of Marshall McLuhan. Thank you so much for listening! Could never do thi...
Episode #148 ... On Media pt. 1 - Manufacturing Consent
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss the 1988 work of Chomsky and Herman entitled Manufacturing Consent. Thank you so ...
Episode #147 ... Being and Becoming
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss the ancient philosophical debate of being and becoming. Thank you so much for lis...
Episode #146 ... Bergson on Laughter pt. 2 - Vitalism
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue our discussion on the work of Henri Bergson. Thank you so much for listening! Co...
Episode #145 ... Bergson on Laughter pt. 1 - History
19 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we begin our discussion on the work of Bergson. Thank you so much for listening! Could never...
Episode #144 ... Max Weber - Iron Cage
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss some of the work of Max Weber in preparation for an upcoming series. Thank you so...
Episode #143 ... Jürgen Habermas pt. 1 - The Public Sphere
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we begin our discussion of the work of Jürgen Habermas. Thank you so much for listening! Co...