The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Ep. 291: Cassirer and Langer on Myth and Ritual (Part One)

11 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Ernst Cassirer's An Essay on Man (1944), ch. 6-7, and Susanne Langer's Philosophy in a New Key (1942), ch. 6-7. Why do people produce ritual, mytho...

PEL Presents NEM#170: Bob Mould From Hüsker Dü to Sugar to Now

11 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bob has released 20+ albums since the early '80s. We discuss  "Forecast of Rain" from Blue Hearts (2020), "I Don't Know You Anymore" from Beauty & Ru...

PREMIUM-Ep. 290: Susanne Langer on Our Symbol-Making Nature (Part Two)

04 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Philosophy in a New Key (1942), ch. 1-5. Is symbolism the software running on the hardware of our senses, or are symbols baked even into...

Ep. 290: Susanne Langer on Our Symbol-Making Nature (Part One)

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Philosophy in a New Key (1942), ch. 1-5, plus as background most of us looked at Ernst Cassirer's An Essay on Man (1944), ch. 1-5. What does it mea...

PREMIUM-Ep. 289: Aesthetic Sense Theory: Hume (Part Two)

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We get into more detail on David Hume's "The Standard of Taste" (1760). How does he resolve the paradox that it seems both that beauty is in the eye o...

Ep. 289: Aesthetic Sense Theory: Shaftesbury, Hutcheson, Hume (Part One)

14 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do we know what opinions about beauty are correct? We read The Moralists: A Philosophical Rhapsody (1709) by Anthony Ashley-Cooper, aka the third ...

PEL Presents Philosophy vs. Improv #28: Enhanced Interrogation w/ Adal Rifai

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is about questioning: how one might question, what sets the parameters for a proper answer, and how to give those answers in an inform...

PREMIUM-Ep. 288: Scruton on Ethical Art (Part Two)

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Concluding on Beauty (2009). Why would we be attracted to beauty if on Scruton's account it takes so much work? We consider the form/function distinct...

Ep. 288: Scruton on Ethical Art (Part One)

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Roger Scruton's Beauty (2009), ch. 5-9. Scruton argues against aesthetic relativism on moral grounds: That the "flight from beauty" in modern art a...

PREMIUM-Ep. 287: Roger Scruton on Beauty (Part Two)

21 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Beauty (2009), ch. 1-4. Does apprehending beauty really have to involve reason, or can it be merely sensory? If you're not hearing the f...

Ep. 287: Roger Scruton on Beauty (Part One)

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Beauty (2009), ch. 1-4. What truths about beauty does any theory of beauty have to acknowledge? Scruton argues that appreciating beauty is a cognit...

PREMIUM-Ep. 286: Malebranche on Causality and Theology (Part Three)

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Concluding on On Dialogues on Metaphysics and Religion (1688), with consideration of his explanation for why we can't prove the existence of the exter...

PREMIUM-Ep. 286: Malebranche on Causality and Theology (Part Two)

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Dialogues on Metaphysics and Religion (1688), dialogue 7 where he gets into his occasionalist theory of causality. How does this relate ...

Ep. 286: Malebranche on Causality and Theology (Part One)

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Dialogues on Metaphysics and Religion (1688), dialogues 5-7. We get clearer on M's rationalist epistemology and into his occasionalist theory of ca...

PREMIUM-Ep. 285: Nicolas Malebranche on Knowledge (Part Two)

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Dialogues on Metaphysics and Religion (1688), ch. 1-4. We talk about the character of the intelligible world, how we generate general co...

Ep. 285: Nicolas Malebranche on Knowledge (Part One)

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Dialogues on Metaphysics and Religion (1688), ch. 1-4. We walk through M's rationalist (post-Descartes, pre-Leibniz) epistemology with its surprisi...

PEL Special: Nightcap New Year's Party to Welcome 2022

02 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome 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 ...

PREMIUM-Ep. 284: Mark Twain's Philosophy of Human Nature (Part Two)

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on "What Is Man" (1905). We work through Twain's metaphors for human nature, say what he means by "instinct," contemplate his notion of ide...

Ep. 284: Mark Twain's Philosophy of Human Nature (Part One)

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On "What Is Man" (1905). Twain describes a person as a machine. We have no free will and always act to win our own self-approval. This was a bleak eno...

PREMIUM-Ep. 283: Alain Badiou on Love (Part Two)

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on "What Is Love?" (1992). We consider B's account of love as resolution of a paradox: The positions of man and woman in no way overlap, ye...

Ep. 283: Alain Badiou on Love (Part One)

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On "What Is Love," which is ch. 11 of Conditions (1992). We see what it means to call love a "truth procedure": It's a new way of seeing, through the ...

PREMIUM-Ep. 282: Alain Badiou: What Is Philosophy? (Part Two)

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Conditions, "The (Re)turn of Philosophy Itself." What makes philosophy possible? The four "conditions," i.e. mathematics, politics, art,...

Ep. 282: Alain Badiou: What Is Philosophy? (Part One)

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Conditions (1992), Ch. 1 "The (Re)turn of Philosophy Itself." Against post-structuralists who deny Truth, Badiou argues that truths are generated b...

PREMIUM-Ep. 281: Paul Feyerabend's Anarchist Philosophy of Science (Part Two)

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Against Method (1975) about the non-rational progress of science. Given that according to F., epistemological conformity can't proceed b...

Ep. 281: Paul Feyerabend's Anarchist Philosophy of Science (Part One)

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Against Method (1975). In dialogue with Lakatos, Feyerabend claimed that scientific progress can not be explained rationally, so how does it progr...

PREMIUM-Ep. 280: Imre Lakatos on Scientific Progress (Part Two)

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on "Falsification and the Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes" (1970). We distinguish various kinds of falsificationism and give ...

Ep. 280: Imre Lakatos on Scientific Progress (Part One)

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On "Falsification and the Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes" (1970). In what way is scientific progress rational? Lakatos splits the diffe...

PREMIUM-Ep. 279: Aristotle's "Categories" of Being (Part Two)

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on the Categories, considering artifacts, social construction in cutting up the world, different kinds of properties, and more. If you're n...

Ep. 279: Aristotle's "Categories" of Being (Part One)

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the Categories (ca. 350 BCE), which purports to describe all the types of entities that exist. We mostly talk about substances, as A's presentation...

PREMIUM-Ep. 278: Derrick Bell on the Dynamics of Racism (Part Two)

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Faces At the Bottom of the Well (1992), with guest Lawrence Ware. We discuss "The Racial Preference Licensing Act" (ch. 3). If you're n...

Ep. 278: Derrick Bell on the Dynamics of Racism (Part One)

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Faces At the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism (1992), a foundational text in critical race theory that presents thought experiments in ...

PREMIUM-Ep. 277: Hegel on Our Understanding of Physics (Part Two)

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on The Phenomenology of Spirit, ch. 3, "Force and the Understanding." We start off by considering the players in force: the thing exerting ...

Ep. 277: Hegel on Our Understanding of Physics (Part One)

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On The Phenomenology of Spirit, ch. 3, "Force and the Understanding." What is "force" as physics describes it? And scientific law? Do these terms deno...

PEL Special: Nightcap Early September 2021

29 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A little political ranting precedes a consideration of what we might read in aesthetics, philosophy of science, and philosophy of sport. What do we re...

PREMIUM-Ep. 276: Hegel on Perception (Part Two)

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Focusing on The Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), ch. 2 "Perception." Hegel's critique of the adequacy of perceptual knowledge has metaphysical aspects:...

Ep. 276: Hegel on Perception (Part One)

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On The Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), ch. 1 "Sense Certainty" and ch. 2 "Perception." We walk through the first step in considering Hegel's dialectic...

PEL Presents Philosophy vs. Improv #7: Meritocracy Now!

15 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Does it make sense to try to have everyone get what they "deserve"? Your hosts Mark Linsenmayer and Bill Arnett (Chicago Improv Studio) act out the de...

PREMIUM-Ep. 275: Hegel's Project in the "Phenomenology of Spirit" (Part Two)

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on the Introduction, we get into more detail on Hegel's goal and his tricky terminology. If you're not hearing the full version of this par...

Ep. 275: Hegel's Project in the "Phenomenology of Spirit" (Part One)

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On 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...

PREMIUM-Ep. 274: Schelling on Self-Consciousness (Part Two)

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Concluding on Schelling's System of Transcendental Idealism (1800), Parts 1 and 2. What sort of self is created in the act of self-consciousness that ...

Philosophy vs. Improv: An Introductory Trailer

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Philosophy vs. Improv? Hear about the new podcast by Mark Linsenmayer (The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast) and Bill Arnett (Chicag...

Ep. 274: Schelling on Self-Consciousness (Part One)

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling's System of Transcendental Idealism (1800), Parts 1 and 2. What is self-consciousness, and how did Schelling thi...

PREMIUM-Ep. 273: Friedrich Schelling's Foundationalist Idealism (Part Two)

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on the Introduction to Friedrich Schelling's System of Transcendental Idealism (1800), focusing on the harmony between mind and world and i...

Ep. 273: Friedrich Schelling's Foundationalist Idealism (Part One)

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling's System of Transcendental Idealism (1800). What's the relationship between mind and world? Schelling thought th...

PREMIUM-Ep. 272: Fichte's Idealist Theology (Part Two)

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on The Vocation of Man (1799), Book II. We focus on how ethics fits in with Fichte's epistemology in a unified theology with humans literal...

Ep. 272: Fichte's Idealist Theology (Part One)

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our second full discussion on The Vocation of Man (1799). What are the ethical implications of believing that the world is all in our minds? You could...

PREMIUM-Ep. 271: Johan Gottlieb Fichte's Transcendental Idealism (Part Two)

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on The Vocation of Man (1799), Book II. In this preview, we clarify whether Fichte is trying to keep the notion of a "real world" beyond ou...

Ep. 271: Johan Gottlieb Fichte's Transcendental Idealism (Part One)

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On The Vocation of Man (1799), Books I and II. What is reality? Fichte's armchair journey starts him considering nature and thus himself as determined...

PREMIUM-Ep. 270: Classical Indian (Vedanta and Nyaya) Design Arguments for God (Part Two)

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing (without Stephen Phillips) on God and the World's Arrangement: Readings from Vedanta and Nyaya Philosophy of Religion. What does this treat...

Ep. 270: Classical Indian (Vedanta and Nyaya) Design Arguments for God w/ Stephen Phillips (Part One)

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On God and the World's Arrangement: Readings from Vedanta and Nyaya Philosophy of Religion with one of its translators, Stephen Phillips. Does nature ...

PREMIUM-Ep. 269: Arendt on Totalitarianism (Part Two)

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on two of Hannah Arendt's 1953 essays on totalitarianism. We further discuss its logic and in the full episode get into its relevance for ...

Ep. 269: Arendt on Totalitarianism (Part One)

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On "On the Nature of Totalitarianism" and On the Origins of Totalitarianism ch. 13 (both from 1953). Is totalitarianism just an especially virulent fo...

PREMIUM-Ep. 268: Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death" (Part Two)

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business with guest Brian Hirt. Is the written word really so much more ...

Ep. 268: Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death" (Part One)

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (1985) with guest Brian Hirt. How does the form in which we receive media ...

PREMIUM-Ep. 267: Avicenna on God and Soul w/ Peter Adamson (Part Two)

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Avicenna's arguments for the existence of God and on the soul's immateriality. What metaphysical and epistemological picture grounds the...

Ep. 267: Avicenna on God and Soul w/ Peter Adamson (Part One)

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On selections and commentary about Avicenna's argument from around 1020 C.E. for the existence of God as a necessary being, plus arguments to prove th...

PREMIUM-Ep. 266: Jonathan Lear's Plato: Psyche and Society (Part Two)

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Lear's Open Minded: Working Out the Logic of the Soul (1988). Our highlight is about the relation between the three parts of the soul: w...

Ep. 266: Jonathan Lear's Plato: Psyche and Society (Part One)

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On essays from Lear's Open Minded: Working Out the Logic of the Soul (1988): "Inside and Outside the Republic," "Eros and Unknowing: The Psychoanalyti...

PREMIUM-Ep. 265: Plato's "Phaedo": Philosophy as Training for Death (Part Two)

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on the Phaedo, we start with a point from Plato's physics that's supposed to hep prove the immortality of the soul, then lay out his theory...

Ep. 265: Plato's "Phaedo": Philosophy as Training for Death (Part One)

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Plato's middle dialogue depicting the death of Socrates (390 BCE) depicting the death of Socrates. Should philosophers fear death? In the course of...

PREMIUM-Ep. 264: Plato's "Timaeus" on Cosmology (Part Two)

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on the Timaeus, we consider some quotes and details starting at the beginning of the dialogue where Plato argues for differences between th...

Ep. 264: Plato's "Timaeus" on Cosmology (Part One)

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the later Platonic dialogue from around 360 BCE. How is nature put together? Plato speaks through the fictional Timaeus (not Socrates) to give a "l...

PREMIUM-Ep. 263: Lise Van Boxel's "Warspeak" on Strategies for Valuing (Part Two)

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Warspeak: Nietzsche's Victory Over Nihilism with guests Jeff Black and Michael Grenke. To hear this second part, you'll need to go sign ...

Ep. 263: Lise Van Boxel's "Warspeak" on Strategies for Valuing (Part One)

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

PREMIUM-Ep. 262: Nietzsche on Self-Denial (Part Two)

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More on essay three of Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morals on the meaning of ascetic ideals. How does asceticism fit into N's overall morality, and how d...

Ep. 262: Nietzsche on Self-Denial (Part One)

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Friedrich Nietzsche's The Genealogy of Morals (1887), "Third essay: what do ascetic ideals mean?" Self-regulation, where we tamp down certain aspe...

PREMIUM-Ep. 261: Derek Parfit on Personal Identity (Part Two)

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More on Parfit's Reasons and Persons (1984), ch. 10-13. In this preview, we consider how Parfit deals with Bernard Williams' materialist thought exper...

Ep. 261: Derek Parfit on Personal Identity (Part One)

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Reasons and Persons (1984), ch. 10-13. What makes a person persist over time? After using various sci-fi examples to test the Lockean (personhood=...

PREMIUM-Ep. 260: Locke on Moral Psychology

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One last take on John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689), covering Book II, ch. 21 and 28. What makes a moral claim true? Do we have ...

Ep. 259: Locke Clarifies Misleading Complex Ideas (Part Two)

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More on Book II (ch. 22-33) of John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding.  On relations, then personal identity, with more on substances (spi...

Ep. 259: Locke Clarifies Misleading Complex Ideas (Part One)

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Book II (ch. 22-33) of John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689). Simple ideas get complex quickly when you put them into words, and...

Mark Lint's PEL Network Holiday Party 2020: Merry Chatting and Songs

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Join the office party, where Mark holds mini conversations on philosophy, art, and life with all PEL and PMP co-hosts, plus Ken Stringfellow, Jenny Ha...

Ep. 258: Locke on Acquiring Simple Ideas (Part Two)

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Book II (through ch. 20) of John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689). How do we acquire our ideas of pain and pleasure, ...

Ep. 258: Locke on Acquiring Simple Ideas (Part One)

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the first half of Book II of John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689). How do we get our ideas? Simple ideas must come in through p...

Ep. 257: Locke Against Innate Ideas (Part Two)

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Book I of John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689). We consider Locke's arguments that since there are no universally ag...

Ep. 257: Locke Against Innate Ideas (Part One)

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Book I of John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689). How do we know things? Locke thought all knowledge comes from experience, and t...

PREMIUM-Ep. 256: Kropotkin's Anarchist Communism (Part Two)

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 256: Kropotkin's Anarchist Communism (Part One)

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Peter Kropotkin's The Conquest of Bread (1892). If we want an egalitarian society, do we need the state to accomplish this? Kropotkin says no, that...

PREMIUM-Ep. 255: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (Part Two)

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If 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. ...

Ep. 255: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (Part One)

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On 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. T...

PREMIUM-Ep. 254: Michael Sandel Against Meritocracy (Part Two)

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 254: Michael Sandel Interview: Against Meritocracy (Part One)

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? (2020). Do people get the wealth and status they deserve? And if they did, would that be go...

PREMIUM-Ep. 253: Leibniz on the Problem of Evil (Part Two)

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you'd like to hear more of the discussion on Gottfried Leibniz's Theodicy that we started in part one, you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexami...

Ep. 253: Leibniz on the Problem of Evil (Part One)

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Gottfried Leibniz's Theodicy (1710). Why does God allow so many bad things to happen? Leibniz thought that by the definition of God, whatever He cr...

PEL Special: Nightcap Late September 2020

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We're releasing JUST THIS ONE Nightcap to the wider public so induce you all to go support us and so gain the ability to hear these free-wheeling, fee...

PREMIUM-Ep. 252: Habermas on Communication as Sociality (Part Two)

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you'd like to hear more of the discussion on Jürgen Habermas' "Actions, Speech Acts, Linguistically Mediated Interactions, and the Lifeworld" (199...

Ep. 252: Habermas on Communication as Sociality (Part One)

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Jürgen Habermas' "Actions, Speech Acts, Linguistically Mediated Interactions, and the Lifeworld" (1998), with guest John Foster. What's the relati...

Ep. 251: Simone Weil's Ideal Society

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On "Theoretical Picture of a Free Society" (1934). What's the ideal living situation for us all, given the peculiarities of human nature? Weil describ...

Ep. 250: Simone Weil on Human Needs (Part Three)

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Concluding on "The Needs of the Soul" from The Need for Roots (1943). This time we cover punishment, security, risk, private property, collective prop...

Ep. 250: Simone Weil on Human Needs (Part Two)

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on "The Needs of the Soul" from The Need for Roots (1943). We got started in part one with our need for order, and in this part we add libe...

Ep. 250: Simone Weil on Human Needs (Part One)

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On "The Needs of the Soul" from The Need for Roots (1943) and "Meditation on Obedience and Liberty" (1937). What are our needs that should then drive ...

Ep. 249: Dewey on Education and Thought (Part Two)

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on John Dewey's Democracy and Education (1916) ch. 1, 2, 4, and 24 with guest Jonathan Haber. How is education different than mere conditio...

Ep. 249: Dewey on Education and Thought (Part One)

02 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On John Dewey's How We Think (1910) ch. 1 and Democracy and Education (1916) ch. 1, 2, 4, and 24. What model of human nature should serve as the basis...

Ep. 248: Racism and Policing (Al-Saji, Merleau-Ponty, et al) (Part Two)

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Alia Al-Saji's "A Phenomenology of Hesitation" (2014) and other things with guest Phil Hopkins.  Can we restructure our (and the police...

Ep. 248: Racism and Policing (Al-Saji, Merleau-Ponty, et al) (Part One)

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Alia Al-Saji's "A Phenomenology of Hesitation" (2014), bits of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception (1945), and Linda Martín Alcoff...

Ep. 247: Aristotle on Rhetoric and Emotions (Part Two)

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on the Rhetoric (ca. 335 BCE) book 1, ch. 1–6 and book 2, ch. 1–5, 18–24. We finish up with enthymemes (rhetorical arguments), maxims...

Ep. 247: Aristotle on Rhetoric and Emotions (Part One)

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the Rhetoric (ca. 335 BCE) book 1, ch. 1-6 and book 2, ch. 1-5, 18-24. What role does persuasion play in philosophy? Aristotle (contra Plato) argue...

Ep. 246: Susan Sontag on Interpreting Art (Part Two)

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on Sontag's essays "On Style" (1965) and "The Death of Tragedy" (1963). Mark, Wes, Seth and Dylan keep talking about the appropriate distan...

Ep. 246: Susan Sontag on Interpreting Art (Part One)

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Sontag's essays "Against Interpretation" (1964), "On Style" (1965), and "The Death of Tragedy" (1963). What is it to understand a work of art? Sont...

Ep. 245: Fashion (Derrida, Foucault, Sontag) w/ Shahidha Bari (Part Two)

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We conclude with Foucault's "The Ethics of the Concern of the Self As A Practice of Freedom" (1984) and add Susan Sontag's "On Style" (1965). After ou...