Overthink

In episode 26 of Overthink, Ellie and David explore cohabitation during Covid. They use philosopher Henri Bergson's theory of rhythm and the Africana philosophy concept of Ubuntu to better understand how we have had to re-negotiate and re-engage with space this year. Also discussed: Ellie's early Covid board games, David's living room, moving during covid, and lots more!Works Discussed:Taylor Trudon, Teenage Angst, Revisited in IsolationJulius Gathogo, African Philosophy as Expressed in the Concepts of Hospitality and UbuntuBhekizizwe Peterson, The Art of Personhood: Kinship and Its Social ChallengesKai Kresse, Philosophizing in MombasaHannah Arendt, Origins of TotalitarianismHenri Bergson, Matter and MemoryImmanuel Kant, The Critique of Pure ReasonFriedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke ZarathustraSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Dive into the intriguing world of dating during Covid! Personal anecdotes reveal the unexpected joys and challenges of romance in isolation. Discover how social distancing has reshaped relationships and influenced class dynamics. The hosts explore attachment theory and its impact on dating behaviors, while reflecting on the evolving cultural landscape of love. They also unpack the philosophic implications of modern dating rituals and the often-overlooked emotional complexities that arise from pandemic-driven connections.

On episode 24 of Overthink, Ellie and David tackle friendship during Covid. They begin by discussing their dream day with friends, which includes: brunch, thrift store shopping, and team sports, all of which have been impossible to do during the pandemic. What has social distancing meant for friendship? They bring on special guest, undergraduate Anna Koppelman (Overthink's  production assistant and social media coordinator!), to discuss how Covid has impacted college students' social lives. The three talk Heidegger, Aristotle, and how sad it is to have no fun gossip anymore! Finally, David and Ellie analyze how gender has affected Covid friendships, Epicurus supporting "pods" before it was cool, and more!Works Discussed:Lydia Denworth, Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental BondBeverley Fehr, Friendship ProcessesAristotle, Nicomachean EthicsImmanuel Kant, Metaphysical Principles of VirtueOctavio Paz, The Labyrinth of SolitudeSamantha Schmidt, The Washington Post, Men find new ways to Bond During the PandemicJeffrey A. Hall, How many hours does it take to make a friend?Martin Heidegger, What Is Metaphysics?Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

In episode 23 of Overthink, Ellie, and David sit down with philosopher Dr. C. Thi Nguyen to discuss his work on games and gamification. They begin by their love for The Sims and the out-of-body experiences video games can trigger. From there, they get into the works of thinkers including  Ortega y Gasset, Nietzsche, Mill, Gadamer, discussing their theories on games and motivation. The trio also jumps into the function of games in community, how British and American drinking games differ, motivational states, Thi’s epic game nights, and more.Works Discussed:C. Thi Nguyen, Games: Agency as ArtRoger Callois, Man, Play and GamesHans-Georg Gadamer, Truth and MethodFriedrich Nietzsche, The Birth of TragedyJosé Ortega y Gasset, Meditations on HuntingGordon Burghardt, The Genesis of Animal PlayMatthew Broersma, “US Military Recruits Gamers To Fly Killer Drones”Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

In episode 22 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss the new Britney Spears documentary exposing her legal conservatorship. After bonding over their tween obsession with Britney, they dive into the laws around conservatorship and cultural narratives around mental health. The two argue that disability has been largely ignored in the conversation around Britney Spears, even though people with disabilities and the elderly are most affected by conservatorships. They show how  disability studies and feminist theories of care illuminate the conversation. Also mentioned: translating toxic to Spanish, early 2000's choreographed dances, Grace and Frankie, and more.Works Discussed: Aristotle, PoliticsErica F. Wood, State Level Adult Guardianship Data: An Exploratory SurveyGiorgio Agamben, State of ExceptionGrace and Frankie (TV series)Jan Baars, Aging and the Art of LivingJoe Coscarelli, What is a Conservatorship?John Locke, Two Treatises of Government Jonathan Blakeson, I Care a Lot (Film)Sara Luterman, The Darker Story Just Outside the Lens of “Framing Britney Spears”Seneca, On Old AgeSimone de Beauvoir, The Coming of AgeThe New York Times, Framing Britney Spears (Documentary)Thomas Hobbes, LeviathanSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Ellie and David discuss the term "gaslighting" in episode 21. They begin by jumping into the origin of the term in the 1940s and its entrance into mainstream discourse today. Then the two go onto explore how gaslighting works, and whether it needs to be deliberate (spoiler alert: no!). Finally, David and Ellie think about structural and cultural gaslighting  in systems of oppression. Also discussed in the episode: The Chicks, epistemic injustice, the medical establishment, and...is Socrates a gaslighter? Gaslit? Neither?Works discussed: George Cukor, Gaslight (film) Veronica Ivy, “Allies Behaving Badly: Gaslighting as Epistemic Injustice” Cynthia A. Stark, “Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Psychological Oppression” Nora Berenstain, “White Feminist Gaslighting” Elena Ruíz, “Cultural Gaslighting”  Shelley Tremain, “Structural Gaslighting, Epistemic Injustice, and Ableism in Philosophy”  Lauren Duca, “Donald Trump is Gaslighting America”  Karen C. Adkins, “Gaslighting by Crowd” Elinor Greenberg, “Are You Being "Gaslighted" By the Narcissist in Your Life?”  Diane E. Hoffmann and Anita J. Tarzian, “The Girl Who Cried Pain: A Bias Against Women in the Treatment of Pain" Ashley Fetters, “The Doctor Doesn’t Listen to Her. But the Media Is Starting To”  Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

In episode 20 of Overthink, Ellie and David sit down with philosopher Dr. Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò to discuss climate reparations and why they are needed as part of a broader discussion about reparations for racial injustice. Before that conversation, Ellie and David open the episode by addressing the history of reparations and the need for them both monetarily and as a signifier of justice. This episode looks at eco-fascism, whether direct payments via Cash App are viable reparations, and the need for reparations in the fight for justice.Works Discussed:Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877John Torpey, Making Whole What Has Been SmashedCedric J. Robinson, On Racial Capitalism, Black Internationalism, and Cultures of ResistanceOlúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, "What’s New About Woke Racial Capitalism (and What Isn’t)"Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, "An African case for carbon removal"Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò and Beba Cibralic, "The Case for Climate Reparations"John Mbaria and Mordecai Ogada, The Big Conservation LieAdom Getachew, Worldmaking After EmpireLisa J. Laplante, "The Plural Justice Aims of Reparations"Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

In Episode 19 of Overthink, Ellie and David debate the idea of genius. They begin by explaining Kant and Schopenhauer's theories of genius before diving into feminist critiques of the very idea that geniuses exist. They talk about why women were traditionally excluded from being geniuses, how male professors are called "genius" on Ratemyprofessor more than their female counterparts, and how sociological conditions determine who is considered a genius. Also discussed: Ellie's childhood belief that she was, in fact, a genius, David's competitive standardized test-taking, whether genius is innate, if a scientist can count as genius, the Hollywood "it factor," and more!Works Discussed: Immanuel Kant, The Critique of JudgmentArthur Schopenhauer, The World as Will and RepresentationTom Leddy, "Kant on How to be a Genius"Linda Nochlin, "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?"Cynthia Freeland, "Gender, Genius, and Guerilla Girls"Fran Lebowitz, "Pretend It’s a City" (Netflix TV show)Storage et al., "The Frequency of “Brilliant” and “Genius” in Teaching Evaluations Predicts the Representation of Women and African Americans across Fields"Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Ellie and David delve into the liberatory potential of polyamory, challenging societal norms and exploring its naturalness. They discuss evolutionary perspectives on human sexuality and the intersection of polyamory with colonialism and gender dynamics. The conversation also covers navigating jealousy in poly relationships and the future adoption of polyamory over monogamy.

In episode 17 of Overthink,  Ellie and David talk about open relationships. 50% of millennials are not interested in having purely monogamous relationships. With many still wanting a primary partner, some are turning towards open relationships. What do open relationships have to offer? Ellie and David start off by talking about their own experience with open relationships and its ties to their philosophical and feminist beliefs. Then the two dive into the open relationships of famous existentialist thinkers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. It’s juicy! By the end of the episode they also discuss the romantic mystique, the triangulation of desire, our ability to understand desire, and more!Works DiscussedCarrie Jenkins, What Love Is Simone de Beauvoir, She Came to Stay Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of AmbiguityTony Coelho, “Hearts, groins and the intricacies of gay male open relationships”Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast