Overthink

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 showSubstack | overthinkpod.substack.com Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 showSubstack | overthinkpod.substack.com Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 showSubstack | overthinkpod.substack.com Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 showSubstack | overthinkpod.substack.com Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 showSubstack | overthinkpod.substack.com Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 showSubstack | overthinkpod.substack.com Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On episode 16 of Overthink, Ellie and David dive into monogamy. Ellie jumps into her obsession with reality shows centered around monogamy that are actually examples of polyamory, aka the entire Bachelor franchise. Then they discuss the appeal to nature that is often made when talking about monogamy as well as Aristophanes’ story of the one, the potential negatives of all-consuming love, cheating, and more!Works Discussed:Plato, SymposiumAngela Willey, Undoing MonogamyHarry Chalmers, "Is Monogamy Morally Permissible?"Kyle York, "Why Monogamy is Morally Permissible"Vinciane Despret, What Would Animals Say If We Asked the Right Questions?Tristan and IseultLouise Crane, "The Truth About Swans"Support the showSubstack | overthinkpod.substack.com Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In episode 15 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss the history and philosophy of marriage. Why do married people in the U.S. receive over 1,000 legal benefits that single people do not? Ellie and David dive into Foucault's analysis of ancient Roman marriage and Hegel's idea that marriage unites the subjective and objective spheres. Then the two discuss the way it’s been used bio-politically, as well as queer critiques of marriage. They also discuss minimal marriage as a solution, how the average wedding in America costs thirty thousand dollars, their own experience with the idea of marriage, and much more!Interested in works discussed? Bertrand Russell, Marriage and MoralsMichel Foucault, History of Sexuality, Volume 3Elizabeth Brake, Minimizing MarriageG.W.F. Hegel, Outlines of the Philosophy of RightCarrie Jenkins, What Love IsAnthony Giddens, The Transformation of IntimacySupport the showSubstack | overthinkpod.substack.com Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ellie and David discuss with Dr. Jessica Locke, an expert in Buddhist philosophy, how mindfulness can be used as a tool for anti-racist education and social justice work. They explore the transformative power of mindfulness and Buddhist practices, the intersection of mindfulness and anti-racism, and the concept of interdependence in Buddhist philosophy.