Overthink

In this podcast, Ellie and David explore the concept of 'world' in relation to climate change and political crises. They discuss the impact of climate change on weather patterns and question anthropocentric views. They introduce the notion of 'amor mundi' as a way to protect the social world. The disproportionate effects of climate change on global South populations are highlighted, challenging narratives of progress. They also delve into the concept of multiple worlds and examine the conflict between scientific and indigenous perspectives on caribou conservation. Lastly, they discuss the idea of a pluriverse and challenge the concept of a common world.

In this episode of Overthink, the hosts delve into the complexities of sexual consent, exploring the challenges of ethical sexual partnerships in gray areas and the impact of the Me Too movement. They discuss the concept of affirmative consent, the portrayal of consent in an SNL skit, and the stereotypes surrounding sexual consent in college life. They also examine the challenges of obtaining verbal consent for every act during a sexual encounter, the Aziz Ansari case, the performative view of sexual consent, and the true meaning of consent as an agreement of feelings.

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 with this information? In episode 84 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about standpoint theory, its complex intellectual history, and its relationship to W. E. B. DuBois’ concept of double consciousness. They welcome an expert on the subject: Dr. Briana Toole, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College. In their conversation, they chat about how standpoint theory makes sense of electoral politics, educational policy, bizarre reality TV, and much more. They also discuss Corrupt the Youth, a philosophy outreach program founded by Dr. Toole that brings philosophy to high schools in the U.S.Check out this episode's extended cut here!Works DiscussedBriana Toole, “On Standpoint Epistemology and Epistemic Peerhood” and “Demarginalizing Standpoint Epistemology”Kate Chopin, The AwakeningW. E. B. DuBois, The Souls of Black FolkJennifer Nash, Black Feminism ReimaginedOlúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, Elite CaptureDavid Foster Wallace, This Is WaterBlack. White. (2006)Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

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 wrestler to the modern loneliness of a solitary bench press. As they discuss the role of exercise — which the Greeks called gymnastics — in building bodies and training souls, they consider the ancient Olympics, the cravings for health and beauty that guide us through what David calls the "Protestant work-out ethic," and Jean Baudrillard's thoughts about Americans' passion for jogging.Works DiscussedJean Baudrillard, AmericaMark Greif, “Against Exercise”Drew Hyland, Philosophy of SportPlato, The Republic, The Laws, and EuthyphroHeather Reid, Introduction to the Philosophy of SportJean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, and “The Government of Poland”Sabrina Strings, Fearing the Black BodyMax Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of CapitalismSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Coulda, woulda, shoulda… In Overthink’s long-awaited epsiode 82, David and Ellie fret over the meaning of regret, in everything from life-altering career decisions to sloppy teenage breakups. They consider the usefulness of regret — if it has one at all — and explore its relation to a life well lived, investigating its philosophical lineage from Confucius and Aristotle to today. Can 20-year-olds regret? Can dogs? Is regret ever rational? And, when does remorse turn into existential despair?Works DiscussedAristotle, Nichomachean EthicsJohn Danaher, “The Wisdom of Regret and the Fallacy of Regret Minimization”Shai Davidai and Thomas Giolvich, “The Ideal Road Not Taken”Michael Ing, The Vulnerability of Integrity in Early Confucian ThoughtPaddy McQueen, “When Should We Regret?”Michel de Montaigne, “On Repentance”Carolyn Price, “The Many Flavors of Regret”Justin White, “Revelatory Regret and the Standpoint of the Agent”Russian Doll (2019)Sliding Doors (1998)Magnolia (1999)Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Tweed suits, penny loafers: who said philosophers were out of touch? In episode 81 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk everything from Shein to Ferragamo, from high school lunchbox trends to Machiavelli’s nightgowns. As they chart the history of clothing, and the shift from functional Egyptian togas to extravagant medieval breeches, they investigate the refrain that clothes reveal the wearer’s personality. They ask, where does being timely turn into being classist? What does our sense for what’s hip tell us about perception? And, how do we square our drive for style with the injustices of consumption?Works DiscussedThomas Carlyle, Sartor ResartusGwenda-lin Grewal, Fashion | Sense: On Philosophy and FashionTansy E. Hoskins, The Anti-Capitalist Book of FashionGilles Lipovetsky, The Empire of FashionGeorg Simmel, “Fashion”Iris Marion Young, Responsibility and Global Labor JusticeAmie Zimmer, Mere Appearance: Redressing the History of PhilosophyFunny Face (1957) with Audrey HepburnThe White Lotus, Season 2Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

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, scholar and philosophy lecturer at Columbia University, on the aesthetic merits of computer-generated art. They discuss the thorny marriage of art and technology in everything from the early days of photography to YACHT’s AI-assisted pop songs. Why do we expect art to express human emotions? Is prompt-engineering for AI models an art in itself? And, if ‘great artists steal,’ is DALL·E the greatest artist of us all?Works discussedAARONDALL·EDavid Bowie, OutsideR.G. Collingwood, The Principles of ArtRaphaël Millière, AI Art is Challenging the Boundaries of CurationObvious, The Portrait of Edmond de BelamyYACHT, Chain TrippingSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

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-minded ‘intellectual’ and their role in today’s mass-media landscape. Who are intellectuals, what do they do, and what are they for? Ellie and David ask whether intellectuals have a duty to participate in public debate, and whether they can truly partake in liberatory action in such a capacity.Works DiscussedJulien Benda, The Treason of IntellectualsChristoph Charles, Birth of the Intellectuals: 1880-1900Didier Eribon, Returning to ReimsAntonio Gramsci, The IntellectualsImmanuel Kant, What is Enlightenment?Mary McCarthy, The Groves of AcademiaEdward Said, Representations of the IntellectualÉmile Zola, J’accuse...!Armchair Expert PodcastBinchtopia PodcastSmartLess PodcastSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

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 idle realm of this “bestial, indefinable affliction.” They discuss the peaceful highs and painful lows of their middle school summer slumps, the endless days of pandemic panic, and the sluggish mornings of monks during the Medieval period. What can boredom teach us about existence? Is Kierkegaard right that the masses are boring while the nobles bore themselves? Can 9-year-olds be existentially bored? Maybe all we need to overcome boredom is a little bit of fun, perhaps a holiday. Or is it?Works DiscussedFyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from UndergroundAndreas Elpidorou, The Feeling of Boredom, Boredom and PovertyEvagrius, Of the Eight Capital SinsGustave Flaubert, Madame BovaryImmanuel Kant, Lectures on EthicsSøren Kierkegaard, Either/OrPascal, PenséesLars Svendsen, A Philosophy of BoredomMichel de Montaigne, Of SorrowThe Twilight Zone* In the episode, we misattributed the quote “The cure for boredom is curiosity” to Dorothy Parker. The quote belongs to Ellen Parr.Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Fireworks, a gushing waterfall, little death. The orgasm. In episode 77 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss how phenomenology and psychoanalysis interpret the experience of orgasm. They talk about evolutionary theories of  the orgasm, including the theory that the body can suck up...“higher quality sperm.” They tackle what the orgasm gap says about the state of gender and sex in our society.Works DiscussedGeorge Bataille, ErotismSigmund Freud, “Instincts and Their Vicissitudes”Sigmund Freud, “Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality”Sara Heinämaa, “The Phenomenology of Desire and Orgasm”Jacques Lacan,  JouissanceElisabeth Lloyd, The Case of the Female Orgasm Bias in the Science of EvolutionEmily Nagoski, Come As You AreThomas Percy, “Walking in a Meadow Green”Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast