Overthink

Is it really better to exist than not exist? With rampant climate destruction, income inequality, and suffering in the world, some have begun to question whether it is ethical to create new life, knowing it will suffer. In episode 46 of Overthink, Ellie and David explore the intellectual tradition of anti-natalism. Why did Schopenhauer think that life was ultimately dominated by suffering, and why did Nietzsche think he was so wrong? How has anti-natalism emerged out of the trend of pessimism, and how can we be optimistic about generating new life in what can at times be such a hard world?Works DiscussedSoul (2020)Capernaum (2018)David Benatar, Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into ExistenceArthur Schopenhauer, The World as Will and RepresentationElizabeth Harman, “Critical Study of David Benatar. Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006)Thaddeus Metz, “Are Lives Worth Creating?”Friedrich Nietzsche, The Birth of TragedyThéophile de Giraud, The Art of Guillotining the Procreators: Anti-Natalist ManifestoPlato, The LawsSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Have you ever hugged a tree? In episode 45 of Overthink, Ellie and David head into nature to explore the philosophical side of trees. Often, trees have been ignored, even as they populate so much of the space around us. Why did Socrates say he could learn nothing from trees, and why did Nietzsche write so romantically about them? Deleuze and Guattari criticize trees for being too vertically organized, but Michael Marder argues that they're far more cooperative than we ever imagined. In that spirit, trees are clearly alive, but Peter Wohlleben goes as far as to say they could possibly be intelligent, and even have language of their own. Does that mean that trees deserve rights? Ellie and David get into the root of it in episode 45!Works DiscussedRichard Powers, The OverstoryPlato, PhaedrusMartin Buber, I and ThouAristotle, De Anima Plotinus, EnneadsHans Jonas, The Phenomenon of LifePeter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They CommunicateMassimo E. Maffei and Wilhelm Boland, “The Silent Scream of the Lima Bean”Monica Gagliano et al., “Learning by association in plants”Monica Gagliano et al., “Plants learn and remember: let’s get used to it”Simona Ginsburg and Eva Jablonka, The Evolution of the Sensitive Soul: Learning and the Origins of ConsciousnessChristopher Stone, “Should Trees Have Standing?”Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, A Thousand PlateausFriedrich Nietzsche, The Birth of TragedyMichael Marder, “In (Philosophical) Defense of Trees”Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Ellie and David discuss heteropessimism, exploring disillusionment with heterosexuality in post #metoo society. They examine the reasons for heteropessimism, consider alternatives like political lesbianism, and question attraction to harmful relationships. Topics include patriarchy, power dynamics, political lesbianism, emotional suppression in men, and gendered emotional communication.

Some podcasts only talk the talk, but David and Ellie walk the walk (or talk the walk?) in episode 43 by diving into the philosophy of walking. Walking is a complex sociocultural practice that raises fascinating questions about history, power, and freedom. Why did our ancestors transition from walking on all fours to walking on two legs, and how did this shape our evolution as a species? Why have so many philosophers throughout history (from Aristotle to Rousseau) insisted on incorporating walks into their daily routines? And how do systems of oppression—such as classism, racism, sexism, transphobia, and ableism—mold our experience of walking, determining where and even how we can walk?*correction: when Ellie says "James DeSilva," she meant "Jeremy DeSilva"! Our apologies to the author of First Steps. Works Discussed Charles Baudelaire, “The Painter of Modern Life” Frédéric Gros, A Philosophy of Walking Gayle Salamon, The Life and Death of Latisha King: A Critical Phenomenology of TransphobiaJane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American CitiesJennifer McDuff and Alison Phinney, "Walking With Meaning: Subjective Experiences of Physical Activity in Dementia"Jeremy DeSilva, First Steps: How Upright Walking Made us Human Jo Livingstone and Lovia Gyarkye, "Death to the Flâneur"Lauren Elkin, Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London Marily Oppezzo and Daniel L. Schwartz, "Give Your Ideas Some Legs: The Positive Effect of Walking on Creative Thinking"Michel de Certeau, "Walking in the City" Quill R. Kukla, "City Spaces, Pace Bias, and the Production of Disability"Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Would you willingly plug yourself into an experience-simulating machine such as The Matrix? What would happen to society if robots suddenly became conscious? What would you do if, for some reason, you encountered an utterly alien life form? Many of us first ponder big philosophical questions such as these through  exposure to science fiction stories  in books or movies. In episode 42, Ellie and David explore the power of sci-fi. After considering the origins of this genre, they interview Dr. Helen De Cruz, an expert on the philosophy of science fiction, about how our brains process sci-fi stories differently than other speculative narratives, including philosophical thought experiments!Works DiscussedHelen De Cruz, Johan De Smedt, and Eric Schwitzgebel, Philosophy Through Science Fiction Stories: Exploring the Boundaries of the PossibleJohan De Smedt and Helen De Cruz. "The Epistemic Value of Speculative Fiction"Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and SimulationThe Matrix Decoded: Le Nouvel Observateur Interview With Jean Baudrillard, 2004Ted Chiang, "Story of Your Life"Ursula K. Le Guin, The DispossessedUrsula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of DarknessZhuangzi, The Inner ChaptersMary Shelley, FrankensteinPhilip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?The Matrix (film)Zenon, Girl of the Twenty-First Century (film) Arrival (film)Dune (film)I, Robot (film)Robert Nozick, “The Experience Machine"Ruth Garrett Millikan, “On Swampkinds"Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

The podcast explores the connection between intoxication and philosophy, discussing the theory that Western philosophy originated from moments of intoxication. It delves into the potential influence of psychedelic experiences on philosophers' metaphysical worldview and the seductive nature of intoxication in American society. The chapter also explores the negative perception of substance use in Western society and the complexities of freedom and autonomy.

Exploring the origins of Christmas traditions and the influence of capitalism. Delving into the narratives of Hallmark movies and Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. Analyzing the evolution of gift-giving and the commercialization of the holiday season. Contrasting American and Mexican Christmas customs. Reflecting on the societal significance and cultural comparisons of Christmas celebrations.

The podcast delves into the complexities of secrets, exploring the ethics of keeping them and their role in relationships. It discusses moral dilemmas, philosophical perspectives, and the impact of government secrecy on trust and transparency.

Disgust is often assumed to be biological, but in what ways do cultural norms and personal preferences influence what disgusts us?  Can we shape what we’re disgusted by over time? Ellie and David explore how disgust colors our interactions with food, art, and even sex, in episode 38. Given how disgust has helped enforce racism and homophobia, does it have any place in morality? And how does modern art's use of excrement, vomit, and blood change how we think about aesthetics?Works DiscussedSianne Ngai, Ugly FeelingsCharles Darwin, The Expression of Emotions in Man and AnimalsJohn Garcia, Donald J. Kimeldorf, and Robert A. Koelling, "Conditioned aversion to saccharin resulting from exposure to gamma radiation"Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral SentimentsGeorges Bataille, DocumentsGeorges Bataille, L’érotismeDownton Abbey, S3 E7Immanuel Kant, Critique of JudgementChristopher Ofili, The Holy Virgin MaryJulia Kristeva, Powers of Horror: An Essay on AbjectionSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Are you #LivingYourTruth? This buzzy catchphrase is all over Instagram, but might it actually justify selfish or irresponsible behavior? Alternatively, can it be a way of affirming marginalized identities--and perhaps even reveal the extent to which our lives are ultimately of our own making? Ellie and David speak with Dr. Tamsin Kimoto in episode 37 about how "living your truth" relates to transgender identity formation, "born this way" narratives of sexuality, and the idea of an authentic self. After the interview, David and Ellie suggest that existential authenticity is a way of "living your truth" without buying into the metaphysical idea of an inner self.Works DiscussedTamsin Kimoto, "Merleau-Ponty, Fanon, and Phenomenological Forays in Trans Life"Michel Foucault, The History of SexualityTalia Mae Bettcher, “Trapped in the Wrong Theory: Rethinking Trans Oppression and Resistance”Maurice Merleau-Ponty, The Phenomenology of PerceptionGayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Elizabeth Grosz, “Criticism, feminism and the institution: An interview with Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak”Friedrich Nietzsche, “Schopenhauer as Educator”Martin Heidegger, Being and TimeTheodor Adorno, The Jargon of AuthenticitySupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast