The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey
The Partially Examined Life is a podcast by some guys who were at one point set on doing philosophy for a living but then thought better of it. Each episode, we pick a short text and chat about it with some balance between insight and flippancy. You don't have to know any philosophy, or even to have read the text we're talking about to (mostly) follow and (hopefully) enjoy the discussion. For links to the texts we discuss and other info, check out www.partiallyexaminedlife.com.
We also feature episodes from other podcasts by our hosts to round out your partially examined life, including Pretty Much Pop (prettymuchpop.com, covering all media), Nakedly Examined Music (nakedlyexaminedmusic.com, deconstructing songs), Philosophy vs. Improv (philosophyimprov.com, fun with performance skills and philosophical ideas), and (sub)Text (subtextpodcast.com, looking deeply at lit and film). Learn about more network podcasts at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
We also feature episodes from other podcasts by our hosts to round out your partially examined life, including Pretty Much Pop (prettymuchpop.com, covering all media), Nakedly Examined Music (nakedlyexaminedmusic.com, deconstructing songs), Philosophy vs. Improv (philosophyimprov.com, fun with performance skills and philosophical ideas), and (sub)Text (subtextpodcast.com, looking deeply at lit and film). Learn about more network podcasts at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books
9 snips
May 10, 2021 • 47min
Ep. 269: Arendt on Totalitarianism (Part One)
Dive into Hannah Arendt's revolutionary insights on totalitarianism versus tyranny. Explore how terror in totalitarian regimes stifles agency and fosters isolation. Unpack the philosophical implications of political ideologies, contrasting Darwinism and Marxism. Examine how modern society's changes leave individuals vulnerable to oppressive ideologies. The discussion reveals the corrosive effects of isolation on community and relationships, making a compelling case for understanding the historical and social dynamics at play.
May 3, 2021 • 13min
PREMIUM-Ep. 268: Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death" (Part Two)
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 suited for providing context than television? To hear the full second part, you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
Apr 26, 2021 • 45min
Ep. 268: Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death" (Part One)
In this discussion, Brian Hirt, an education theorist focused on media's impact on reasoning, dives into Neil Postman's insights from his book, "Amusing Ourselves to Death." They explore how the medium shapes public discourse, revealing television's role in diminishing our capacity for critical thought. The conversation touches on the transition from written to visual culture and critiques the entertainment-centric approach of modern media. Hirt calls for greater media literacy to combat the erosion of meaningful discourse in today’s digital age.
Apr 19, 2021 • 9min
PREMIUM-Ep. 267: Avicenna on God and Soul w/ Peter Adamson (Part Two)
Continuing on Avicenna's arguments for the existence of God and on the soul's immateriality. What metaphysical and epistemological picture grounds these views? To hear the full second part, you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
Apr 12, 2021 • 56min
Ep. 267: Avicenna on God and Soul w/ Peter Adamson (Part One)
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 that God has the person-like properties that Islam imputes to him, and his "flying man" argument for the soul's essential independence from matter. Featuring Mark, Dylan, and our guest Peter Adamson from the History of Philosophy podcast. Part two of this episode is only going to be available to you if you sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. Get it now or listen to a preview.
Apr 5, 2021 • 11min
PREMIUM-Ep. 266: Jonathan Lear's Plato: Psyche and Society (Part Two)
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: which (if any) is basic? To hear the full second part, you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
Mar 29, 2021 • 51min
Ep. 266: Jonathan Lear's Plato: Psyche and Society (Part One)
On essays from Lear's Open Minded: Working Out the Logic of the Soul (1988): "Inside and Outside the Republic," "Eros and Unknowing: The Psychoanalytic Significance of Plato’s Symposium," and "An Interpretation of Transference," which compares Socrates' questioning with psychotherapy. Is Plato's analogy between mind and state in The Republic a good one? What can we learn from it about what makes for a stable, healthy character? How does eros (desire) fit into this picture? Lear gives a creative, helpful reading of Plato informed by psychoanalysis. Part two of this episode is only going to be available to you if you sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. Get it now or listen to a preview.
Mar 22, 2021 • 11min
PREMIUM-Ep. 265: Plato's "Phaedo": Philosophy as Training for Death (Part Two)
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 of Forms. To hear the full second part, you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
Mar 15, 2021 • 42min
Ep. 265: Plato's "Phaedo": Philosophy as Training for Death (Part One)
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 giving arguments for the immortality of the soul, we get an elaboration of the recollection theory of knowledge (from the Meno) into Plato's first full account of Forms. But how literally are we supposed to take the words of Socrates as he comforts himself facing mortality? Part two of this episode is only going to be available to you if you sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. Get it now or listen to a preview.
Mar 8, 2021 • 10min
PREMIUM-Ep. 264: Plato's "Timaeus" on Cosmology (Part Two)
Continuing on the Timaeus, we consider some quotes and details starting at the beginning of the dialogue where Plato argues for differences between the perceived, created, impermanent world and its perfect model. To hear this second part, you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
