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
Jul 16, 2018 • 1h 10min
Episode 194: Alfred Tarski on Truth (Part Two)
Continuing on Tarski's "The Semantic Conception of Truth and the Foundations of Semantics" (1944), Hartry Field's "Tarski's Theory of Truth" (1972), and Donald Davidson's "The Folly of Trying to Define Truth" (1977). What was Tarski really doing? What are the implications of his project? Does it even make sense to define "truth," and what should a definition look like? Listen to part one first, or get the ad-free Citizen Edition. Look out for the Citizen-only bonus discussion of Shakespeare's Tempest, posting soon! Please support PEL! End song: "In Vino Vertias" by Sunspot; Mark interviewed Mike Huberty on Nakedly Examined Music #64.
Jul 9, 2018 • 55min
Episode 194: Alfred Tarski on Truth (Part One)
On Tarski's "The Semantic Conception of Truth and the Foundations of Semantics" (1944), Hartry Field's "Tarski's Theory of Truth" (1972), and Donald Davidson's "The Folly of Trying to Define Truth" (1977). What is truth? Tarski gives a technical, metaphysically neutral definition for truth within a particular, well-defined language. So how does that apply to real languages? He thought he was defining truth (a semantic concept) in terms of more primitive (physical?) concepts, but Field and Davidson think that actually, truth as a general concept is indefinable, even though it's still helpful for Tarski to have laid out the relations among various semantic concepts. Please support PEL!
Jul 7, 2018 • 17min
PREMIUM-Eps 192-193 Allan Bloom & Liberal Education Follow-Ups
Hear highlights from two supporter-only discussions: Allan Bloom on Nietzsche/Freud/etc. and Leo Strauss vs. Richard Rorty on liberal education and democracy.
Jul 2, 2018 • 52min
Episode 193: The Theory and Practice of Liberal Education (Part Two)
Continuing with Pano Kanelos on articles on liberal education by Jacob Klein, Sidney Hook, and Martha Nussbaum. What's the practical application of a liberal education? Is it really liberating or indoctrinating? We continue discussion of the Great Books model. Listen to part 1 first or get the ad-free Citizen Edition along with the follow-up discussion. Please support PEL! End song: "Preservation Hill" by The Bevis Frond; Mark interviewed Nick Saloman on Nakedly Examined Music #75.
Jun 25, 2018 • 48min
Episode 193: The Theory and Practice of Liberal Education (Part One)
Pano Kanelos, President of St. John's College, Annapolis, discusses liberal education, the Western canon, and the importance of exploring the ancestry of our concepts. They reflect on the purpose of a college, the relationship between philosophy and liberal education, and the power of wonder in learning. They also delve into the origins of liberal education, the role of discipline, and the importance of questioning and formal education.
Jun 18, 2018 • 1h 5min
Episode 192: "The Closing of the American Mind": Allan Bloom on Education (Part Two)
Continuing on Allan Bloom's 1987 book critiquing the current fragmented structure of the university that promotes technical and professional education over the ability to think philosophically. Does Bloom's vision require aristocracy, or can a Great Books education be available for all? Listen to part 1 first, or get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition. Your Citizenship will also get you access to an exclusive follow-up discussion. Please support PEL! End song: "Greatness (The Aspiration Song)" by Colin Moulding's TC&I, explored on Nakedly Examined Music #74.
Jun 11, 2018 • 51min
Episode 192: "The Closing of the American Mind": Allan Bloom on Education (Part One)
On Allan Bloom's 1987 best-selleing polemic. What is the role of the university in our democracy? Bloom thinks that today's students are conformist, relativistic, and nihilistic, and that great books and thinking for thinking's sake are the cure. Continued on part 2, or get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition plus an exclusive follow-up discussion. Please support PEL!
Jun 4, 2018 • 1h 6min
Episode 191: Conceptual Schemes: Donald Davidson & Rudolf Carnap (Part Two)
Finishing Davidson's "On the Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme" (1974) and moving on to Carnap's "Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology" (1950). Carnap claims that we talk about mathematical objects or subatomic particles or whatever, we're not really (contra Quine) making metaphysical claims. Ontological questions like "Are there really numbers?" are just pretentious nonsense. With guest Dusty Dallman. Listen to part 1 first, or get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL! End Song: "Shut Up" by Chandler Travis, as heard on Nakedly Examined Music #46.
May 28, 2018 • 54min
Episode 191: Conceptual Schemes: Donald Davidson & Rudolf Carnap (Part One)
On Davidson's "On the Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme" (1974) and Carnap's "Empiricism, Semantics and Ontology" (1950). What does it mean to say that we grasp the world through a conceptual scheme? Are schemes different between cultures or even individuals, such that we can't really understand each other? Davidson thinks that this doesn't make sense. Please support PEL!
May 26, 2018 • 17min
PREMIUM-Ep 189: Authorial Intent (Part Three)
Listen here to a few highlights from a recent discussion between Mark and Wes: We chase down some issues from ep. 189, relating authorial intent to philosophy of language more generally. Get the full discussions by becoming a PEL Citizen or $5/month Patreon supporter.
