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
Nov 20, 2017 • 50min
Episode 177: Guest Russ Roberts on Adam Smith and Libertarian Economics (Part One)
The host of Econtalk provides his take on our ep. 174 on The Wealth of Nations, and explores with us the idea of emergent economic order. Is the economy more like a machine or a garden or what? Please support PEL!
Nov 13, 2017 • 57min
Episode 176: Situationism in Psych: Milgram & Stanford Prison Experiments (Part Two)
Continuing with Dave Pizarro on articles by Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo, and John Doris about situationism, which entails that people's level of morality will vary by situation, as opposed to virtue ethics, which posits that how people will act in a novel situation will be determined by the quality of their character. Listen to part 1 first or get the ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL! End song: "Doing the Wrong Thing" by Kaki King, as heard on Nakedly Examined Music #54.
Nov 6, 2017 • 44min
Episode 176: Situationism in Psych: Milgram & Stanford Prison Experiments (Very Bad Wizards Crossover) (Part One)
On Stanley Milgram's "Behavioral Study of Obedience" (1963), Philip Zimbardo's "Interpersonal Dynamics in a Simulated Prison" (1973), and John Doris's "Persons, Situations, and Virtue Ethics" (1998). Do difficult situations make good people act badly? Are there really "good" and "bad" people, or are we all about the same, but put in different situations? With guest David Pizarro from the Very Bad Wizards podcast. Please support PEL!
Nov 6, 2017 • 3min
PREMIUM-Episode 175: Blade Runner (Part Two)
Do you want the WHOLE discussion on the new Blade Runner 2049, the original 1982 film, and the idea packed Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1967) by Philip K. Dick? If you do, show your love to the podcast by signing up to be a supporter at the $1-or-higher level at patreon.com/partiallyexaminedlife, or better yet become a PEL Citizen and get every podcast we've ever recorded plus bonus discussions, ad-free!
Oct 30, 2017 • 46min
Episode 175: Blade Runner: Androids and Humanity (Part One)
On Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1967) and the films Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Blade Runner (1982). What makes us human? Dick's story about androids emphasized their lack of empathy, while the movie adaptations portrayed the "replicants" as plenty capable of emotion, but unjustly treated as servants or targets. Attention: This second half of this special bonus episode is available only to supporters. You should go ahead and get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition. You can also hear it with a $1 or more pledge at patreon.com/partiallyexaminedlife.
Oct 22, 2017 • 1h 5min
Episode 174: Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" (Part Two)
Continuing on the foundational text of economics. We talk "invisible hand," "greed is good," tariffs, unproductive labor, city vs. country, and the education racket. Listen to part 1 first or get the ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL! End song: "With My Looks and Your Brains" by The Mr. T Experience. Hear about the singer/songwriter on Nakedly Examined Music #56.
Oct 16, 2017 • 54min
Episode 174: Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" (Part One)
On the foundational, 1776 text of modern economics. How does the division of labor and our instinct to exchange lead to the growth of wealth? Is the economy sufficiently machine-like to enable us to manipulate its output, or at least to tell us how not to screw it up? Please support PEL!
Oct 9, 2017 • 60min
Episode 173: Relating to American Indian Philosophy (Part Two)
We go further into "Philosophy of Native Science" by Gregory Cajete and "What Coyote and Thales Can Teach Us: An Outline of American Indian Epistemology" by Brian Yazzie Burkhart, plus process philosophy, propositional vs. procedural knowledge, and what we owe to nature. With guest Jim Marunich. Listen to part 1 first or get the ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL! End song: "Circle's Gotta Go" by Kim Rancourt, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #52.
Oct 2, 2017 • 49min
Episode 173: Relating to American Indian Philosophy (Part One)
What is wisdom? We discuss articles by Brian Burkhart, Gregory Cajete, and Anne Waters, plus Black Elk Speaks by John Neihardt (1932) and some traditional stories. With guest Jim Marunich; we read his master's thesis, "Process Metaphysics in the Far West: American Indian Ontologies." Please support PEL!
Sep 25, 2017 • 58min
Episode 172: Mind, Self, and Affect with Guest Dr. Drew (Part Two)
Continuing with Drew Pinsky on "Attachment and Reflective Function: Their Role in Self-organization" by Peter Fonagy and two articles by Allan Schore. Fonagy claims we gain the ability to emotionally self-regulate as a result of achieving secure attachment with a caregiver as infants. Schore claims that if this fails, we can end up fundamentally disengaged. So what are the philosophical implications? Listen to part 1 first, or get the ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL! End song: "Anything but Love" by Steve Hackett, as featured on Nakedly Examined Music #45.
