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
Jan 18, 2015 • 11min
Precognition of Ep. 109: Karl Jaspers
Mark Linsenmayer introduces Karl Jaspers's existentialist tract, "On My Philosophy." (1941)
Jan 6, 2015 • 1h 43min
Episode 108: Dangers of A.I. with Guest Nick Bostrom
On Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, and Strategies (2014) with the author. What can we predict about, and how can we control in advance, the motivations of the entity likely to result from eventual advances in machine learning? Also with guest Luke Muehlhauser.
Dec 20, 2014 • 2h 16min
Episode 107: Edmund Burke on the Sublime
On A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, where young Burke lays out our knee-jerk aesthetic reactions, including those to scary things at a safe distance. With guest Amir Zaki.
Dec 20, 2014 • 1h 28min
Not Ep. 107: The 12 Interminable Days of Xmas: A Musical Extravaganza
Mark Lint and the PEL Orchestra present the longest, slowest, biggest, fattest, most surreal Christmas carol ever.
Dec 4, 2014 • 1h 56min
Episode 106: Pyrrhonian Skepticism According to Sextus Empiricus
On "Outlines of Pyrrhonism" from 200 C.E. Can you live while suspending judgment about all non-everyday matters? WIth guest Jessica Berry.
Nov 15, 2014 • 2h
Episode 105: Kant: What Is Beauty?
On Critique of Judgment (1790), Part I, Book I. What is beauty? Disinterested pleasure!
10 snips
Oct 27, 2014 • 2h 3min
Episode 104: Robert Nozick's Libertarianism
Stephen Metcalf, guest on the moral limits on government power, joins the hosts to analyze Robert Nozick's libertarianism. They discuss Nozick's arguments against utilitarianism, the historical context of libertarian arguments, the principle of rectification, and the concept of protection in relation to a minimalist state. They also explore distributing surplus value in a cooperative environment and delve into Nozick's criticisms of utilitarianism. Plus, they express gratitude, engage in banter, and provide information on upcoming topics.
Oct 26, 2014 • 12min
Precognition of Ep. 104: Robert Nozick
Seth Paskin introduces Anarchy, State, and Utopia about libertarianism and the limits of legitimate government power.
Oct 14, 2014 • 1h 47min
Episode 103: Thoreau on Living Deliberately
On Henry David Thoreau's Walden (1854). Should all true philosophers go live in the woods and seek Truth in nature? Probably YOU should.
Sep 20, 2014 • 2h 7min
Episode 102: Emerson on Wisdom and Individuality
On Ralph Waldo Emerson's "The American Scholar" lecture (1837) and his essays "Self-Reliance" and "Circles" (1841). Be yourself! Don't conform! Realize your oneness with the universe!
