
Elucidations
Elucidations is an unexpected philosophy podcast produced in association with Emergent Ventures. Every episode, Matt Teichman temporarily transforms himself back into a student and tries to learn the basics of some topic from a person of philosophical interest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Jan 27, 2019 • 41min
Episode 111: Greg Kobele discusses mathematical linguistics
In this episode, Greg Kobele discusses how abstract mathematics can be useful for arriving at a unified theory of what patterns a person has mastery over when they can speak a language. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 15, 2018 • 37min
Episode 110: Chike Jeffers discusses the social and political philosophy of W.E.B. Du Bois
What is the best way forward for a group of people fairly recently freed from slavery? Booker T. Washington emphasized economic enfranchisement, whereas W.E.B. Du Bois thought it was necessary to achieve political enfranchisement alongside economic enfranchisement. Join us as our guest discusses how threads from this 100-year-old debate persist in today's discussions about racial justice in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 13, 2018 • 48min
Episode 109: Bonus Episode with Matt Teichman and Toby Buckle
Bonus episode! In this joint edition of Elucidations and the Political Philosophy Podcast, Matt Teichman and Toby Buckle sit down and have a freeform conversation about why we do podcasts, the nature of moral disagreement, and the existence of political divides. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 15, 2018 • 36min
Episode 108: Mariam Thalos discusses freedom
Mariam Thalos, a philosophy professor at the University of Utah, dives into the intricacies of freedom and self-identity. She argues that true freedom lies in our ability to define the labels we create for ourselves, challenging conventional beliefs about choice and autonomy. Topics include the paradox of freedom where inner regulation trumps mere absence of constraints, and the relationship between self-conception and civic engagement. Thalos also examines societal influences on identity, showcasing the transformative potential of reshaping personal ideals.

Aug 3, 2018 • 50min
Episode 107: Linda Martín Alcoff discusses identity and history
In this episode, Linda Martín Alcoff discusses the subtle ways that things like your race, gender, sexual orientation, and class can influence your life. She argues that the best way to understand that kind of influence is by looking to the history of the relevant social group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 22, 2018 • 37min
Episode 106: R. A. Briggs discusses gender
In this episode, R. A. Briggs discusses some complexities underlying our use of the terms 'man' and 'woman.' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 20, 2018 • 37min
Episode 105: R. A. Briggs discusses epistemic decision theory
How do we tell what the best strategies for changing our beliefs on the basis of new evidence might be? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 4, 2018 • 39min
Episode 104: Seth Yalcin discusses the question-sensitivity of belief
In this episode, Seth Yalcin argues that every belief we have is implicitly framed as the answer to a question, and that at different times we're considering different questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 9, 2018 • 51min
Episode 103: Brian Leiter explains why we should think about Marx
In this episode, we talk to Brian Leiter about why the writings of Karl Marx are helpful for understanding the current situation of the working and middle class in America, the 2016 Presidential election, and related topics! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 1, 2017 • 33min
Episode 102: Josh Knobe discusses the true self
In this episode, Josh Knobe discusses a series of experiments that try to tease out what we implicitly assume about who a person really is, deep down. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.