The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast podcast

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

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.

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.

 

#200

Ep. 376: Plato's "Laws" (Part Two)

Continuing on selections from this late Platonic dialogue. Starting in Book 4, Plato's cha... more

29 Sep 2025

52 MINS

52:39

29 Sep 2025


#199

PEL Presents NEM#238: Eric Andersen Endures

Eric was a major figure in the 1960s NYC folk scene, and his early tunes have been covered... more

26 Sep 2025

1 HR 05 MINS

1:05:58

26 Sep 2025


#198

Ep. 376: Plato's "Laws" (Part One)

On this later dialogue presenting Plato's ideas about the character of laws in a just stat... more

22 Sep 2025

47 MINS

47:45

22 Sep 2025


#197

PREMIUM-PEL Back-to-School Nightcap 2025

Mark, Seth, and Dylan add some more detail and thought to our recent episodes, including m... more

20 Sep 2025

10 MINS

10:14

20 Sep 2025


#196

PEL Presents PvI#101: Co-Hostery: Season Five Premiere with Mark and Mary

It is a new era! Merry Mary Hynes is now Mark's co-host, and we do some improv related to ... more

18 Sep 2025

54 MINS

54:15

18 Sep 2025


#195

Ep. 375: Luce Irigaray's Feminism (Part Two)

Continuing on "Women on the Market" from The Sex Which Is Not One (1977) and other selecti... more

15 Sep 2025

56 MINS

56:50

15 Sep 2025


#194

PEL Presents PMP#205: Fantastical Foursome

What do we expect out of a superhero film? Does it need overqualified dramatic actors? Doe... more

14 Sep 2025

56 MINS

56:27

14 Sep 2025


#193

Ep. 375: Luce Irigaray's Feminism (Part One)

On The Sex Which Is Not One (1977) and other Irigaray selections from the French Feminism ... more

08 Sep 2025

44 MINS

44:38

08 Sep 2025


#192

PEL Presents PvI#100: Maximizing Turtle Revenue w/ Tim Sniffen and Anthony LeBlanc

It's our season finale, and the end of Bill's regular participation on the show. You may w... more

07 Sep 2025

50 MINS

50:10

07 Sep 2025


#191

Ep. 374: Discussing Liberalism (Lincoln, et al) with Walter Sterling (Part Two)

Continuing our discussion of the dangers to and weak points of liberal democracy, includin... more

01 Sep 2025

48 MINS

48:50

01 Sep 2025


#190

PEL Presents PMP#204: Naked Gun Rapid Firing

What is the state of the stream-of-gags formula that used to stand tall in the films of th... more

31 Aug 2025

50 MINS

50:00

31 Aug 2025


#189

PEL Presents NEM#237: Maia Sharp's Homey Subversion

Maia has released ten lush, Americana-influenced singer-songwriter albums since 1997 and h... more

28 Aug 2025

1 HR 17 MINS

1:17:00

28 Aug 2025


#188

Ep. 374: Discussing Liberalism (Lincoln, et al) with Walter Sterling (Part One)

What's the crisis of liberal democracy? Dylan, Wes and Seth are joined by St. John's Colle... more

25 Aug 2025

46 MINS

46:38

25 Aug 2025


#187

PEL Presents PvI#99: Philosophy of Humor w/ Nessa Voss

<a href= "https://www.lonestar.edu/images/Vanessa_Voss.pdf">Nessa</a> teaches philosophy a... more

24 Aug 2025

53 MINS

53:14

24 Aug 2025


#186

PEL Presents Closereads: Peter Railton's "Moral Realism" (Wrap Up)

We are concluding our treatment of Peter Railton's "Moral Realism" (1984), and given that ... more

23 Aug 2025

58 MINS

58:05

23 Aug 2025


#185

Ep. 373: Michael Walzer on Just Wars (Part Two)

Continuing on on Just and Unjust Wars (1977), ch. 5-6. When might it be morally permissibl... more

18 Aug 2025

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:51

18 Aug 2025


#184

PEL Presents PMP#203: What Superman?

In light of the new James Gunn film Superman, Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk about ... more

17 Aug 2025

49 MINS

49:30

17 Aug 2025


#183

PEL Presents NEM #236: Tee Templeton's Psychedelic Ending

...OK, maybe not his ending, but it's a late career boost into overdrive: This 66-year-old... more

16 Aug 2025

1 HR 12 MINS

1:12:24

16 Aug 2025


#182

Ep. 373: Michael Walzer on Just Wars (Part One)

On Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Illustrations (1977), ch. 4-6 on "jus ad be... more

11 Aug 2025

47 MINS

47:22

11 Aug 2025


#181

PEL Presents Philosophy vs. Improv #98: Ragnarocking

Recorded back in June, posting now as we near the end of our season and Bill's tenure on t... more

10 Aug 2025

52 MINS

52:31

10 Aug 2025