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.

 

#702

Ep. 359: Karl Marx's Project (Part One)

On the intro to Marx's Grundrisse (1857) and "Theses on Feuerbach" (1845). Why economics, and why do it the way Marx does? We see Marx argues that Feuerbach's materialism was not materialistic enough, start looking at production, consumption, distribution, and exchange as moments within a single process, and talk about why anyone would want to read a historical economic text. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Get a $1/month e-commerce trial at [shopify.com/pel.] (https://shopify.com/pel) ... Read more

Yesterday

49 MINS

49:14

Yesterday


#701

Ep. 358: Max Stirner's Egoism (Part Two)

Continuing on The Ego and Its Own, focusing now on the sections "The Owner" and "My Power." Stirner lets us know that his egoism ("ownness") is not compatible with liberal egalitarianism, which he sees as just a continuation of the Christian project of perfecting humanity. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Learn about St. John's College at [sjc.edu/pel] (https://sjc.edu/pel) . ... Read more

13 Jan 2025

41 MINS

41:44

13 Jan 2025


#700

Ep. 358: Max Stirner's Egoism (Part One)

On The Ego and its Own (1844), another big influence on Karl Marx and a precursor of Nietzsche, or perhaps an early Ayn Rand. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Have up to a $100 donation to effective charities matched at <a title="" href= "https://givewell.org" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">GiveWell.org</a>. ... Read more

06 Jan 2025

48 MINS

48:42

06 Jan 2025


#699

PEL Presents NEM#226: The Evolution of Iain Matthews (Fairport Convention, Southern Comfort, Plainso...

Iain started in Britain's Fairport Convention in the late '60s, but quickly left that band to start a couple more and then move to the US for a lengthy solo career. He has in total released close to 50 albums, including many collaborations. We discus the title track from How Much Is Enough (2024), the title track from God Looked Down (1996), and "Road to Ronderlin" by Matthews Southern Comfort from Later That Same Year (1970). End song: "St. Theresa’s Ghost" by Ian Matthews and the Searing Quartet, from Joy Mining (2008). Intro: "Book Song" by Fairport Convention from What We Did on Our Holidays (1969). Learn more at <a href= "https://iainmatthews.nl/">iainmatthews.nl</a>. [Hear more Nakedly Examined Music] (http://nakedlyexaminedmusic.com) . [Support us on Patreon] (http://patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic) . ... Read more

05 Jan 2025

1 HR 18 MINS

1:18:40

05 Jan 2025


#698

PEL '24-'25 Transition Nightcap

Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan reflect on our past year of PEL recording, catch you up on our habits and interests, and talk about what might come next. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to this and every recording ad-free, plus numerous Nightcaps and many hours of other bonus content. Learn about Mark's spring Core Texts in philosophy class at <a title="" href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/core-texts-spring-2025/">partiallyexaminedlife.com/class.</a> ... Read more

30 Dec 2024

1 HR 08 MINS

1:08:03

30 Dec 2024


#697

Ep. 357: Feuerbach on the Evolution of Philosophy (Part Two)

We finally discuss Feuerbach's proposed post-Hegelian, materialist approach to philosophy in his "Principles of the Philosophy of the Future" (1843). How can a materialist framework support phenomena central to F's account like our immediate, indubitable recognition of our selves, each other, and love itself? Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion, including a supporter-exclusive <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2024/12/20/ep357-3-feuerbach-evolution-of-philosophy-citizen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part three</a> to this discussion. Sponsors: Have up to a $100 donation to effective charities matched at <a title="" href= "https://givewell.org" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">GiveWell.org</a>. Learn about St. John's College at [sjc.edu/pel] (https://sjc.edu/pel) . Learn about Mark's spring Core Texts in philosophy class at <a title="" href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/core-texts-spring-2025/">partiallyexaminedlife.com/class.</a> ... Read more

23 Dec 2024

53 MINS

53:19

23 Dec 2024


#696

PEL Presents PMP#187: Taking Down Santa Claus

For our annual holiday episode, Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al talk about Santa qua mythical and cultural figure, getting into <a href= "https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/christmas/the-history-of-father-christmas/"> the history of the character</a>, his <a href= "https://youtu.be/93MTfROX6n4?si=R-FOXTsKbYjjNMXy">film appearances</a>, and how the emphasis on kids' belief compares to religious belief. Plus, grading Xmas movies on a curve and <a href= "https://www.thewrap.com/11-iconic-black-santas-film-and-tv-dashing-through-the-snow/"> Black Santa</a>! For more, visit [prettymuchpop.com] (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear this ad-free with bonus content at <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/prettymuchpop" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">patreon.com/prettymuchpop</a> or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/mark-lintertainment/id6442569583?id=6442569583" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Lintertainment Channel</a>. Learn about Mark's Core Texts in Philosophy class at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/core-texts-spring-2025/">partiallyexaminedlife.com/class</a>. ... Read more

22 Dec 2024

54 MINS

54:36

22 Dec 2024


#695

PEL Presents PvI#87: Mystic Toaster with Simon Critchley

<a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Critchley">Simon</a> is a professor at New York's <a href= "https://www.newschool.edu/nssr/faculty/simon-critchley/">New School for Social Research</a> and moderates the New York Times' philosophy offering, <a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stone_(blog)">The Stone</a>. He joins Mark and Bill to discuss his new book, On Mysticism: The Experience of Ecstasy, and we used the occasion to explore how art and mysticism might be connected, including engaging in improv rituals. [Hear more at philosophyimprov.com] (http://philosophyimprov.com/) . <a href= "https://philosophyimprov.com/support" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Support the and hear this ad-free at podcast at philosophyimprov.com/support</a>. <a href= "https://evergreenpodcasts.com/">Check out other Evergreen Podcast offerings</a>. ... Read more

21 Dec 2024

59 MINS

59:19

21 Dec 2024


#694

Ep. 357: Feuerbach on the Evolution of Philosophy (Part One)

Mark, Wes, and Dylan continue to look at Ludwig Feuerbach's "Principles of the Philosophy of the Future" (1843), recounting his story about how increasingly mature notions of God should lead philosophy eventually to a materialism where the sensual is the real. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsors: Have up to a $100 donation to effective charities matched at <a title="" href= "https://givewell.org" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">GiveWell.org</a>. Check out the <a href= "https://www.byuradio.org/constant-wonder" target="_blank" rel= "noreferrer noopener">Constant Wonder podcast</a> Learn about Mark's spring Core Texts in philosophy class at <a title="" href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/core-texts-spring-2025/">partiallyexaminedlife.com/class.</a> Buy the PEL book for someone cool at <a title="" href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/book/">partiallyexaminedlife.com/book</a>. ... Read more

16 Dec 2024

49 MINS

49:14

16 Dec 2024


#693

PEL Presents Subtext: The Sublime Mundane in Conrad Aiken’s “Morning Song of Senlin” (Part 1)

Where the repetitions of ordinary life threaten to overwhelm any sense of the sublime, the poet Conrad Aiken seems to suggest that they can be transformed into a way of being connected to it. The mundane order is, after all, just a part of the cosmic. When we get ready to go to work, it is on a “swiftly tilting planet” that “bathes in a flame of space.” The sun is “far off in a shell of silence,” but its light decorates the walls of our homes. We might wonder, in light of modernity’s crisis of faith, if the sublime is meant to replace the divine, and if so whether what Aiken calls “humble offerings” to a “cloud of silence” are enough. Wes & Erin discuss Aiken’s “Morning Song of Senlin,” and whether humanity’s religious impulses can be fully compensated with an aesthetic or ironic relation to nature and cosmic scale.  ... Read more

14 Dec 2024

47 MINS

47:52

14 Dec 2024


#692

PEL Presents PMP#186: From Oz Books to Wicked Film

We're coming up on the 125th anniversary of L. Frank Baum's children's book, The Wizard of Oz, and the film version of (the first half of) the musical Wicked has been released. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al talk about the landmark 1939 film musical, the 1978 film The Wiz, Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked, the stage musical, the other Oz books by Baum, Maguire, et al, and other films like 1985's Return to Oz and 2013's Oz the Great and Powerful. How does this film stack up to other recent Broadway-to-film adaptations? Will there ever be a faithful film or TV adaptation of the books? For more, visit [prettymuchpop.com] (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear this ad-free with bonus content at <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/prettymuchpop" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">patreon.com/prettymuchpop</a> or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/mark-lintertainment/id6442569583?id=6442569583" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Lintertainment Channel</a>. ... Read more

12 Dec 2024

54 MINS

54:44

12 Dec 2024


#691

Ep. 356: Feuerbach Against Theology (Part Two)

We dig in and start our detailed treatment of Ludwig Feuerbach's essay "Principles of the Philosophy of the Future" (1843). Feuerbach claims that people don't realize that the entity they worship is really just whatever it is about humanity and the world that we value, wrongly posited as an independent entity. So God is a mirror for any given society. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsors: Have up to a $100 donation to effective charities matched at <a title="" href= "https://givewell.org" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">GiveWell.org</a>. Learn about St. John's College at [sjc.edu/pel] (https://sjc.edu/pel) . Learn about Mark's spring Core Texts in philosophy class at <a title="" href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/core-texts-spring-2025/">partiallyexaminedlife.com/class.</a> Buy the PEL book for someone cool at <a title="" href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/book/">partiallyexaminedlife.com/book</a>. ... Read more

09 Dec 2024

51 MINS

51:57

09 Dec 2024


#690

PEL Presents NEM#225: Loudon Wainwright III, the Reporter-Songwriter

Loudon has released 30 albums since 1970. He's the quintessential singer-songwriter, relying on crafty, personal lyrics delivered dynamically and typically solo, though his studio work has varied in production style and orchestration level over the years. We discuss "How Old is 75" from Lifetime Achievement (2022), "Road Ode (Live)" from Career Moves (1993), and "Be Careful There’s a Baby in the House" from Album II (1971). We wrap up by listening to "Missing You" from Last Man on Earth (2001). Intro: "The Swimming Song" from Attempted Mustache (1973). Learn more at <a href= "https://lw3.com/">lw3.com</a>. [Hear more Nakedly Examined Music] (http://nakedlyexaminedmusic.com) . [Support us on Patreon] (http://patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic) . ... Read more

08 Dec 2024

1 HR 09 MINS

1:09:12

08 Dec 2024


#689

PEL Presents PvI#86: Friends with App-Platter Benefits w/ Sarah Shockey and Tommy Maranges

It's a TEAM PLAY episode just in time for the holiday season! Returning guests improviser and <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marty-sarah-love-wrestling/id1134012081"> podcaster</a> Sarah and recovering Philosophy Bro Tommy join Mark and Bill to talk AND EXPERIENCE friendship, with our longest single improv scene to date. What is friendship? Do you know your friends enough to imitate them? Does one friendship or fast-casual restaurant have to die so that another may emerge?  [Hear more at philosophyimprov.com] (http://philosophyimprov.com/) . <a href= "https://philosophyimprov.com/support" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Support the and hear this ad-free at podcast at philosophyimprov.com/support</a>. <a href= "https://evergreenpodcasts.com/">Check out other Evergreen Podcast offerings</a>. ... Read more

06 Dec 2024

58 MINS

58:37

06 Dec 2024


#688

Ep. 356: Feuerbach Against Theology (Part One)

On Ludwig Feuerbach's "Principles of the Philosophy of the Future" (1843) and the introduction to The Essence of Christianity (1841). What was the original point of religion? Can we retain what was emotionally good about it yet direct our efforts to purely practical matters? Feuerbach says yes, and this was a key influence on Marx. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsors: Have up to a $100 donation to effective charities matched at <a title="" href= "https://givewell.org" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">GiveWell.org</a>. Get a $1/month e-commerce trial at [shopify.com/pel.] (https://shopify.com/pel) Learn about Mark's spring Core Texts in philosophy class at <a title="" href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/core-texts-spring-2025/">partiallyexaminedlife.com/class.</a> ... Read more

02 Dec 2024

51 MINS

51:19

02 Dec 2024


#687

PEL Presents SUBTEXT: The Aesthetics of Death in "Beetlejuice" (Part 1)

Adam and Barbara Maitland are dead, but their troubles have just begun. The farmhouse decor of their home is under threat from the pretentious modernism of Delia Deetze, and her plan to remake it in her own image could turn their post-life purgatory into earthbound hell. Solving this problem leaves them with an impossible choice between figuring out how to navigate an intractable netherworld bureaucracy, or seeking the help of a renegade demon whose perverse remedies are worse than what they’re supposed to cure. Their way out of this impasse involves teaming up with Delia’s step-daughter Lydia, whose goth style seems to lend itself to communicating with the dead. Wes and Erin discuss “Beetlejuice,” and what its battle royale between conflicting aesthetic sensibilities—rustic, gothic, and avant-garde—has to say about the connections between love, mortality, and the many pitfalls of growing up. Get more at [subtextpodcast.com] (https://subtextpodcast.com/) . ... Read more

30 Nov 2024

43 MINS

43:29

30 Nov 2024


#686

Ep. 355: Marx on Alienation (Part Two)

Continuing on "Estranged Labor," "Private Property and Communism," and "The Power of Money on Bourgeois Society" with guest Lawrence Dallman. Does capitalism give rise to alienation, or is it alienation that is responsible for capitalism? Does a person (capitalist) have to be responsible for someone's alienation? What would we be like unalienated? Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion, including a supporter-exclusive <a href= "ttps://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2024/11/28/ep355-3-marx-alienation-citizen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part three</a> to this discussion.  Sponsors: Have up to a $100 donation to effective charities matched at <a title="" href= "https://givewell.org" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">GiveWell.org</a>. Check out the <a href= "https://www.byuradio.org/constant-wonder" target="_blank" rel= "noreferrer noopener">Constant Wonder podcast</a>. ... Read more

25 Nov 2024

49 MINS

49:43

25 Nov 2024


#685

Ep. 355: Marx on Alienation (Part One)

On three of Karl Marx's Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, "Estranged Labor," "Private Property and Communism," and "The Power of Money on Bourgeois Society." Featuring guest Lawrence Dallman. What is the plight of the working poor? It's that they are in an unnatural situation with regard to their work, which is supposed to gain them a sense of self but doesn't do so when it's a result of selling one's time. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. If you enjoy our podcast, check out Ghost Town at <a href= "https://www.ghosttownpod.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">ghosttownpod.com</a>. ... Read more

18 Nov 2024

39 MINS

39:09

18 Nov 2024


#684

PREMIUM-PEL Thick-of-Fall Nightcap 2024

Mark, Wes, and Seth talk about horror media and what scares us in light of Halloween. We then give some follow-up discussion re. our Williamson and Chappell interviews. Do we actually want to participate in Williamson's science-minded analytic philosophy of the future? Were we too one-sided in our trans coverage? We respond to an email about our trans episode. If you're not hearing <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2024/11/10/pel-nightcap-fall-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the full version of this discussion</a>, sign up via one of the options described at [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) . ... Read more

17 Nov 2024

10 MINS

10:17

17 Nov 2024


#683

Ep. 354: Guest Tim Williamson on Philosophic Method (Part Two)

We continue talking with Tim about Overfitting and Heuristics in Philosophy (2024), considering Tim's overall project and view of what philosophy should be doing and with what tools. We get into modeling, ethics, public philosophy, and more. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion, including a supporter-exclusive PEL <a href= "https:/partiallyexaminedlife.com/2024/11/10/pel-nightcap-fall-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nightcap</a> further reflecting on this episode. Sponsor: Apply for convenient term life insurance from Fabric by Gerber Life at <a title="" href= "https://meetfabric.com/PEL" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">meetfabric.com/PEL</a>. ... Read more

11 Nov 2024

41 MINS

41:13

11 Nov 2024


#682

Ep. 354: Guest Tim Williamson on Philosophic Method (Part One)

Oxford philosophy professor Timothy Williamson talks to us about his new book, Overfitting and Heuristics in Philosophy. How can we best apply the insights of philosophy of science to philosophy itself? Maybe some alleged philosophical counter-examples are just the result of psychological heuristics gone wrong. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Get a $1/month e-commerce trial at [shopify.com/pel.] (https://shopify.com/pel) ... Read more

04 Nov 2024

42 MINS

42:33

04 Nov 2024


#681

Ep. 353: Reid on Visual Knowledge (Part Two)

Concluding our treatment of "Of Seeing" in Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense. We continue to hammer at this idea of "resemblance" between mental contents and physical objects, consider more carefully Reid's level of support for the primary/secondary quality distinction, how he treats non-signifying feelings like pain and warmth, and his comparison of sense experience to testimony. Get more at <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/">partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>. Visit [partiallyexaminedlife.com/support] (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) to get ad-free episodes and bonus content. Sponsor: Check out the <a href= "https://www.byuradio.org/constant-wonder" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Constant Wonder podcast</a>. Have you subscribed to the other podcasts by PEL hosts? Check out <a href= "https://evergreenpodcasts.com/closereadsphilosophy" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Closereads</a>, <a href= "https://evergreenpodcasts.com/philosophy-vs-improv" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Philosophy vs. Improv</a>, <a href= "https://subtextpodcast.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">SUBTEXT</a>, [Nakedly Examined Music] (https://nakedlyexaminedmusic.com/) , and [Pretty Much Pop] (https://prettymuchpop.com/) . <a href= "https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/book/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Buy the PEL book</a>. ... Read more

28 Oct 2024

47 MINS

47:49

28 Oct 2024