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#796: L.A. Paul — On Becoming a Vampire, Whether or Not to Have Kids, Getting Incredible Mentorship for $250, Transformative Experiences, and More

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Feb 20, 2025

Guest

L.A. Paul

L.A. Paul, a Yale philosophy and cognitive science professor, delves into transformative experiences and decision-making. She uses a captivating vampire thought experiment to explore how major choices, like parenthood, shape our identity and desires. Reflecting on her own journey from chemistry to philosophy, Paul discusses the emotional complexity of life-altering decisions. The conversation uniquely ties philosophical concepts to real-world applications, including bioethics and personal growth, while offering insights through literature and film.

01:42:00

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Episode notes

Life Choices and Trade-offs

L.A. Paul highlights the trade-offs involved in major life choices, like having children versus other pursuits.
She emphasizes chance and the unknowable nature of each path.

Personal Reflections on Parenthood

L.A. Paul's decision to have children was complex, balancing her passion for philosophy with societal expectations.
Her husband's desire for children tipped the balance in favor of parenthood.

From Chemistry to Philosophy

L.A. Paul's shift from chemistry to philosophy stemmed from a disastrous lab experience and a yearning for deeper questions.
She sought intellectual pursuits that resonated more with her personal values.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Navigating Philosophy: A Journey of Mentorship and Discovery

05:31 • 22min

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Vampires and Transformative Choices

27:51 • 10min

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Navigating Transformative Experiences and Major Life Decisions

38:18 • 5min

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Transformative Choices: Navigating Parenthood and Philosophy

43:17 • 22min

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Exploring Philosophy Through Fiction and Film

01:05:32 • 16min

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Philosophy, Transformation, and Reality

01:21:52 • 14min

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Exploring Curiosity and Philosophical Themes for Everyone

01:35:42 • 2min

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Weekly Curations and Sleep Innovations

01:37:31 • 4min

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#24834

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Untitled

L.A. Paul

No description available.

#30482

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Causation: A User's Guide

Ned Hall

L. A. Paul

Causation: A User's Guide provides a detailed exploration of the philosophical debate surrounding causation, examining reductive theories and counterfactual analyses. The book is designed for both beginners and specialists, offering insights into the metaphysics of causal relations and methodological discussions relevant to broader philosophical inquiry.

#19912

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

Knowledge

A Very Short Introduction

Jennifer Nagel

This book provides an accessible introduction to epistemology, covering classic questions about knowledge and belief, as well as contemporary debates involving logic, linguistics, and psychology. It explores topics such as skepticism, rationalism, and empiricism, offering a clear and engaging exploration of the field.

#96337

The felt meanings of the world

Quentin Smith

In 'The Felt Meanings of the World: A Metaphysics of Feeling', Quentin Smith delves into the philosophical aspects of emotions, exploring how they relate to our understanding of the world. The book offers a comprehensive analysis of the role of feelings in shaping our metaphysical perspectives.

#80340

The aleph

including the prose fictions from The Maker

Jorge Luis Borges

#4187

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Aspiration

Agnes Callard

#8471

• Mentioned in 6 episodes

Open Socrates

Agnes Callard

#3478

• Mentioned in 14 episodes

What to expect when you're expecting

Constance Bannister

This book presents advice in a question-and-answer format, proceeding chronologically from the suspicion of pregnancy through each of the nine months and into the postpartum period. It includes sections such as 'Your Body This Month,' 'Your Baby This Month,' and 'What You May Be Concerned About,' as well as 'For Dads' boxes addressing fathers’ unique concerns.

#10474

• Mentioned in 5 episodes

The Garden of Forking Paths

Jorge Luis Borges

The story revolves around Dr. Yu Tsun, a Chinese spy working for the Germans during World War I, who must transmit a crucial message by killing a man named Albert. The narrative intertwines with the concept of Ts'ui Pen's unfinished novel and labyrinth, which are interpreted as a single project representing multiple possible futures. The story explores themes of time, reality, and the infinite possibilities of choice, foreshadowing concepts from quantum mechanics and chaos theory.

#682

• Mentioned in 49 episodes

Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad

Heart of Darkness, written by Joseph Conrad, is a novella that examines the horrors of Western colonialism. The story is narrated by Marlow, who recounts his journey as a riverboat captain for a Belgian trading company in the Congo. Marlow's journey takes him deep into the African jungle, where he encounters the enigmatic and brutal ivory trader Kurtz. The novella delves into themes of power dynamics, morality, and the psychological impact of colonialism on both the colonizers and the colonized. It is a landmark of modern fiction, known for its narrative and symbolic power, as well as its acute psychological penetration.

#2558

• Mentioned in 18 episodes

Exhalation

Stories

Ted Chiang

Exhalation is a collection of nine stories by Ted Chiang, each tackling different aspects of human existence, science, and philosophy. The stories range from 'The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,' which involves time travel and regret in ancient Baghdad, to 'Exhalation,' where an alien scientist discovers the universal implications of his people’s mechanical existence. Other notable stories include 'The Lifecycle of Software Objects,' which explores the ethics of artificial intelligence, and 'Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,' which examines choice and free will through alternate universes. Chiang’s writing is characterized by its elegance, precision, and deep sympathy for his characters, making this collection a must-read for fans of science fiction that challenges the mind and evokes a sense of wonder.

#3935

• Mentioned in 12 episodes

The novel centers around Joseph Knecht, who is brought to Castalia as a child and eventually becomes the Magister Ludi, the master of the Glass Bead Game. The game itself is a complex synthesis of human ideas, involving music, mathematics, philosophy, and other disciplines. The story delves into Knecht's struggles with the intellectual isolation of Castalia and his eventual decision to leave the order to engage with the outside world. The book explores themes of meaning, purpose, and the tension between intellectual pursuits and real-world experiences, reflecting Hesse's own experiences during World War II and his opposition to Nazi ideology.

#3876

• Mentioned in 12 episodes

Stories of Your Life and Others

Ted Chiang

This collection includes eight short stories by Ted Chiang, each exploring unique and thought-provoking themes. Stories such as 'Tower of Babylon' and 'Story of Your Life' delve into concepts of time, space, and human perception, while 'Understand' and 'Division by Zero' examine the consequences of advanced knowledge and the breakdown of mathematical principles. The collection also includes 'Hell Is the Absence of God,' which probes the nature of belief and faith in a world where divine entities are real. Chiang's stories are known for their rigorous imagination, sharp intelligence, and ability to raise profound questions about the nature of reality and humanity.

#7493

• Mentioned in 7 episodes

The view from nowhere

Thomas Nagel

#615

• Mentioned in 53 episodes

Being and time

Martin Heidegger

In 'Being and Time', Heidegger delves into the fundamental question of what it means to 'be'. The book is divided into two main divisions: the first analyzes the existentials of Dasein, or 'being-in-the-world', while the second grounds these existentials in temporality. Heidegger introduces key concepts such as 'Dasein', 'Being-with', and the three temporal ecstases (having-been, present, and to-come), emphasizing that Dasein's existence is essentially futural and characterized by its possibilities and projects. The work challenges traditional philosophical notions of subject and object, instead positing that Dasein is inseparable from its world and historical context.

#348

• Mentioned in 79 episodes

Alice in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll

#2657

• Mentioned in 17 episodes

Transformative Experience

L. A. Paul

In 'Transformative Experience', L.A. Paul argues that certain life choices, such as deciding to become a parent, converting to a religion, or medically altering one's physical and mental capacities, are transformative experiences that cannot be assessed in advance. These experiences change the person in both epistemic and personal ways, making it impossible to make fully informed decisions based on current preferences and values. Paul uses classic philosophical examples and recent work in decision theory, cognitive science, and the philosophy of mind to develop a rigorous account of how we should understand and approach such transformative decisions.

L.A. Paul is the Millstone Family Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Cognitive Science at Yale University. She is also the author of Transformative Experience. Her work on transformative experience has been covered by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, NPR, and the BBC, among others. And in 2024, she was profiled by The New Yorker.

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Timestamps:

[00:00;00] Start

[00:05:55] The role of Quentin Smith.

[00:09:56] Early philosophy class disasters.

[00:13:34] How is philosophy relevant to the average person?

[00:20:17] A correspondence experiment with philosophers.

[00:25:29] The role of philosophy in modern times.

[00:27:50] The vampire problem.

[00:39:31] What you can't expect when you're expecting.

[00:42:36] When transformative experiences happen without our consent.

[00:48:12] Choosing between potentially transformative experiences.

[00:52:09] How Laurie made the choice to have children.