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
Mar 7, 2026 • 55min
PEL Presents PvI#113: Mary and Mark Pick Their Battles
They debate when to pick fights and when to let things go. Mary shares roommate-search trauma and setting practical boundaries. They act out awkward roommate and family Thanksgiving scenes. Conversations cover religion vs. public debate, handling QAnon and online disputes, social media curiosity, energy limits, and a playful moral skit about vegetarianism and compassion.
Mar 5, 2026 • 57min
PEL Presents PMP#216: Oscars So Black?
A lively discussion about what counts as a Black film and whether creators behind the camera matter. They debate why trauma-heavy dramas dominate awards and whether comedies or lighter Black stories get overlooked. Conversation covers Academy bias, palatability, and whether non-Black filmmakers can authentically tell Black experiences.
17 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 51min
Ep. 386: Hegel on Society (Part One)
A dive into Hegel's idea that the social group is the basic unit of reality. Short takes on why Hegel's language is tough and which guides help. A look at two layers of law—familial/divine and explicit human rules. Discussion of how communal customs shape action and how spirit develops into individual minds through stages.
Feb 28, 2026 • 1h 22min
PEL Presents NEM#247: John S. Hall (King Missile): Daily Poet
John S. Hall, poet and frontman of King Missile known for daily poems and the spoken-word hit 'Detachable Penis'. He talks about a new King Missile record and rekindled collaborations with Dog Bowl. They discuss turning poems into songs, using jaunty music for dark subjects, gender and satire in provocative lyrics, and his practice of posting poems every day.
Feb 23, 2026 • 1h 2min
Ep. 385: Guest Graham Harman on Object vs. Continuum (Part Two)
Graham Harman, philosopher behind object-oriented ontology and author of Waves and Stones, discusses things-in-themselves, how objects resist simple reduction, and the difference between continua and carved parts. He explores natural kinds, fictional characters gaining real status, aesthetics and connoisseurship, and why philosophy reads more like art than pure science.
Feb 22, 2026 • 1h 4min
PEL Presents PvI#112: Musical Zoom w/ Jerome Kurtenbach
Jerome Kurtenbach, an LA composer/director/screenwriter known for musical improv and pandemic-era Zoom music videos. He talks about adapting musical improvisation to Zoom, creating ensemble virtual pieces, daily playful songwriting habits, supporting ensemble singers, and the philosophy of artistic surrender. Expect demonstrations, sketches, and practical tips for adding music and play to everyday life.
Feb 19, 2026 • 1h 4min
PEL Presents PMP#215: Hamnet Dramatizes Shakespeare
A lively discussion of Chloe Zhao's Hamnet adaptation and how cinematic choices reshape the novel's interior life. They debate whether the film uses Shakespearean dialogue and motifs to deepen grief or to manipulate emotion. The conversation compares Hamnet to other Shakespeare biopics and asks how imagining the playwright's life changes our experience of his plays.
Feb 16, 2026 • 48min
Ep. 385: Guest Graham Harman on Object vs. Continuum (Part One)
Graham Harman, philosopher behind object-oriented ontology and author of Waves and Stones, explores how discrete objects relate through continua like space and time. He discusses thixis (contact), the puzzle of indirect interaction, emergence vs. reduction, and the role of aesthetics and rhetoric in accessing reality. Short, sharp exchanges probe composition, causation, and why objects outstrip their descriptions.
Feb 13, 2026 • 1h 19min
PEL Presents NEM#246: Robert Deeble in His Talking Voice
Robert Deeble, folky singer-songwriter and psychotherapist with a multi-decade career, discusses singing in a talking voice and vocal placement. He recounts reworking songs like "Attic of Desire," arranging strings and backing vocals, and balancing touring with a therapy practice. They explore influences, open tunings, and collaborations including a duet with Victoria Williams.
Feb 9, 2026 • 45min
Ep. 384: Graham Harman's Object-Oriented Ontology (Part Three)
A lively dive into aesthetics as a route to hidden reality. They unpack how metaphor might create new objects and whether art gives indirect access to things-in-themselves. Theatricality comes up: viewers standing in for objects. Debates probe if metaphors yield cognition or only feeling and whether inwardness implies isolated noumena.
