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
Sep 24, 2019 • 47min
PEL Presents PMP#12: Once Upon a Tarantino Film w/ Wes Alwan
Wes joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood in the context of Tarantino's other films. We consider T's strange sense of pacing, his comic violence, his historical revisionism, and casting choices. Is this a brilliant film or a fundamentally misguided idea badly in need of an editor? For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop. This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life podcast network and is curated by openculture.com.
Sep 23, 2019 • 44min
Ep. 226: Francis Bacon Invents Science (Part One)
On Sir Francis Bacon's New Organon (1620). Bacon claims to have developed a new toolset that will open up nature to inquiry in a way that wasn't possible for ancient and modern natural philosophy. Mark, Wes, and Dylan consider how much what Bacon describes resembles modern scientific method, talk through Bacon's "four idols" that interfere with impartial inquiry, and consider how Bacon's method fits in with his larger political-ethical-religious views. Please support PEL!
16 snips
Sep 16, 2019 • 59min
Ep. 225: Simone Weil on War and Oppression (Part Two)
Simone Weil and Corey Mohler discuss the self-contradictions of power, the intractability of oppression and war, and Weil's positive solution. They explore Weil's critique of oppression and force in societies, her interpretation of the Iliad and Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy, and the achievements and controversial death of Simone Vi. They also discuss empathy, devotion, gratitude, and farewell, ending with a song about surrender and seeking hope.
14 snips
Sep 9, 2019 • 47min
Ep. 225: Simone Weil on War and Oppression (Part One)
Guest Corey Mohler, an expert on Simone Weil's essays, explores the mechanisms that maintain oppression and war, focusing on Weil's analysis of the Iliad and the dehumanizing effects of force. They discuss the relationship between power, expansion, and brutality, critique Marx's perspective on power dynamics, and explore the link between individual interactions and power-seeking in society. They also delve into the connection between human efforts and natural selection, highlighting how societies have selective forces akin to Darwinian processes.
Sep 2, 2019 • 1h 5min
Ep. 224: Kierkegaard Critiques The Present Age (Part Two)
Continuing on "The Present Age" (1846), plus Hubert Dreyfus's "Nihilism on the Information Highway: Anonymity vs. Commitment in the Present Age" (2004) with guest John Ganz. Does K's critique actually apply to our present age? We address K's view of humor, romance, authenticity, actual community vs. "the public," the leveling that occurs without anyone specific actually doing it, and the virtue of silence. Start with part one or get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL! End song: "Wry Observer" by Aaron David Gleason, as discussed on Nakedly Examined Music #71.
Aug 27, 2019 • 50min
PEL Presents PMP#8: Spider-Man: Far From Home (and Elsewhere)
Mark, Erica, and Brian discuss the function of super-hero films and how this new one fits in. Do we need "realism" in such stories? When does a premise like this get too old to keep recycling? For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode, and more episodes in advance, at patreon.com/prettymuchpop. This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life podcast network and is curated by openculture.com.
Aug 26, 2019 • 48min
Ep. 224: Kierkegaard Critiques The Present Age (Part One)
On Soren Kierkegaard's essay "The Present Age" (1846) and Hubert Dreyfus's "Nihilism on the Information Highway: Anonymity vs. Commitment in the Present Age" (2004). What's wrong with our society? Kierkegaard saw the advent of the press and gossip culture as engendering a systematic passivity and shallowness in his fellows, and Dreyfus thinks this is an even more apt description of the Internet Age. With guest John Ganz. Please support PEL!
Aug 19, 2019 • 55min
Ep. 223: Guest Ned Block on Consciousness (Part Two)
Ned Block, philosopher of mind known for work on consciousness and the access vs phenomenal distinction, joins to debate Chalmers' fading qualia and robot replacement thought experiments. He defends biological criteria for consciousness, critiques historical/teleological accounts, and previews a book on perception vs cognition. The conversation also ranges over experiments, animal pain, and limits of testing phenomenal experience.
Aug 12, 2019 • 50min
Ep. 223: Guest Ned Block on Consciousness (Part One)
Ned Block, NYU philosopher known for work on consciousness and access vs phenomenal consciousness. He clarifies distinctions like phenomenal, access, and self-consciousness. They debate whether androids like Data could be sentient and how levels of functional or neural isomorphism count as evidence. Discussions range from blindsight and no-report paradigms to evolutionary candidates for nonphenomenal minds.
Aug 5, 2019 • 52min
Ep. 222: Debating Functionalism (Block, Chalmers) (Part Two)
A dense back-and-forth on whether a functionally identical machine could lack conscious qualia. They walk through gradual replacement and dancing qualia thought experiments. The conversation probes halfway‑between person-and‑machine scenarios, misreporting worries, inverted qualia, and whether functional descriptions can serve as a scientific account of mind.
