Philosophical Paths

Episode 3 — Aristotle’s Way: Navigating Reality, Not Escaping It In this episode of Philosophical Paths , we walk alongside Aristotle as he offers one of the most enduring answers to Socrates’ timeless question: How should we live? Unlike his teacher Plato, who searched for truth in abstract ideals, Aristotle brought philosophy down to earth—into lived experience, human relationships, and the ordi...

Navigating a Good Life: The Socratic Compass In this episode of Philosophical Paths , we return to the ridge — that symbolic vantage point where the landscape of life opens in every direction and the unsettling truth becomes clear: there isn’t one path ahead, but many, and you still have to choose. Building on Episode 1 and the supplemental deep-dive into The World’s Condition and How We Got Here...

This companion to Episode 1 steps back from your individual life and looks at the wider landscape you’re trying to navigate — a world many of us feel we didn’t design, nor that we are responsible for. Rather than shrugging and saying “it’s always been this way,” we trace how today’s pressures took shape: from the “stable” late 20th century, through the Reagan–Thatcher economic turn, the 2008 Globa...

Philosophical Paths is a podcast for anyone who has reached a point in life where the deeper questions can no longer be ignored. There are maps for almost everything — careers, achievement, and getting ahead — but almost none for how to live well . That’s where philosophy comes in. Not the academic kind, but philosophy as a pathfinder for meaning, direction, and clarity. Hosted by Ian Macfarlane ,...

We all begin life with a map—an idea of how things are supposed to unfold. Work hard, make good choices, stay the course, and everything will make sense in the end. But somewhere along the way, many of us realise the map no longer matches the terrain. In this opening episode of Philosophical Paths , we step onto a figurative ridge and look back at the path we've travelled. The careers pursued...