The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

On Johann Gottfried von Herder's “The Causes of Sunken Taste among the Different Peoples in Whom It Once Blossomed” (1775), “On the Influence of the Belles Lettres on the Higher Sciences” (1781), “Does Painting or Music Have a Greater Effect? A Divine Colloquy” (1785), and some of Critical Forests: Fourth Grove (written 1769). With guest rock god John "Jughead" Pierson. What is aesthetic taste, an...

Mark and Wes go into more textual detail re. Lucretius’s take on atomism and the metaphysical and epistemological problems it entails. Start with Part one . This is a preview; become a PEL Citizen or $5 Patreon supporter to get the full, 50 minute conversation . The post PREVIEW-Ep 206 Lucretius’s Epicurean Physics (Part Three) first appeared on The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast .

More on Lucretius’s poem about Epicurean science: On the Nature of Things from the first century BCE. We talk more about how macroscopic phenomena are supposed to come out of the interaction of atoms, including mind and its processes of knowledge and illusion, including the illusion of love. One conclusion: life after death is not possible. Can the properties of the atoms themselves be explained?...

On Lucretius’s poem about Epicurean science: On the Nature of Things aka De Rerum Natura from the first century BCE. How does the world work? Lucretius presents a system that is surprisingly modern, and raises philosophical issues that are still on point today: What are the basic building blocks of the universe? How could these give rise to minds? What ethical views does a mechanistic worldview im...

Mark and Wes discuss Durkheim's Suicide (1897), getting into more of the details of his account and exploring comparative modes of explanation: Are there really "sociological facts" distinct from mere generalizations about psychological facts? Get the full discussion as a PEL Citizen or $5 Patreon supporter ! The post PREVIEW-Ep 205 Durkheim et al on Suicide (Part Three) first appeared on The Part...

More on philosophical and psychological interpretations of and judgments about suicide with guest Drew Pinsky. Is suicide an epidemic or a choice? Could it be both? Socrates didn't fear death and inspired Stoics and others to see suicide in some circumstances as brave. Or is it always cowardly? Does meaninglessness motivate suicide? Listen to part one first or get the Citizen Edition , which will...

We open with an audio production of "Kill Switch," cover story of Constellary Tales Issue #1, narrated by Mark Linsenmayer. Then we go behind the scenes in an interview with the story's author, Henry Szabranski. Get more Constellary Tales podcasts, and read original sf in the magazine at constellary.com . The post Constellary Tales #4: “Kill Switch” Audio Story and Author Interview first appeared...

We are rejoined by Drew Pinsky to discuss philosophical and psychological readings by Seneca, Arthur Schopenhauer, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, Albert Camus, plus two 2017 survey papers on predictors of suicide. Is suicide ever morally permissible? If it's a symptom of mental illness rather than a chosen behavior, is it even appropriate to morally evaluate it? Check the PEL Store for new offerin...

More on this classic text by (perhaps) Vyasa, with guest Shaan Amin. Should we acquire good karma or behave "beyond good and evil"? How can everything be Krishna while Krishna is also the an element of virtue we're supposed to pursue? How does this compare with Stoicism? Plus, behold Krishna unveiled and be freaked out! Listen to part one first or get the full, unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition ....

On the classic Hindu text (ca. the third century BCE), part of the Indian Epic poem Mahabharata , attributed to Vyasa, using Keya Maitra's 2018 translation/commentary. What is it to live wisely? What grounds duty? Listen as the supreme God Krishna convinces archer hero Arjuna that it's OK for him to kill his relatives because, you know, reincarnation and determinism and caste-related duties. Lots...

Concluding on Julia Kristeva's Powers of Horror (1980) and focusing on H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" (1928). Does Lovecraft's presentation of nameless terror capture (or improve upon) what Kristeva means by "abjection"? End song: "The Other" by Mark Lint feat. Lucy Lawless from Mark Lint's Dry Folk . Listen to part one first, or go back to ep. 202 first. Become a PEL Citizen to get t...

A smart house outlasts humanity in Ray Bradbury's 1950 short story "There Will Come Soft Rains." Also: Tex Thompson describes the annual "experience camp" for authors, Writers in the Field. Get more Constellary Tales podcasts, and read original sf in the magazine (Issue no. 1 is now online) at constellary.com . The post Constellary Tales #3: Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains,” Guest Tex T...

More on Julia Kristeva's Powers of Horror (1980) plus H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" (1928). What is the object of fear? Mark, Seth, and Dylan get clearer on Kristeva's view of the establishment and loss of the integrity of the self, what the "object" of abjection is, and what this all might have to do with feminism. Most of the Lovecraft goodness is in part two .  Please support PEL  to g...

Hear the new Mark Lint song featuring your favorite PEL guest on lead vocals. …And other witty and pleasurable tunes! Support the effort and earn a full hour chatting directly about philosophy with your practically human PEL host! The post PEL Music: Lucy Lawless Sings “The Other,” Plus “1984” and More (Earn a 1-on-1 with Mark) first appeared on The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast .

Mark takes a very close look at pages 1–4 of the first chapter of On Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection (1980) as a supplement to episode 202 . Get the full, 55-minute experience as a PEL Citizen , or get it by supporting us on Patreon for a mere $1! The post PREVIEW-Ep 202 Follow-Up: Close Reading of Kristeva’s “Approaching Abjection” first appeared on The Partially Examined Life Philo...

Continuing on Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection , ch. 1 and 2. We try to get clearer on Kristeva's talk of "object," the relationship between language and abjection, how Kristeva is advancing on Freud, how to be a mom that allows a kid to separate in a healthy way, and how abjection plays into religion and writing. Listen to part one first, or get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition , and...

On Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection (1980), ch. 1 and 2. Kristeva writes about "abjection," where we violently reject things like corpses, bodily wastes and other fluids, and the Lovecraftian unnameable that lurks at the edge of our awareness. Her book is also all about the self, suggesting modifications to Freud's Oedipal complex and Lacan's mirror-stage story. With guest Kelley Citrin. Co...

Mark and Seth get further into the specifics of Marcus's metaphysics and how this is supposed to relate to behavior. Can his directives really come solely "from reason" as he claims? How does this interact with the behaviors that we pursue "by nature," i.e., without conscious deliberation required? Seth is concerned with how individualistic the philosophy is. Mark is concerned that if you discard...

More on The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (ca. 180 CE) plus Ryan's The Daily Stoic (2016). We talk Stoicism as "pre-mourning," love of fate, the divine plan, political ethics, ethical models, and overwriting your brain with the Stoic operating system. Hear part 1 first, or get the full, unbroken Citizen Edition , as well as the follow-up discussion. Please support PEL! End song: "Any Way the Wind...

Please wander over to patreon.com/marklint to help support the new album! The post Support the Arts: First Mixes Done for the New Mark Lint Album! first appeared on The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast .

On The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (ca. 180 C.E.) plus Ryan's The Daily Stoic (2016). What does Stoicism look like in practice, in both ancient and modern contexts? You might think that eschewing the shallow, out-of-our-control trappings of fame and wealth in favor of personal cultivation would make one unambitious, but Ryan uses Marcus as a prime example of how to be a Stoic while trying to ac...

Continuing on "What Is Enlightenment" by Immanuel Kant (1784), "On Enlightening the Mind" by Moses Mendelssohn (1784), and "What Is Enlightenment" by Michael Foucault (1984). We finish up Kant (the courage to know!) and lay out the Mendelssohn (cultivation vs. enlightenment) and Foucault (ironically heroize the present!). Will this conversation enlighten you? Who knows? Listen to part one first or...

Octavia Butler's "Bloodchild" is (among other things) a successful example of a certain kind of pregnancy story. Also: Brian puts Ken to the test about films nominated both for the Hugo and the Oscar, and some spoiler-free recommendations. Get more Constellary Tales podcasts, and read original sf in the magazine (issue no. 1 coming in November) at constellary.com . The post Constellary Tales #2: “...

On "What Is Enlightenment" by Immanuel Kant (1784), "On Enlightening the Mind" by Moses Mendelssohn (1784), and "What Is Enlightenment" by Michael Foucault (1984). At the end of the historical period known as The Enlightenment, a Berlin newspaper asked what exactly that is, and Kant and Mendelssohn responded. Both were concerned with whether too much enlightenment among the public can cause social...

Wes Alwan is joined by Tracy Morgan and Louis Scuderi to discuss Freud's classic 1917 essay . Note : Part two will NOT be appearing on this feed. Become a PEL Citizen to get the full discussion . Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to learn how. Listen to more (sub)Text . The post Bonus: (sub)Text #4: Freud’s “Mourning and Melancholia” (Part One) first appeared on The Partially Examined Life P...