The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
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The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
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...
Recent Episodes
937 episodes
Ep. 394: Hegel on Faith vs. The Enlightenment (Part Two)
We conclude our treatment for the moment of the Spirit section of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, sec. 527-73.
Hegel's diagnosis: The Enlighten...
PEL Presents NEM#255: Michael Timmins (Cowboy Junkies): Mellow But Energized
Michael is the songwriter and guitarist for the Canadian band Cowboy Junkies (featuring two of his siblings and a childhood friend), with whom he's re...
PEL Presents PMP#224: Fantasy Novels Galore
Mark and Al share their mutual interest in fantasy novels. Is "high fantasy" fundamentally different than what enjoyed as kids? Did Peter Jackson's Lo...
Ep. 394: Hegel on Faith vs. The Enlightenment (Part One)
On Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), sec. 527-73, i.e. "Faith and Pure Insight" and "The Struggle of Enlightenment with Superstition."
Pic...
PEL Presents PvI#119: Ms. Philosophy vs. Improv w/ Mary and Jenny
What would PvI be with zero masculine energy? This episode features your usual co-host Mary Hynes and our frequent guest Jennifer Hansen (philosopher...
Ep. 393: Kant vs. Hegel (Part Two)
Concluding our treatment of Ch. 2 of Hegel's Faith and Knowledge (1802). Hegel wants to connect various ideas in Kant: The idea of an "intuitive, ache...
PEL Presents NEM#254: Teddy Thompson Gets Off the Sofa
The golden-voiced son on Richard and Linda is more tied to '50s/'60s rock and country than he his to his parents' folk influences, and he's recorded t...
PEL Presents PMP#223: What Is Star Wars Now?
In light of The Mandalorian and Grogu (and the Disney+ Darth Maul cartoon), we (Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al) check back in with Star Wars. Is it...
Ep. 393: Kant vs. Hegel (Part One)
Continuing on Ch. 2 of Hegel's Faith and Knowledge (1802) , plus some of the material being critiqued from Kant's Critique of Judgment (1790), chiefly...
PEL Presents PvI#118: Aphoristically w/ Andrea Roccella
Mark and Mary are joined by Andrea, an Italian teacher with a broad performing background who's written a book of philosophical, poetic aphorisms call...
PEL Presents Closereads: Horkheimer and Adorno on The Odyssey (Part One)
We read part of The Dialectic of Enlightenment (1944), specifically the parts about Homer's epic as an allegory for the merely apparent triumph of mod...
Ep. 392: Early Hegel Elevates Reason (Part Two)
Continuing on Faith and Knowledge (1802), Ch. 1 and 2. We start off by discussing how beauty might give us a window into things-in-themselves accordin...
NEM#253: Synth-Scaper Richard Barbieri (Japan, Porcupine Tree)
Richard played with art-rock band Japan from 1975 through their five albums, then continued to collaborate with members of that group, releasing sever...
PEL Presents PMP#222: Lordlings of the Flies
In light of the new, well-acted and well-shot BBC/Netflix adaptation, we discuss William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies and its previous (1963...
Ep. 392: Early Hegel Elevates Reason (Part One)
On Faith and Knowledge (1802), Ch. 1 and 2. Famously, Kant critiqued Reason to effectively forbid theology and metaphysics, and a young G.W.F. Hegel w...
PREMIUM-Ep. 391: Habermas Defends Modernity (Part Three)
Your four hosts review the critiques of modernity, try to figure out where Kant fits in, and then discuss Habermas' characterization of Nietzsche's an...
PEL Presents PvI#117: Mark and Mary in the Triboobal Aftermath
We are REELING from our REDACTED episode, and so we talk about the lessons we learned from that and start thinking about what it is to be out of one's...
Ep. 391: Habermas Defends Modernity (Part Two)
Continuing on on The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity, Ch. 1, 2, and 5 with guest John Ganz. We further discuss Habermas' characterizations of Heg...
PEL Presents PMP#221: Streep Does Prada
We discuss the career of Meryl Streep in light of The Devil Wears Prada 2, insofar as we (Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al) have a hold of it; she's b...
Ep. 391: Habermas Defends Modernity (Part One)
On Jürgen Habermas' The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity (1985), featuring guest John Ganz.
Habermas defines modernity as Enlightenment ide...
PEL Presents NEM#252: Folk Legend Tom Paxton
Tom was an integral member of the Greenwich Village early '60s folk scene (playing originals regularly before Bob Dylan did). His tunes have been cove...
Ep. 390: Diderot Debates a Cynic (Part Two)
Continuing on Rameau's Nephew, getting further into Rameau's philosophy and practices and trying to figure out what this anti-hero can tell us about e...
Ep. 390: Diderot Debates a Cynic (Part One)
On Denis Diderot's Rameau's Nephew, a dialogue written in the 1760s. Is virtue necessary for happiness, or in the real world, is vice necessary to get...
PEL Presents PMP#220: Peaky Blinders: Gangs of Birmingham
We discuss Steven Knight's six-seasons-and-a-movie historical crime show Peaky Blinders, featuring Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al. Does the show liv...
NEM#251: Dr. Alan Williams (Birdsong at Morning)
Alan released two albums with folk-rock band Knots and Crosses in the early 90s, put out one solo album, then became a recording engineer and earned a...
Ep. 389: Hegel on Wealth and Power (Part Two)
Concluding on "Culture and its Realm of Actuality," in Hegel's Phenomenology via sections 519-526.
We get into some of the ironic psychology her...
PEL Presents PvI#116: Full Bird Mode w/ BJ Lange
BJ is an LA improviser/actor/TV host (who teaches wounded warriors among others), and he chats with Mark and Mary about migratory patterns, TV shows t...
PEL Presents PMP#219: Weir-ed Sci Fi: Hail Mary and The Martian
We discuss the hard sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, which along with The Martian (2015) was based on a novel by Andy Weir and adapted by Drew Goddard....
Ep. 389: Hegel on Wealth and Power (Part One)
Continuing on Hegel's Phenomenology, "Spirit" chapter, now up to sections 511-526, which finishes off the sub-section of "Self-Alienated Spirit" calle...
PEL Presents NEM#250: Bill Pritchard the Tourist
Bill is a singer/songwriter who recorded five albums of catchy tunes between 1989 and 1991, then retired but came back a vengeance in 2014. He's now j...
PEL Presents Closereads: Kierkegaard on Subjective Knowledge
On an excerpt from Soren Kierkegaard's Concluding Unscientific Postscript (1846) that critiques Hegel's idea of logic (dialectic) and then argues for...
Ep. 388: Hegel on Culture (Part Two)
Continuing on the "Spirit" chapter (more specifically. "Culture and its realm of actuality") in Hegel's Phenomenology, now covering sec. 490-510. How...
PEL Presents PvI#115: Mary and Mark Astro-Logically
In this pitched, high-stakes battle, your hosts have it out about astrological biases, doing offensive accents, letting go of control in an improv sce...
PEL Presents: PMP#218: All the "Scream"-ing
We talk about the Scream meta-slasher film franchise, from the original Wes Craven /Kevin Williamson 1996 debut starring Neve Campbell, and Courtney C...
Ep. 388: Hegel on Culture (Part One)
Continuing on Hegel's Phenomenology, "Spirit" chapter, now up to sections 484-510, which is the first part of "Self-Alienated Spirit. Culture."
...
PEL Presents NEM#249: Kavus Torabi Now Leads Gong
Kavus began in dual-guitar London math-rock bands in the '90s, joined The Cardiacs for their final lineup. His band Knifeworld released the first of i...
Ep. 387: Hegel on Law (Part Two)
Continuing on on sec. 469-483 of Hegel's Phenomenology, finishing the analysis of Antigone and bringing in Oedipus to say why the conflict between typ...
PEL Presents PvI#114: Earning Crazy Town w/ Jenny Hansen
St. Lawrence philosophy prof Jennifer L. Hansen, one of the most frequent guest on Mark's podcasts and expert in feminist philosophy, here hits it off...
PEL Presents PMP#217: Mel Brooks' Old Comedy
In light of Judd Apatow's HBO documentary The 99-Year-Old Man, we discuss the films of Mel Brooks, which were to varying degrees formative on us (i.e....
Ep. 387: Hegel on Law (Part One)
Continuing on Hegel's Phenomenology, "Spirit" chapter, now up to sections 464-483, which are under the sub-headings "Ethical Action. Human and Divine...