The Partially Examined Life

From Podpedia
The Partially Examined Life
File:It is the logo for The Partially Examined Life.jpg
Official Logo for the Podcast, drawn by Ken Gerber
Presentation
StarringMark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey
GenrePhilosophy
FormatGuided discussion / Informal conversation
Created byMark Linsenmayer
Written byVarious
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesPeriodic
Length90 minutes - 130 minutes
Production
Theme music composed byMark Linsenmayer
No. of episodes111
Publication
Original releaseMay 11th, 2009 – present
Websitehttp://www.partiallyexaminedlife.com

The Partially Examined Life is a podcast and downloadable audio series about philosophy.[1] It is self described at the beginning of many episodes as "A philosophy podcast by some guys who were at one point set on doing philosophy for a living, but then thought better of it." The most frequent participants are Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, and Dylan Casey. The show also sometimes brings on experts to discuss particular topics.

History[edit | edit source]

The show came together as the brain child of Mark Linsenmayer who reached out to Seth Paskin and Wes Alwan to do the show in the format of a podcast. Mark, Seth, and Wes had been classmates at the University of Texas while earning their Master's degrees in Philosophy. The first full episode, "The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living," aired (become downloadable) on May 12, 2009. Dylan Casey later joined the program as a regular after previously having been a frequent guest. Dylan also manages The Partially Examined Life website and Facebook page.

References to The Partially Examined Life[edit | edit source]

  • The AV Club, a publication of The Onion, discussed The Partially Examined Life in their publication for the week of February 23–29 [2]
  • The National Catholic Reporter mentioned The Partially Examined Life in a blog post on Kierkegaard on February 27, 2012 [3]
  • Bad Philosophy Podcast episode 116 mentions The Partially Examined Life[4]
  • Artist Dennis Hollingsworth mentioned The Partially Examined Life in a post on his website, referring to Episode six on Leibniz [5]
  • Well-known American art critic and philosopher Arthur Danto, who's essays "The Appreciation and Interpretation of Works of Art," and "The End of Art" were the subject of Episode 16 "Danto on Art," listened to and enjoyed the program. He later wrote to the show and suggested follow up readings.[6]
  • The Partially Examined Life was reviewed by Colin Marshall of Maximum Fun on January 2, 2012[7]
  • Patricia Churchland, well known Canadian-American philosopher and author, appeared on the podcast to discuss her work "Braintrust: What neuroscience tells us about Morality" in Episode 41.[8]
  • Slate's Stephen Metcalf talks up the Partially Examined Life on the Culture Gabfest. [9]

List of Episodes[edit | edit source]

The following is a full list of complete, official episodes of The Partially Examined Life. The podcasters have also released music, pre-episodes ("Precognitions"), and other non "official episode" media. This list includes only the official, numbered episodes of the podcast.

No. Title Participants Air date
0"Introduction To The Podcast"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanMay 11, 2009 (2009-05-11)
1"The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living (released in two parts)"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanMay 12, 2009 (2009-05-12)
2"Descartes's Meditations: What Can We Know?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanMay 13, 2009 (2009-05-13)
3"Hobbes's Leviathan: The Social Contract"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanJune 7, 2009 (2009-06-07)
4"Camus and the Absurd"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanJune 22, 2009 (2009-06-22)
5"Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanJuly 16, 2009 (2009-07-16)
6"Leibniz's Monadology: What Is There?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanJuly 31, 2009 (2009-07-31)
7"Wittgenstein's Tractatus" What Is There and Can We Talk About It"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanAugust 19, 2009 (2009-08-19)
8"Wittgenstein's Tractatus (and Carnap): What Can We Legitimately Talk About?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanSeptember 4, 2009 (2009-09-04)
9"Utilitarian Ethics: What Should We Do?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanSeptember 18, 2009 (2009-09-18)
10"Kantian Ethics: What Should We Do?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanOctober 19, 2009 (2009-10-19)
11"Nietzche's Immoralism: What is Ethics, Anyway?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanNovember 10, 2009 (2009-11-10)
12"Chuang Tzu's Taoism: What Is Wisdom?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanDecember 6, 2009 (2009-12-06)
13"What Are The Metaphysical Implications of Quantum Physics?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, and Dylan CaseyJanuary 3, 2010 (2010-01-03)
14"Machiavelli on Politics"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanFebruary 7, 2010 (2010-02-07)
15"Hegel on History"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanFebruary 24, 2010 (2010-02-24)
16"Danto on Art"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanMarch 4, 2010 (2010-03-04)
17"Hume's Empiricism: What Can We Know?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanMarch 29, 2010 (2010-03-29)
18"Plato: What Is Knowledge?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanApril 20, 2010 (2010-04-20)
19"Kant: What Can We Know?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Azzurra CrispinoMay 14, 2010 (2010-05-14)
20"Pragmatism - Pragmatism - Peirce and James"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan and Dylan CaseyJune 9, 2010 (2010-06-09)
21"What Is The Mind? (Turing, et al)"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanJune 28, 2010 (2010-06-28)
22"More James's Pragmatism: Is Faith Justified? What Is Truth?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan and Dylan CaseyJuly 18, 2010 (2010-07-18)
23"Rousseau: Human Nature vs. Culture"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanJuly 29, 2010 (2010-Jul-29)
24"Spinoza on God and Metaphysics"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanAugust 24, 2010 (2010-08-24)
25"Spinoza on Human Nature"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanSeptember 10, 2010 (2010-09-10)
26"Frued on The Human Condition"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanSeptember 25, 2010 (2010-09-25)
27"Nagarjuna on Buddhist "Emptiness""Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, and Erik DouglasOctober 10, 2010 (2010-10-10)
28"Nelson Goodman on Art as Epistemology"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan and Jay BaileyOctober 31, 2010 (2010-10-31)
29"Kierkegaard on The Self"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan and Daniel HorneNovember 21, 2010 (2010-11-21)
30"Schopenhauer on Explanations and Knowledge"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanDecember 19, 2010 (2010-12-19)
31"Husserl's Phenomenology"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanJanuary 10, 2011 (2011-01-10)
32"Heidegger: What is Being?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes AlwanFebruary 7, 2011 (2011-02-07)
33"Montaigne: What Is the Purpose of Philosophy?"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyFebruary 18, 2011 (2011-02-18)
34"Frege on the Logic of Language"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Matt Teichman (host of Elucidations)March 13, 2011 (2011-03-13)
35"Hegel on Self-Consciousness"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Tod McDonaldApril 10, 2011 (2011-04-10)
37"Locke on Political Power"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Sabrina WeissMay 6, 2011 (2011-05-06)
38"Bertrand Russell on Math and Logic"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, John PeltonMay 25, 2011 (2011-05-25)
39"Schleiermacher Defends Religion"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Daniel HorneJune 10, 2011 (2011-06-10)
40"Plato's Republic: What Is Justice?"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyJuly 11, 2011 (2011-07-11)
41"Pat Churchland on the Neurology on Morality (Plus Hume's Ethics)"Mark Linsenmayer, Dylan Casey, and Patrica ChurchlandJuly 18, 2011 (2011-07-18)
42"Feminists on Human Nature and Moral Psychology"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey, Azzurra CrispinoSeptember 5, 2011 (2011-09-05)
43"Arguments for the Existence"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Robert ScottOctober 11, 2011 (2011-10-11)
44"New Atheist Critiques of Religion"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyOctober 29, 2011 (2011-10-29)
45"Moral Sense Theory: Hume and Smith"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Getty LustilaSeptember 15, 2011 (2011-09-15)
46"Plato on Ethics & Religion"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Matt EvansNovember 16, 2011 (2011-11-16)
47"Satire and Consciousness and the Self"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyNovember 30, 2011 (2011-11-30)
48"Merleau-Ponty on Perception and Knowledge"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyDecember 17, 2011 (2011-12-17)
49"Foucault on Power and Punishment"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey and Katie McIntyreJanuary 11, 2012 (2012-01-11)
50"Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey, David BuchananFebruary 3, 2012 (2012-02-03)
51"Semiotics and Structuralism (Saussure, et, al)"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, C. Derick VarnFebruary 24, 2012 (2012-02-24)
53"Philosophy and Race (DuBois Martin Luther King, Cornel West)"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Lawrence WareMarch 17, 2012 (2012-03-17)
53"Buddhism and Naturalism with Guest Owen Flanagan"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Owen FlanaganMarch 26, 2012 (2012-03-26)
54"More Buddhism and Naturalism"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey,April 6, 2012 (2012-04-06)
55"Wittgenstein on Language"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Philosophy BroMay 2, 2012 (2012-05-02)
56"More Wittgenstein on Language"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Philosophy BroMay 14, 2012 (2012-05-14)
57"Henri Bergson on Humor"Mark Linsenmayer,Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Jennifer DziuraMay 31, 2012 (2012-05-31)
58"What Grounds Ethical Claims? (Moore, Stevenson, Maclntyre)"Mark Linsenmayer,Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyJune 20, 2012 (2012-06-20)
60"Aristotle: What's the best Form Of Government"Mark Linsenmayer,Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyJuly 22, 2012 (2012-07-22)
61"Nietzsche on Truth and Skepticism"Mark Linsenmayer,Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, and Jessica BerryAugust 15, 2012 (2012-08-15)
62"Voltaire’s Novel “Candide”"Mark Linsenmayer,Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, (recorded together in Madison, WI)September 5, 2012 (2012-09-05)
63"Existentialist Heroes in Cormac McCarthy’s “No Country for Old Men”"Mark Linsenmayer,Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Eric PetrieSeptember 21, 2012 (2012-09-21)
64"Celebrity, with guest Lucy Lawless"Mark Linsenmayer,Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Lucy LawlessOctober 6, 2012 (2012-10-06)
65"Then Federalist Papers"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyOctober 27, 2012 (2012-10-27)
66"Quine on Linguistic Meaning and Science"Mark Linsenmayer,Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Matt TeichmanNovember 21, 2012 (2012-11-21)
67"Carnap on Logic and Science"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Matt TeichmanDecember 7, 2012 (2012-12-07)
68"David Chalmers Interview on the Scrutability of the World"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey,December 21, 2012 (2012-12-21)
69"Plato on Rhetoric vs. Philosophy"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey,January 12, 2013 (2013-01-12)
70"Marx on The Human Condition"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan,January 30, 2013 (2013-01-30)
71"Martin Buber’s “I and Thou”"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Daniel HorneFebruary 15, 2013 (2013-02-15)
72"Terrorism with Jonathan R. White"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Jonathan R. WhiteMarch 9, 2013 (2013-03-09)
73"Why Do Philosophy? (And What Is It?)"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyMarch 22, 2013 (2013-03-22)
74"Jacques Lacan’s Psychology"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyApril 3, 2013 (2013-04-03)
75"Lacan & Derrida Criticize Poe’s “The Purloined Letter”"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Dylan CaseyApril 19, 2013 (2013-04-19)
76"Deleuze on What Philosophy Is"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey, Daniel CoffeenMay 14, 2013 (2013-05-14)
77"Santayana on the Appreciation of Beauty"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey,June 9, 2013 (2013-06-09)
78"Ayn Rand on Living Rationally"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey,July 1, 2013 (2013-07-01)
79"Heraclitus on Understanding the World"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Eva BrannJuly 15, 2013 (2013-07-15)
80"Heidegger on our Existential Situation"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey,August 8, 2013 (2013-08-08)
81"Jung on the Psyche and Dreams"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan,August 29, 2013 (2013-08-29)
82"Karl Popper on Science"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseySeptember 24, 2013 (2013-09-24)
83"New Work with Guest Frithjof Bergmann"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Frithjof BergmannOctober 10, 2013 (2013-10-10)
84"Nietzsche’s “Gay Science”"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyNovember 11, 2013 (2013-11-11)
85"Rawls on Social Justice"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyDecember 7, 2013 (2013-12-07)
86"Thomas Kuhn on Scientific Progress"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyDecember 24, 2013 (2013-12-24)
86"Thomas Kuhn on Scientific Progress"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyDecember 24, 2013 (2013-12-24)
87"Sartre on Freedom and Self-Deception"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyJanuary 1, 2014 (2014-01-01)
88"G.E.M. Anscombe: Should We Use Moral Language?"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Philosophy BroFebruary 18, 2014 (2014-02-18)
89"Berkeley: Only Ideas Exist!"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey,March 12, 2014 (2014-03-12)
90"Sci-Fi and Philosophy with Guest David Brin"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey, Brian Casey, David BrinMarch 26, 2014 (2014-03-26)
91"Transhumanism (Plus More on Brin)"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Brian Casey,March 29, 2014 (2014-03-29)
92"Henri Bergson on How to Do Metaphysics"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Matt TeichmanApril 11, 2014 (2014-04-11)
93"Freedom and Responsibility (Strawson vs. Strawson)"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Tamler SommersMay 2, 2014 (2014-05-02)
94"Schopenhauer on Reading, Writing, and Thinking"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyMay 22, 2014 (2014-05-22)
95"Gödel on Math"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Adi HabbuJune 16, 2014 (2014-06-16)
96"Oppenheimer and the Rhetoric of Science Advisers"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin Dylan Casey, Lynda WalshJuly 1, 2014 (2014-07-01)
97"Michael Sandel on Social Justice and the Self"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey,July 19, 2014 (2014-07-19)
98"Guest Michael Sandel Against Market Society"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Michael SandelJuly 26, 2014 (2014-07-26)
99"Looking Back on 100 Discussions and 5+ Years"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Daniel HorneAugust 11, 2014 (2014-08-11)
100"Plato’s Symposium Live Celebration!"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Daniel Horne, Philosophy BroAugust 15, 2014 (2014-08-15)
101"Maimonides on God"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Danny LobellSeptember 1, 2014 (2014-09-01)
102"Emerson on Wisdom and Individuality"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseySeptember 19, 2014 (2014-09-19)
103"Thoreau on Living Deliberately"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyOctober 14, 2014 (2014-10-14)
104"Robert Nozick’s Libertarianism"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Stephen MetcalfOctober 27, 2014 (2014-10-27)
105"Kant: What Is Beauty?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey,November 15, 2014 (2014-11-15)
106"Pyrrhonian Skepticism According to Sextus Empiricus"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Jessica BerryDecember 4, 2014 (2014-12-04)
107"Edmund Burke on the Sublime"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey, Amir ZakiDecember 19, 2014 (2014-12-19)
108"Dangers of A.I. with Guest Nick Bostrom"Mark Linsenmayer, Dylan Casey, Nick Bostrom, Luke MuehlhauserJanuary 6, 2015 (2015-01-06)
109"Jaspers’s Existentialism with Guest Paul Provenza"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Paul ProvenzaJanuary 19, 2015 (2015-01-19)
110"Alfred North Whitehead: What Is Nature?"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyFebruary 2, 2015 (2015-02-02)
111"Gadamer’s Hermeneutics: How to Interpret"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyMarch 2, 2015 (2015-03-02)
112"Ricoeur on Interpreting Religion"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Lawrence WareMarch 16, 2015 (2015-03-16)
113"Jesus’s Parables"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Lawrence WareApril 6, 2015 (2015-04-06)
114"Schopenhauer: “The World Is Will”"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyApril 27, 2015 (2015-04-27)
115"Schopenhauer on Music with Guest Jonathan Segel"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, Jonathan SegelMay 11, 2015 (2015-05-11)
116"Freud on Dreams"Mark Linsenmayer, Seth Paskin, Wes Alwan, Dylan CaseyMay 23, 2015 (2015-05-23)
117"Discussing Sophocles’s “Antigone”"Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Dylan Casey, John CastroJune 15, 2015 (2015-06-15)

References[edit | edit source]