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 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.

On Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer's "The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception" from Dialectic of Enlightenment (1944), plus Adorno's "Culture Industry Reconsidered" (1963). How does the entertainment industry affect us? Adorno (armed with Marx and Freud) thinks that our "mass culture" is imposed from the top down to lull us into being submissive workers.

End song: "All Too Familiar," from around 1992 with all instruments by Mark Linsenmayer, released on The MayTricks.

Direct download: PEL_ep_136_3-6-16.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

The last of our four releases on G.F.W. Hegel's Encyclopaedia Logic, this time giving Hegel's account of how Being supposedly leads, when you analyze the concept itself, to Nothingness, and then Becoming, Quality, and Quantity. And we also get Infinity in there, which is nice. End song: "Flow' by Gary Lucas with Mark Lint (2016). Listen to Mark interview Gary on Nakedly Examined Music.
Direct download: PEL_ep_135pt2_2-23-16.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

A whole second discussion on G.F.W. Hegel's Encyclopedia Logic, hitting sections 78–99 on the dialectic and Understanding vs. Reason. Hegel thinks we can use Reason to objectively come up with basic metaphysical categories, but can we really? With guest Amogh Sahu.

This continues ep. 134. PEL Citizens can listen to the Aftershow.

End song: "Flow" by Gary Lucas and Mark Lint. Listen to Gary interviewed about this instrumental on Nakedly Examined Music #7.

Direct download: PEL_ep_135_2-23-16.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

More on Hegel's The Science of Logic (1812–1816), §1–§129. We continue trying to make sense of Hegel's method and purpose: How does he think that we can deduce metaphysics? How would we even start? Hegel's view is that contra Kant, we do in fact come in contact with reality, at least when we think hard and systematically enough. And he's going to tell us how to do just that. With guest Amogh Sahu.
Direct download: PEL_ep_134pt2_2-16-16.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On G.F.W. Hegel's The Science of Logic (1812–1816), §1–§129 and The Encyclopaedia Logic (1817) §1–§25. "Logic" for Hegel is about how thought interacts with the world. Our thoughts about fundamental metaphysical categories bear the same relations to each other as the the categories themselves do. Just take Hegel's many, many words for it! With guest Amogh Sahu.

End song: "Procrastination" by Steve Petrinko from The MayTricks' Happy Songs Will Bring You Down (1994). Hear Mark interview Steve on Nakedly Examined Music.

Direct download: PEL_ep_134_2-16-16.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Wes Alwan and Danny Lobell were joined by St. John's Annapolis tutor Rebecca Goldner, Michael Burgess, Nick Halme, Erik Weissengruber, Chase Fiorenza, and Scott Anderson to review our episodes 130 and 131. This is the first 15 minutes. PEL Citizens can hear the full discussion, or anyone can watch it on YouTube

Direct download: PREVIEW-PEL_Ep130-131_Aristotle_Aftershow_1-31-16.mp3
Category:Featured Article -- posted at: 12:00pm CDT

Welcome to Nakedly Examined Music, our first spin-off of PEL. Hear more at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com or find it via iTunes. Mark interviews songwriters about why and how they do what they do. Think of it as applied philosophy. Four episodes are now posted; this cross-post of our pilot features David Lowery of Camper van Beethoven and Cracker talking through three of his songs. He's as well-spoken and full of ideas as many a decent philosopher, so sit back and turn on your active listening function!
Direct download: PELSpecial_NEM_ep_001_12-23-15.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 9:36pm CDT

Continuing on Fromm's The Art of Loving (1956). We talk about love as requiring knowledge: as "knowing the secret" of humanity or at least being interested. This is related to sadism. Is there a difference between motherly and fatherly love? Fromm thinks so. He also talks about different degrees of maturity in one's belief in God, the best being God as equivalent to the world and love of God as love of humanity, i.e., orientation toward the good. Finally, we get Fromm on society: How could we reform norms so that love can be the norm?
Direct download: PEL_ep_133pt2_1-26-16.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On Fromm's The Art of Loving (1956). What is love, really? This psychoanalyst of the Frankfurt school thinks that real love is not something one "falls" into, but is an art, an activity, and doing it well requires a disciplined openness and psychological health.

End songs: "Kimmy" (1995) and "Kimmy 2002" by Mark Lint.

Direct download: PEL_ep_133_1-26-16.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Continuing with Massimo Pigliucci on selected "moral epistles" by Seneca: 4. On the Terrors of Death, 12. On Old Age, 49. On the Shortness of Life, 59. On Pleasure and Joy, 62. On Good Company, 92. On the Happy Life, 96. On Facing Hardship, and 116. On Self Control. We see what Seneca has to say about love and other emotions, facing loss and other hardships, fear of death, desire, pursuing your goals, keeping company with ancient sages, and wearing nice clothes. All you have to do to be happy is have "a complete view of truth!"
Direct download: PEL_ep_132pt2_1-10-16.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 6:00am CDT