Podcast Episodes | The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

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Episode 175: Blade Runner: Androids and Humanity (Part One)

October 30, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 3 Comments

On Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1967) and the films Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Blade Runner (1982).

What makes us human? Dick’s story about androids emphasized their lack of empathy, while the movie adaptations portrayed the “replicants” as plenty capable of emotion, but unjustly treated as servants or targets.

Attention: The second half of this special bonus episode is available only to supporters. You should go ahead and get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition. You can also hear it with a $1 or more pledge at patreon.com/partiallyexaminedlife.

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Episode 175: Blade Runner: Androids and Humanity (Citizen Edition)

October 29, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 8 Comments

On Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1967) and the films Blade Runner 2049 (2007) and Blade Runner (1982).

End song: “Wounds and Nihilism (Quantum Androids),” written for this episode by Tyler Hislop (feat. Mark Lint). Listen to Tyler on Nakedly Examined Music #24.

Episode 174: Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” (Part Two)

October 23, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 15 Comments

Continuing on the foundational text of economics. We talk “invisible hand,” “greed is good,” tariffs, unproductive labor, city vs. country, and the education racket.

Listen to part 1 first or get the ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!

End song: “With My Looks and Your Brains” by The Mr. T Experience. Hear about the singer/songwriter on Nakedly Examined Music #56.

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Episode 174: Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” (Part One)

October 16, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 13 Comments

On the foundational, 1776 text of modern economics. How does the division of labor and our instinct to exchange lead to the growth of wealth? Is the economy sufficiently machine-like to enable us to manipulate its output, or at least to tell us how not to screw it up?

Continues on part 2, or get your unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!

Visit mubi.com/pel for 30 days of free, curated films. Also, visit thetrackr.com/PEL, and use promo code PEL for 20% off a Bluetooth tracking tag.

Episode 174: Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” (Citizen Edition)

October 15, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 1 Comment

End song: “With My Looks and Your Brains” by The Mr. T Experience. Hear about the singer/songwriter on Nakedly Examined Music #56.

Episode 173: Relating to American Indian Philosophy (Part Two)

October 9, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 7 Comments

We go further into “Philosophy of Native Science” by Gregory Cajete and “What Coyote and Thales Can Teach Us: An Outline of American Indian Epistemology” by Brian Yazzie Burkhart, plus process philosophy, propositional vs. procedural knowledge, and what we owe to nature. With guest Jim Marunich.

Listen to part 1 first or get the ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!

End song: “Circle’s Gotta Go” by Kim Rancourt, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #52.

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Episode 173: Relating to American Indian Philosophy (Part One)

October 2, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 11 Comments

What is wisdom? We discuss articles by Brian Burkhart, Gregory Cajete, and Anne Waters, plus Black Elk Speaks by John Neihardt (1932) and some traditional stories. With guest Jim Marunich; we read his master’s thesis, “Process Metaphysics in the Far West: American Indian Ontologies.”

Don’t wait for part 2! Get your unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition now. Please support PEL!

Visit barkbox.com/PEL for a free month of BarkBox with a subscription for pet supplies. Try blinkist.com/pel for audio condensations of nonfiction books.

Episode 173: Relating to American Indian Philosophy (Citizen Edition)

October 2, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 10 Comments

End song: “Circle’s Gotta Go” by Kim Rancourt, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #52.

Episode 172: Mind, Self, and Affect with Guest Dr. Drew (Part Two)

September 25, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 20 Comments

Continuing with Drew Pinsky on “Attachment and Reflective Function: Their Role in Self-organization” by Peter Fonagy and two articles by Allan Schore.

Fonagy claims we gain the ability to emotionally self-regulate as a result of achieving secure attachment with a caregiver as infants. Schore claims that if this fails, we can end up fundamentally disengaged. So what are the philosophical implications?

Listen to part 1 first, or get the ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!

End song: “Anything but Love” by Steve Hackett, as featured on Nakedly Examined Music #45.

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Episode 172: Mind, Self, and Affect with Guest Dr. Drew (Part One)

September 18, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 8 Comments

Radio legend Dr. Drew Pinsky talks with us about “Attachment and Reflective Function: Their Role in Self-organization” by Peter Fonagy and two articles by Allan Schore.

The focus is “theory of mind”; how do we develop the ability to impute thoughts and intentions to others? What in our upbringing can interfere with this development? We relate this back to previous episodes (Hegel, Buber, etc.) on recognition by others of the self.

Visit DrDrew.com. He interviews Wes!

Don’t wait for part 2, get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition now. Please support PEL!

Visit hellofresh.com, promo code PEL30 for $30 off, and meundies.com/pel for 20% off + free shipping.

Episode 172: Mind, Self, and Affect with Guest Dr. Drew (Citizen Edition)

September 17, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 6 Comments

Radio legend Dr. Drew Pinsky talks with us about “Attachment and reflective function: their role in self-organization” by Peter Fonagy and two articles by Allan Schore.

Listen to more Dr. Drew at DrDrew.com, especially his interview of Wes!

End song: “Anything but Love” by Steve Hackett, as featured on Nakedly Examined Music #45.

Episode 171: Buddhism vs. Evolution with Guest Robert Wright (Part Two)

September 11, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 6 Comments

Continuing on Why Buddhism Is True. We discuss the “no self” doctrine as articulated in Buddha’s Second Discourse and the modularity-of-mind theory that Bob claims supports it. What are the ethical implications, and do we really need meditation to achieve its alleged ethical benefits?

Continued from part 1, or get the ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!

End song: “Alphalpha Bhang” by Anton Barbeau, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music ep. 50.

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Episode 171: Buddhism vs. Evolution with Guest Robert Wright (Part One)

September 4, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 14 Comments

Bob joins the PEL four to discuss his new book Why Buddhism Is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment. Bob applies his expertise in evolutionary psychology to corroborate Buddhism’s claims that we are deluded: about our desires, emotions, the unity of our selves, and the “essences” we project on things and people. And he thinks meditation can instill in the diligent the ability to see things more clearly. But does it really?

Don’t wait for part 2! Get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition now. Please support PEL!

Get $50 off a new mattress by visiting casper.com/pel. Visit thetrackr.com/PEL, and use promo code PEL for 20% off bluetooth tags that help you find lost items.

Episode 171: Buddhism vs. Evolution with Guest Robert Wright (Citizen Edition)

September 3, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 6 Comments

End song: “Alphalpha Bhang” by Anton Barbeau; see Nakedly Examined Music #50.

Episode 170 Second Opinions: Leftists on “Society of the Spectacle”

August 28, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 24 Comments

Mark and Seth ask Doug Lain (Zero Squared), Brett O’Shea (Revolutionary Left Radio), and C. Derick Varn (Symptomatic Redness) what they think of Debord and PEL’s treatment of the book on Ep #170.

End song: “Open Your Eyes (Wake Up)” from Tyler Hislop, interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #24.

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Episode 170: Guy Debord’s “Society of the Spectacle” (Part Two)

August 21, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 10 Comments

More on the 1967 Situtationist book. Do we buy Debord’s critique? Is any merely partial critique (i.e., no revolution) just more spectacle? Is technology inherently dehumanizing? Don’t these passivity/anti-technology arguments even apply to books? Could Debord’s model of authenticity catch on in society as a whole?

Start with part 1, or get the Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!

End song: “Millionaire” by The Mekons (1993); Jon Langford appears on Nakedly Examined Music #22.

Try blinkist.com/pel for audio condensations of non-fiction books, and try Seriously Wrong: srslywrong.com.

Episode 170: Guy Debord’s “Society of the Spectacle” (Part One)

August 14, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 24 Comments

What is culture? In modern capitalism, Debord’s 1967 book describes it as all about the economy. It’s not just our jobs that keep us trapped, but our life outside of working hours is also demanded by “the system” via our activity as consumers, and this commoditization infiltrates every corner of our lives. Debord wants us to WAKE UP, break our chains, and live lives of immediacy, vitality, and authenticity.

Episode 170: Guy Debord’s “Society of the Spectacle” (Citizen Edition)

August 14, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 2 Comments

End song: “Millionaire” by The Mekons (1993), one of whom, Jon Langford, Mark interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #22.

PEL Special: Combat & Classics #11 on Rousseau’s “Discourse on the Arts and Sciences”

August 7, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

A new podcast for the PEL Podcast Network! Meet Jeff, Lise, and Brian, who are joined by Wes and Dylan to discuss Rousseau’s claim that the arts and sciences lead to “moral corruption.”

Get more C&C on the PEL site or at combatandclassics.org.

TEASER-Episode 169: Analyzing Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” (Part Two)

August 6, 2017 by Mark Linsenmayer 4 Comments

Some audio tidbits to hint at the analytic glories in the second half of our discussion, getting deeper into the psychoanalytic/existential interpretations of the film. Get the discussion at patreon.com/partiallyexaminedlife or with a PEL Citizenship.