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Current PEL Episode

Ep. 309: Wittgenstein On Certainty (Part One)

Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free.

Discussing the notes Ludwig Wittgenstein made at the end of his life in 1951 that were published as On Certainty in 1969.

Can we coherently doubt propositions like “physical objects exist,” “the world is more than 50 years old,” and “this is my hand”? Wittgenstein looks at these questions via his framework of language games. Is doubting one of these a legitimate move in a game?

Check out the Overthink podcast and Conversations with Coleman. Attend our live show in NYC on April 15.

Plus: Ep. 307: G.E. Moore Defends Common Sense (Part One)
Featuring: PREVIEW-Episode 55: Wittgenstein on Language

Pretty Much Pop

Pretty Much Pop #142: Song Lyric Literality w/ Dave Philpott

January 13, 2023 By Mark Linsenmayer

Since 2008, Dave has written cheeky (but actually heavily researched) letters to rock stars that  Continue Reading …

Nakedly Examined Music

NEM#188: Pat Irwin (Raybeats, B-52s, SUSS) Writes for TV (and Himself)

January 20, 2023 By Mark Linsenmayer

Pat played saxophone and guitar with Lydia Lunch's group 8-Eyed Spy in 1979, and then moved on to  Continue Reading …

Philosophy vs. Improv

Philosophy vs. Improv #45: Meaningful Road Trips w/ Dee Bradley Baker

January 11, 2023 By Mark Linsenmayer

Voice actor Dee, who has a background in both improv and stand-up, talks to Mark and Bill about the  Continue Reading …

(sub)Text

(sub)Text: Better and Bested in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

January 20, 2023 By Mark Linsenmayer

It’s a play full of contradictions, secrets, lies, and unspoken rules. It’s a play decidedly for  Continue Reading …

Combat & Classics

C&C Ep. 74 Homer’s “Iliad” Book 16

January 22, 2023 By Jeff Black Leave a Comment

In this book, Achilles comes upon the crying Patroclus, and pities and chides him.  Then Patroclus  Continue Reading …

Phi Fic

Edith Wharton’s The Custom of the Country (Phi Fic Ep. 45)

September 26, 2022 By Dan Johnson

For this episode, we discussed Edith Wharton's novel The Custom of the Country, which was published  Continue Reading …

PEL Supporter Content

PEL Nightcap

PEL Nightcap 2022 Wrap-Up

January 1, 2023 By Mark Linsenmayer

Recorded Dec. 11, 2022 by Mark, Wes, and Dylan before our first Moore discussion, so not an  Continue Reading …

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Ep. 309: Wittgenstein On Certainty (Part Two for Supporters)

January 21, 2023 By Mark Linsenmayer

Continuing our discussion from part one of On Certainty (1951), we do some close reading of the text. How does he  Continue Reading …

Ep. 308: Moore’s Proof of Mind-Independent Reality (Part Two for Supporters)

January 8, 2023 By Mark Linsenmayer

Continuing from part one, we quickly complete our treatment of G.E. Moore’s "Proof of the External World" (1939) and  Continue Reading …

Exclusive Content

Ep. 306: Dworkin and the Dobbs Decision (Part Three for Supporters)

December 18, 2022 By Mark Linsenmayer 

Concluding on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2021) Supreme Court decision. We talk more about the  Continue Reading …

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Why Are We Here?

The Partially Examined Life is a philosophy 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 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.

Recent Comments

  • Mark Linsenmayer on Ep. 302: Erasmus Praises Foolishness (Part Two)
  • Mark Linsenmayer on Ep. 308: Moore’s Proof of Mind-Independent Reality (Part Two for Supporters)
  • Mark Linsenmayer on Ep. 201: Marcus Aurelius’s Stoicism with Ryan Holiday (Citizen Edition)
  • MartinK on Ep. 201: Marcus Aurelius’s Stoicism with Ryan Holiday (Citizen Edition)
  • Wayne Barr on Ep. 308: Moore’s Proof of Mind-Independent Reality (Part Two for Supporters)

About The Partially Examined Life

The Partially Examined Life is a philosophy 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 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

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As a PEL Citizen, you’ll have access to a private social community of philosophers, thinkers, and other partial examiners where you can join or initiate discussion groups dedicated to particular readings, participate in lively forums, arrange online meet-ups for impromptu seminars, and more. PEL Citizens also have free access to podcast transcripts, guided readings, episode guides, PEL music, and other citizen-exclusive material. Click here to join.

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