Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:46 — 47.5MB)
What is it like to do philosophy in public? As prelude to our ep. 125 appearance at the Pittsburgh Continental Philosophy Network Conference on theory and public space, Mark, Seth, Wes, and Dylan sat down for questions by moderator Erica Freeman, conference host Justin Pearl, conference presenters Jeremy Northup and Jonathan Wurtz, Not School luminary Marilyn Lawrence, our editor and sound guy Aaron Watson, and other attendees.
How do we pick our topics? What does academia think of us (so far as we can tell)? How do we apply philosophy to our daily lives? What's the future of philosophy (or rather, how do we wildly speculate when asked such a question)? When we philosophize for pennies on street corners, do the police make us stop? Only by listening will your training be complete.
This non-episode is presented commercial-free! Consider supporting PEL out of your warm, linty pockets and so fill them with good karma.
Anthony Sardelli says
October 6, 2015 at 1:51 pmThanks for another great episode. It’s good to hear that you guys are really considering an episode on the Frankfurt School. As to where to begin, though you’d probably know better than I, Horkheimer and Adorno’s Dialectic of Enlightenment and Marcuse’s One Dimensional Man are foundational texts in my opinion.
Wes Alwan says
October 7, 2015 at 12:21 pmThanks Anthony — I’m pretty sure we’d start with Dialectic of Enlightenment.
Jennifer Tejada says
January 26, 2017 at 3:19 pmI just wanted to speak to the part of this podcast where you discuss your audience. I’m probably the person who understands philosophy the least in your audience. I’m in a situation where I am staying at home with my kids and, while that was a conscious choice on my part because my husband travels a lot and my own history makes it very important for me, it’s hard. It’s not intellectually stimulating for the most part. There are not tons of stay at home moms who find study to be a favorite past time. Over the last year or so that I have been listening you awoke within me what has been missing for a long time – the sort of alive feeling that philosophy gives you. While I do barely grasp around the edges most of the time, I consider this podcast to be a jumping off point for further discovery. The most important thing that has come out of this for me is understanding the importance of making philosophy a part of every day life for my kids. They are 4 and 6 right now and, while I won’t be discussing Nietzsche, I have decided to start reading them Greek Mythology. I will be adding in Plato as soon as they are able! I grew up in rural Arkansas (or is that redundant) and although I got my masters in Biotechnology – it was at UMass Lowell – an ok school, but it wasn’t exactly well rounded. I feel, in so many ways, that I am only just now getting a proper education. I think there are probably a lot of poorly educated people who graduated from college and the lack of philosophy in education is a big reason IMO. I know you all have much more exciting listeners besides me, but I do think that the way you present it is perhaps most helpful for people like me (the assumption that your readers have no background in philosophy). And I should not be considered as a major representation of your audience, rather one with time to actually comment; nevertheless, perhaps there are more like me. I really wish more people would listen and understand what it means to even engage in a discussion where you have to set out with the perspective that you are not entirely sure what you are talking about but work toward understanding anyway. You all embody what it means to learn in public. Mark, I think your energy and kind of sneaky understanding of the text is so cool. At first I didn’t realize how much you actually really grasped this stuff bc I didn’t quite get you right away. I’m kind of blown away at how well you grasp things sometimes. Seth, I always appreciate so much how you put things in very common language. I cannot even tell you the number of times that what you said made me go OHHH!!! I have actually said out loud “where are you, Seth” right before you have come on to say – ok, let’s bring this back to the text. Dylan, your scientific point of view is something I can always relate to but the way you seem to have it as a background and yet still not be dogmatic is awesome. I especially like it when you kind of call out the areas where philosophers seem to be dancing around an issue. Wes, you are just one of those sneaky insightful people. I am totally disappointed whenever you aren’t on an episode. You have an insane grasp of this material in my SERIOUSLY humble opinion and I’m psyched that you share it with the world. So anyway – I think you have changed the way I approach life, raising my kids, and made me a better citizen. This was long winded but I figure everyone can use a little positive feedback. Oh – and I discovered that you guys were older than me I think…so – I like that. And please don’t judge the fact that I comment on so many podcasts. You would too if you were me. In 5 years I will be a much more exciting person. 🙂
Mark Linsenmayer says
January 26, 2017 at 3:24 pmThanks, Jennifer! I periodically try to explain our topic to my kids (age 13 and 16) with varying degrees of success. I have not successfully gotten them to read any philosophy, but I think that imaginative fiction is pretty good prep for it.