Loads of material was covered in the month of July here at The Partially Examined Life (PEL). With the month’s end, a summary look-back is in order. Here’s a list of July content you can revisit or, in case you missed it, enjoy for the first time.
Closereads: H.A. Prichard on Ethics (Part One)
July 2
This episode covers H.A. Prichard’s 1912 essay about whether moral philosophy is missing the point. Prichard says we don’t need to justify morality in general; we just see what’s right. The team unpacks that bold idea and how it fits (or doesn’t) with other moral theories.
Nakedly Examined Music #233: Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
July 3
Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen visits to reflect on his long music career, including his time with Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, and beyond. He shares thoughts on songwriting, live performance, and what’s kept him going over the decades. It’s both personal and packed with music history.
PEL Ep. 370: Christine Korsgaard on the History of Ethics (Part Two)
July 7
Picking up where Part One left off (in June), this episode traces how Korsgaard draws on thinkers like Hobbes, Hume, and Kant to explain the lineage of our moral ideas. The group discusses how these older theories set the stage for her own.
(sub)TEXT: Anti-Mystery in “Picnic at Hanging Rock”
July 9
A look at Picnic at Hanging Rock, a movie that refuses to explain its central mystery. Instead of solving anything, the film leans into uncertainty, and that’s exactly what makes it so haunting. The episode reflects on how stories like this leave us asking questions rather than giving answers.
Pretty Much Pop #200: Hollywood Studio Antics
July 9
The hosts are joined by Erica Spyres and guests from The Studio podcast to talk about how Hollywood tells stories about itself. They break down how executives are shown, sometimes as clueless, sometimes as controlling, and how that shapes what actually makes it to screen. The episode blends cultural criticism with insider observations.
Philosophy vs. Improv #96: We Allege Humor
July 13
Comedians Mark Schiff and Daniel Lobell join for a fast-paced conversation about comedy, improv, and how they relate to philosophical ideas. There are plenty of jokes, strange examples, and some thoughtful back-and-forth about why we laugh.
PEL Ep. 371: Christine Korsgaard on Normativity (Part One)
July 14
This installment introduces Korsgaard’s view that moral obligation isn’t imposed from outside—it comes from who we are as reasoning agents. The team explores her defense of Kantian ethics and how it tries to answer some big moral questions. It’s the next step in their larger look at Korsgaard’s work.
Normative Nightcap (membership required)
July 20
In this bonus episode, the hosts take a step back from the formal Korsgaard discussions and respond to listener questions. They also compare Korsgaard’s views to Philippa Foot’s and share more relaxed thoughts on the topics they’ve been covering. The vibe is lighter, but the insights still land.
Nakedly Examined Music #234: John Kruth the Multi-Hyphenate
July 20
John Kruth is a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, banjo, flute, etc.) who’s played with Violent Femmes, Allen Ginsberg, Hal Willner, John Prine, The Meat Puppets, and more. He’s released around 24 albums as a solo artist or with several groups including the NYC world music outfit TriBeCaStan. He’s also a poet and author.
PEL Ep. 371: Christine Korsgaard on Normativity (Part Two)
July 21
This episode wraps up the team’s discussion of Korsgaard’s The Sources of Normativity, focusing on how she reworks Kant’s ideas about moral reasoning. They look closely at the idea that morality comes from our need to justify actions to ourselves and others. You’ll want to hear Part One first to fully illuminate this episode.
Pretty Much Pop #201: John Wick Minus Wick
July 22
The hosts dive into the John Wick films, especially in light of the upcoming film Ballerina and a new documentary on the series. They talk about how the movies use violence, emotion, and minimal dialogue to build a world that feels oddly personal.
Philosophy vs. Improv #97 Peep Dome Pets w/ Merry Mary Hynes
July 26
LA Second City improv instructor Mary (whom you no doubt already met in the Prelude to this episode), joins us to act out a pet sitting job interview, talk about sharing our public spaces with animals, and finally return to Empty Street to see if we can get some animal action going in the convenient mart/Taco Bell/Subway.
Closereads: Peter Railton’s “Moral Realism”
July 28
What? Part Four? Yes, we’re jumping back into a 1984 paper that we began a couple of years ago in light of our recent PEL activity on contemporary ethics. You should be fine just starting here, but all three previous parts have been made public on our Patreon page, which is where you’ll eventually find parts 5, 6, and possibly more.
PEL Ep. 372: Kant’s Ethics Lectures (Part One)
July 28
On the 1784-1785 course lectures given in Konigsberg, via notes from Georg Ludwig Collins. We used the Cambridge edition (2013) picked what sections to read via a syllabus we found online. Featuring Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan.
Nakedly Examined Music #235: Willie Nile’s Poetic Rock Anthems
July 30
We discuss “An Irish Goodbye” (feat. Paul Brady) from The Great Yellow Light (2025) (and listen at the end to “Wake Up, America” feat. Steve Earle from that album), “Cell Phones Ringing (In the Pockets of the Dead)” from Streets of New York (2006), and the title track from Places I Have Never Been (1991) (co-written with Richard Chertoff and Jim Cobb). Intro music: “Vagabond Moon” from Willie Nile (1980).
More to come in August!
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