The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
A Philosophy Podcast and Philosophy Blog
An unrehearsed read-through of the Greek Tragedy from 441 BCE by the PEL Players featuring Lucy Lawless and Paul Provenza, plus some cast discussion of Greek drama and our selected translation, as well as Citizen-exclusive outtakes.
End song: “Antigone” by Mark Lint (2015)
A couple of minutes of us chatting with Lucy Lawless and Jaime Murray as we share our preconceptions about the play and give excuses for being unprepared, about 5 minutes of blooper-type material, then the rest is our talking afterward about some of our choices in silly voices, what we think Sartre was talking about, what we were all up to in our lives that week, etc.
The PEL Players present our 2nd annual dramatic reading of a work of philosophical theater.
End song: “No Exit” by Mark Lint
Continuing our reading of the Platonic dialogue, Socrates (Mark) and Callicles (Dylan) duke it out.
Three podcasters and two listeners join to read Plato’s fabulous dialogue. Socrates (Mark) and his pal Chaerephon (Eileen), at the behest of Callicles (Dylan), call on the famous orator/teacher Gorgias (Seth) to ask him what this oratory crap is all about.
After first trouncing Gorgias’s student Polus (Evan), Socrates then eviscerates Gorgias himself, arguing that oratory is just a worthless form of flattery, like pastry baking (?!?!), feeding people what they want to hear while doing nothing to improve them. As part one concludes, Callicles steps up and gives Socrates a smackdown, arguing that orators, who argue the affairs of the state, have power, and hence happiness, and even though we may give lip service to the idea that exerting power unjustly is shameful, the law of nature says that more power is always better, and screw justice. And screw philosophy too!
Mark Linsenmayer reads the 1951 article, discussed on our episode 66.
Dylan Casey reads the 1948 article, discussed on our episode 66.
