The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

A Philosophy Podcast and Philosophy Blog

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Episode 208: Epicurus on Seeking Pleasure (Part Two)

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More on the ethics-related fragments of Epicurus and accounts by Martha Nussbaum and Tim O’Keefe.

What would a purely therapeutic philosophy consist of? Does philosophy as pursuit of pleasure mean that you eschew political action or other substantial goals? Mark, Wes, and Dylan try to figure out which of our desires are vain and whether society is compatible with human happiness.

Listen to part one first or get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition. Tickets are now available for PEL Live: See partiallyexaminedlife.com/pel-live.

End song: “The Language of the Body” by Ant-Bee as discussed on Nakedly Examined Music #68.

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Episode 208: Epicurus on Seeking Pleasure (Part One)

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On the extant fragments of Epicurus (341–270 BCE) dealing with ethics, including his “Letter to Menoceus,” “The Principal Doctrines,” and “The Vatican Collection of Epicurean Sayings.” Plus Tim O’Keefe’s Epicureanism (2010) and Martha Nussabum’s The Therapy of Desire (1994).

How are we supposed to act once we understand nature as atoms bouncing and swerving around in the void, temporarily producing order through fortuitous collisions? Ruling out demanding gods means ethics is dictated by human nature: we avoid pain and pursue pleasure. However, we’re very bad at this, and Epicurus wants to fix all of us!

Don’t wait for part two; get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition now.

Come see us live in NYC on Apr. 6. Read more at partiallyexaminedlife.com/pel-live.

Don’t forget your 2019 Wall Calendar with free domestic shipping: partiallyexaminedlife.com/calendar.

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Episode 208: Epicurus on Seeking Pleasure (Citizen Edition)

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On the extant fragments of Epicurus (341–270 BCE) dealing with ethics, including his “Letter to Menoceus,” “The Principal Doctrines,” and “The Vatican Collection of Epicurean Sayings.” Plus Tim O’Keefe’s Epicureanism (2010) and Martha Nussabum’s The Therapy of Desire (1994).

How are we supposed to act once we understand nature as atoms bouncing and swerving around in the void, temporarily producing order through fortuitous collisions? Ruling out demanding gods means ethics is dictated by human nature: we avoid pain and pursue pleasure. However, we’re very bad at this, and Epicurus wants to fix all of us!

End song: “The Language of the Body” by Ant-Bee as discussed on Nakedly Examined Music #68.

Come see us live in NYC on Apr. 6. Read more at partiallyexaminedlife.com/pel-live.

Don’t forget your 2019 Wall Calendar with free domestic shipping: partiallyexaminedlife.com/calendar.

Episode 207: Herder on Art Appreciation (Part Two)

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Continuing on Johann Gottfried von Herder’s “The Causes of Sunken Taste among the Different Peoples in Whom It Once Blossomed” (1775), then moving to “On the Influence of the Belles Lettres on the Higher Sciences” (1781), “Does Painting or Music Have a Greater Effect? A Divine Colloquy” (1785), and and some of Critical Forests: Fourth Grove (written 1769). With guest rock god John “Jughead” Pierson.

What grounds good taste in society? Can an aesthetic education ground abstract thought? What would such an education consist of? Which is more affecting, music or painting?

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

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Episode 207: Herder on Art Appreciation (Part One)

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On Johann Gottfried von Herder’s “The Causes of Sunken Taste among the Different Peoples in Whom It Once Blossomed” (1775), “On the Influence of the Belles Lettres on the Higher Sciences” (1781), “Does Painting or Music Have a Greater Effect? A Divine Colloquy” (1785), and some of Critical Forests: Fourth Grove (written 1769). With guest rock god John “Jughead” Pierson.

What is aesthetic taste, and why do some societies (e.g., ancient Greece) seem rife with genius while others are not? Herder has some definite ideas about aesthetic, sensual education as grounding for abstract thinking, rages against attempts to copy another culture’s art forms, and likes melody over harmony. Plus he coined the term “zeitgeist”!

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

Don’t forget your 2019 PEL Wall Calendar, now with free domestic shipping!

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Episode 207: Herder on Art Appreciation (Citizen Edition)

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On Johann Gottfried von Herder’s “The Causes of Sunken Taste among the Different Peoples in Whom It Once Blossomed” (1775), “On the Influence of the Belles Lettres on the Higher Sciences” (1781), “Does Painting or Music Have a Greater Effect? A Divine Colloquy” (1785), and some of Critical Forests: Fourth Grove (written 1769). With guest rock god John “Jughead” Pierson.

What is aesthetic taste, and why do some societies (e.g., ancient Greece) seem rife with genius while others are not? Herder has some definite ideas about aesthetic, sensual education as grounding for abstract thinking, rages against attempts to copy another culture’s art forms, and likes melody over harmony. Plus he coined the term “zeitgeist”!

End song: “Dear Resonance” by John’s band Even In Blackouts. Hear him interviewed about his music on Nakedly Examined Music #58.

Don’t forget your 2019 PEL Wall Calendar, now with free domestic shipping!

Episode 206: Lucretius’s Epicurean Physics (Part Two)

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More on Lucretius’s poem about Epicurean science: On the Nature of Things from the first century BCE.

We talk more about how macroscopic phenomena are supposed to come out of the interaction of atoms, including mind and its processes of knowledge and illusion, including the illusion of love. One conclusion: life after death is not possible. Can the properties of the atoms themselves be explained?

Listen to part one first or get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition; this will also get you the follow-up discussion (coming soon). Please support PEL, and don’t forget your 2019 PEL Wall Calendar!

End song: “Came Round” by Mark Lint. Read about it and get the new album.

Sponsor: Take back your Internet privacy with 3 months free at EXPRESSVPN.com/PEL.

Episode 206: Lucretius’s Epicurean Physics (Part One)

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On Lucretius’s poem about Epicurean science: On the Nature of Things aka De Rerum Natura from the first century BCE.

How does the world work? Lucretius presents a system that is surprisingly modern, and raises philosophical issues that are still on point today: What are the basic building blocks of the universe? How could these give rise to minds? What ethical views does a mechanistic worldview imply?

Continued on part two, or get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition now, as well as the Citizen-only follow-up discussion.

Sponsors: Get two months free of a vibrant online learning community at skillshare.com/PEL. Explore Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save at thelifeyoucansave.org/pel.

Please support PEL and check the PEL Store for our 2019 Wall Calendar, tutoring and more.

Episode 206: Lucretius’s Epicurean Physics (Citizen Edition)

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On Lucretius’s poem about Epicurean science: On the Nature of Things aka De Rerum Natura from the first century BCE.

How does the world work? Lucretius presents a system that is surprisingly modern, and raises philosophical issues that are still on point today: What are the basic building blocks of the universe? How could these give rise to minds? What ethical views does a mechanistic worldview imply?

End song: “Came Round” by Mark Lint. Read about it and get the new album.

Keep an eye out for the follow-up discussion where Mark and Wes go into more details from the text.

Episode 205: Suicide with Dr. Drew (Durkheim et al) (Part Two)

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More on philosophical and psychological interpretations of and judgments about suicide with guest Drew Pinsky.

Is suicide an epidemic or a choice? Could it be both? Socrates didn’t fear death and inspired Stoics and others to see suicide in some circumstances as brave. Or is it always cowardly? Does meaninglessness motivate suicide?

Listen to part one first or get the Citizen Edition, which will also get you access to the follow-up discussion. Get the 2019 Wall Calendar, Mark’s new album, tutoring, T-shirts, and more at our store. 

End song: “Disappear” by Chris Cacavas as heard on Nakedly Examined Music #87. Please support PEL!

Explore Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save at thelifeyoucansave.org/pel.

Episode 205 Follow-Up: Durkheim and Explanation Types (Citizens Only)

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Following on our discussion with Dr. Drew, Mark and Wes discuss Emile Durkheim’s Suicide (1897), getting into more of the details of his account and in particular exploring comparative modes of explanation: Are there really “sociological facts” distinct from mere generalizations about psychological facts?

This leads us to more discussion of the legitimacy of psychoanalytic explanations (and more details about Julia Kristeva’s Powers of Horror) vs. those of evolutionary psychology. Are either of these scientific in the manner of physics, or are they rather closer to speculative philosophy?

Episode 205: Suicide with Dr. Drew (Durkheim et al) (Part One)

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We are rejoined by Drew Pinsky to discuss philosophical and psychological readings by Seneca, Arthur Schopenhauer, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, Albert Camus, plus two 2017 survey papers on predictors of suicide.

Is suicide ever morally permissible? If it’s a symptom of mental illness rather than a chosen behavior, is it even appropriate to morally evaluate it?

Check the PEL Store for our Wall Calendar and new offerings including Mark’s new album, tutoring, and your very own Personal Philosophy.

Visit DrDrew.com.

Don’t wait for part 2! Get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition along with a follow-up discussion. Please support PEL!

Sponsors: Visit fin.com/pel to try a virtual assistant for free. Explore Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save at thelifeyoucansave.org/pel.

Episode 205: Suicide with Dr. Drew (Durkheim et al) (Citizen Edition)

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We are rejoined by Drew Pinsky to discuss philosophical and psychological readings on suicide by Seneca, Arthur Schopenhauer, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, Albert Camus, plus some 2017 survey papers on the state of research into predictors of suicide.

Is suicide ever morally permissible? If it’s a symptom of mental illness rather than a chosen behavior, is it even appropriate to morally evaluate it?

End song: “Disappear” by Chris Cacavas as heard on Nakedly Examined Music #87.

Check the PEL Store for our Wall Calendar and new offerings including Mark’s new album, tutoring, and your very own Personal Philosophy.

Visit DrDrew.com.

Episode 204: The Bhagavad Gita’s Hindu Theology (Part Two)

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More on this classic text by (perhaps) Vyasa, with guest Shaan Amin.

Should we acquire good karma or behave “beyond good and evil”? How can everything be Krishna while Krishna is also the an element of virtue we’re supposed to pursue? How does this compare with Stoicism? Plus, behold Krishna unveiled and be freaked out!

Listen to part one first or get the full, unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL and get the 2019 PEL Wall Calendar!

End song: “Om Hari Om 1” by Tim Jordan Kirtan feat. Michael Manring. Hear Michael on Nakedly Examined Music #31.

Sponsors: Visit thegreatcoursesplus.com/PEL and explore Peter Singer’s http://thelifeyoucansave.org/pel.

Episode 204: The Bhagavad Gita’s Hindu Theology (Part One)

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On the classic Hindu text (ca. the third century BCE), part of the Indian Epic poem Mahabharata, attributed to Vyasa, using Keya Maitra’s 2018 translation/commentary.

What is it to live wisely? What grounds duty? Listen as the supreme God Krishna convinces archer hero Arjuna that it’s OK for him to kill his relatives because, you know, reincarnation and determinism and caste-related duties. Lots of metaphysical complications! With guest Shaan Amin.

Don’t wait for part two! Get the full, unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition now. Please support PEL. Get the 2019 PEL Wall Calendar!

Sponsors: Visit thegreatcoursesplus.com/PEL and explore Peter Singer’s http://thelifeyoucansave.org/pel.

Episode 204: The Bhagavad Gita’s Hindu Theology (Citizen Edition)

by 2 Comments

On the classic Hindu text (ca. the third century BCE), part of the Indian Epic poem Mahabharata, attributed to Vyasa, using Keya Maitra’s 2018 translation/commentary.

What is it to live wisely? What grounds duty? Listen as the supreme God Krishna convinces archer hero Arjuna that it’s OK for him to kill his relatives because, you know, reincarnation and determinism and caste-related duties. With guest Shaan Amin.

End song: “Om Hari Om 1” by Tim Jordan Kirtan feat. Michael Manring. Hear Michael on Nakedly Examined Music #31.

Get the 2019 PEL Wall Calendar!

Episode 203: Kristeva vs. Lovecraft on Horror and Abjection (Part Two)

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Concluding on Julia Kristeva’s Powers of Horror (1980) and focusing on H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Call of Cthulhu” (1928). Does Lovecraft’s presentation of nameless terror capture (or improve upon) what Kristeva means by “abjection”?

End song: “The Other” by Mark Lint feat. Lucy Lawless. Read about it and support the project.

Listen to part one first, or go back to ep. 202 first. Become a PEL Citizen to get the full, ad-free experience. Please support PEL!

Sponsors: Visit fin.com/pel to try a virtual assistant for free. Explore Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save at partiallyexaminedlife.com/savealife.

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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