The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

A Philosophy Podcast and Philosophy Blog

Subscribe on Android Spotify patreon

Most Recent Episodes

Pretty Much Pop #28: The Alpha Female Trope w/ Margaret Colin

by Leave a Comment

What’s the deal with images of powerful women in media? The trope of the tough-as-nails boss-lady who may or may not have a heart of gold has evolved a lot over the years, but it’s difficult to portray such a character unobjectionably.

Margaret was a lead in Independence Day and The Devil’s Own, is a mainstay on Broadway, and has appeared on TV roles like the mother of the Gossip Girl and as an unscrupulous newscaster on the final seasons of VEEP. She leads Mark, Erica, and Brian through an instructive tour through her career playing assertive women.

For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.

This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life network and is curated by openculture.com.

Ep. 234: Beauvoir on Romance in “The Second Sex” (Part One)

by 1 Comment

On Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949): “The Woman in Love” and “Myths” with guest Jennifer Hansen. What is love under patriarchy? We all want to achieve solidity in another’s eyes, but the Othered woman wants to live through the man, and the man sees the woman as his rejected corporeal character. Party time!

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

Sponsors: Visit thegreatcoursesplus.com/PEL for a free trial of The Great Courses Plus Video Learning Service. Visit Keeps.com/EXAMINED for a free month of hair loss medication.

Please consider contributing to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society through Mina Linsenmayer’s campaign; see partiallyexaminedlife.com/cancer.

Ep. 234: Beauvoir on Romance in “The Second Sex” (Citizen Edition)

by Leave a Comment

On Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949): “The Woman in Love” and “Myths” with guest Jennifer Hansen. We explore the maladies of love, try to figure how B’s picture relates to modern romance and what her positive prescription for good love is, and use the recent film A Marriage Story as a case study.

End song: “Easier than Leaving” by Michaela Anne, soon to appear on Nakedly Examined Music #114.

NEM#113: Bid (Monochrome Set): All-Permissive British New Wave Forever!

by Leave a Comment

http://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/partiallyexaminedlife/NEM_ep_113_11-12-19.mp3Podcast (nakedly-examined-music-podcast): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:59 — 61.5MB)The Monochrome Set has under the leadership of Bid released 15 albums of eccentric British pop since 1980, and he’s had another nine as Scartlet’s Well. His songs often employ a ’60s dance vibe, literary lyrics, and a try-anything approach to arrangements. We discuss “Eux Tous” from Fabula Mendax Continue Reading …

Pretty Much Pop #27: For the Love of Star Wars

by 1 Comment

http://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/partiallyexaminedlife/PMP_027_1-3-20.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:45 — 44.9MB) Mark, Erica, and Brian grasp the low-hanging fruit in pop culture to talk about Star Wars: The unique place that these films have in the brains of people of a certain age, how we grappled with the prequels, and why we feel the need to fill in and argue Continue Reading …

Ep. 233: Plato’s “Protagoras” on Virtue (Part Two)

by 1 Comment

Continuing on the dialogue, where Socrates argues that Protagoras doesn’t actually know what virtue is, because he thinks that the various virtues (especially courage) are distinct, a claim that Socrates refutes in several (logically suspect) ways.

Start with part one, or get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!

End song: “Make It Clear” by Feelies; hear Glenn Mercer on Nakedly Examined Music #41.

Pretty Much Pop #26: We Watch “Watchmen” w/ David Pizarro (Very Bad Wizards)

by Leave a Comment

Covering Alan Moore’s 1986 graphic novel, the new HBO series and the 2009 film.

Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by David, psych prof at Cornell and host of Very Bad Wizards. How does Moore’s style translate to the screen? How well did the show handle politics? Should there be a second season?

For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.

This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life network and is curated by openculture.com.

Ep. 233: Plato’s “Protagoras” on Virtue (Part One)

by 1 Comment

On the Platonic dialogue written around 380 BCE about an encounter between Socrates and one of the leading Sophists of his day.

What is virtue (“the political art” according to Protagoras), and can it be taught? What are the relations of the various virtues to each other? Do they really amount ultimately to one and the same thing, i.e., wisdom? In this entertaining dialogue, Socrates and Protagoras swap positions, and Socrates seems to parody the Sophists’ style.

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

Sponsor: Visit thegreatcoursesplus.com/PEL for a free trial of The Great Courses Plus Video Learning Service.

Ep. 233: Plato’s “Protagoras” on Virtue (Citizen Edition)

by 2 Comments

On the Platonic dialogue written around 380 BCE about an encounter between Socrates and one of the leading Sophists of his day.

What is virtue (“the political art” according to Protagoras), and can it be taught? What are the relations of the various virtues to each other? Do they really amount ultimately to one and the same thing, i.e., wisdom? In this entertaining dialogue, Socrates and Protagoras swap positions, and Socrates seems to parody the Sophists’ style.

End song: “Make It Clear” by Feelies; Mark interviewed Glenn Mercer on Nakedly Examined Music #41.

NEM-Pretty Much Pop Crossover: The Singer Not the Song w/ Ken Stringfellow (feat. Game Theory)

by Leave a Comment

Do you just embrace the pure sound of music or does context matter to you, i.e. the artist’s intentions and body of work?

Ken Stringfellow (Posies, R.E.M., Big Star), previous NEM guest for #39, joins Mark plus Erica Spyres and Brian Hirt for a special podcast-crossover episode to talk about what grabs us about music, it it gets to your ears, singers vs. songwriters, the concept “genius,” and how this attitude towards music translates to our intake of other media (e.g. favorite film directors).

For more, visit prettymuchpop.com, nakedlyexaminedmusic.com, and support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic to get a special, lengthy New Year’s update from Mark.

Also, check out Andy Frasco’s World Saving Podcast.

Pretty Much Pop #25: Sports as Pop w/ Sportscaster Dave Revsine

by Leave a Comment

How is spectator sports different from other types of entertainment? Dave (lead studio host for the Big Ten Network and former ESPN anchor) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss the various sources of appeal, team identification, existing in a sports-filled world as a non-fan, watching vs. playing, human interest stories, sports films, and more.

For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.

This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life network and is curated by openculture.com.

Ep. 232: Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” (Part Two)

by 4 Comments

Continuing Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949) with guest Jennifer Hansen.

How does one become a Subject and how do women traditionally get shut out of this process? We get into Vol. 2, “Lived Experience” where Beauvoir details how this drama unfolds in various stages of life. Also, religion, logic, the relation of biology to situation, and more. How do we modernize Beauvoir’s critique given the evolution in women’s positions since the book was written?

Start with part one or get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!

End song: “Wrong Side of Gone” by Beth Kille as discussed on Nakedly Examined Music #13.

Sponsor: Give effectively through givewell.org/PEL.

Ep. 232: Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” (Part One)

by Leave a Comment

On Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949): the intro, conclusion, “Woman’s Situation and Character” and parts of “Lived Experience,” with guest Jennifer Hansen.

According to Beauvoir, Woman is historically conceived of by society (and herself) as “Other,” as not a Subject who creates and makes decisions. Her life is predetermined, revolving around marriage and child-bearing, and is so deformed by this situation.

Continue with part 2 or get the unbroken Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!

Sponsor: Give effectively through givewell.org/PEL.

Ep. 232: Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” (Citizen Edition)

by 1 Comment

On Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949): the intro, conclusion, “Woman’s Situation and Character” and parts of “Lived Experience,” with guest Jennifer Hansen.

According to Beauvoir, Woman is historically conceived of by society (and herself) as “Other,” as not a Subject who creates and makes decisions. Her life is predetermined, revolving around marriage and child-bearing, and is so deformed by this situation.

End song: “Wrong Side of Gone” by Beth Kille as discussed on Nakedly Examined Music #13.

Pretty Much Pop #24: Christmas Viewing: What’s Canon?

by Leave a Comment

Join Mark, Erica, and Brian for a special “snake draft,” where we take turns picking the holiday films and TV specials that we think are (or should be) part of America’s yearly viewing traditions. Compare your intuitions about what is classic or seminal or over-rated with ours!

For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.

This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life network and is curated by openculture.com.

We’re posting this early and ad-free as our holiday gift to you. Snarf it all down right now like a plastic candy cane full of M&Ms!

NEM#112: Radney Foster Finds His Voice

by Leave a Comment

Radney started as a Nashville songwriter and performed in the 80s with Foster & Lloyd. has released about a dozen albums since ’91 that increasingly break away from country music standards into something more personal.

We discuss two recordings from For You to See the Stars (2017) that have accompanying short stories (written when he literally lost his voice): “Sycamore Creek” and “Raining on Sunday,” plus “Nobody Wins” from Del Rio , TX 1959 (1992). End song: “Godspeed (Dulce Sueños).” Intro: “Crazy Over You” by Foster & Lloyd from their eponymous album (1987).

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon to get the ad-free feed.

Sponsors: Visit dollarshaveclub.com/NEM for your $5 ultimate starter set and masterclass.com/EXAMINED to buy one All-Access pass and get a second free.

Pretty Much Pop #23: The Singer Not the Song w/ Ken Stringfellow

by Leave a Comment

Do you just embrace the pure sound of music or does context matter to you, i.e., the artist’s intentions and body of work?

Ken Stringfellow (Posies, R.E.M., Big Star) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to talk about what grabs us about music, how it gets to your ears, singers vs. songwriters, the concept of “genius,” and how this attitude toward music translates to our intake of other media (e.g., favorite film directors).

For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.

This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life network and is curated by openculture.com.

Sponsor: Visit skillshare.com/pretty for two months of free, unlimited learning.

Ep. 231: Descartes’s “Discourse” on Wisdom and Certainty (Part Two)

by 1 Comment

Continuing on Descartes’s Discourse on Method, looking closely at part 4 (his proto-Meditations) and his “provisional” Stoic ethics.

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

End song: “My Real Fantasy” By Joe Louis Walker, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #110.

Sponsors: Get 20% off at nativedeodorant.com (code PEL), 20% off at hempfusion.com (code PEL), and give effectively through givewell.org/PEL.

Pretty Much Pop #22: Untangling Time Travel

by Leave a Comment

Time travel rules in The Terminator franchise are notoriously inconsistent. Can we change the future or not?

Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by Ken Gerber to talk through time travel rules and plots, covering the randomness of Dr. Who, being your own grandfather, time travel comedies, time loops, freezing time, historical tourism, and more. 

For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.

This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life network and is curated by openculture.com.

Sponsor: Visit mackweldon.com and enter the promo code POP for 20% off underwear, sportswear, and more.

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

Become a PEL Citizen!

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.

Blog Post Categories

Follow:

Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Apple Podcasts