Product Description
Bring the PEL experience into your own life, defined by your interests, your needs, your speed, and your ideas. Think of this as another way to support PEL activities, but with a perk: You get to have that weird sensation of talking directly to one of the guys that's been shoveling things into your brain through your headphones.
Need tutoring in a particular area we covered in a past episode? Tell me beforehand and I'll do some prep. Maybe you've written something? Send it along and we'll talk about it. Or we can just wing it: We delve together into what drives your interest in PEL and philosophy, what you might like to read, how you can hone your skills. I love meeting you listeners and happy to justify spending a full hour getting to know you as a thinker and a person.
So, you purchase this, I contact you (or if you're tired of waiting, email me at mark@partiallyexaminedlife.com), we set up something hopefully within a week of your purchase, and can talk either over the Internet (Skype/Zoom/Facetime/Google Hangout) or by phone works too. If for whatever reason it doesn't work out, you get a refund.
Want repeated tutoring? Just buy this first hour and we can talk one on one about whether I can manage that and it that would involve.
Chris Zahar (verified owner) –
I did An Hour of Philosophy with Mark Linsenmayer tonight, and I loved it!
I needed help understanding some of the points Bertrand Russell made about George Berkeley’s idealism in “The Problems of Philosophy,” so I reached out to Mark. He was more than eager to help.
Mark and I started out talking about Russell’s views on idealism, but we soon branched out into numerous topics on metaphysics and epistemology. We discussed rationalism and empiricism, and naturally delved into questions about whether or not we could be living in The Matrix.
The session was an absolute blast. It’s definitely not for people who just want to sit back and take notes, though. Much like the PEL podcasts, Mark utilizes a conversational approach, and he is eager to hear what you think about a certain topic, even if it’s one you know little about.
I have to admit, this was intimidating, considering I have no formal training in philosophy. Mark, however, was extremely patient, and he never made me feel like I was just babbling (though I certainly was). Throughout the session, I repeatedly apologized, but Mark told me there was no need to do so, and that this is what philosophy is all about.
The session took place entirely over the phone, but Mark also offers his sessions though Skype and other instant messaging services. It’s a good idea to study up a bit on the subject you want to talk about, as that will make for a more rewarding discussion.
Overall, the session was a lot of a fun, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to dive deep into some truly exciting topics.
Christos (verified owner) –
I’ve been a fan of PEL for many years, so it was a great pleasure for me to talk to Mark. Not only was it an opportunity for me to ask questions in areas of philosophy that I have little experience in, but his broad knowledge and variety of interests allowed us to get into many topics we shared in common. As is apparent from the podcast, he’s an excellent host and makes anyone feel comfortable talking to him. But he also asked questions that stretched my thinking beyond its usual bounds. Time flew by during this fascinating, unforgettable hour. You’re getting the full PEL experience in something like a mini-freestyle episode, so if you’re a fan of the podcast and philosophy in general, take advantage of this opportunity while it lasts.