Subscribe to get Parts 1, 2, and 3 ad-free right now. We continue from part one on Judith Jarvis Thomson's "A Defense of Abortion" (1971), and then add Don Marquis' "Why Abortion is Immoral" (1989) and we begin our treatment of Mary Anne Warren's "On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion" (1973), which we'll conclude in part three of this discussion. We pry further Continue Reading …
Ep. 301: Is Abortion Morally Permissible? (Part Three for Supporters)
Jenny Hansen joins us for our final part of this discussion, covering "On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion" by Mary Anne Warren (1973) and returning in parts to "A Defense of Abortion" (1971) by Judith Jarvis Thomson to allow Jenny to weigh in on the points we made in parts one and two. She also talks a bit about the Planned Parenthood v. Casey 1992 case that changed the Continue Reading …
Ep. 301: Is Abortion Morally Permissible? (Part Two for Supporters)
We continue from part one on Judith Jarvis Thomson's "A Defense of Abortion" (1971), and then add Don Marquis' "Why Abortion is Immoral" (1989) and we begin our treatment of Mary Anne Warren's "On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion" (1973), which we'll conclude in part three of this discussion. We pry further into Thomson's distinction between the "indecent" and the Continue Reading …
Ep. 301: Is Abortion Morally Permissible? (Part One for Supporters)
We discuss some widely read papers about the morality of abortion, starting here with a selection from the Roe v. Wade decision (1973) and Judith Jarvis Thomson's "A Defense of Abortion" (1971). Featuring Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth. Roe tried to sidestep the philosophical question of the current personhood of a fetus but did assert that the state has a legitimate interest in Continue Reading …
Ep. 272: Fichte’s Idealist Theology (Part Two for Supporters)
Concluding our coverage of The Vocation of Man (1799), Books II and III. This discussion continues part one. We start out with a bit more wondering about how we build objects with our mind, in particular about whether this entirely uniform because we all have the same psychology as humans, or whether it might seriously vary according to your cultural group or individual Continue Reading …
Sneak Preview: Philosophy vs. Improv #1
A new limited (?) series is afoot in PEL-land: I'm indulging my interest in improv comedy as discussed in our most recent Nightcap to pilot a new show featuring Bill Arnett, who wrote the book on long-form improv, runs the Chicago Improv Studio, and served as the game master Metamore on the Hello from the Magic Tavern spin-off series Offices and Bosses, wherein fantastical Continue Reading …
Ep. 262: Nietzsche on Self-Denial (Part One)
Subscribe to get Part 2 of this episode, or listen to a preview. Citizens can get the entire second part here. On Friedrich Nietzsche's The Genealogy of Morals (1887), "Third essay: what do ascetic ideals mean?" featuring Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth. When people really get serious, and try to put away frivolous things, is that good or bad? A serious athlete will subordinate Continue Reading …
Ep. 262: Nietzsche on Self-Denial (Part Two for Supporters)
Continuing on Friedrich Nietzsche's The Genealogy of Morals (1887), "Third essay: what do ascetic ideals mean?" Listen to part one first. We start out with a little summarizing, trying to fit asceticism into Nietzsche's overall morality as it moves forward from the slave revolt over master/animal morality, turning to how Nietzsche uses asceticism to critique how scientists Continue Reading …
Ep. 262: Nietzsche on Self-Denial (Part One for Supporters)
On Friedrich Nietzsche's The Genealogy of Morals (1887), "Third essay: what do ascetic ideals mean?" featuring Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth. When people really get serious, and try to put away frivolous things, is that good or bad? A serious athlete will subordinate everything to their training, an artist may even forget to eat or sleep while crafting a work, and of course at Continue Reading …
Ep. 214: More Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Part Two)
Concluding Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1885). What's the wise way to live? We start in earnest into part three, treating the "spirit of gravity," where socially imposed values cover over your uniqueness; omni-satisfaction vs. being choosy; "Old and New Tablets," where Nietzsche explores various ethical and meta-ethical issues (e.g., is self-overcoming a Continue Reading …
Ep. 214: More Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Part One)
On the remainder of Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1885). How can we keep our spirits up and avoid nihilism? After all (says Nietzsche), there's no God or other transcendent purpose-giving entity to guarantee that life is worth living. There's just our complex animality, with its cycles of desire, satiation, and more desire, with our in-built character and Continue Reading …
Ep. 214: More Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Citizen Edition)
On the remainder of Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1885). How can we keep our spirits up and avoid nihilism? After all (says Nietzsche), there's no God or other transcendent purpose-giving entity to guarantee that life is worth living. There's just our complex animality, with its cycles of desire, satiation, and more desire, with our in-built character and Continue Reading …
Ep. 213: Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Part Two)
Continuing on Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, books 1 and 2 (1883). We talk through Nietzsche's symbolism (e.g., a tightrope walker as someone trying to be a bridge between man and overman), the path toward the overman (develop a pure will to create like a child, risk your life for your creation), his various critiques including his screed against the state Continue Reading …
Episode 213: Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Part One)
On Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, books 1 and 2 (1883). What is wisdom? In Nietzsche's most famous book, he gives us his own Socrates, his own avatar to engage the foolish populace, though instead of asking them questions, Zarathustra tends to preach, and the whole book has a very Biblical tone, except more cagey. You see, this is a book "for all and none," Continue Reading …
Ep. 213: Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Citizen Edition)
On Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, books 1 and 2 (1883). What is wisdom? In Nietzsche's most famous book, he gives us his own Socrates, his own avatar to engage the foolish populace, though instead of asking them questions, Zarathustra tends to preach, and the whole book has a very Biblical tone, except more cagey. You see, this is a book "for all and none," Continue Reading …
Ep. 208: Epicurus on Seeking Pleasure (Part Two)
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 spreading a philosophy to the masses necessarily water it down to the point where it's not really philosophical any more? Does philosophy as pursuit of pleasure mean that you eschew political action? Can the pleasures Continue Reading …
Ep. 208: Epicurus on Seeking Pleasure (Part One)
On the extant fragments of Epicurus (341–270 BCE) dealing with ethics, including his "Letter to Menoceus" and collections known as “The Principal Doctrines” and “The Vatican Collection of Epicurean Sayings.” How are we supposed to act once we understand nature as we outlined in episode 206, i.e., atoms bouncing and swerving around in the void temporarily producing order Continue Reading …
Ep. 208: Epicurus on Seeking Pleasure (Citizen Edition)
On the extant fragments of Epicurus (341–270 BCE) dealing with ethics, including his "Letter to Menoceus" and collections known as “The Principal Doctrines” and “The Vatican Collection of Epicurean Sayings.” How are we supposed to act once we understand nature as we outlined in episode 206, i.e., atoms bouncing and swerving around in the void temporarily producing order Continue Reading …
PREVIEW-Ep 201 Marcus Aurelius’s “Meditations” (Part Three)
Mark and Seth build on parts 1 and 2 of our discussion of Marcus to get further into the specifics of his metaphysics and how this is supposed to relate to behavior. Can Stoic directives really come solely "from reason," as he claims? How does this interact with the behaviors that we pursue (appropriately, according to Marcus) "by nature," i.e., without conscious deliberation Continue Reading …
Ep. 201 Follow-Up: More on Marcus Aurelius’s “Meditations” (Citizens Only)
Mark and Seth get further into the specifics of Marcus's metaphysics and how this is supposed to relate to behavior. Can his directives really come solely "from reason," as he claims? How does this interact with the behaviors that we pursue (appropriately, according to Marcus) "by nature," i.e., without conscious deliberation required? Seth is concerned with how individualistic Continue Reading …