Ethics | The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Ep. 262: Nietzsche on Self-Denial (Part One)

February 1, 2021 by Mark Linsenmayer 1 Comment

On Friedrich Nietzsche’s The Genealogy of Morals (1887), “Third essay: what do ascetic ideals mean?”

Self-denial is necessary for disciplined action but can clearly go too far. N uses this concept of asceticism to analyze both geniuses and the masses. It’s a chief tool of the will to power, dangerous to human flourishing but also helping us to evolve. Does N’s picture of motivation and greatness make sense?

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Ep. 262: Nietzsche on Self-Denial (Part Two for Supporters)

January 31, 2021 by Mark Linsenmayer 1 Comment

Continuing on Friedrich Nietzsche’s The Genealogy of Morals (1887), “Third essay: what do ascetic ideals mean?”

We try to fit asceticism into Nietzsche’s overall ethical picture, examine his critique of the scientific attitude, explore the (partially positive) function of the priest, try briefly to apply N’s social critique to modern politics, and wrap up by discussing his perspectivism.

Ep. 262: Nietzsche on Self-Denial (Part One for Supporters)

January 31, 2021 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

On Friedrich Nietzsche’s The Genealogy of Morals (1887), “Third essay: what do ascetic ideals mean?”

Self-regulation, where we tamp down certain aspects of our personality, is necessary for disciplined action, but it can clearly go too far. Nietzsche uses this concept of asceticism to analyze both geniuses and the masses. It is a chief tool of the will to power, highly dangerous to human flourishing but also unleashing many new capabilities beyond our animal nature. Does this picture of motivation and greatness make sense?

Episode 214: More Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Part Two)

May 6, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 2 Comments

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 matter of one-time self-actualization or is it continual?); and more on the Overman and eternal recurrence.

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End song: “Upright Man” by Rachel Taylor Brown, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #91.

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Episode 214: More Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Part One)

April 29, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 4 Comments

On the remainder of Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1885).

How can we keep our spirits up and avoid nihilism? We consider Nietzsche’s “solution” of eternal recurrence, why he uses a poetic, allegoric style, and more.

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Episode 214: More Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Citizen Edition)

April 29, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 3 Comments

On the remainder of Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1885).

How can we keep our spirits up and avoid nihilism? We consider Nietzsche’s “solution” of eternal recurrence, why he uses a poetic, allegoric style, and his “new tablets” that tell us what habitual and destructive ideas we have to flush out of our systems before we can be vital and creative. And don’t count on reaching overman status; innovators are generally sacrifices to the future and only get the goal half right.

End song: “Upright Man” by Rachel Taylor Brown, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #91.

Episode 213: Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Part Two)

April 22, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 2 Comments

Continuing on Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, books 1 and 2 (1883).

We talk through Nietzsche’s symbolism (tightrope walkers and gravediggers and snakes, oh my!), the path toward the overman, his screed against the state, the Will to Power as the will to overcome oneself by reconciling oneself with the past, and more.

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Episode 213: Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Part One)

April 15, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 8 Comments

On Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, books 1 and 2 (1883).

What is wisdom? In this text whose style parodies the Bible, we get pithy advice and allegorical imagery to guide us away from self-defeating, life-denying attitudes and orient us toward creative self-overcoming (i.e., exertion of the Will to Power). The Last Man who no longer knows how to give birth to a dancing star is a rotten egg!

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Episode 213: Nietzsche’s Zarathustra (Citizen Edition)

April 15, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 1 Comment

On Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, books 1 and 2 (1883).

End song: “Sacrilicious” by Hedflux, i.e., Steve Young, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #92.

Episode 208: Epicurus on Seeking Pleasure (Part Two)

February 4, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 3 Comments

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.

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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)

January 28, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 8 Comments

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!

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Episode 208: Epicurus on Seeking Pleasure (Citizen Edition)

January 28, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 5 Comments

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

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PREVIEW-Ep 201 Marcus Aurelius’s “Meditations” (Part Three)

November 5, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer 2 Comments

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 “by nature,” i.e., without conscious deliberation required? Seth is concerned with how individualistic the philosophy is. Mark is concerned that if you discard the metaphysics (as modern skeptics largely do), why should you expect the rest of the philosophy to be coherent?

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Episode 201 Follow-Up: More on Marcus Aurelius’s “Meditations” (Citizens Only)

October 29, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer 3 Comments

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 the philosophy is. Mark is concerned that if you discard the metaphysics (as modern skeptics largely do), why should you expect the rest of the philosophy to be coherent?

Listen to episode 201 first.

The Limits of Philosophical Ethics

September 27, 2018 by Stephen Scher and Kasia Kozlowska Leave a Comment

An excerpt from the recently released book Rethinking Health Care Ethics, which explores, for an audience including health professionals, the limits of formal/philosophical ethics in helping them understand the ethical dimensions of their work.
The excerpt focuses on the distinction between formal and informal ethical discourse and the implications of that distinction for day-to-day clinical practice.

The Power of Empathy for Good in the World

September 14, 2018 by Christian B. Miller 2 Comments

An excerpt from the recently released book The Character Gap: How Good Are We?, which explores what “character” really means in today’s world and how good our character tends to be.
The excerpt focuses on the powerful impact that empathy can have on helping people in need.

Science, Secularism, and Religion, Part XXX: William Kingdon Clifford—The Ethics of Belief

July 5, 2018 by Daniel Halverson 1 Comment

Imagine a ship owner who sells tickets for transatlantic voyages. He is at the dock one day, bidding his ship farewell, when he remembers a warning he had received from his mechanics the week before, that the integrity of the ship’s hull was questionable and that it might not be seaworthy. But on some plausible grounds or other he forms Continue Reading …

Episode 187 Follow-Up: The Limits of Free Speech (Citizens Only)

April 5, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer 20 Comments

Mark and Wes continue the discussion from ep. 187. We watched some Jordan Peterson, so we talk about his position a bit, and about the appropriateness of organizations encouraging certain kinds of speech, the offense principle, the difference (and overlap!) between good-faith arguments and insults, conspiracy theories, “incoherence arguments” like Fish’s (also used by Kant, Rand, and others), and “fundamental moral principles”: Does that concept even make sense given that any principle requires judgement and probably sub-principles to apply it to real situations?

End song: “Combine Man” by RHEMA, as discussed on Nakedly Examined Music #67.

Episode 185: Ethics in Homer’s “Odyssey” Feat. Translator Emily Wilson (Part Two)

March 12, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Continuing with Emily Wilson on her translation of the Greek epic poem. We discuss the oikos, or estate, built on violence, and its connection to xenia, or hospitality, which serves to forge military alliances. Also: status distinctions and the role of the gods in the text.

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End song: “Tiny Broken Boats” by Arrica Rose, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #66.

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Episode 185: Ethics in Homer’s “Odyssey” Feat. Translator Emily Wilson (Part One)

March 5, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer 2 Comments

On the classic Greek epic poem, written ca. 750 BC and translated by our guest Emily Wilson in 2018.

Does this story of “heroes” have anything to teach us about ethics? Wilson wrote an 80-page introduction to her new translation laying out the issues, including “hospitality” as a political tool, the value for status and identity of one’s home (including your family and slaves), and the tension between strangeness and familiarity. Can time and change really be undone?

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