Continuing on Faces At the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism (1992), discussing “The Racial Preference Licensing Act” (ch. 3), “Divining a Racial Realism Theory” (ch. 5), and “The Rules of Racial Standing” (ch. 6). With guest Lawrence Ware.
Ep. 278: Derrick Bell on the Dynamics of Racism (Part One for Supporters)
On Faces At the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism (1992), a foundational text in critical race theory that presents thought experiments in the philosophy of law, including “The Space Traders.” With guest Lawrence Ware.
Ep. 278: Derrick Bell on the Dynamics of Racism (Part One)
On Faces At the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism (1992), a foundational text in critical race theory that presents thought experiments in the philosophy of law, including “The Space Traders.” With guest Lawrence Ware.
Sponsors: Learn about St. John’s College at sjc.edu/pel.
Philosophy vs. Improv #6: Let’s Have Made a Deal!
We try to be boring. Bill tries to make a discovery amidst the canards. Mark tries to be a good meta-dupe. With our first celebrity guest, the final judge is unveiled!
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get bonus stuff and good karma!
PREVIEW-Ep. 269: Arendt on Totalitarianism (Part Two)
Continuing on two of Hannah Arendt’s 1953 essays on totalitarianism. We further discuss its logic and in the full episode get into its relevance for contemporary political movements.
To hear that full second part, you’ll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
Sponsors: See headspace.com/PEL for a free month’s access to a library of guided meditations. Try The Class X Podcast on Spotify or Apple, or look it up wherever you listen.
Ep. 269: Arendt on Totalitarianism (Part Two for Supporters)
Continuing on “On the Nature of Totalitarianism” and On the Origins of Totalitarianism, ch. 13 (both from around 1953).
We further discuss the logic of totalitarianism and and its relevance for contemporary political movements. Has Arendt captured an authentic, novel danger, or is what she diagnoses more a modern manifestation of an old problem, or was it merely a horrific oddity of her historical period?
Ep. 269: Arendt on Totalitarianism (Part One)
On “On the Nature of Totalitarianism” and On the Origins of Totalitarianism ch. 13 (both from 1953).
Is totalitarianism just an especially virulent form of tyranny, or something unique to the modern age? Arendt says that unlike other forms of government, totalitarianism is not animated by an active psychological principle that motivates its participants. Instead terror makes citizens incapable of agency altogether.
Sponsors: Get a free trial and save 20% on an annual membership of at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/PEL. Learn about St. John’s College summer programs at SJC.edu/summer2021. Get a loan to lower your monthly payments at Upstart.com/PEL. Get $75 off your starter teeth-straightening kit via CandidCO.com/pel (code PEL). Get up to a $1000 donation matched at GiveWell.org/PEL (pick PODCAST and Partially Examined Life at checkout). Hear Wes’ “Stoic Guide to Happiness” at Himalaya.com/stoic (promo code stoic).
Ep. 269: Arendt on Totalitarianism (Part One for Supporters)
On “On the Nature of Totalitarianism” and On the Origins of Totalitarianism ch. 13 (both from 1953).
Is totalitarianism just an especially virulent form of tyranny, or something unique to the modern age? Arendt says that unlike other forms of government, totalitarianism is not animated by an active psychological principle that motivates its participants. Instead terror is designed to make citizens incapable of agency altogether.
REISSUE-PEL Ep 37: Locke on Political Power (w/ New Intro)
A 2011 episode on John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government (1690), with a fresh introduction connecting it to the present.
What makes political power legitimate? Like Hobbes, Locke thought that things are less than ideal without a society to keep people from killing us, so we implicitly sign a social contract giving power to the state. But on Locke’s view, nature’s not as bad, so the state is given less power. But how much less? And what does Locke think about tea partying, kids, women, acorns, foreign travelers, and calling dibs? Featuring guest Sabrina Weiss.
Hear the full, new reconsideration of this episode by Mark, Wes, and Dylan on the latest Nightcap available via partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
End song: “Lock Them Away,” by Mark Lint (2003).
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Happy Holidays! Have you heard our 2020 Holiday Party yet?
PEL Nightcap Mid December 2020: New Intro to ep. 37 Locke on Political Power (Citizens Only)
We try something new for a Nightcap: a new intro to an old episode, in this case ep. 37 on Locke’s political philosophy. Our hope was to connect this to the current series on epistemology, but we ended up more applying it to modern disputes in political theory, which was also fun. Check it out and then re-listen to the old episode!
Ep. 256: Kropotkin’s Anarchist Communism (Part One)
On Peter Kropotkin’s The Conquest of Bread (1892).
If we want an egalitarian society, do we need the state to accomplish this? Kropotkin says no, that in fact the state inevitably serves the interests of the few, and that if we got rid of it, our natural tendencies to cooperate would allow us through voluntary organizations to keep everyone not only fed and clothed, but able to vigorously pursue callings like science and art.
Subscribe to get Part 2 of this episode, or listen to a preview. Citizens can get the entire second part here.
Sponsors: Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/PEL for a free trial of The Great Courses Plus Video Learning Service. Organize your Inbox: Save $25 sanebox.com/pel. Learn about St. John’s College at SJC.edu.
Ep. 256: Kropotkin’s Anarchist Communism (Part Two for Supporters)
Continuing on Peter Kropotkin’s The Conquest of Bread (1892).
If Kropotkin is right that mutual aid is a natural tendency and so communism is very much feasible, why hasn’t it happened already? We consider K’s version of the “you didn’t build that” argument, plus guaranteed minimum income, identity and criminal justice in a stateless world, religion, and more.
Ep. 256: Kropotkin’s Anarchist Communism (Part One for Supporters)
On Peter Kropotkin’s The Conquest of Bread (1892). If we want an egalitarian society, do we need the state to accomplish this? Kropotkin says no, that in fact the state inevitably serves the interests of the few, and that if we got rid of it, our natural tendencies to cooperate would allow us through voluntary organizations to keep everyone not only fed and clothed, but able to vigorously pursue callings like science and art.
Is this naïve? Can we concretely even “imagine no possessions” and “there’s no countries”? Kropotkin has actuarial tables to show you that sure, we can feed everyone, and he presents examples of group action that he think show that we’re perfectly capable of mass organization without the state.
Ep. 254: Michael Sandel Against Meritocracy (Part Two for Supporters)
Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth continue the discussion on The Tyranny of Merit to talk further about how social values can and do change, and whether these changes can be engineered in the way that Sandel seems to want. Must such “engineering” involve tyrannical methods? Does it require that everyone become philosophers?
Ep. 254: Michael Sandel Interview: Against Meritocracy (Part One)
On The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? (2020).
Do people get the wealth and status they deserve? And if they did, would that be good? Michael critiques the meritocracy: It’s not actually fair, leaves most people feeling humiliated, and makes those on the top arrogant and disconnected. The commitment to meritocracy is shared by both political parties and helps explain our current dysfunction.
Subscribe to get Part 2 of this episode, or listen to a preview. Citizens can get the entire second part here.
Sponsor: Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/PEL for a free trial of The Great Courses Plus Video Learning Service.
Ep. 254: Michael Sandel Interview: Against Meritocracy (Part One for Supporters)
On The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? (2020).
Do people get the wealth and status they deserve? And if they did, would that be good? Michael critiques the meritocracy: It’s not actually fair, leaves most people feeling humiliated, and makes those on the top arrogant and disconnected. The commitment to meritocracy is shared by both political parties and helps explain our current dysfunction.
Ep. 252: Habermas on Communication as Sociality (Part Two for Supporters)
Continuing from part one on Jürgen Habermas’ “Actions, Speech Acts, Linguistically Mediated Interactions, and the Lifeworld” (1998), with guest John Foster.
We get into the details on the validity claims built into speech, how this provides the foundation for society, and Habermas’ the multi-layered “life-world.”
To listen to this, become a supporter at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. Listen to a preview.
Ep. 252: Habermas on Communication as Sociality (Part One)
On Jürgen Habermas’ “Actions, Speech Acts, Linguistically Mediated Interactions, and the Lifeworld” (1998), with guest John Foster.
What’s the relation between individuals and society? Habermas says that language has ethics built right into it: I’m trying to get you to agree with me, to engage in a cooperative enterprise of mutual understanding.
Subscribe to get Part 2 of this episode, or listen to a preview. Citizens can get the entire second part here.
Sponsors: Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/PEL for a free trial of The Great Courses Plus Video Learning Service. Open a real estate portfolio at fundrise.com/PEL and get your first 90 days of advisory fees waived.
Ep. 252: Habermas on Communication as Sociality (Part One for Supporters)
On Jürgen Habermas’ “Actions, Speech Acts, Linguistically Mediated Interactions, and the Lifeworld” (1998), with guest John Foster.
What’s the relation between individuals and society? Habermas says that language has ethics built right into it: I’m trying to get you to agree with me, to engage in a cooperative enterprise of mutual understanding.
Ep. 251: Simone Weil’s Ideal Society
On “Theoretical Picture of a Free Society” (1934). What’s the ideal living situation for us all, given the peculiarities of human nature? Weil describes fulfillment as coming from being able to picture goals and plans and knowingly put them into effect, so social groups need to maximize that power by being small and cooperative.
End song: “Libreville” by Bill Bruford, as interviewed for Nakedly Examined Music #25.
Get this episode ad-free with a PEL Citizenship, which also gets you access to our PEL Nightcaps and future Part Two episodes.
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