The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 230: Bruno Latour on Science, Culture, and Modernity (Part Two) Dec 02, 2019

Show notes

Continuing on Latour's We Have Never Been Modern (1993) with guest Lynda Olman.

Latour rejects the idea of objective truth totally apart from perceivers, so is he an idealist? We lay out the "Constitution" of modernity that keeps science and politics separate, how it makes it difficult for us to address issues like climate change, and what Latour thinks should replace it.

Start with part 1 or get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!

End song: "Mono No Aware" by Guy Sigsworth, as discussed on Nakedly Examined Music #109.

Ep. 230: Bruno Latour on Science, Culture, and Modernity (Part One) Nov 25, 2019

Show notes

On Latour's We Have Never Been Modern (1993) with guest Lynda Olman.

What's the "modern" ideology of science, and is there something we should critique about it? Latour wants us to think about science not abstractly through the eternal truths it supposedly discovers, but through the concrete practices of scientists. He investigates the Modern Constitution by which science and politics are kept conceptually separate, a myth that he claims we've never fully bought into.

Don't wait for part two; get your unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition now. Please support PEL!

Ep. 229: Descartes's Rules for Thinking (Part Three) Nov 18, 2019

Show notes

Concluding René Descartes's Rules for Direction of the Mind (1628).

We finish rule 12 through the end, talking about simples, the faculties of intuition and judgment, perception and imagination, necessary vs. contingent truths, and how to do Cartesian science, including what constitutes a "perfectly understood problem."

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

End song: "Perfect Design" by Ian Moore, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #94.

Ep. 229: Descartes's Rules for Thinking (Part Two) Nov 11, 2019

Show notes

Continuing on René Descartes's Rules for Direction of the Mind (1628), covering rules 7 through the first part of the lengthy rule 12.

We try to figure out what he means by "enumeration;" the faculties of imagination, sense and memory; the virtues of perspicacity and sagacity; his psychology of the senses, the "common sense" where all sense data comes together, and the understanding; how Descartes recommends we do scientific investigation; why syllogisms stink; and whether some people are just better at philosophy than others.

Start with part 1. You don't need to wait for part 3; get the full, Citizen Edition now. Citizen Edition now? Please support PEL!

Ep. 229: Descartes's Rules for Thinking (Part One) Nov 04, 2019

Show notes

On René Descartes's Rules for Direction of the Mind (1628).

Is there a careful way to approach problems that will ensure that you'll always be right? What if you just never assert anything you can't be sure of? This is Descartes's strategy, modeled on mathematics. We likewise carefully move step-by-step through this text.

This is part 1 of 3; get the whole discussion now via the Citizen Edition now? Please support PEL!

PEL Presents PMP#17: Comedy as Philosophy w/ Daniel Lobell Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

Are stand-up comedians the Modern Day Philosophers? This is the premise of Daniel's podcast, but really, only some comedians express original claims; many just tell jokes. Are those exceptional comics philosophizing? Does telling the whole, tragic truth rule out being funny? Daniel, Mark, Erica, and Brian consider Carlin, Gadsby, Chappelle, and others.

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

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

Sponsor: Visit Keeps.com/EXAMINED for a free month of hair loss treatment.

Ep. 228: Social Construction of Race (Appiah, Mills) (Part Two) Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

Continuing on Kwame Anthony Appiah's "Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections" (1994), Charles Mills's "But What Are You Really?, The Metaphysics of Race" (1998), and Neven Sesardic's "Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept" (2010) with guest Coleman Hughes.

Racial classifications vary geographically, therefore race is socially constructed. Given this, can we retain the positive aspects of group-identification without hierarchies and what Appiah calls "imperialism of identity?"

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

End song: "Tired Skin" by Alejandro Escovedo, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #60.

Ep. 228: Social Construction of Race (Appiah, Mills) (Part One) Oct 21, 2019

Show notes

On Kwame Anthony Appiah's "Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections" (1994), Charles Mills' "But What Are You Really?, The Metaphysics of Race" (1998), and Neven Sesardic's "Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept" (2010). With guest Coleman Hughes. Please support PEL!

Ep. 227: What Is Social Construction? (Hacking, Berger) (Part Two) Oct 14, 2019

Show notes

Continuing Ian Hacking's The Social Construction of What (1999) and Peter Berger's "Religion and World Construction" (1967).

We break down Hacking's typology of construction arguments: Are they exploring where our ideas came from or trying to change things? Are they trying to state facts about nature vs. nurture or essentially political solicitations for us to reconceptualize in healthier ways? Plus, more about the supposed divide between science wars and the culture wars and Berger's picture of the nomos (custom) defining what it is for us to live a meaningful life.

Please support PEL!

End song: "The ConstruKction of Light, Part 1" by King Crimson; listen to Mark with Trey Gunn on Nakedly Examined Music #21.

Ep. 227: What Is Social Construction? (Hacking, Berger) (Part One) Oct 07, 2019

Show notes

On Ian Hacking's The Social Construction of What (1999) and Peter Berger's "Religion and World Construction" (1967).

Guest Coleman Hughes from Dilemma joins us to survey the types of social construction arguments: the "culture wars" (e.g. race, gender) and the "science wars" (scientific findings are not read off the world but emerge from history). Something can be constructed, yet still be an objective truth we have to deal with.

Please support PEL!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected