The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 404: Could AI Be Conscious? (Chalmers vs. Dreyfus) (Part One) Nov 10, 2026

Show notes

On David Chalmers' "Could a Large Language Model Be Conscious?" (2023) and Hubert Dreyfus' What Computers Can't Do: The Limits of Artificial Intelligence (1972), ch. 7-9.

How are intelligence and consciousness related, and even if an AI should be considered authentically intelligent, could any AI ever be considered conscious? Chalmers considers various arguments why current LLMs should be considered conscious now (he considers these unconvincing) and why they will never be (he also finds these unconvincing).

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PEL Presents PMP#234: You Can See Fielder Nov 08, 2026

Show notes

Everybody's talking about the Nathan Fielder/Lance Oppenheim documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes You Can See Everything, and so are we!

Bigwig pundit John Ganz joins Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al to talk about the psychological issues, the ethics and dynamics of documentaries and docudramas, and the Nathan-esque second half.

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PEL Presents PvI#127: Naturally Intelligent Mushmouth Nov 06, 2026

Show notes

Mark, Mary, and Anthony continue to chat about Ch. 1 of The Therapy of Desire by Martha Nussbaum (aka Noose Bomb). We talk and/or act out mush-mouth characters, "acting naturally," human-object hybrids, AI, plus puppetry, being on hold, how to take notes on philosophy, Elf Ron Hubbard, and more.

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Ep. 403: Are LLMs Actually Intelligent? (Part Two) Nov 02, 2026

Show notes

Continuing on Raphaël Millière and Cameron Buckner's "A Philosophical Introduction to Language Models, Part I: Continuity With Classic Debates."

We go through the various arguably important features for intelligence, including particular ways of learning and comprehending language, being able to generalize from the data set, and to use a world model to navigate problems. Can something have intelligence without having intentions, and do programmed goals count as intentions?

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PEL Presents Closereads: David Lewis on Mind-Brain Identity (Part One) Nov 01, 2026

Show notes

On "An Argument for the Identity Theory" (1966), which unlike U.T. Place who merely argued that minds could be brains, argues that minds must be brains, in all possible worlds.

The argument appears functionalist: mental states are defined by their causal roles, and causality is naturally the realm of the physical, so mental causality makes most sense if it is a way of talking about physical causality.

Read along with us.

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PEL Presents NEM#263: Dan Cuddy (Hypnolovewheel, The Special Pillow) Oct 30, 2026

Show notes

Dan played bass for and co-fronted NYC band Hypnolovewheel, with six releases 1987-1993. Since 1994, he has fronted Hoboken's The Special Pillow, with nine releases to date.

We discuss "Fond and Foggy" from The Special Pillow Meets the Space Monster (2024 EP), I Woke Up, also by The Special Pillow, from World's Finest (2020), and "Wow" by Hypnolovewheel from Angel Food (1992). End song: "Automatic Doom" from Inside the Special Pillow (2003). Intro: "Sabrina (Open Your Window)" by Plastic Device (1983), unreleased until E Pluribus Plastic (2019). To hear more, look up these bands on bandcamp.com.

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Ep. 403: Are LLMs Actually Intelligent? (Part One) Oct 26, 2026

Show notes

On Raphaël Millière and Cameron Buckner's "A Philosophical Introduction to Language Models, Part I: Continuity With Classic Debates" (2023).

Is the Large Language Model type of architecture currently in use by AIs a legitimate basis for intelligence? M&B explain the technology and run through arguments for and against, with the conclusion that while current LLMs are not properly intelligent, there's no in principle reason why they could not become so.

Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.

PEL Presents PMP#233: Not-Scary Carrie Oct 24, 2026

Show notes

We discuss the new Mike Flanagan series adaptation of Stephen King's 1974 novel in comparison to the 1976 Brian De Palma film and the other adaptations (the 2013 film, the 2002 TV movie, and 1998's The Rage: Carrie 2). Featuring Mark, Lawrence, Al, and spanked-in-school Sarahlyn.

What does the story say about human nature? How much agency does Carrie have? Was the new version just a fundamentally different story grafted onto this basic framework of a psychic girl destroying the prom? Does it totally ruin the premise to try to turn this into a multi-season series? Is it destined to devolve into the X-men if this continues?

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PEL Presents PvI#126: Waiting for Cluckman w/ Anthony LeBlanc Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

Mark, Mary, and Jenny are joined by improviser Anthony to restore us to a 2 X 2 Team Play balance, again reading part of Martha Nussbaum's The Therapy of Desire as a way of exploring ancient traditions by which one might use philosophy for self-improvement.

We act out and/or discuss vacation portal polyamory, voluntarily living in dangerous places, life return bureaucracy, risk bricks, connecting the classroom to the real world, and the first weekly check-in of the robots' revolution scheduling society.

Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at patreon.com/philosophyimprov.

Ep. 402: Plato Talks Homer: Hippias Minor and Ion (Part Two) Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

Finishing up on Hippias Minor and moving on to the Ion, where Socrates convinces a rhapsode (someone who does public, dramatic readings of Homer and is a Homer scholar) that his talent is a matter of inspiration and not knowledge. So how does this relate to Plato's dismissal of poets in the Republic?

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