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PODCAST

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey

The Partially Examined Life is a podcast by some guys who were at one point set on doing philosophy for a living but then thought better of it. Each episode, we pick a short text and chat about it with some balance between insight and flippancy. You don"t have to know any philosophy, or even to have read the text we"re talking about to (mostly) follow and (hopefully) enjoy the discussion. For links to the texts we discuss and other info, check out www.partiallyexaminedlife.com. We also feature

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

47:24

Ep. 372: Kant's Ethics Lectures (Part Two)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/08/04

Continuing on the 1785 course lecture notes by Georg Ludwig Collins. We cover duties to oneself, which are actually the most important ones. There are some interesting subtleties even though Kant is clearly a creature of his time and place, e.g. in his views of sexuality. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsors: Visit functionhealth.com/PEL to get the data you need to take action for your health

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01:13:35

PEL Presents NEM#235: Willie Nile's Poetic Rock Anthems

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/07/31

New York singer-songwriter Willie has released sixteen albums since 1980. He has opened for The Who and Bruce Springsteen, among others, but rejected the major label life after his first two albums. We discuss "An Irish Goodbye" (feat. Paul Brady) from The Great Yellow Light (2025) (and listen at the end to "Wake Up, America" feat. Steve Earle from that album), "Cell Phones Ringing (In the Pockets of the Dead)" from Streets of New York (2006), and the title track from Places I Have Never Been

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49:04

Ep. 372: Kant's Ethics Lectures (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/07/28

We discuss lecture notes from Kant's 1785 ethics course, which provide more examples and an emphasis on the practical than his more famous works. For instance, we get more information on ethical motivation: How can the rational recognition of ethical principles lead to moral feelings? Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Visit functionhealth.com/PEL to get the data you need to take action for

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01:00:16

PEL Presents PvI#97: Peep Dome Pets w/ Merry Mary Hynes

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/07/27

LA Second City improv instructor Mary joins us to act out a pet sitting job interview, talk about sharing our public spaces with animals, and finally return to Empty Street to see if we can get some animal action going in the mart. In the post-game, we talk about Bill's new academic studies and Mark's upcoming Gen Con trip. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Sponsors: Don't wait until the next bite -- protect your home with

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55:57

Ep. 371: Christine Korsgaard on Normativity (Part Two)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/07/21

Concluding our treatment of The Sources of Normativity. We give Korsgaard's tweaks to Kant, including her distinction between the categorical imperative and the moral law. We then explain her reference to Wittgenstein's private language argument in her argument that reason-giving, and hence morality, can't be merely self-referential. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion, including a supporter-exclusive

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01:32:11

PEL Presents NEM#234: John Kruth the Multi-Hyphenate

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/07/18

Not only is John a multi-instrumentalist who's played with Violent Femmes, Allen Ginsberg, Hal Willner, John Prine, et al, but he's released around 24 albums as a solo artist or with groups including the NYC world music outfit TriBeCaStan. We discuss "(Be Careful What You Say to) An Armed Lady" by Folklorkestra from A Strange Day in June (2023), the title track from Forever Ago (with La Societe; del Musici) (2018), "Bed Bugs" by TriBeCaStan from New Deli (2012), and listen to "Back Country" by The

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49:24

Ep. 370: Christine Korsgaard on the History of Ethics...

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/07/07

We dive further into the text of lectures 1 and 2 of The Sources of Normativity (1996). We give Korsgaard's account of the idea of reflective endorsement through Hume and Bernard Williams to get to her own view. When you come to know the origins of your moral sentiments, do you still stand behind them? Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Learn more about Mark's fall online political philosophy class at

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57:55

PEL Presents #200: Hollywood Studio Antics (feat. The...

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/07/06

In immediate reaction to the Apple TV+ Seth Rogan show The Studio, we talk about Hollywood's obsession with itself and how studio dynamics interfere with what exactly we all get to see. Also, what's with the fascination with old Hollywood? What's the appeal of Hollywood gossip? Erica our first-season co-host returns to join Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear this ad-free with bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the

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47:46

Ep. 369: Philippa Foot's Naturalistic Ethics (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/06/16

On Natural Goodness (2001). Can we base ethics on the model of biology? Foot argues that just as we understand what a healthy specimen of a plant or animal is, so there is a natural way for humans to work properly, which will include the ability to will according to reflective reasoning. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Get a $1/month e-commerce trial at shopify.com/pel.

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01:17:48

PEL Presents NEM#232: Chris Church Refines Power Pop

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/06/15

Chris has around 20 releases since 1991, mostly under his own name, while moonlighting as a metal guy and otherwise collaborating. We discuss "She Looks Good in Black" from Obsolete Path (2025), "Intransitive Proverb" from Limitations of the Source Tape (2017), and "Angel Be Mine" from Your Own Chosen Speed (2001). End song: "Sisiphus" by Däng from Tartarus: The Darkest Realm (2014). Intro: "Every Time" by Flat Earth from Prefacipice (1991). More at chrischurch1.bandcamp.com Hear more Nakedly

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46:12

Ep. 365: Scheler on Love (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/04/21

On The Nature of Sympathy (1922), Part II: "Love and Hatred." What is love, and how does it relate to ethics and to sympathy? For Scheler, love is a primitive, spontaneous movement from lower to higher values: We see the best in the love one and thereby help enable them to attain that excellence. So is love foundational for value, or is value foundational for love? The two seem to arise together. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes

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52:38

PEL Presents PMP#194: Adolescence Wrecks Us

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/04/18

We watched the 4-part British crime series that's become #1 in 80 countries, breaking Netflix's records for an original series. And man, was it a bummer. But important! We reflect on the purpose of the show, its one-take-per-episode format, the choice of whose perspectives to show, the crazy good acting by such a young person, and we get a little education about incel culture. How have things changed since we were kids? For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear this ad-free with bonus content at

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50:23

Ep. 364: Max Scheler on Sympathy (Part Three)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/04/14

Mark, Wes, and Dylan reconvened for one more hour on Part I, "Fellow Feeling" (ch. 3-4) in The Nature of Sympathy (1913/1922). We continue to try to figure out the razor's edge of "fellow feeling proper" that does not rely on the sympathizer identifying in any way and look into psychological and metaphysical ways that people can identify with others. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion, including more

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01:01:03

PEL Presents PvI#91: Community Breakdown (or...

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/04/13

Mark and Bill are joined by the actor/improviser who directs Camp Improv Utopia and is involved in managing improv spaces such as Denver's Rise Comedy. We talk about the notion of community, with a scene about the neighborhood watch and a return to Empty Street to deal seriously in a public-service-announcement/after-school special sort of way with the issue of buying liquor underage. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Check out

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52:11

Ep. 364: Max Scheler on Sympathy (Part Two)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/04/07

Continuing on The Nature of Sympathy (1913/1922), Part I: "Fellow Feeling," Ch. 1-4. We look more closely at the text, getting further into how fellow feeling relates to ethics, and why the moral sentimentalists (like Hume) were wrong about this. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.

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55:12

PEL Presents PMP#193: Severance: Mystery Box in Progress

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/04/03

Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al here discuss the sci-fi/office dramedy in light of its second season. We might normally wait until the end of the show, but given that season 1 was 2022, and it took three years to get us season 2, who knows it it'll actually finish? And who knows if it will not be massively disappointing at that point? We strike while the show is culturally relevant! But did even this season measure up to its phenomenal premise and first season? There are so many juicy plot and

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46:57

Ep. 364: Max Scheler on Sympathy (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/03/31

On The Nature of Sympathy (1913, expanded 1922), Part I: "Fellow Feeling," Ch. 1-4. What is it to feel sympathy (aka "fellow feeling") for another person? It is NOT to "identify" with that person; ethics requires that the person be irreducibly Other, not part of my (extended) ego. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Check out the History of the Germans podcast at historyofthegermans.com.

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01:18:30

PEL Presents NEM#229: Peter Holsapple (dB's,...

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/03/30

Peter recorded with Chris Stamey as early as 1972, and they reconvened as The dB's in the '80s. Peter has released six albums as the dB's, three more as a duo with Chris, four co-fronting the Continental Drifters, and three solo albums. He has also been a supporting/touring member in several bands including REM, Hootie and the Blowfish, and currently The Paranoid Style. We discuss "Larger Than Life" from his new solo album The Face of 68), "Don’t Mention the War" from Game Day (2018), and "She Won’t

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01:02:21

PEL Presents Closereads: Husserl on Perceiving Minds

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/03/28

On Edmund Husserl's Ideas, Vol. 2 (1928), Section 3, "The Constitution of the Spiritual World," Ch. 1, "Opposition Between the Naturalistic and Personalistic Worlds." Given Husserl's method of "reduction" whereby he sets aside the metaphysical status of objects in the natural world (are they mind-independent or merely ideas?), we wanted to see how he accounts for our ability to directly perceive other people's minds. We don't just perceive their bodies and our own bodies and deduce that others

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48:45

Ep. 363: Franz Brentano's Moral Epistemology (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast ·

2025/03/17

On "The Origin of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong" (1889). What justifies basic moral facts? Brentano claims that right there in our experience, we can rationally sense with complete certainty that certain kinds of preferences are good ones, and others are not. This take on intuitionism is a response to Kant that (like Kant) cuts between the traditional epistemic categories of rationalism and empiricism, and Brentano's descriptive psychology kicked off the whole project of phenomenology. Get more

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536 results

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