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PODCAST

The Partially Examined Life

Mark Linsenmayer

The Partially Examined Life is a philosophy 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 text and chat about it with insight and flippancy. You don"t have to know any philosophy or even have read the text we"re talking about to follow and enjoy the discussion.

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

72:59

PEL Presents NEM#233: Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/06/29

This famed finger-style guitarist broke through with Jefferson Airplane's seven albums from 1966-1972, recorded eight with Hot Tuna 1970-1976 (with subsequent reunions by both bands), recorded his first solo album in 1974 and then 10 more from 1981-2025, and has collaborated with John Hurlburt, members of the Grateful Dead, and Janice Joplin. We discuss "In My Dreams" from Ain't in No Hurry (2015), "Been So Long" from River of Time (2009), "Sleep Song" by Hot Tuna from America's Choice (1975). End

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63:35

PEL Presents PvI#95: The Techucational Edge w/ Khafiz...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/06/26

Khafiz Kerimov and Nicholas Bellinson teach at St. John's College, and they channeled the educational style of that school into a new podcast called Invasive Thoughts. They join Mark and Bill to talk (and act) about various educational technologies, teacher-student relations, circle-drawing competitions, the passivity of thinking, bad quotation use, and more. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Sponsors: Go to

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57:28

Pretty Much Pop #199: Missioning Impossibly

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/06/24

On the eight-film action series that launched in 1996 (based on the 1966 TV series) in light of its apparently final film. Featuring Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al.Is this a coherent narrative as the last film would have you believe, or just an excuse for a series of Tom Cruise physically challenges? Maybe the latter is enough for us! For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear this ad-free with bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark

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47:04

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

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/06/23

Continuing on Natural Goodness, getting more into concrete cases of moral reasoning. How and why do we decide to keep promises, even in cases where violating them would produce more utility? How do we take into account different kinds of grounds in moral reasoning? Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion, including a supporter-exclusive part three to this discussion. Sponsor: Visit IDOU.com/PEL for 15% off

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61:25

PEL Presents PvI#94: Storifying Philosophy w/ Kolby...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/06/19

Kolby runs After Dinner Conversations, which curates short stories about philosophy. He's also been a "producer" of improv shows. We talk about what makes a story philosophical, Kolby tells some stories, and we run some scenes about teleporter shenanigans and guidance counseling. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Sponsor: Go to surfshark.com/improv or use code IMPROV at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

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49:12

Ep. 368: Hume on Reason in Ethics (Part Two)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/06/09

We conclude our discussion of A Treatise of Human Nature (1739): Book III, "Of Morals," plus a bit more discussion of An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751). How do moral sentiments fit into Hume's overall philosophy of mind? Is Hume a relativist? We talk about sociopaths, animals, incest, consent, ethics vs. beauty, moral luck, and more. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.

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51:16

PEL Presents PMP#198: Andor: Grown-Up Star Wars

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/06/07

Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al discuss Tony Gilroy's Star Wars Disney+ two-season TV show. Should this actually be a Star Wars show given how different in tone it was? The show adds meat (and banality!) to the evil of the Empire and the rough life of a rebel. We talk characters, themes, settings, and all that other literary stuff. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear this ad-free with bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment

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48:43

PEL Presents PvI#93: Poetry Stands its Ground w/...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/06/04

Shannon the philosopher and Audrey the poet are Seattle improv buddies that form a duo called Closer to Clarity that uses improv to answer audience members' big life questions (BLQs). Hear philosophy and poetry face off and mind meld and do-si-do as we play through two wacky corporate office scenes and return once again to Empty Street™ for an attempted gas station poetry open mic. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.

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44:55

Ep. 368: Hume Reason in Ethics (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/06/02

We talk a bit more about David Hume's An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751), and add some parts of A Treatise of Human Nature (1739): sec. 3 "Of the Influencing Motives of the Will" within the third part of Book II, "Of the Passions," and the first two sections of Book III, "Of Morals."Can reason by itself motivate moral action? Hume says no: All ethical reasons must point ultimately to sentiments, which we can generalize about, but which are epistemically basic. Get more at

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54:20

PEL Presents PMP#197: Medically Dramatic

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/05/29

Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al discuss The Pitt and other medical dramas like ER, Gray's Anatomy, ad nauseam. Doctors and patients grappling with life and death stakes seems a strong premise for drama, but how many of these shows do we need? We talk about the gore, the pacing, the characters, the politics, and the other considerations that make The Pitt a great show (at this point). For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear this ad-free with bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by

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46:18

Ep. 367: Hume on the Foundations of Ethics (Part Two)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/05/26

Continuing on An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751), talking about justice (i.e. property laws), why utility is pleasing and what all it includes, sympathy, utility vs. beauty, and more.Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.

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75:48

PEL Presents NEM#231: Bill Champlin (ex-Chicago)...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/05/24

Bill released 8 albums from 1969-1977 with Sons of Champlin then moved to LA to become a solo artist and session musician, co-writing two Grammy-winning tunes. He was the designated soul singer in Chicago from 1981-2009 and released several solo albums starting in 1990 while continuing to collaborate widely. We discuss "Alone" from Livin' for Love (2021), the title track from He Started to Sing (1995), and "Right On" by Sons of Champlin from Welcome to the Dance (1973). End song: "Plaid" by Chicago

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49:53

Ep. 367: Hume on the Foundations of Ethics (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/05/19

On David Hume's An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751). What is morality, and how can we know it?Hume claims that we simply find ourselves with sentiments morally approving and disapproving of various things. Characterizing these post hoc, we can say that in general we approve of what brings utility, and this explains the existence of most laws and mores. These may vary by culture because conditions change the utility calculation in different environments. Get more at

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49:24

PEL Presents PMP#196: Our "Sinners" Shindig

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/05/16

Luvell Anderson (Philosophy prof. at U of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign) joins Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al to discuss Ryan Coogler's new vampire siege/black studies film starring Michael B. Jordan. We talk about the film's comments on black freedom, black music, the church, why the film needed twins, whether the vampires were even necessary, the film's humor and structure, and more. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear this ad-free with bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by

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50:10

Ep. 366: Edith Stein on Empathy (Part Two)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/05/12

Continuing on The Problem of Empathy. What does it mean to say that we know other people's mental states "non-primordially"? We talk about Stein's project of explaining how empathy is possible, what it gets us, and how her answers differ from Scheler's. 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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62:27

PEL Presents PvI#92: Postale au Naturale w/ Greg...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/05/11

Greg teaches philosophy (and is Interim Provost at Ashland, loves Xenophon, and runs a podcast. We reflect on the dangers of radon and other "natural" things. How might one of our government agencies become more natural, and would we want that? Are fart jokes the most naturally funny kind? Then, Greg the trucker visits Empty Street and embezzles dead mules. Bill was thrust from the final portion of the call, so Mark and Greg engage in some philosophy podcast shop talk. He returns for the Post-Game

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11:45

PREMIUM-PEL Sentimentalism Nightcap 2025

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/05/09

We put our recent episodes on moral phenomenology into perspective, anticipating our upcoming Hume discussion and going through some other options to enrich this study of sentiment vs. rational intuition. Plus, more potential author-guests and recent philosophy book coverage. If you're not hearing the full version of this discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.

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44:26

Ep. 366: Edith Stein in Empathy (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/05/05

On The Problem of Empathy (1917). What is empathy, and what is its significance?Stein pictures empathy as a dynamic process that involves what Scheler called sympathy but goes beyond this. Your don't just take the other person's feeling as our object of contemplation, but in doing so, your enter into it (while still not confusing it with YOUR feeling), this relating to it "non-primordially." So how does this work, exactly? Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit

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50:30

PEL Presents PMP#195: Mike White's Lotus

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/05/02

We discuss the HBO dramedy about rich people having existential crises at a luxury resort in light of its third season. What exactly made this latest season less satisfying than the others? Does the show have a sustainable formula? What is the show saying about enlightenment? Travel? Sexuality? For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear this ad-free with bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.

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52:54

Ep. 365: Scheler on Love (Part Two)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/04/28

We conclude our treatment of Max Scheler's The Nature of Sympathy (1922), getting further into the Part II of the book about love and hatred and grappling with the puzzles about what exactly it is we love about someone (the "personality").Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. If you enjoy our podcast, check out Working Class History at workingclasshistory.com.

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