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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

44:50

Ep. 384: Graham Harman's Object-Oriented Ontology...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2026/02/09

We consider chapter 2, "Aesthetics Is the Root of All Philosophy," where Harman describes how art can help us see behind the veil to things-in-themselves. Art is "theatrical" in that it's really the spectator who is standing in like an actor for the object encountered in art. 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 your

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54:08

PEL Presents PMP#214: South Park Resurgence

The Partially Examined Life ·

2026/02/05

We're discussing Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Comedy Central show that premiered in 1997 and has just finished its politically relevant 28th season, featuring the usual crew: Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al. How can a show be so juvenile yet so apparently well thought out?e get into the evolution of the show,, the equal-opportunity offensive humor, the use of child characters to deliver it, their ambiguous politics, the quick turnaround production, the excellent music, and more. Get more at

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55:19

Ep. 384: Graham Harman's Object-Oriented Ontology...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2026/02/02

Continuing on Object-Oriented Ontology: A New Theory of Everything (2018), finishing up ch. 1 (discussing what's so bad about reductionism) and moving to ch. 4, "Indirect Relations," which is about causality. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsors: Get a $1/month e-commerce trial at shopify.com/pel.

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57:35

PEL Presents Closereads: Hegel's "Unhappy Consciousness"

The Partially Examined Life ·

2026/02/01

We're within the Self-Consciousness chapter of The Phenomenology of Spirit, specifically starting at sec. 206 on the Unhappy Consciousness. This comes after the famous Master-Slave section as well as sections about Stoicism and Skepticism, and it depicts a dividedness within the self stemming from a faulty view of the relation between self and world. Subscribe to Closereads at patreon.com/closereadsphilosophy; follow us there via the free tier to get episodes like this ad free, or pay us to get

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42:59

Ep. 384: Graham Harman's Object-Oriented Ontology...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2026/01/29

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50:23

Ep. 384: Graham Harman's Object-Oriented Ontology...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2026/01/26

On Harman's Object-Oriented Ontology: A New Theory of Everything (2018). What counts as an entity in the world? Harman includes not just physical objects, but fictional objects, "sensual objects," and even events, which you might have thought were the alternative to objects. With this promiscuous ontology comes a strange theory of causality whereby no real object touches another real object, and an epistemology that involves us having no knowledge of real objects at all, though Harman's theory art

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47:26

PEL Presents PvI#110: Memories of 2026 w/ Mark and Mary

The Partially Examined Life ·

2026/01/23

To kick off 2026, Mark and Mary talk about memory: memory care for the elderly, the relation between things and memories, what professional activities are worth preserving (improv performances?), being the tchotchke, womb nostalgia, puppets and percussion, plus a visit from the future. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Sponsor: Visit squarespace.com/LINSENMAYER (code LINSENMAYER) for a free trial and 10% off your first website

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42:28

Ep. 383: Freud on Love and the Primal Horde (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2026/01/12

On the second half of Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego. We talk about the dual origins of group membership for Freud in personal love and in the supposed primitive society where a horde was led by a tyrannical father. 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 your health. Last chance! You can still sign up now for

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40:54

Ep. 383: Freud on Love and the Primal Horde (Part One...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2026/01/08

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42:05

PEL 2026 Kickoff Nightcap

The Partially Examined Life ·

2026/01/05

It's another year, and this time we each came in with a short bucket list of philosophical works that we'd like to read before this podcast concludes, whenever that might be.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. It's time to enroll in Mark's spring Big Books in Continental Philosophy Class! Learn more at partiallyexaminedlife.com/class.

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58:05

PEL Presents PMP#212: Holiday Romance Films

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/12/24

The Hallmark Channel became famous for producing low-budget, formulaic Christmas films, and this has spread to other outlets, sometimes with higher budgets and ambitions. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al each watched a smattering of these and share their reflections on the genre and their specific experiences.Get an ad-free experience, plus bonus talking for nearly every episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop for only the tiniest per-month financial pledge, or you can sign up directly with Apple

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45:53

Ep. 382: Freud on Group Psychology (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/12/22

On the first half of Sigmund Freud's Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego (1921). Why do members of a mob get dumber and less inhibited?Freud considers Gustave Le Bon's famous book on crowds but then turns to more organized groups like armies and churches. For all groups, Freud thinks that the leader (or leading ideal) replaces our conscience to some degree. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus

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65:32

PEL Presents NEM#244: Year-End Chat with NEM Audio...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/12/19

In a special holiday episode, we get to meet musician and podcaster Roger Heathers, who edits this show. Together, Roger and I discuss how we make the show and share some highlights and challenges re. recent guests.At the beginning and the end of the show, you get to hear two tracks from his soon to be released Upward Spiral: "Guard Dogs" and "Hopefully." They both feature a warm, holiday-like glow. You can listen to him at rogerheathers.bandcamp.com, or check out The Weekly Song Podcast. Hear

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41:04

Bacchic Redemption in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/12/16

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59:16

Ep. 381: Aquinas on Ethical Psychology (Part Two)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/12/15

Continuing to discuss the virtue and moral action from the Summa Theologica (1268). We discuss the definition of virtue and some subsequent questions about what parts of us the term virtue properly applies to.Sponsors: Visit functionhealth.com/PEL to get the data you need to take action for your health. Get a $1/month e-commerce trial at shopify.com/pel. Get an exclusive 5% discount on NordProtect plans. Go to nordprotect.com/partially and use the code partially at checkout. Buy the PEL book!

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49:50

PEL Presents PMP#211: Slow Horses and Predecessors

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/12/10

We discuss the British spy show based on the novels of Mick Herron, which are in turn firmly in a tradition of anti-007 books by John le Carré. Featuring Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al. The point is not to glamorize the spy service, but to use realism and black humor to stress the human cost and general boredom of this work along with the dysfunctional nature of the institutions involved.Get an ad-free experience, plus bonus talking for nearly every episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop for only

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54:53

Ep. 381: Aquinas on Ethical Psychology (Part Two for...

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/12/08

http://partiallyexaminedlife.com

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49:34

Ep. 381: Aquinas on Ethical Psychology (Part One)

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/12/08

http://partiallyexaminedlife.com

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55:48

PEL Presents Subtext: Erin's New Book "Avail"

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/12/07

Erin just published her first book, "Avail," which you can order here: https://www.pauldrybooks.com/products/avail"Avail" features a long prose-poem which titles the book and winds through sections of lineated, often formal poems. The prose-poem comprises a series of lyric meditations on the image of the veil—from religious and cultural veils, to veils imbedded in idiom and metaphor, to veiled women in art and classic films, to veils drawn and parted by illness and death—which slowly divulge the

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66:35

PEL Presents NEM#243: Corey Ledet's Eclectic Zydeco

The Partially Examined Life ·

2025/12/05

Corey has released many of zydeco music since 2004, and mixes his dedication to tradition (even recording a recent album in Louisiana Creole) with his love of many types of music.We discuss "J'ai Parti dans la Campagne" (and listen at the end to "Outro") from his new release, Live in Alaska; "That Girl Wanna Dance" from the Grammy nominated Nothin' But the Best (2012); and "Way Back Home," a Jazz Crusaders (Wilton Felder) cover recorded for 3 Years 2 Late (2003). Intro: "Boudin Man (Remix)" from

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