Ep. 299: Philosophy in Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens" (Part Two)
Continuing to discuss the play, now with guest Sarah Manton. We get into Cynicism, the Alcibiades sub-plot, a feminist angle on the play, and more. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion including the supporter-exclusive part three to this episode. Sponsor...
53m Aug 29, 2022
53m
PEL Presents PMP#131: Hope for Jordan Peele's "Nope"
Jordan Peele's launch from a solid comedy base with Key & Peele to the unexpected Get Out was so impressive that he's generated a huge amount of good will that allows him to play the full-on auteur with huge budgets. Did that pay off with his third film, the monster movie Nope? Mark is joined by Lawrence Ware, Sarahlyn Bruck, and Nicole Pometti. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prett...
49m Aug 24, 2022
49m
Ep. 299: Philosophy in Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens" (Part One)
Jonathan Bate, editor of the new RSC complete Shakespeare, joins us to talk about the role of money in the play, the psychology, cynicism, and more. Listen to our performance of the play first (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/08/08/not-ep299-1-shakespeare-timon-audioplay/) . Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedlif...
43m Aug 22, 2022
43m
PEL Presents NEM#178: Chastity Brown in Wonderment
Chastity has since 2007 released seven albums from Minneapolis that she calls "new blues," but which spread into pop, Americana, soul, and Irish-flavored spirituals. We discuss "Wonderment" and listen at the end to "Back Seat" from Sing to the Walls (2022), "Drive Slow" from Silhouette of Sirens (2017), "Many Prayers" from Do the Best You Can (2007). Intro: "Colorado" (a 2014 single included o...
1hr 6m Aug 21, 2022
1hr 6m
PEL Presents PMP#130: CODA and Deaf Culture
The 2022 Oscar winner for Best Picture was CODA, a story about a musically inclined girl with a deaf family. Kambri Crews (http://kambricrews.com/) , herself a CODA, joins your host Mark, Sarahlyn Bruck (https://sarahlynbruck.com/) , and Al Baker to talk about how deaf culture interacts with film. Films tend to show deafness as tragic, which is not necessarily how the deaf community views them...
51m Aug 20, 2022
51m
Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens" Audioplay (Part Two)
Continuing our performance of William Shakespeare's play, finishing things up with acts 4 and 5 plus some post-performance discussion with the cast. Start with part one (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/08/08/not-ep299-1-shakespeare-timon-audioplay/) . Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-fr...
1hr 19m Aug 15, 2022
1hr 19m
Philosophy vs. Improv #36: Authentic Authenticity w/ Skye Cleary
Skye (https://skyecleary.com/about/) teaches and Columbia and the City University of New York, and she recently published How to Be Authentic: Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Fulfillment (https://amzn.to/3QDPbS4)  (which is very good, and NOT snake oil). She joins Mark and Bill to talk about what authenticity might mean for an existentialist, how it relates to truth, responsibility, and p...
56m Aug 14, 2022
56m
Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens" Audioplay Feat. Jay O. Sanders, Michael Ian Black, and Michael Tow (Part One)
The PEL players do an unrehearsed reading of Shakespeare's least popular play, which is about money and cynicism. This part includes Acts 1-3. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsors: Get a discount on the #1 meal kit for eating well at GreenChef....
1hr 24m Aug 08, 2022
1hr 24m
PREMIUM-Ficino-Flavored Nightcap Early August 2022
Mark and Wes consider more passages from Ficino's Commentary on Plato's Symposium on Love, getting into Ficino's religious psychology and how this relates to Kierkegaard's. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/07/31/nightcap-early-august-2022-ficino/) (in which we cover more of Ficino, plus PEL Live, our upcoming audiopla...
13m Aug 05, 2022
13m
PEL Presents NEM#177: Susan Cattaneo Leaves Nashville and Finds Herself
Susan teaches songwriting at Berklee and has released six albums since 2009. She wanted to be a Nashville songwriter, decided to then sing country songs herself, but that felt phony, so she remade her whole style. We discuss "Broken Things" (and listen at the end to "Time + Love + Gravity") from All Is Quiet (2022), "Revival" from Haunted Heart (2014), "Shave" from Heaven to Heartache (2011). ...
1hr 11m Aug 04, 2022
1hr 11m
Ep. 298: Marsilio Ficino on Love (Part Two)
Continuing on on Commentary on Plato's Symposium on Love with guest Peter Adamson. We consider F's views on beauty and fill out his neo-Platonic epistemology. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. We'll be live-streaming video for our big ep. 300 on Frid...
55m Aug 01, 2022
55m
PEL Presents PMP#129: Wherefore the Cover Song?
Is re-playing or re-recording a song written and performed by someone else an act of love or predation? Mark is joined by Too Much Joy's (http://www.toomuchjoy.com/) Tim Quirk (http://tbquirk.com/) , the Gig Gab Podcast's (https://www.giggabpodcast.com/) Dave Hamilton, and the author of A Philosophy of Cover Songs (https://books.openbookpublishers.com/10.11647/obp.0293.pdf) Prof. P.D. Magnus (...
1hr Jul 29, 2022
1hr
Ep. 298: Marsilio Ficino on Love (Part One)
On Commentary on Plato's Symposium on Love (1475), with guest Peter Adamson. What is the role of love in the universe? Ficino tries to combine Plato's theory of love as reproduction in the presence of beauty with an unorthodox take on Christian theology. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free e...
46m Jul 25, 2022
46m
PEL Presents Philosophy vs. Improv #35: Submarine Observations w/ Chris Rathjen
We talk about observations and how they relate to theories and other types of preconception. Is there such a thing as pure observation?  We tour a submarine and plan a party. There is no Chumbawamba in either case. Improver Chris starred in the Improvised Star Trek podcast (https://www.theimprovisedstartrek.com/) and has been a recurrent guest and now an editor on Hello From the Magic Tavern ...
55m Jul 24, 2022
55m
PREVIEW-Ep. 297: Heidegger on the Human Condition (Part Three)
Concluding our close reading of Being and Time, on ch. 3, sec. 15 and 16 on the world as "ready to hand" or equipment. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/07/17/ep297-3-heidegger-human-condition-citizen/) , sign up via one of the options described at https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
11m Jul 23, 2022
11m
Ep. 297: Heidegger on the Human Condition (Part Two)
We continue on Being and Time, now in ch. 2 on what "the world" is in our Being-in-the-World and so what it is for us to encounter objects and how this is different than, e.g. the interaction of two physical objects. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion i...
47m Jul 18, 2022
47m
PEL Presents NEM#176: Bill Lloyd's Power Pop from Nashville
Bill has been a hit-making country songwriter for his duo Foster and Lloyd as well as artists like Martina McBride and Trisha Yearwood, but his true love has been power pop, starting with Sgt. Arms (our intro song is the 1982 single, "Caught in Traffic," a 1982 single) through his 10+ solo albums. We discuss the title track from Don't Kill the Messenger (2020), "What Time Won't Heal" (co-writt...
1hr 9m Jul 17, 2022
1hr 9m
PEL Presents PMP#128: Jurassic Shlock
Mark is joined by NY Time entertainment writer/philosophy prof Lawrence Ware (https://lawrence-ware.com/) , novelist/ex-actor Sarahlyn Bruck (https://sarahlynbruck.com/) , and filmmaker/Remakes, Reboots, and Revivals (https://www.remakesrebootsrevivals.com/) host Rolando Nieves (http://rolandonievesmedia.com/) to discuss the Jurassic Park franchise in light of the new film, Jurassic World: Domi...
47m Jul 17, 2022
47m
PEL Presents PMP#127: You Down With Downton Abbey?
We discuss the appeal of this Julian-Fellowes-penned British historical drama in light of the new film. Is this really "a new era" or just more of the same, and is that bad? Mark is joined by returning guest Jon Lamoreaux (host of The Hustle (https://thehustle.podbean.com/) music podcast), plus a couple: former newscaster Corrinne MacLeod and her husband, the photographer (https://www.macleodp...
51m Jul 15, 2022
51m
Ep. 297: Heidegger on the Human Condition (Part One)
We continue on Being and Time (1927), now into ch. 1 (sec. 9) on Existenz and how our way of Being is different than that of the objects of science, and what this means for authenticity and choice. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsors: Get 10% ...
43m Jul 11, 2022
43m
PEL Presents Philosophy vs. Improv #34: Possible Diners w/ Barry Lam
Barry (https://hiphination.org/about/) hosts Hi-Phi Nation (https://hiphination.org/) , and his most recent season (https://hiphination.org/season-5/) had a run on David Lewis, America's foremost philosopher of possible worlds.  So we talk about that notion that Hollywood has had so much fun with lately, and then we have fun with it in a couple of variations on a classic diner scene. Cheese sal...
49m Jul 10, 2022
49m
Ep. 296: Heidegger Questions Being (Part Two)
Continuing with our close reading of Being and Time, we talk about why time is the focus of Heidegger's analysis of the human condition, what are phenomena, and so what his phenomenological method looks like and why it must investigate us in our "average everydayness." Hear more PEL at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Get episodes ad-free with tons of bonus cont...
1hr 1m Jul 04, 2022
1hr 1m
NEM-Pretty Much Pop Crossover: So-Called Greatest Albums Feat. Mobley, Noah Berlatsky, Jon Lamoreaux
It's a music discussion episode! How does canonization work in popular music? Is Rolling Stone's 500 Best Albums of All Time (https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/) list just a modest record of the favorite albums of people associated with Rolling Stone? Is it a statement of what “experts” in popular music enjoy? Does it reflect English-American popular...
55m Jul 02, 2022
55m
Ep. 296: Heidegger's Questions Being (Part One)
Continuing from our overview in ep. 32 (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2011/02/07/ep32-heidegger-citizen/) , we do a close reading on selections from the introduction of Martin Heidegger's Being and Time to consider Heidegger's Being in relation to Aristotle's Categories, what questioning means, and some of Heidegger's basic terms. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexa...
50m Jun 27, 2022
50m
REISSUE-Ep. 32: Heidegger on Being (w/ new Intro)
Discussing Martin Heidegger's Being and Time (1927) back in 2011, mostly the intro and Ch. 1 and 2. When philosophers try to figure out what really exists (God? matter? numbers?), Heidegger thinks they've forgotten a question that really should come first: what is it to exist? He thinks that instead of asking "What is Being?" we ask, as in a scientific context, "what is this thing?" This appro...
1hr 58m Jun 20, 2022
1hr 58m
PEL Presents NEM#175: Richie Ramone Builds His Own Brand
Richie Reinhardt drummed for The Ramones for three albums and has released two solo albums and some singles. We discuss his new single "Not Afraid," his 2013 solo version of "I Know Better Now" from Entitled (https://amzn.to/3bcAnu4) (2013), "Human Kind" by Ramones from Too Tough to Die (https://amzn.to/3zYzz6t) (1984), and "I Fix This” from Cellophane (https://amzn.to/3NasL8Q) (2016). Intro: "...
1hr 1m Jun 19, 2022
1hr 1m
PREMIUM-Ep. 295: Kant on Preventing War (Part Three)
Concluding on Kant's "Perpetual Peace," plus Jurgen Habermas' "Kant's Idea of Perpetual Peace, with the Benefit of Two Hundred Years' Hindsight." If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/05/29/ep294-3-quine-epistemology-naturalized-citizen/) , sign up via one of the options described at https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
10m Jun 18, 2022
10m
PEL Presents PMP#126: Political Sci-Fi in "The Expanse"
On the novel series and TV show written by James S.A. Corey (aka Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). Mark is joined by fact-checker (https://www.logically.ai/) Al Baker, educator (https://courses.seahomeschoolers.com/dr-sabrina-weiss/) Sabrina Weiss, and voting rights guy (https://www.equitabledemocracy.org/about_us/) /former reality TV editor (https://vimeo.com/115078828) Colin Cole. For more, vis...
1hr 1m Jun 17, 2022
1hr 1m
Philosophy vs. Improv #33: Virtuous Garbage Director w/ Jack Newell
philosophyimprov.com, partiallyexaminedlife.com, chicagoimprovstudio.com
59m Jun 16, 2022
59m
Ep. 295: Kant on Preventing War (Part Two)
Continuing on Immanuel Kant's essay "Perpetual Peace," we go further into how Kant's politics relate to his ethics and consider his actual policy proposals: each state must be a republic,, they should join in a federation, and we all owe each other hospitality as a cosmopolitan right. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedli...
48m Jun 13, 2022
48m
PEL Presents NEM#174: Drew Grow’s Subconscious is the Through Line
Portland's Drew Grow has put out around 10 albums since the 90s, gradually developing his jagged, visceral style through several projects. We discuss the title track from Cockroach in a Ghost Town, the debut album from his new band Slang with Janet Wiess, then "Abandon" from the eponymous album by Modern Kin (2014), and "Spider" from his debut solo album Next Lips (2007). End song: "King Gunn" ...
1hr 1m Jun 11, 2022
1hr 1m
Ep. 295: Kant on Preventing War (Part One)
On Immanuel Kant's essay "Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch" (1795). Do nations have the "right" to go to war? What principles ground just international relations, and are there structures and agreements that we can embrace to prevent prevent future wars? Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get a...
42m Jun 06, 2022
42m
PREMIUM-Ep. 294: Quine on Science vs. Epistemology (Part Three)
Concluding on W.V.O. Quine's "Epistemology Naturalized" (1969). We talk more about the attempt to found epistemology on psychology.  If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/05/29/ep294-3-quine-epistemology-naturalized-citizen/) , sign up via one of the options described at https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
14m Jun 03, 2022
14m
(sub)Text: Escape into Art in Keats’s "Ode to a Nightingale"
Second in our series on the odes of John Keats is Ode to a Nightingale, in which Keats imagines a journey into the realm of negative capability, a concept introduced in our previous episode on Ode to a Grecian Urn. Keats hears a nightingale’s song and it inspires him to ponder such questions as, what makes an ideal artist? How might we access the world of artistic creation? How does art unite h...
1hr 24m Jun 03, 2022
1hr 24m
Ep. 294: Quine on Science vs. Epistemology (Part Two)
Continuing on "Epistemology Naturalized" (1969), we work further through the text, getting into what this new psychology-rooted epistemology might look like and how Quine changed empiricism. Plus, more of us trying to figure out his claims about the indeterminacy of translation. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexaminedlife.com...
38m May 30, 2022
38m
Pretty Much Pop #124: What Is Batman?
In light of the recent release of Matt Reeves' film The Batman, we consider the strange alternation of darkness and camp that is Batman. Is he even a super hero? What's with his rogues' gallery? What's with DC's anti-world-building? Mark is joined by philosophy prof/NY Times entertainment writer Lawrence Ware (https://lawrence-ware.com/) , improv comedian/educator Anthony LeBlanc (https://www.s...
47m May 30, 2022
47m
Ep. 294: Quine on Science vs. Epistemology (Part One)
On W.V.O. Quine's "Epistemology Naturalized" (1969). What justifies scientific theory? Not theory-free observations, as Quine shows us by considering how we figure out foreign languages. Instead of basing science on epistemology, Quine thought we need to make epistemology part of science. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) . Visit https://partiallyexami...
48m May 23, 2022
48m
Philosophy vs. Improv #32: "On the Standard of [Bad] Taste" w/ Babette Babich
Babette (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babette_Babich) teaches at Fordham (https://faculty.fordham.edu/babich/) and recently edited the collection "Reading David Hume's 'On The Standard of Taste,' (https://amzn.to/3MT7kK1) " which Mark made use of for PEL#289 (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/03/14/ep289-1-aesthetic-sense-theory-shaftesbury-hutcheson-hume/) . So, more philosophically beef...
55m May 22, 2022
55m
PREMIUM-Ep. 293: Donna Haraway on Feminist Science (Part Two)
Continuing on "Situated Knowledges" and other essays with guest Lynda Olman. We try to get at the practical import of Olman's scheme and get further into her use of metaphors and what those mean for her critical stance. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/05/06/ep-293-2-haraway-feminist-science-citizen/) , sign up via on...
11m May 16, 2022
11m
Pretty Much Pop #123: We Are All Jackass
Mark is joined by comedian Matty Goldberg (http://www.mattygoldberg.com/) ; filmmaker/podcaster Rolando Nieves (https://www.rolandonievesmedia.com/) ; and comedy juggler Josh Casey (https://joshcasey.com/) to discuss the franchise that began in 2000 in light of the new film Jackass Forever. This is perhaps our sole remaining form of popular entertainment that relies on sheer physicality, withou...
51m May 16, 2022
51m
Ep. 293: Donna Haraway on Feminist Science (Part One)
On "Situated Knowledge" (1988), "A Cyborg Manifesto" (1985), etc. featuring guest Lynda Olman. What is scientific objectivity? Haraway rejects both relativism and traditional, "god's eye" objectivism in favor of a "cyborg" view that looks for alternate ways of seeing and acknowledges the ways that science and technology are tied to politics. Part two of this episode is only going to be availa...
59m May 09, 2022
59m
NEM#172: Mark Stewart (The Pop Group): Mad Processing w/ Haikus
Mark led the Pop Group through two albums in the late 70s two later reunion album and has released nine solo albums of trippy, experimental dance music. We discuss "Rage of Angels" (feat. Front 242) from VS (2022), "Age of Miracles" by The Pop Group from Citizen Zombie (2015), and "Liberty City" by Mark Stewart & the Maffia from Learning to Cope with Cowardice (1983). End song: "Cast No Shadow...
1hr 7m May 09, 2022
1hr 7m
PEL Presents (SUB)TEXT: Work as Madness in “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957)
In the beginning, Colonel Nicholson seems to be a stickler for principle, willing to die rather than have his officers do menial labor in a Japanese prison camp. In the end, his principles seem to be a cover for personal vanity. He is willing to put his officers to work building a bridge for his enemies, as long as it leaves him with a legacy. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a reflection on the...
56m May 08, 2022
56m
PREMIUM-Ep. 292: Langer on Symbolic Music (Part Two)
Concluding on Susanne Langer's Philosophy in a New Key (ch. 8-10). We continue discussing whether and how music is symbolic. Sing along with us! If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/04/23/ep292-2-langer-music-citizen/) , sign up via one of the options described at https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.
15m May 02, 2022
15m
Pretty Much Pop #122: Maus as Tragic Comics
We discuss Art Spiegelman's Maus (https://amzn.to/3vK4wsJ) (1980-91) and other war-related graphic novels like Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis (https://amzn.to/3vK4GAl) (2000) and George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy (https://amzn.to/3kEXXBb) (2019). Mark is joined by comics scholar Vi Burlew (https://prettymuchpop.com/?s=burlew) , comics blerd (https://prettymuchpop.com/2020/08/11/pmp56-blerd/) /...
52m May 01, 2022
52m
PEL Presents NEM#171: Ben Vaughn's Primitive Fever Dreams
Ben has released over 20 albums of retro rock since the early '80s, written for TV soundtracks, produced bands like Ween, and hosts a radio show. We discuss "Wayne Fontana Was Wrong" from The World of Ben Vaughn (https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/14849) (2022), "I’m Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)" from Vaughn Sings Vaughn (Vol. 1) (https://amzn.to/3rRsqQK) (2007), "Too Sensitive For This...
1hr 8m Apr 29, 2022
1hr 8m
Ep. 292: Langer on Symbolic Music (Part One)
On Susanne Langer's Philosophy in a New Key (1942), ch. 8-10. Is music (the supposedly non-representational artform) a language? If it's "expressive," what exactly does it express? Part two of this episode is only going to be available to you if you sign up at https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support or via Apple Podcasts (http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-partially-examined-life/id318345767...
52m Apr 25, 2022
52m
Pretty Much Pop #121: Protesting Protest Songs
Are protest songs effective, either as protest or songs? Four songwriters including your host Mark Linsenmayer (https://marklint.bandcamp.com/) , Lilli Lewis (https://nakedlyexaminedmusic.com/nem163-lilli-lewis/) , Rod Picott (https://nakedlyexaminedmusic.com/nem80-rod-picott/) , and PMP's audio engineer Tyler Hislop (https://nakedlyexaminedmusic.com/nem-24-tyler-hislop-sacrifice-copious-rhymes...
51m Apr 20, 2022
51m
PREMIUM-Ep. 291: Cassirer and Langer on Myth and Ritual (Part Two)
Continuing our discussion on the symbolic value of religion and its antecedents, primary at this point discussing Susanne Langer's Philosophy in a New Key, ch. 7. If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2022/04/08/ep291-2-cassirer-langer-myth-ritual-citizen/) , sign up via one of the options described at https://partiallyexamined...
13m Apr 18, 2022
13m
Ep. 291: Cassirer and Langer on Myth and Ritual (Part One)
On Ernst Cassirer's An Essay on Man (1944), ch. 6-7, and Susanne Langer's Philosophy in a New Key (1942), ch. 6-7. Why do people produce ritual, mythology, and religion? According to our authors, these are spontaneous, symbolic modes of self-expression. They're not opposed to rational, scientific thought, but are necessary preconditions for it. Part two of this episode is only going to be avai...
49m Apr 11, 2022
49m