Episode 163: Guest Stewart Umphrey on Natural Kinds (Part One)
Dylan goes on location to St. John's University Annapolis to talk with Stewart Umphrey about his book Natural Kinds and Genesis: The Classification of Material Entities (2016), with Mark and Wes lobbing in questions remotely. Are general terms like ""water"" or ""dog"" or even ""chair"" just things that we made up to order the world we experience? Aristotle thought that some universals (not ""...
57m May 01, 2017
57m
NEM Ep 43: Steve Wynn: Coming Up 7's
Starting with the Dream Syndicate in the early ’80s in L.A. and then going solo in 1990, Steve has released over 35 albums of lyrically driven rock. We discuss “Resolution” from Northern Aggression (2010), “Punching Holes in the Sky” from Crossing Dragon Bridge (2008), and “There Will Come a Day” from Here Come the Miracles (2001). We wrap up with “I’m Not Listening,” a 2007 recording released ...
1hr 14m Apr 30, 2017
1hr 14m
PEL Special: Phi Fic on James Baldwin’s Fiction
On the short stories "This Morning, This Evening, So Soon" (1960) and "Sonny’s Blues" (1957). To supplement our episode on Baldwin's essays, we're doing a crossover on to the PEL feed here from the Phi Fic podcast, which you should definitely check out and subscribe to at phificpodcast.com. PEL's Mark Linsenmayer joins Phi Fic regulars Nathan, Cezary, Mary, and Laura (read about them all plus...
1hr 43m Apr 24, 2017
1hr 43m
NEM Ep 42: Karla Kane: Don't Choose Princess
Karla has put out four albums since 2006 with the Corner Laughers, a Bay Area band that has been categorized as “twee” given Karla’s ukulele, sparkly Brit-pop ornamentation, and similarly colorful lyrics. We discuss “Queen of the Meadow” from Matilda Effect (2015), the Nov. 2016 single “Don’t Hush, Darling,” and “Grasshopper Clock” from Poppy Seeds (2012). We also listen to “Fairytale Tourist” ...
53m Apr 23, 2017
53m
James Baldwin on Race in America (Part Two)
Continuing on I Am Not Your Negro, "Notes of a Native Son" (1955), and The Fire Next Time (1963). We (and Law Ware) discuss Baldwin's critique of the American dream, how to oppose the inhumanity of others without becoming inhuman yourself, and Baldwin's take on religion. Plus, was the the documentary actually good as a film? This continues part 1, or get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition....
58m Apr 17, 2017
58m
NEM Ep 41: Glenn Mercer (Feelies): Produce Yourself!
Glenn’s albums with the Feelies since 1980 have a unique sound, due to his insistence that production is part of the composing process. We discuss “Been Replaced” and “Gone Gone Gone,” from The Feelies’ new album Here Before, then “Larmaie” from Glenn’s instrumental solo album Incidental Hum (2015). We conclude by listening to “Should Be Gone” by the Feelies from Here Before (2011). Intro music...
1hr Apr 16, 2017
1hr
James Baldwin on Race in America (Part One)
On the film I Am Not Your Negro and the essays "Notes of a Native Son" (1955) and The Fire Next Time (1963). Baldwin is a go-to figure at this point in discussions of race; his essays, stories, and speeches provide a key touchstone in discussing how racism has warped our culture. So, how do we translate his testimony into philosophical theory? When he talks about the psychological/sociological...
48m Apr 10, 2017
48m
White Privilege (Peggy McIntosh, Charles Mills, et al) (Part Two)
Continuing with guest Law Ware on the philosophical underpinnings of the rhetoric of white privilege, with readings as listed in part 1. Mills picture by Olle Halvars. End song: "Power" by Narada Michael Walden from Thunder 2013, as interviewed for Nakedly Examined Music ep. 16.#philosophy #race #racism #privilege #justice #guiltGo to the blog: https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2017/04/03/ep1...
1hr 21m Apr 03, 2017
1hr 21m
NEM Ep 40: Clive Farrington (When In Rome): One-Hit Wonderful
Clive is the guy who dreamt up the melodies and initial motifs for “The Promise” and other songs for When in Rome in the late ’80s, and after leaving the business for a while, the continued use of that one big song (most notably for the Napoleon Dynamite closing sequence) enabled his return to touring and recording. We discuss two songs from his solo album Independence (2013), “Fall” and “Just ...
59m Apr 02, 2017
59m
White Privilege (Peggy McIntosh, Charles Mills, et al) (Part One)
We are rejoined by guest Law Ware to discuss several sources, some less formal than others. Cultural sources included: Peggy McIntosh: "Unpacking the Invisible Backpack" (1989) Tim Wise: "White Like Me" documentary (2016) George Yancy: "Dear White America" (2015 editorial in the NY Times The Stone) John McWhorter: "The Privilege of Checking White Privilege” (2015 editorial in the Daily Beast) ...
56m Mar 27, 2017
56m
Orwell on Totalitarianism and Language (Part Two)
Continuing with 1984. How does the book relate to today's politics, or to the politics of his time? Does Orwell present something that we should actually be afraid our society will turn into? Are people really motivated by power for power's sake as Orwell depicts? Was he predicting history based on current trends, or was it satire, or what? We discuss the relationship between minds: the realm...
1hr 15m Mar 20, 2017
1hr 15m
NEM Ep 39: Ken Stringfellow: Posies, Big Star, etc.
Since 1988, Ken has put out several sparkly/grungy albums with The Posies, more under his own name and in various collaborations, played in the revived version of Big Star and in the touring band for R.E.M., and much more. He’s a busy guy! We discuss “The Sound of Clouds” by the Posies from Solid States (2016), “Shittalkers!” and “Jesus Was an Only Child” from his solo album Danzig in the Moonl...
1hr 27m Mar 19, 2017
1hr 27m
Orwell on Totalitarianism and Language (Part One)
On the novel 1984 (1949) and the essays “Politics and the English Language” (1946) and “Notes on Nationalism” (1945). What's the relation between language and totalitarianism? In 1984, Orwell presents us with a society where the ruling powers have mastered the art of retaining power, and one element of this involves "Newspeak," where the vocabulary is purposely limited to the point where subve...
56m Mar 13, 2017
56m
Confucius on Virtuous Conduct (Part Two)
Continuing on the Analects, now without our guest. We cover every single one of the 500 aphorisms, of course, in great depth, getting at the unambiguous meaning of each and completely reorienting our philosophical viewpoint in consequence. OK, so the interpretive task is a bit more difficult than that, but Mark, Seth, and Wes do our best to figure out Master Kong's words about glibness (his "p...
1hr 21m Mar 06, 2017
1hr 21m
NEM Ep 38: Jonathan Segel's Long-Form Songs
Jonathan played in the ’80s with Camper van Beethoven and has since put out 40+ solo albums, sometimes with songs, sometimes guitar improvisations, or instrumental music for dance or film. We discuss his lengthy art-rock songs with political content: “Sleep for a Hundred Years” and the title track from Superfluity (2017), then look back to “Civil Disobedience” from Edgy not Artsy (2003). End so...
1hr 16m Mar 05, 2017
1hr 16m
Confucius on Virtuous Conduct (Part One)
On the Analects, compiled after Confucius's (aka Master Kong's) death in 479 BCE. How should we act? What's the relation between ethics and politics? Can a bunch of aphorisms written in the distant past for an unapologetically hierarchical culture emphasizing traditional rituals actually give us relevant, welcome advice on these matters? Are we even in a position to determine the meaning of th...
55m Feb 27, 2017
55m
Boethius: The Consolation of Philosophy (Part Two)
Continuing on the Consolation (524 CE). We discuss chiefly books 3 and 4, which present the classical one-dimensional model of the good: We all tend toward the good (or what we think to be good, and if we're wrong about what that is, then we can be judged as failing in our aim toward the good), which is happiness, which (because God created everything and the creator must always be better than...
1hr 12m Feb 20, 2017
1hr 12m
NEM Ep 37: Nik Kershaw: Follow the Melody
Nik had some huge hits in the ’80s (e.g., “Wouldn’t It Be Good”) and has been described by Elton John as “the best songwriter of a generation.” We discuss “These Tears” from his most recent album EI8HT (2012), “Lost” from You’ve Got to Laugh (2006), and the acoustic re-recording of 1984’s “The Riddle” for No Frills (2010). Closing song: “Men United” (2016), written for Prostate Cancer UK’s A Gi...
1hr 13m Feb 19, 2017
1hr 13m
Boethius: The Consolation of Philosophy (Part One)
On the Consolation, written as Boethius awaited execution in 524 CE. Do bad things really happen to good people? Boethius, surprisingly, says no, for Stoic (anything that can be taken away can't be of central importance; you can't lose your virtue in this way), Aristotelian (all things tend toward the good, and the best thing for a person is achieving his or her innate potential, which is to b...
58m Feb 13, 2017
58m
Richard Rorty on Politics for the Left (Part Two)
Continuing on Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in 20th Century America (1998). We talk more about Rorty's description of the conflict between the "reformist left" and the "cultural left." Do political-comedy shows serve a a positive political purpose? Can an enlightened political viewpoint really be a mass movement at all? Is it better to pursue specific political campaigns or be part of ...
1hr 6m Feb 06, 2017
1hr 6m
NEM Ep 36: Robbie Fulks, Ambassador of Country
Robbie has recorded 12 solo albums of crafty-lyric, country-folk music since 1996, including the new, Grammy-nominated Upland Stories. We discuss “America is a Hard Religion” and “Fare Thee Well, Carolina Gals” from that album, then look back to “Where There’s a Road” from Georgia Hard (2005) and conclude with “I Told Her Lies” from South Mouth (1997). Opening/closing music: “Hamilton County Br...
1hr 5m Feb 04, 2017
1hr 5m
Richard Rorty on Politics for the Left (Part One)
On Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in 20th Century America (1998). What makes for efficacious progressive politics? Rorty has been cited much recently as predicting the rise of Trump. In this book, he gives us a history of the political left, and draws a dividing line between old-time reformist leftist intellectuals like Upton Sinclair who worked for real change and post-'60s cultural c...
57m Jan 30, 2017
57m
Philosophy and Politics Free-Form Discussion (Part Two)
Continuing our liberal bubble-bursting exercise, the core foursome address more directly the question of how philosophy is supposed to shape one's political views and actions. Is there a non-partisan way of describing ""the public good"" that we can use as a touchstone to communicate with and maybe convince political opponents? What's a philosophically responsible way to use political rhetoric ...
1hr 4m Jan 23, 2017
1hr 4m
NEM Ep 35: Daniel Ash (Love & Rockets): Going Against Your Own Grain
The singer/guitarist shifted gears many times through Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets (which shifted from acoustic to electric to electronica), and has since put out five distinctive solo albums. We discuss, from the collection Freedom I Love (2017), the title track and “Indie Boys”; and then “Christian Says” from Stripped (2014). End song: “Flame On” from the Hog Fever soundtrack (201...
1hr 11m Jan 21, 2017
1hr 11m
Philosophy and Politics Free-Form Discussion (Part One)
How does studying philosophy help you to make sense of the political landscape? Wes, Mark, Dylan, and Seth play pundit and reflect on political rhetoric, elitism, and much more. There is no text for this episode! Freedom!#philosophy #politics #rhetoric #trump #inequality #justiceGo to the blog: https://www.partiallyexaminedlife.com/2017/01/16/ep156-1-philosophy-politics/
57m Jan 16, 2017
57m
NEM Ep 34: Todd Long: Don't Have to Say "Frontman"
Todd held down the beat and wrote some songs for Grand Rapids, MI’s Molly in the ’90s through 2003, then wrote more songs and sang a bit for Dutch Henry for about ten years, then pushed forward to sing and write all the songs for his projects The Star Darts and now Cartorson. Featuring Cartorson’s “The Last Time” and “Hearts on the Highway” from the new Richfield Skyline EP, “Say It” from Shoot...
59m Jan 14, 2017
59m
Richard Rorty Against Epistemology (Part Two)
Continuing on Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, Ch. 3–4. Rorty claims that Kantians improperly read Kantian concerns (the connection between the senses and reason) back into the ancients. He thought that Sellars's "epistemological behaviorism" was right on, and despite what you may have heard does not give a bad rep to animals and babies. Plus, psychological nominalism! Woo hoo! End song: ...
1hr 4m Jan 09, 2017
1hr 4m
NEM Ep 33: Asif Illyas Colors It Old School (i.e. 80s)
Asif led Canadian band MIR from 1998 to 2008, and has since recorded with real instruments for commercials and films, and released a one-man-band Police-influenced album Synesthesia in 2013. We discuss the title track and “Electrical” from that album, also MIR’s “A Day in Your Life” from 7 Directions (2004). We conclude by listening to “The Chosen One” from MIR’s A Soldier’s Carol Christmas EP ...
1hr 22m Jan 07, 2017
1hr 22m
Richard Rorty Against Epistemology (Part One)
On Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (1979), Part II: "Mirroring" (Ch. 3–4). Is a "theory of knowledge" possible? Rorty says that while of course psychology has interesting things to say, any specifically philosophical effort is doomed. Why? Because there is no fixed point outside of the "knowledge language game" that provides an ultimate grounding. Rorty draws on Sellars (ep. 154) to say t...
55m Jan 02, 2017
55m
Wilfrid Sellars on the Myth of the Given (Part Two)
Continuing on "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind." We consider a couple of Sellars's thought experiments, both of which are supposed to show that what we might think are primitive mental terms like "appearance" are really derivative and secondary relative to statements about the external world. With guest Lawrence "Dusty" Dallman. End song: "Senses on Fire" by Mercury Rev. Check out the in...
55m Dec 26, 2016
55m
Wilfrid Sellars on the Myth of the Given (Part One)
On "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind" (1956). Is knowledge based on a "foundation," as Descartes, Locke, et al. thought? Sellars says no. Sixteenth-century empiricists thought that we have some indubitable perceptions: Even though I may not be absolutely sure that there's a red object in front of me, I can be sure that there seems to be such an object. The "red appearance" seems to be som...
53m Dec 19, 2016
53m
NEM Ep 31: Michael Manring's Limitless Bass Guitar
Michael has played on 500+ recordings; he was the house bassist for the Windham Hill label in the ’80s and has put out seven solo albums. He expands what electric bass can do by using many tunings, even retuning on the fly using a custom-built system, using his bass as a percussion instrument, and sometimes playing multiple basses at once. We discuss “Excuse Me, Mr. Manring” from Soliloquy(2005...
1hr 13m Dec 18, 2016
1hr 13m
Richard Rorty: There Is No Mind-Body Problem (Part Two)
Continuing on Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, Part I. Rorty relates the immateriality of mind to the ontology of universals: The gap between individual dogs and the concept "dogness" is really the only ontological gap we have, and conceiving the mind as the faculty that apprehends universals (i.e. "nous" in Aristotle) was the first step into this mistaken (according to Rorty) picture of a...
1hr 10m Dec 12, 2016
1hr 10m
Richard Rorty: There Is No Mind-Body Problem (Part One)
On Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (1979), Part I: "Our Glassy Essence" (mostly Ch. 1). "The mind" seems to be an unavoidable part of our basic conceptual vocabulary, but Rorty thinks not, and he wants to use the history of philosophy as a kind of therapy to show that many of our seemingly insoluble problems like the relation between mind and body are a result of philosophical mistakes by ...
52m Dec 05, 2016
52m
NEM Ep 30: Paul Wertico and David Cain: Improv Without a Net
Seven-time Grammy winning drummer Paul Wertico and his multi-talented cohort David Cain are two-thirds of Wertico, Cain and Gray, an improvisational, “impressionistic” jazz trio who have released five albums since 2013. We discuss six tracks from Short Cuts: 40 Improvisations (2016) and “Where Brush Meets Flow (Go Van Gogh)” from Sound Portraits (2013). Intro music: “Destroy the Box” from Organ...
1hr 23m Dec 04, 2016
1hr 23m
NEM Ep 29: Jason Seed's "Stringtet"
Jason fattens out his eclectic guitar pieces by writing string and horn parts, and The Jason Seed Stringtet includes members of the Chicago Symphony sawing away furiously. Hear more at jasonseedmusic.com. We’ll discuss “Ishtar,” a Bulgarian/Latin-inflected piece from In the Gallery (2013), “Any Night Now” a more traditional chamber jazz number from 2015, and “Mammoth” from the Jason Seed Exlier...
1hr 17m Nov 23, 2016
1hr 17m
Edmund Burke’s Conservatism (Part Two)
More on Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), where Burke advocates for the nobility as a stabilizing element in society: These folks are driven by honor, groomed from youth to lead, and estates themselves provide continuity and give people something to protect. But could anyone really defend this system who wasn't himself benefitting from it at the expense of others? Reform not revol...
1hr 7m Nov 14, 2016
1hr 7m
NEM Ep 28: Jill Freeman on Fairy Tales and Psychological Truth
Jill was part of a 3-woman vocal band in the ’80s called The Life is Grand Band, and then in 1995 released Songs About Sex & Depression, and only in 2015 unveiled her long-awaited study of the dark psychology of fairy tales, A Handmade Life. We focus on this most recent project, discussing “Letters from Murdertown” and “Eyes of Fire,” and playing at the end “Walking on Glass.” Our third discuss...
1hr Nov 12, 2016
1hr
Edmund Burke’s Conservatism (Part One)
On Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790). Writing after the revolution but before the terror, Burke was alarmed at intellectual fads in England that paid homage to the principles driving what happened in France: the right of people to choose their own government, to elect their leaders, and depose those that violate citizens' rights. So, given that these principles have won the day, w...
55m Nov 07, 2016
55m
PEL Special: Bill Bruford on Nakedly Examined Music #25
NEM now features jazz, hip-hop, classical, folk, and more. Check out all the episodes at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com, where you can subscribe and follow on Facebook. Bill was the original drummer for Yes, a default member of King Crimson, and briefly played with Genesis and the late '70s supergroup U.K., but most of his output has been with his own jazz-inflected Earthworks and Bruford, as rock p...
1hr 18m Nov 06, 2016
1hr 18m
Peter Singer on Famine, Affluence, and Morality (Part Two: Discussion)
Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan discuss our interview with Peter Singer. Does Singer's asserting such a heavy moral burden on us successfully condemn us to changing our priorities and/or feeling perpetually guilty, or is there something wrong with the argument? Even if we admit the moral demand is legitimate, can we soften Singer's position by seeking to balance the obligation to help the poor with ...
1hr 23m Oct 31, 2016
1hr 23m
NEM Ep 27: Peter Knight (Steeleye Span): Free Fiddlin' in the Face of Death
Peter’s violin was a key part of Steeleye Span’s updating of traditional folk songs from 1971–2013. His original songs were among the group’s most heartfelt. We talk about being creative with traditional music, authenticity, and finally getting the hang of songwriting late in his career. We discuss “We Shall Wear Midnight” from Steeleye Span’s Wintersmith (2013 with Terry Pratchett), “Bows of L...
1hr 16m Oct 30, 2016
1hr 16m
Guest Peter Singer on Famine, Affluence, and Morality (Part One)
Mark and Wes interview perhaps the most influential living philosopher! Our focus is the newly reissued/repackaged 1971 essay "Famine, Affluence, and Morality," which argues that just as we would regard is as unethical to fail to save a drowning child because you don't want to ruin your expensive shoes, so it's unethical to let someone die of preventable illness or hunger when an expensive-shoe...
54m Oct 24, 2016
54m
NEM Ep 26: Pat Doty: Tubas Unite!
This orchestral tubist and pop songwriter has composed fun new additions to the solo tuba repertoire and classically influenced piano-vocal songs. We discuss “Mendota” and “Love for My Own” and listen to “Disco Tubas” from Dare to Entertain (2015), and also discuss some of his “Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra.” More at patdoty.com. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music.
1hr 22m Oct 22, 2016
1hr 22m
Plato’s Crito: A Performance and Discussion
Broadway bigwigs Walter Bobbie and Bill Youmans perform Plato's dialogue in which Socrates awaits his execution after being convicted by an Athenian jury of corrupting the youth and dissing the gods. Given that the verdict was clearly unjust, should Socrates take up Crito's offer to help him escape the city? Socrates says no: given that he's lived his whole life benefitting by the laws of Athen...
1hr 24m Oct 17, 2016
1hr 24m
Aristotle on Friendship and Happiness (Part Two)
Concluding on Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, books 8-10. First, more on friendship: Should you share your sorrow with your friends, or is that just you being a burden? What makes it difficult to make new, real friends as an adult in modern society? Do you need to love yourself before you can be a good friend to others? How can you have a real friendship with someone far above your social sta...
1hr 12m Oct 10, 2016
1hr 12m
Aristotle on Friendship and Happiness (Part One)
On the final books 8–10 of Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics. What does friendship have to do with ethics? Aristotle thinks that friends are necessary for the good life (i.e., eudaimonia or happiness, which is the goal of ethics), and that the only true friends, as opposed to those who merely entertain us or are useful to us, are virtuous people. They're the only ones who won't outlive their use...
55m Oct 03, 2016
55m
Aristotle on Wisdom and Incontinence (Part Two)
Continuing on the Nichomachean Ethics (ca. 350 BCE), books 6–7. We're still talking about the various intellectual virtues for the first half here, including the ever-popular nous, translated sometimes as "rational intuition" (which you might call we discussed from a very different perspective in our episodes on Aristotle's De Anima. We finally then get to akrasia, i.e., weakness of the will ...
1hr 16m Sep 26, 2016
1hr 16m
NEM Ep 24: Tyler Hislop (Sacrifice): Copious Rhymes
Tyler (editor of this podcast!) can rap endlessly, and has filled up ten albums with his machine-gun musings on life and politics. A great intro to indie hip-hop for the ignorant (like me)! Songs: “Negative Space,” “Long Way Down,” and “Ciphers” (feat Grimm) from Long Way Down (2015), and “Kids of the Earth” from Quest for Meaning (2008). Hear more at soundcloud.com/sacrifice. Hear more Nakedly...
1hr 33m Sep 26, 2016
1hr 33m
Aristotle on Wisdom and Incontinence (Part One)
On the Nichomachean Ethics (ca. 350 BCE), books 6–7. Is intelligence just one thing? Aristotle picks out a number of distinct faculties, some of which are relevant to ethics, and he uses these to explain Plato's puzzle of how someone can clearly see what the good for him is, and yet fail to pursue it due to weakness of the will. This episode continues our discussion from way back in ep. 5, an...
52m Sep 19, 2016
52m