Best Wes Alwan Podcasts (2024)

1
Ep. 346: Nyaya Sutra on Knowledge (Part One) 45:52

1h ago45:52

45:52

On The Nyaya Sutra: Selections with Early Commentaries, originally by Gautama (ca. 150 CE), plus explanations by Vatsyayana (450 CE), Uddyotakara (550), and Vācaspatimiśra (900), and the editors Matthew Dasti and Stephen Phillips (2017). We discuss "knowledge sources," mostly in this part the various kinds of perception, which is supposed to be ine…

1
“Notes from the Underground” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: An Anatomy of Human Self-Destructiveness (Part 2) 1:08:58

1h ago1:08:58

1:08:58

What is the cause of human self-destructiveness? Wes & Erin continue their discussion of “Notes from the Underground,” and its agonized rumination on whether freedom can be reconciled with love, individuality with virtue, and action with reflection. For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreo…

1
PEL Presents PMP#177: Inside Out - Animated Psyche 50:04

3d ago50:04

50:04

We discuss the 2015 and 2024 Pixar films by writer/director Pete Docter , featuring the usual crew of Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al. These films show kids that it's OK to be sad and how to cope with anxiety. Is the films' emotional impact objectionably manipulative? Does the "mental landscape" depicted helpfully represent the various elements we…

1
“Notes from the Underground” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: An Anatomy of Human Self-Destructiveness (Part 1) 48:39

7d ago48:39

48:39

What is the cause of human self-destructiveness? According to Dostoyevkys’s underground man, this “most advantageous advantage” is designed to save freedom from the constraints of rationality, and vitality from the quiescence that follows success. Yet he himself finds freedom only in spite and fantasy, while in real life he oscillates between faile…

1
Ep. 345: William James on Religious Experience (Part Two) 51:34

1h ago51:34

51:34

Continuing on The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902). Does James' claim that science and culture shouldn't ignore the subjective point of view really mean that the religious objects that motivate people are metaphysically real? Is the "unseen realm" part of our common world? Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.c…

1
PEL Presents NEM#219: Oliver Wakeman Beyond the Keyboard 1:50:30

10d ago1:50:30

1:50:30

Oliver, son of Rick, has played on around 50 albums, including maybe 10 solo albums plus collaborations with Clive Nolan, Steve Howe, Gordon Giltrap, Yes, Starcastle, Light Freedom Revival, and more. We discuss "Golden Sun in Grey" from Anam Cara (2024), "Is This the Last Song I Write?" from Ravens and Lullabies (2013), and "Mind Over Matter" from …

1
Announcement: Mark's "Big Books in Continental Philosophy" Fall 2024 Class 5:55

4h ago5:55

5:55

Do you want to wrestle yourself with some of the weirdest and most engaging texts in philosophical history? Do you want to do this in a beginner-friendly environment with a familiar voice guiding you and sharp fellow learners? Consider signing up for Mark's Fall class, and experience Hegel, Sartre, Arendt, and more first hand in a supportive, low-r…

1
Staking Claims in “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948) (Part 2) 54:31

7d ago54:31

54:31

Wes & Erin continue their discussion John Huston’s 1948 classic, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.” For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes. This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to…

1
Ep. 345: William James on Religious Experience (Part One) 46:34

6d ago46:34

46:34

On The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), focusing on lectures 1-3 and 20. What is religion and how should philosophers study it? James describes it as a sincere, full-life reaction to the world, more emotional than intellectual, and conveys the experiences of the extreme "religious geniuses" that are merely received second or third hand by …

1
PEL Presents PvI#78: We Essence Merge with Tamler Sommers (Very Bad Wizards) 1:01:39

18d ago1:01:39

1:01:39

Tamler teaches philosophy at The University of Houston and hosts the Very Bad Wizards podcast. He joins Mark and Bill to talk about personal identity and whether the "self" is necessarily co-extensive with a particular body. Plus: meditation, Daniel Day Improv's method acting, All of Me vs. Regarding Henry, what does "metaphysics" mean to YOU, drea…

1
PREMIUM-PEL Mid-Summer Nightcap 2024 12:01

8d ago12:01

12:01

Mark, Wes, and Seth talk about worries about the utility of various subgenres or explanation types in philosophy, Dr. Drew's recent interview with Seth and Seth's writing project about non-linguistic communication, accuracy in historical or scientific details in philosophy, and our current political moment (our candidate choices, the debate, etc.).…

1
Staking Claims in “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948) (Part 1) 50:05

20d ago50:05

50:05

It’s considered the definitive film on greed, a demonstration of just what the lust for gold can do to a man’s heart. Fred C. Dobbs starts out as a down-on-his-luck panhandler in a poor Mexican town and comes into a fortune of over $100,000 before the film’s end. Yet, in more ways than one, Dobbs never stops panhandling, never stops being subject t…

1
Ep. 344: Gettier and Goldman on Justified True Belief (Part Two) 51:13

12d ago51:13

51:13

On "What Is Justified Belief?" (1979) by Alvin Goldman, where he tries to come up with a "function" for justification: If a belief has such-and-such non-epistemic properties, then it counts as justified. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Get …

1
PEL Presents PMP#176: Furiosa: Are We Mad Maxed Out? 53:57

13d ago53:57

53:57

Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al discuss the five films in George Miller's Mad Max/Road Warrior franchise. What was the original appeal of the series, and has this changed? Are we still afraid of an "Apunkalypse," or is this just an aesthetic to be ripped off by Fallout and other properties? How can films 80% occupied by car chases be actually good…

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Part 6)

22d ago

—

Wes & Erin continue their discussion of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, HelloFresh. Go to HelloFresh.com/subtextapps for free appetizers for life. For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes.…

1
Ep. 344: Gettier and Goldman on Justified True Belief (Part One) 42:29

22d ago42:29

42:29

On "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?" (1963) by Edmund Gettier, "What Is Justified Belief?" (1979) by Alvin Goldman, and "The Inescapability of Gettier Problems" (1994) by Linda Zagzebski. What is knowledge? Even if a belief is true and justified, does that make it knowledge? Gettier came up with exceptions, and other philosophers tried to figur…

1
Ep. 343: Plotinus the Neo-Platonist (Part Two) 50:13

1M ago50:13

50:13

Continuing with guest Chris Sunami, mostly discussing "The Good or The One," though we start off by completing "The Descent of the Soul" about why there is something rather than nothing, given that materiality is so undesirable compared to The One. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episode…

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” Part 5 54:52

27d ago54:52

54:52

Wes & Erin continue their discussion of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, HelloFresh. Go to HelloFresh.com/subtextapps for free appetizers for life. For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes.…

1
PEL Presents SUBTEXT: Psychedelic Regrets in "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (Part 5) 1:13:40

1M ago1:13:40

1:13:40

Wes & Erin continue their discussion of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, HelloFresh. Go to HelloFresh.com/subtextapps for free appetizers for life.

1
PEL Presents NEM#217: Richard Thompson's Moments in Time 1:13:46

29d ago1:13:46

1:13:46

Richard started as guitarist in the folk-rock staple Fairport Convention in 1967 but left in 1970 after five albums. He then recorded his debut solo album, six as Richard and Linda Thompson, and has since recorded 20 more solo albums of lyrically inventive, stylistically varied tunes that nearly always feature very skilled guitar work. We discuss "…

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Part 4)

1M ago

—

Wes & Erin continue their discussion of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, HelloFresh. Go to HelloFresh.com/subtextapps for free appetizers for life. For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes.…

1
Ep. 343: Plotinus the Neo-Platonist (Part One) 39:24

1M ago39:24

39:24

On selections from the Enneads (270 C.E.), as presented by Elmer O'Brien as the first four essays in The Essential Plotinus: "Beauty," "The Intelligence, Ideas and Being," "The Descent of the Soul," and "The Good or The One." Featuring Mark, Wes, Dylan, Seth, and guest Chris Sunami. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife…

1
Ep. 342: Zhuangzi on Knowledge and Virtue (Part Two) 43:27

1M ago43:27

43:27

We're concluding our treatment of the Daoist sage, focusing on the relation between metaphysics and ethics. Is a "wu wei" (non-action) philosophy compatible with fighting for justice? Does it even necessitate kindness? Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion…

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Part 3) 53:07

1M ago53:07

53:07

Wes & Erin continue their discussion of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s classic poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes. This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit Airwa…

1
Ep. 342: Zhuangzi on Knowledge and Virtue (Part One) 42:46

2M ago42:46

42:46

More on the Zhuangzi, books 1-6 and 17-19 with guest Theo Brooks. We discuss epistemology (Can we know the mind of someone else? How can virtue make truth more accessible?), metaphysics (Is the world constantly changing such that we can't actually refer to anything? Does each thing somehow contain its opposite in virtue of being defined by its cont…

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Part 2) 39:34

2M ago39:34

39:34

Wes & Erin continue their discussion of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s classic poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes. This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit Airwa…

1
Ep. 341 Supplemental: Zhuangzi for Closereads Evergreen Network Launch 1:05:53

2M ago1:05:53

1:05:53

Mark and Wes read through and discuss the first couple of pages of ch. 19, "Fathoming Life," following up on ep. 341. How does Daoism compare to Stoicism, Aristotelianism, and Existentialism? How can being a Daoist sage keep one from harm? How is a really effective cicada catcher such a sage? Get more on Zhuangzi at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Sign …

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” 53:56

2M ago53:56

53:56

The ancient Mariner kills his Albatross with a carelessness that stands in stark contrast to his impulse for confession. For several days he and his shipmates feed the albatross, play with it, and treat it as if it were inhabited by a “Christian soul.” The mariner never tells the wedding guest why it is that he kills the bird, but the casual and se…

1
Sins of Omission in “On the Waterfront” (1954) (Part 2) 35:22

2M ago35:22

35:22

Wes & Erin continue their discussion of “On the Waterfront.” For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes. This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to other Airwave s…

1
Ep. 341: Guest Karyn Lai on Daoism in the Zhuangzi 58:08

2M ago58:08

58:08

Mark, Dylan, Seth, and Theo Brooks discuss the Zhuangzi (ca. 325 BCE) UNSW Sydney prof. Karyn, co-author of the History of Philosophy Podcast Chinese series. We talk through Daoist advice about virtue, political action, perspectivism, and more. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes an…

1
Ep. 340: Brian Ellis on the Implications of Essentialism (Part Two) 47:14

3M ago47:14

47:14

Concluding on The Philosophy of Nature: A Guide to the New Essentialism (2002) with guest Chris Heath. Are we OK with the metaphysical necessity of natural laws? How do Ellis' mind-independent fundamental objects in the world relate to higher level things, whether biological species or human nature or even things like colors? Get more at partiallye…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Wes Alwan Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
SUBTEXT Literature and Film Podcast

Wes Alwan and Erin O'Luanaigh

1
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey

1
Ep. 346: Nyaya Sutra on Knowledge (Part One) 45:52

1
“Notes from the Underground” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: An Anatomy of Human Self-Destructiveness (Part 2) 1:08:58

1
PEL Presents PMP#177: Inside Out - Animated Psyche 50:04

1
“Notes from the Underground” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: An Anatomy of Human Self-Destructiveness (Part 1) 48:39

1
Ep. 345: William James on Religious Experience (Part Two) 51:34

1
PEL Presents NEM#219: Oliver Wakeman Beyond the Keyboard 1:50:30

1
Announcement: Mark's "Big Books in Continental Philosophy" Fall 2024 Class 5:55

1
Staking Claims in “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948) (Part 2) 54:31

1
Ep. 345: William James on Religious Experience (Part One) 46:34

1
PEL Presents PvI#78: We Essence Merge with Tamler Sommers (Very Bad Wizards) 1:01:39

1
PREMIUM-PEL Mid-Summer Nightcap 2024 12:01

1
Staking Claims in “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948) (Part 1) 50:05

1
Ep. 344: Gettier and Goldman on Justified True Belief (Part Two) 51:13

1
PEL Presents PMP#176: Furiosa: Are We Mad Maxed Out? 53:57

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Part 6)

1
Ep. 344: Gettier and Goldman on Justified True Belief (Part One) 42:29

1
Ep. 343: Plotinus the Neo-Platonist (Part Two) 50:13

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” Part 5 54:52

1
PEL Presents SUBTEXT: Psychedelic Regrets in "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (Part 5) 1:13:40

1
PEL Presents NEM#217: Richard Thompson's Moments in Time 1:13:46

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Part 4)

1
Ep. 343: Plotinus the Neo-Platonist (Part One) 39:24

1
Ep. 342: Zhuangzi on Knowledge and Virtue (Part Two) 43:27

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Part 3) 53:07

1
Ep. 342: Zhuangzi on Knowledge and Virtue (Part One) 42:46

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Part 2) 39:34

1
Ep. 341 Supplemental: Zhuangzi for Closereads Evergreen Network Launch 1:05:53

1
Psychedelic Regrets in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” 53:56

1
Sins of Omission in “On the Waterfront” (1954) (Part 2) 35:22

1
Ep. 341: Guest Karyn Lai on Daoism in the Zhuangzi 58:08

1
Ep. 340: Brian Ellis on the Implications of Essentialism (Part Two) 47:14

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