Best Tamler Sommers Podcasts (2024)

1
PvI#78: We Essence Merge with Tamler Sommers

7d ago

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

7d 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
Episode 289: Shadows on the Wall (Plato's Cave Pt. 1) 1:12:18

30m ago1:12:18

1:12:18

Over the years we’ve referred repeatedly to Plato’s cave, Platonic forms, and phrases like “copies of copies” without ever really explaining what we mean by these things. So as part of a new mini-series we’re going dive deeper into Plato’s famous images of the cave, the sun, and the divided line from Republic Books 6 and 7. What are Plato’s forms a…

1
Ep. 346: Nyaya Sutra on Knowledge (Part One) 45:51

1h ago45:51

45:51

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

2h ago

—

Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. 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,"…

1
PvI#79: Edificial Intentions with Danny Mora 51:58

2d ago51:58

51:58

Danny was in a sketch troupe called Maximum Party Zone back in the day with your improv host Bill, and they’ve now revived that trio to create the MPZ Listening Party podcast, which workshops sketch ideas in real time as a fun form of conversation. So we try out some of their tricks, such as combining two properties (in this case nominally The Appr…

1
PEL Presents PMP#177: Inside Out - Animated Psyche 50:03

3d ago50:03

50:03

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
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
Pretty Much Pop#177: Inside Out – Animated Psyche

23h ago

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

4d ago

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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

3h 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
Ep. 345: William James on Religious Experience (Part Two) 51:33

28m ago51:33

51:33

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

4d ago

—

Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content 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 co…

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
PEL Presents NEM#219: Oliver Wakeman Beyond the Keyboard 1:50:29

5d ago1:50:29

1:50:29

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
Announcement: Mark's "Big Books in Continental Philosophy" Fall 2024 Class 5:54

38m ago5:54

5:54

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
Announcement: Fall 2024 “Big Books in Continental Philosophy” Class

6d ago

—

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
PvI#78: We Essence Merge with Tamler Sommers 1:03:09

11d ago1:03:09

1:03:09

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
Episode 288: The Despised Foot (The Denial of Death Pt. 2) 1:30:05

4d ago1:30:05

1:30:05

David and Tamler conclude their discussion of Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death. We talk about Becker’s philosophy of science (does he have one?), his sweeping explanations for strongman leaders, neuroses, mental illness, sexual fetishes, and the refreshing absence of an answer or resolution to the existential paradox at the heart of being human.…

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

8d ago

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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. 345: William James on Religious Experience (Part One) 46:33

16d ago46:33

46:33

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

17d ago

—

Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. 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 t…

1
PEL Presents PvI#78: We Essence Merge with Tamler Sommers (Very Bad Wizards) 1:02:35

7d ago1:02:35

1:02:35

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
Pretty Much Pop #176: Furiosa: Are We Mad Maxed Out?

9d ago

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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
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
PREMIUM-PEL Mid-Summer Nightcap 2024 12:00

13d ago12:00

12:00

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
Ep. 344: Gettier and Goldman on Justified True Belief (Part Two) 51:12

12d ago51:12

51:12

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

15d ago

—

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
PEL Presents PMP#176: Furiosa: Are We Mad Maxed Out? 53:56

13d ago53:56

53:56

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
PEL Presents NEM#218: Pat Mastelotto: Prog Neanderthal Drum-Painting 1:23:15

17d ago1:23:15

1:23:15

Pat has been a session drummer since the mid '70s, was a founding member of Mr. Mister in the '80s, and played in all line-ups of King Crimson since '94. He's also a producer and no stranger to electronics. We discuss "31" by Tu-Ner from T-1 Contact Information (2023), "Flinch" by TUNER from Totem (2005), "Life Goes On" by Mr. Mister from I Wear th…

1
Episode 287: Gods With Anuses (The Denial of Death Pt. 1) 1:31:06

20d ago1:31:06

1:31:06

David faces his greatest fear as he and Tamler dive into Ernest Becker’s 1973 Pulitzer Prize winner The Denial of Death. Blending existentialist ideas within a psychoanalytic framework, Becker argues that the ultimate source of human motivation is not the repression of sexual drives (as Freud thought) but our terror of death and the yearning for an…

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