Philosophy Talk Starters

The hosts announce that Philosophy Talk has removed its paywall, making over 600 complete episodes free to access and subscribe to.

Philosophy Talk Starters frames a 10-minute introduction to Arthur Schopenhauer's pessimistic philosophy, with hosts Josh Landy (Stanford) and Ray Briggs (UChicago) debating whether life really does oscillate between suffering and boredom.

Philosophy Talk Starters frames the question of whether money can buy well-being through a debate between hosts Josh and Ray, followed by street interviews conducted by reporter Sarah Lai-Sterland in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This episode explores the role of logic in everyday reasoning, featuring an interview with philosopher Patrick Girard about his book 'Logic in the Wild' and addressing questions about logic's reliability and accessibility.

This episode explores the life and philosophical ideas of Anna Julia Cooper, focusing on questions of race, gender, freedom, and education through an interview with Catherine Sophia Bell.

This episode explores the life and philosophy of Diogenes, focusing on ancient cynicism as a practice of living simply and honestly.

This episode of Philosophy Talk explores the concept of civil disobedience, examining its definition, historical examples like Henry Thoreau and Rosa Parks, and its role in protesting unjust laws.

A philosophy talk show episode discussing the life and ideas of American philosopher William James, featuring an interview with Professor Russell Goodman.

A philosophical exploration of why the universe seems weird, featuring guest Eric Schwitzgabel.

A philosophical exploration of the past year's events, including politics, shamelessness, AI, and ethics, with a call for listener support.

A philosophical discussion about how we read others' minds through gestures and body language, featuring a Yale psychologist.

A philosophical discussion about whether Shakespeare's plays challenge or reinforce prejudices regarding race, gender, and disability.

This episode explores the life and thought of Im Yunjidang, an 18th-century Korean Confucian philosopher who argued for women's equality and the idea that women can become sages.

This episode explores Gilbert Ryle's philosophy of mind, including his critique of Cartesian dualism as the 'ghost in the machine' and his ideas about knowledge, mind-body relationships, and whether philosophy should serve as a map for understanding mental processes.

This episode explores whether AI can help us understand how babies learn language, featuring an interview with cognitive scientist Michael Frank.

This episode explores the life and philosophical ideas of Margaret Cavendish, focusing on her use of poetry, theater, and fiction to discuss radical equality and experimental philosophy.

A philosophical exploration of whether a life must make a good memoir to be meaningful, featuring an interview with author Helena DeBress.

An interview with philosopher Koji Tanaka exploring the concept of impossible worlds and whether contradictions can be true.

This episode explores the life and thought of Mary Astell, examining her role as an early English feminist, her advocacy for women's education, and her complex views on marriage and friendship.

A philosophy talk show exploring the nature and purpose of wonder and awe, featuring a guest author.

A philosophical exploration of habits, featuring a guest expert and debate on whether habits are prisons or liberators.

This episode explores the life and philosophical contributions of Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia, focusing on her critique of Descartes' mind-body dualism.

Philosophy Talk hosts Josh Landy of Stanford and Ray Briggs discuss Zhuangzi, the 4th-century BCE Taoist philosopher, with guest Paul Chelberg of Whittier College, editor of 'Skepticism, Relativism, and Ethics in the Zhuangzi.' The episode opens with the famous eel-and-monkey passage to argue that what counts as a good life is species-relative, then considers Zhuangzi's 'useless tree' parable — the gnarly tree that survives precisely because no carpenter can use it.

This episode explores Robert Musil's novel 'The Man Without Qualities' and its philosophical themes about living without fixed principles and treating life as an experiment.

Philosophy Talk hosts Josh Landy and Rae Briggs discuss Hildegard von Bingen, the 12th-century German polymath, mystic, composer, botanist, theologian, and playwright, with guest Jennifer Bain, editor of The Cambridge Companion to Hildegard of Bingen from Dalhousie University.

This episode explores whether architecture can express political viewpoints and how aesthetics and politics intersect in building design.

Philosophy Talk hosts Ray Briggs and Josh Landy explore the thought of Henri Bergson, the early 20th-century French philosopher best known for arguing that reality is constant motion rather than a series of freeze-frames, with guest Barry Allen of McMaster University, author of Living in Time: The Philosophy of Henri Bergson.

This episode explores the life, ideas, and murder of ancient philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria through an interview with historian Edward Watts.

A philosophy show exploring the value of music, featuring an interview with Andrew Karnia on the philosophy of Western music.

A philosophical discussion about James Baldwin's views on race, social justice, and the moral state of America.

A philosophical exploration of Jorge Luis Borges' works, examining metaphysical questions and literary techniques through an interview with a Stanford professor.

This episode explores how liberal ideals of freedom and equality were used to justify colonialism and empire.

A philosophical exploration of why collective action to address climate change is so difficult, featuring guest Kiran Setia from MIT.

A philosophy talk show explores whether good character can be taught and how to create virtuous leaders.

A philosophical debate on who owns culture, exploring the line between appreciation and appropriation through a humorous skit and expert discussion.