Other Life

The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control with Jacob Siegel

Jacob Siegel is author of The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control. We discuss his thesis that the U.S. has shifted into a new form of governance where

On Fatherhood (Reply to Matt Walsh, TMZ, etc.)

I had a tweet go viral about fatherhood and the responses were fascinating. Matt Walsh did a segment on it, TMZ did a segment, thousands of parents shared their own takes

"Neo-China Arrives From the Future:" On Nick Land's Sino-Futurism (The Meltdown Lectures)

In this episode, we analyze the sentence "Neo-China arrives from the future" from Nick Land's 1994 essay "Meltdown." For Land, Capital is an autonomous intelligence from

Montaigne, IVF & Embryo Selection, Q&A

I jumped on the livestream for the first time in a while. I discuss the Montaigne chapter in The Independent Scholar, the current debate around IVF & Embryo Selection, an

I Fell Off (It's So Over)

I can't deny it, so let's explore what it means, how it happens, what it feels like, and why it might be... great? In this episode, I share my struggle over the past few

Urbit, Nockchain, and the Current State of Sovereignty Technology

In this episode, I review the state of Urbit and my history with this ambitious project to rebuild the internet. I explain why I stepped back, detailing what's happened w

Soft-Engineering, Transversality, Human Security System (Nick Land, Meltdown, Sentences 7-8)

This episode unpacks the seventh and eighth sentences of Nick Land's "Meltdown," where "soft engineering slithers out of its box into yours" and "human security is lurchi

Markets Learn to Manufacture Intelligence and Politics Modernizes (Nick Land, Meltdown, Sentence 3)

This episode unpacks the third sentence from Nick Land's "Meltdown." "As markets learn to manufacture intelligence, politics modernizes, upgrades paranoia, and tries to

Intoxicated by Truth: Plato's Symposium with Alex Priou

Socrates shows up late, looks like hell, and still somehow rules the room. What's really going in the Symposium? Plato uses a dinner party to show how authentic love is m

From Tech to Public Philosophy: Johnathan Bi on Production Quality and Patronage Networks

Johnathan Bi shares his journey from successful tech founder to independent philosophy lecturer, explaining why he walked away from founder equity to pursue his passion f

Plato's Republic with Nina Power and DC Miller: Philosophy, Repression, Madness, and Courage

I'm joined by Nina Power and DC Miller to discuss Plato's Republic. Topics include physical training and physical pleasure, philosophy under political repression, the tra

The Truth Will Set You Free: Nietzsche vs. St. John

I explore Nietzsche's critique of Christianity in The Genealogy of Morals, and specifically how it stands against what we find in the New Testament, especially the Gospel

Don't Be a Slave: Nietzsche on Philosophy and Slavery

For references, see Nietzsche on the Pride of the Philosopher in Contrast to the Slave ✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co ✦ If you'

We're Back: On how I fixed the company (a big lesson for independent scholars)

A personal reflection and update on my 5-year journey to design a new kind of scholarly life for the internet era. In a previous podcast, I shared how the Other Life comp

we almost just died (and it was great, I think?)

On muddling through, faith, and the absurdity of pursuing a singular creative vision on the open market... A story about the past few months of Other Life (and the next

The Rigor of Angels: Kant, Borges, & Heisenberg with William Egginton

I'm joined by author William Egginton to discuss his new book The Rigor of Angels. We talk Borges, Kant, and Heisenberg—and the big idea(s) they had in common. We discuss

Ezra Pound: The Solitary Volcano

We dissect the complex life of Ezra Pound, one of the most interesting and controversial poetic geniuses of the 20th century. You'll gain insight into: Why Pound was so i

Literary Outlaw: The Life of William S. Burroughs

A deep dive into the life of William S. Burroughs based on a close reading of Ted Morgan's 1988 biography, Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs. Bu

John Kennedy Toole and A Confederacy of Dunces With Dan Baltic

We discuss the life and times of John Kennedy Toole (1937-1969), the influential author behind the classic novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. We're joined by independent wri

AI for Writers: Striking a Balance Between Automation and Humanity

Can artificial intelligence ever truly replace the human mind? In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the delicate balance between embracing AI's power for mechani