The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Ep. 400: Dennett Rejects Qualia (Part One)

We focus on the final chapters of Dan Dennett's Consciousness Explained, where he confronts various views, figures, and thought experiments that contend that he's failed

PEL Presents NEM#260: Jacqui Hunt (Single Gun Theory) Now Master of Her Synth Domain

Jacqui rose to fame with the Australian electronic dance band Single Gun Theory (three albums '87-'94), did some one-off collaborations, and released her first solo album

PEL Presents PvI#124: Navel Evaluation (Our Season 5 Finale)

We wrap up Mary's first year with the podcast, and changes are afoot for our upcoming season, but why? Let's explore to the point of physical discomfort! We act out an od

Ep. 399: Dan Dennett's Model of Mind (Part Two)

Continuing on Consciousness Explained (Ch. 5, 12). We talk about appearance vs. judgment and whether Dennett's denial of this distinction makes sense or just holds for ve

PEL Presents Closereads: Donald Davidson on Self-Knowledge (Part One)

On "First Person Authority" (1984). What warrants our superior knowledge of our own mental states, as oppose to those of others? Why is this not obvious? Read along wit

PEL Presents PMP#229: What's Spider-Man Up To?

It's been 2019 since our last Spider-Man episode, so what's with the new film (Brand New Day), and the Spider-Verse, and Nicholas Cage being Spider Noir? Mark, Lawrence,

Ep. 399: Dan Dennett's Model of Mind (Part One)

On Daniel C. Dennett's Consciousness Explained (Ch. 1, 5), featuring guest Mark, Seth, Dylan, and guest Chris Heath. What is the mind? Dennett puts forth his "multiple

PREMIUM-PEL Sunami Nightcap August 2026

Chris Sunami, the editor of the PEL book, joins Mark, Wes and Seth as part of the launch of his new book, Free Your Mind, which is a series of PEL-like conversations all

PEL Presents NEM#259: Glenn Morrow (Bar/None): Songwriting Re-Emergence

lenn was a central figure in the Hoboken punk scene, fronting the band "a" in the late '70s and then The Individuals in the early '80s. His next band, Rage to Live, was t

Ep. 398: Donald Davidson on Mind vs. Body (Part Two)

Continuing on Consciousness Explained (Ch. 5, 12). We talk about appearance vs. judgment and whether Dennett's denial of this distinction makes sense or just holds for ve

PEL Presents PvI#123: Brain Spritzing w/ Bill Arnett and Jenny Hansen

Future co-host philosophy Jenny joins past co-host improviser Bill along with the usual Mark and Mary for some tag-team mud swimming, hot takes about The Odyssey, and dis

PEL Presents Closereads: Peirce's New Categories (Part One)

How shall we break down the universe into basic types of things? Peirce has an idiosyncratic way of thinking about this problem and coming up with his division, revolving

Ep. 398: Donald Davidson on Mind vs. Body (Part One)

On "Mental Events" (1970) and "Actions, Reasons, and Causes" (1963), w/ guest Chris Heath. When we talk about mental events (e.g. desires) causing physical occurrences

PEL Presents PMP#228: Spielberg's Alien Fetish

We discuss the various films Steven Spielberg has released about alien encounters: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982), War of th

Ep. 397: Federalist Papers LIVE (Part Two)

We now have a free-form discussion in light of what was raised in part one about the Federalist Papers and Frederick Douglass' Fourth of July Speech: What should we do ab

PEL Presents NEM#258: Dan Montgomery: Direct Communication

Dan was Ben Vaughn's sound-man and released his first solo album of Americana rock in 2004. We discuss "Busted" from his eighth album (produced by Vaughn), the just Dan-a

PEL Presents PvI#122: Hello from Iran w/ AmirAli Maleki

AmirAli is a philosophy researcher in Iran who tries to make Islamic philosophy speak to and with the West. We hear about doing philosophy in the "Islamic Republic of Ira

Announcement: Mark's "Key Ideas in the Philosophy of Mind" Fall 2026 Class

Enrollment is now open for our new online class. It will be nine 75 min sessions, running from late Aug. to mid Dec., starting with Aristotle and Descartes but then spe

Ep. 397: Federalist Papers LIVE (Part One)

To celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, we gathered in front of a lovely audience near Madison WI to discuss Federalist Papers 70, 78, 39, 54, 10 by Alexander Hamilton

PEL Presents PMP#227: The Odyssey: Epic Film

We discuss the already over-discussed Christopher Nolan adaptation of Homer's classic poem. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al discuss their cinema-going experiences, Ludwig