The Partially Examined Life
Mark Linsenmayer
Four philosophers closely read European thinkers like Hegel and Habermas, often in multi-part episodes.
Why we picked this
We picked The Partially Examined Life for the discipline of its group arguments. Four philosophers work through primary texts—Aristotle, Hegel, Habermas—on tape, stopping to challenge each other's analogies and press on unclear definitions. The show treats difficult books as problems to reason through, not subjects to summarize. A listener subscribes for the hosts' sustained, corrective back-and-forth, which makes even the Phenomenology of Spirit tractable without flattening its difficulty.
Recent episodes
PEL Presents PvI#122: Hello from Iran w/ AmirAli Maleki
Aug 7, 202646 min
Announcement: Mark's "Key Ideas in the Philosophy of Mind" Fall 2026 Class
Aug 7, 20261 min
Ep. 397: Federalist Papers LIVE (Part One)
Aug 3, 20261h 3m
PEL Presents PMP#227: The Odyssey: Epic Film
Aug 1, 202654 min
PEL Presents NEM#257: Josh Joplin Doesn't Look Back… Until Now
Jul 31, 20261h 15m
Ep. 396: Peirce on Knowledge (Part Two)
Jul 27, 202655 min
PEL Presents Closereads: Galen Strawson on Panpsychism (Part One)
Jul 27, 202656 min
PEL Presents PMP#226 Toy Story Played Out
Jul 24, 202657 min
Ep. 396: Peirce on Knowledge (Part One)
Jul 20, 202649 min
PEL Presents PvI#121: Meat Suit Dolls w/ Maddie Mutations
Jul 18, 202651 min
PEL Presents NEM#256: Bruce Soord (Pineapple Thief): Heartbreaking Prog by Ear
Jul 17, 20261h 9m
Ep. 395: C.S. Lewis Argues for Christianity (Part Two)
Jul 13, 202654 min
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