Ep. 377: Emil Cioran's Pessimism (Part Two)

Ep. 377: Emil Cioran's Pessimism (Part Two)

Author: Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey October 13, 2025 Duration: 45:46

Continuing on "Directions for Decomposition" from A Short History of Decay (1949). What is it that humans are inevitably trying to avoid that seems so bad to us? It's our existential separation from others, our essential, incommunicable solitude. Plus, ennui, sloth, and being a "traitor to existence."

Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.

Sponsor: Visit functionhealth.com/PEL to get the data you need to take action for your health.


What if philosophy wasn't an intimidating subject reserved for academics, but a lively, accessible, and sometimes messy conversation among friends? That's the space occupied by The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast. Hosted by Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, and Dylan Casey-a group who once pursued philosophy professionally before taking a different path-this podcast approaches big ideas with a rare blend of genuine curiosity and informal camaraderie. Their discussions are grounded in actual philosophical texts, which they break down in each episode, but you absolutely don't need a degree or even prior reading to jump in. The charm lies in hearing their real-time reactions, debates, and occasional tangents as they wrestle with concepts that shape our society and culture. Listening feels like pulling up a chair at a pub with remarkably well-read friends who are just as likely to crack a joke as they are to land a profound insight. This isn't a lecture; it's an invitation to a collective, partially examined life, where the journey through a thinker's argument is often more revealing than any polished conclusion. You'll find yourself thinking along with them, questioning your own assumptions, and discovering how centuries-old ideas pulse through our modern dilemmas. Tune in for a uniquely human and engaging take on the discipline that asks the biggest questions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 782

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 354: Guest Tim Williamson on Philosophic Method (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:33
Oxford philosophy professor Timothy Williamson talks to us about his new book, Overfitting and Heuristics in Philosophy. How can we best apply the insights of philosophy of science to philosophy itself? Maybe some allege…
Ep. 353: Reid on Visual Knowledge (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:49
Concluding our treatment of "Of Seeing" in Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense. We continue to hammer at this idea of "resemblance" between mental contents and physical objects, consider more ca…
Ep. 353: Reid on Visual Knowledge (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:59
We're continuing our treatment of Thomas Reid's Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense (1764), now discussing ch. 6: "Of Seeing." Does vision provide the exception to Reid's point that our sensatio…
Ep. 352: Thomas Reid on Smelling and Knowledge (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:21
Continuing on Inquiry into the Human Mind, getting further into the chapter on smelling as well as the conclusion and Reid's exchange with Hume. What exactly is our relation with objects in the world according to Reid? G…
Ep. 352: Thomas Reid on Smelling and Knowledge (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:15
On Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense (1764): the introduction, conclusion, ch. 2 "Of Smelling" ch. 4 "Of Hearing," and some correspondence between Reid and Hume. According to Reid, the big mis…
PREMIUM-Ep. 351: Sophie Grace Chappell on Transgender (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:42
Mark, Seth and Dylan continue talking about philosophy surrounding trans phenomena in light of our interview with Sophie Grace about Trans Figured. In this supporter-exclusive discussion, we get into sex and gender as cl…
Ep. 351: Guest Sophie Grace Chappell on Transgender (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:13
Mark, Seth, and Dylan interview this British philosophy prof about her new book, Trans Figured, and philosophy's role in discussing the phenomena of transgender (which, yes, can be used as a noun, according to Sophie). G…
Ep. 350: Rorty on Justification and Essentialism (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:18
Concluding on "Universality and Truth" from Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism. It it coherent to simply not have a theory of truth? Rorty claims that he's not a relativist; he's just avoiding some usele…
Ep. 350: Rorty on Justification and Essentialism (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:16
On "Universality and Truth" and "Pan-Relationalism," which are lectures 3-5 in Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism. How do we justify democracy? Rorty says we don't have to refer to transcendent Truth or…
Ep. 349: Rorty's Pluralistic Pragmatism (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:01
Continuing on Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism, ch. 1, "Pragmatism and Religion" and 2, "Pragmatism as Romantic Polytheism." Rorty evaluates past pragmatists' approaches to religion, arguing contra Jam…