PEL Presents PvI#118: Aphoristically w/ Andrea Roccella

PEL Presents PvI#118: Aphoristically w/ Andrea Roccella

Author: Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey June 7, 2026 Duration: 50:07

Mark and Mary are joined by Andrea, an Italian teacher with a broad performing background who's written a book of philosophical, poetic aphorisms called Think Town: self-help reflections and directives about fear, ego, happiness, etc.

There's a long history of aphorisms in philosophy, and philosophy invented the self-help genre, but how does philosophy work given the lack of argumentation?

We explore the monster under the bed, AI agents, making philosophy personally applicable, being receptive, DOT ego secretions, and more.

Hear more at philosophyimprov.comSupport the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.


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: en-us Episodes: 100

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 387: Hegel on Law (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:08
Continuing on Hegel's Phenomenology, "Spirit" chapter, now up to sections 464-483, which are under the sub-headings "Ethical Action. Human and Divine Knowledge. Guilt and Destiny" and "Legal Status." After anticipating i…
PREMIUM-Ep. 386: Hegel on Society (Part Three) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:34
On sec. 451-463 of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. We get into more detail on these passages about the way the two types of law (human and divine) interact, as well as how these play out in family roles and the responsi…
PEL Presents NEM#248: Lande Hekt: Lucky to Be Indie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:12
Lande started in the 2010's in the British punk-pop group Muncie Girls, with six releases (mostly EPs), and began her solo career in 2019. We discuss "Coming Home" (and listen at the end to the title track) from her four…
Ep. 386: Hegel on Society (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:20
Continuing on the "Spirit" section of The Phenomenology of Spirit, giving a sort of social metaphysics, wherein the ethical life of a society is analyzed into two complementary types of law, human (explicit laws but also…
PEL Presents PvI#113: Mary and Mark Pick Their Battles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:50
What is it worth raising an objection over, and how hard do you fight? We hear (and act out) Mary's roommate-searching trauma, plus Mary for President, curiosity about bellicose Twitter, respect vs. reverence, rationalit…
PEL Presents PMP#216: Oscars So Black? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:25
In light of the now-completed black history month and the upcoming Oscars, we consider the "Oscars So White" issue that was a hot topic about a decade ago. We all tried to watch some of the Oscar-nominated films by black…
Ep. 386: Hegel on Society (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:49
On. G.W.F. Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), sec. 438-463. What constitutes society? We're beginning a multi-episode arc here on the "Spirit" chapter of the book, so we learn what Spirit actually is and how it…
Ep. 385: Guest Graham Harman on Object vs. Continuum (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:31
In our continuing Q&A with Graham, we engage him about Kantian Things-In-Themselves, complex things (that if divided, must be cut at the joints) vs. mere heaps, fact ontology, natural kinds, fictional objects, why philos…
Ep. 385: Guest Graham Harman on Object vs. Continuum (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:54
An interview with Graham in light of his new book, Waves and Stones: On the Ultimate Nature of Reality, which elaborates and adds to issues that the gang previously studied in Object-Oriented Ontology. Graham argues that…
Ep. 384: Graham Harman's Object-Oriented Ontology (Part Three) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:47
We consider chapter 2, "Aesthetics Is the Root of All Philosophy," where Harman describes how art can help us see behind the veil to things-in-themselves. Art is "theatrical" in that it's really the spectator who is stan…