Philosophy Talk

It's 3/14, which is only the beginning when it comes to π, an infinite non-repeating number. Check out our 2008 episode with @rudytheelder@mastodon.social from @SanJoseState@mastodon.world, author of "Infinity and the Mind": https://philosophytalk.org/shows/infinity #PiDay

Coming up: Is addiction a brain disease, a problem of character, or both (or neither)? Josh and Ray can't get enough of Hanna Pickard from Johns Hopkins University, author of "What Would You Do Alone in a Cage with Nothing But Cocaine? A Philosophy of Addiction."

🎧 Sunday at 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & https://www.kalw.org/show/philosophy-talk/2026-03-13/what-is-addiction.

@princetonupress@mastodon.social

Is #addiction a brain disease, a problem of character, or both (or neither)? Ahead of our next broadcast, we sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter to ask Dave Manheim, host of the Dopey podcast, and Owen Flanagan, author of "What Is it Like to Be an Addict?" how (former) addicts describe their own experience: https://youtu.be/iaElstkob3k

What better way to mark #InternationalWomensDay than to check out one (or more!) of the 16 extraordinary thinkers in our "Wise Women" series: https://philosophytalk.org/wisewomen

Coming up: What should we make of the self-appointed spokesperson? Josh and Ray speak for themselves with their Stanford colleague Wendy Salkin, author of "Speaking for Others: The Ethics of Informal Political Representation."

🎧 Sunday at 11 am on @kalw@bird.makeup 91.7 FM in San Francisco & online at https://www.kalw.org/show/philosophy-talk/2024-07-19/who-speaks-for-you.

In the spirit of #WomensHistoryMonth and the upcoming #Oscars, here are films that feature thinkers from our #WiseWomen series:

• "Mary Shelley" (2017): Mary Wollstonecraft
• "Agora" (2009): Hypatia of Alexandria
• "Iris" (2001): Iris Murdoch
• "Reds" (1981): Emma Goldman

Did we miss any? More about our series at https://philosophytalk.org/playlist/the-complete-wise-women.

Last summer we dropped the sixteenth and final new episode in our "Wise Women" series, so this #WomensHistoryMonth feels like the perfect time to celebrate it.

Check out all the episodes, from Hypatia of Alexandria to Judith Jarvis Thomson of MIT, at https://philosophytalk.org/playlist/the-complete-wise-women.

ICYMI We kicked off #WomensHistoryMonth with an episode about Mary Wollstonecraft, author of "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman."

Listen, download, and subscribe at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mary-wollstonecraft/id1831619588?i=1000739925368.

Coming up: March is Women's History Month, so kick it off with another installment in our #WiseWomen series as Josh and Ray explore the life & thought of Mary Wollstonecraft with Sylvana Tomaselli from @stjohnscam@bird.makeup, author of "Wollstonecraft: Philosophy, Passion, and Politics."

🎧 Sunday at 11 am on KALW in San Francisco & https://www.kalw.org/show/philosophy-talk/2024-05-10/mary-wollstonecraft.

Next week we'll be recording an episode asking what is #addiction with Hanna Pickard from Johns Hopkins University, author of "What Would You Do Alone in a Cage with Nothing But Cocaine? A Philosophy of Addiction." Got a question about whether addiction is a brain disease, a problem of character, or both (or neither)? Let us know below, and we may ask yours on the show! More at https://philosophytalk.org/shows/what-is-addiction

Even in the best of times, the State of the Union address highlights the asymmetries that have emerged among the nominally co-equal branches of the U.S. government, as Ken Taylor explored nearly two decades ago when we first broadcast this episode on the Separation of Powers: https://philosophytalk.org/blog/separation-powers-and-charismatic-presidency

TODAY: Philosophy's great grouch Arthur Schopenhauer was born on this date in 1788, so tune in for a spirit-lifting with David Bather Woods, author of "Arthur #Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of Philosophy’s Greatest Pessimist" – 11 am on @kalw@bird.makeup 91.7 FM in San Francisco & https://www.kalw.org/show/philosophy-talk/2025-07-11/schopenhauer-living-your-worst-life.

And if you miss it, take a stab at happiness by subscribing to the podcast—it's now FREE: https://philosophytalk.org/get-the-podcast.

This Sunday will mark 238 years since the birth of Arthur #Schopenhauer, so we'll be rebroadcasting our recent episode with David Bather Woods from @uniofwarwick@bird.makeup, author of "Arthur #Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of Philosophy’s Greatest Pessimist."

Ahead of the program we sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter, Mary-Catherine O'Connor, to find the silver lining in Schopenhauer’s dismal worldview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG-kN4dG5Y0

A playlist for #LunarNewYear, featuring episodes on #Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and other Chines and Korean thinkers: https://soundcloud.com/philosophytalk/sets/lunar-new-year

If you're looking for #love—or just looking to question everything (except your intelligence) about it, check out our 2012 episode with philosopher-poet Troy Jollimore, author of "Love's Vision," along with many more in our #ValentinesDay playlist: https://soundcloud.com/philosophytalk/sets/copy-of-love-etc

Coming up: How much money is enough for a well-lived life? Josh and Ray spend their time with Jayati Ghosh from @umass_amherst@mstdn.social, co-author of "Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity."

🎧 Sunday at 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & online at https://www.kalw.org/show/philosophy-talk/2026-02-13/can-money-buy-well-being.

Coming up: Does #logic always lead us to the truth? Josh and Ray question the everyday utility of logic with Patrick Girard from @aucklanduni@bird.makeup, author of "Logic in the Wild."

🎧 Sunday at 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & https://www.kalw.org/show/philosophy-talk/2024-05-24/logic-for-everyone.

People talk about Simone Weil's tragic early death, but her life story has a lot of joy and brightness in it. As part of our #WiseWomen series, we sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter to learn more with Cynthia Wallace from the University of Saskatchewan, author of "The Literary Afterlives of Simone Weil: Feminism, Justice, and the Challenge of Religion."

Check out the complete episode at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/simone-weil.

ICYMI Yesterday's broadcast kicking off #BlackHistoryMonth with the philosophy of Anna Julia Cooper is now available for download, along with more than 600 other episodes in our library: https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podcast/wise-woman-anna-julia-cooper/id1831619588?i=1000747597532

Coming up: With #BlackHistoryMonth getting underway this weekend, we'll be re-broadcasting an episode from our #WiseWomen series exploring the life and thought of author, educator, and activist Anna Julia Cooper with Kathryn Sophia Belle, author of "Beauvoir and Belle: A Black Feminist Critique of The Second Sex."

🎧 Sunday at 11 am on @kalw@bird.makeup 91.7 FM in San Francisco & nationwide at https://www.kalw.org/show/philosophy-talk/2024-10-04/anna-julia-cooper.

Is an honest and simple life in tune with nature always the best choice, especially in the modern world? Check out the latest at Philosophers Corner ahead of tomorrow's broadcast with Inger Kuin from the University of Virginia, author of "Diogenes: The Rebellious Life and Revolutionary Philosophy of the Original Cynic." https://philosophytalk.org/blog/honest-simple-and-natural