logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2019
1h 43m

Episode 156: Notes From Underground (Pt....

Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro
About this episode

We’re sick men. We’re spiteful men. We’re unpleasant men. We think our livers are diseased (especially Tamler’s). So we talk about Dostoevsky’s wild, complex, stream of consciousness masterpiece Notes From Underground. For this episode we focus on part 1 of the novella, and the philosophy behind it. Is the underground man an existentialist hero affirming his freedom in the face of a deterministic hyper-rationalist worldview? Or is he a lonely man consumed with guilt and self-loathing, constructing a pretentious post-hoc rationalization of his character and behavior? Plus, the American Psychological Association just issued guidelines for how to treat men who embrace traditional masculine ideologies. Is the backlash justified?

This episode is brought to you by Eero, Curiosity Stream, and the generosity of listeners like you.

Sponsored By:

Support Very Bad Wizards

Links:

Up next
Jul 1
Episode 311: The Way to Dusty Death (Shakespeare's "Macbeth")
David and Tamler screw their courage to the sticking place and talk about their first Shakespeare play – The Tragedy of Macbeth. Plus we select 16 topics for our first VBW topic tournament suggested and voted by our beloved Patreon patrons. 
1h 26m
Jun 10
Episode 310: Bayes, Brains, and Buddhists
David and Tamler try to wrap their heads around the predictive processing theory of the mind and brain function and talk about a paper that applies the framework to meditation practices. But first a new Psychological Science article expresses skepticism about the existence of peo ... Show More
1h 14m
May 27
Episode 309: Dissolving Into the One
David and Tamler heed the call to journey into the realm of Joseph Campbell. What are the unifying elements shared by myths and religions across time and culture? Does myth give us a portal into the hidden cosmic forces of the universe? Can it take us into depths of our unconscio ... Show More
1h 23m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2021
The Underground Man - Dostoevsky's Warning to The World
Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote Notes from Underground in 1864 which is considered to be one of the first existentialist works, emphasising the importance of freedom, responsibility and individuality. It is an extraordinary piece of literature, social critique and satire ... Show More
24m 49s
Sep 2023
22: Realism and Other Romances feat. Grace Lavery
Abby and Patrick welcome writer and academic Grace Lavery to discuss her new book Pleasure and Efficacy: Of Pen Names, Cover Versions, and Other Trans Techniques. They discuss Grace’s relationship to psychoanalysis; her uses of Freud and Freudianism for both theoretical and pragm ... Show More
1h 29m
Aug 2022
Hors-série d'été - Ne craignez pas que votre pénis ne soit plus le centre du monde
Parce que les femmes savent de plus en plus ce qu'elles veulent et ce qu'elles ne veulent pas, parce que les boutiques de sextoys ont pignon sur rue, parce qu'ils sont persuadés de ne plus servir à rien, les hommes doutent, cherchent leur place, se demandent comment continuer à e ... Show More
12m 18s
Jan 2022
The Sleepover Club: The 'Toxic' Femininity Deep Dive Part Two - The Emergence Of 'Dissociative Feminism'
It's part two of the 'toxic' women deep dive! This week we're discussing the backlash against the 'evil' women genre and how the TikTok girlies are catapulting our obsession with these characters into a new era. From being in your 'fleabag era' and basing your whole life on the p ... Show More
24m 34s
Mar 2024
44: Standard Edition Volume 1 Part 7: The Prehistoric Other and the Great Lord Penis: The Fliess Extracts, Continued feat. Christine Smallwood Teaser
Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness In the latest installment of the Standard Edition, we discuss a number of the letters in the Fliess section of SE Volume 1 with novelist and litera ... Show More
2m 54s
Dec 2023
Pity
Tell us who you pity and we’ll tell you who you are! In episode 93 of Overthink, Ellie and David guide you through the philosophy behind this “well-meaning” emotion. From Aristotle’s account of pity in theater, to problematic portrayals of disability in British charity telethons, ... Show More
58m 40s
Apr 2022
masculinity
A podcast comparing and contrasting three philosophies of how to “be a man” and how those philosophies conceptualize masculinity and gender. Get an ad-free podcast feed here: https://www.patreon.com/matthiasjbarker Citations:De Beauvoir, S. (2010). The second sex. Knopf.The secti ... Show More
48m 38s
Jul 2021
Esther Perel – The Erotic Is an Antidote to Death
The psychotherapist Esther Perel has changed our discourse about sexuality and coupledom with her TED talks, her books, and her podcast, Where Should We Begin? Episode after episode lays bare the theater of relationship, which is also the drama of being human. Her insights speak ... Show More
50m 26s
Feb 2023
The Sleepover Club: TERFs Are Ruining Feminism
Following the death of Brianna Ghey, as well as an open letter penned by contributors of The New York Times condemning the publications reporting on gender, and the defence of JK Rowling that followed, transgender rights are once again under attack. For this week's podcast, Ione ... Show More
40m 38s