logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
42m 29s

Ep. 335: Aristotle on Fundamental Explan...

Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey
About this episode

Continuing on Aristotle's Metaphysics, book 1. We get seriously into Aristotle's four types of causation and how previous philosophers in leaving out one or most of these made a mistake. This includes a critique of Platonic forms, which as eternal, unchanging patterns can't actually explain why change occurs in the world.

Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and bonus content including a supporter-exclusive Closereads/part 3 drilling into the argument against Platonic forms in Aristotle's Metaphysics. Listen to a preview.

Up next
Yesterday
Ep. 374: Discussing Liberalism (Lincoln, et al) with Walter Sterling (Part One)
What's the crisis of liberal democracy? Dylan, Wes and Seth are joined by St. John's College President J. Walter Sterling to discuss Abraham Lincoln's "On the Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions" (1838) plus the beginnings of Steven Pinker's Enlightenment Now (2018), Patri ... Show More
46m 38s
Aug 24
PEL Presents Closereads: Peter Railton's "Moral Realism" (Wrap Up)
We are concluding our treatment of Peter Railton's "Moral Realism" (1984), and given that you likely haven't listened to the seven preceding parts, this discussion can serve as a standalone summary of not only Railton's view, but of the best efforts of Mark and Wes to actually fi ... Show More
58m 5s
Aug 21
Announcement: Mark's "Foundational Political Philosophy Texts" Fall 2025 Class
I bet you’d like to have an excuse to read some Aristotle, and Locke, Rousseau, Simone Weil, and other fun texts. Well, go read about this opportunity at partiallyexaminedlife.com/class, and then follow the link to enroll. Not sure? Watch a sample (a full seminar from last semest ... Show More
4m 44s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2011
HoP 038 - Down To Earth - Aristotle on Substance
Aristotle's critique of Platonic Forms and defense of his own metaphysics 
20m 31s
Jul 2013
Episode #006 ... Aristotle Pt. 2
On this episode of the podcast, we continue learning about Aristotle, a man who created the first system of biological classification, the first system of logic, and the first formal scientific method. We find out why Aristotle was anti-women and pro-slavery, and learn how Plato ... Show More
37m 45s
Oct 2023
Aristotle, Categories - Changes From Opposites Into Each Other - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle' work, the Categories, focusing on his discussion in chapter 10 focused on how and whether opposites change into each other. He focuses primarily on the second form of opposition - contraries - and the third form - po ... Show More
12m 15s
Nov 2022
Edith Hall on Aristotle's Way
How should we live? This is the basic question for all of us. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Edith Hall, author of the book Aristotle's Way, gives a sympathetic answer to Aristotle's take on this question.  
17m 14s
Sep 2023
Aristotle, Categories - In A Subject Vs Predicated Of A Subject - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle' work, the Categories, focusing on his distinction in chapter 2 between something being "in" a subject, and something being predicated of a subject. There are four main possibilities, and each of those is discussed he ... Show More
15m 23s
Apr 2024
Immanuel Kant, Prolegomena - Pure Concepts Of The Understanding - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant's work, The Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics. Specifically it focuses on his discussion in the Second Part Of The Transcendental Problem: How Is Pure Natural Science Possible? Specifically this ... Show More
14m 13s
Jul 2011
HoP 040 - Let's Get Physical - Aristotle's Natural Philosophy
Aristotle's Physics explains change, time and place with the help of his actuality/potentiality distinction 
22m 16s