In episode 107 of Overthink, David and Ellie take up a philosophical perspective on biology’s squirmiest concept: the organism. From Kant’s distinction between organisms and mechanisms, to Deleuze and Guattari’s infamous call for ‘bodies without organs,’ they uncover and question the ontological and metaphorical baggage behind the concept. Their exploration ... Show More
Feb 2024
Michael Devitt, "Biological Essentialism" (Oxford UP, 2023)
What makes a species a species? Aristotle answered the species question by positing unchanging essences, properties that all and only members of a species shared. Individuals belonged to a species by possessing this essence. Biologists and philosophers of biology today are either ... Show More
1h 7m
May 2015
Episode #058 ... Kant pt. 3 - Deontology vs Consequentialism
On this episode of the podcast, we continue our discussion of Kant, this time focusing on ethics. We begin with a thought experiment that calls into question whether or not lying is morally justifiable if it results in preserving human life. Next, we discuss the nature of moralit ... Show More
26m 59s
Feb 2021
Ep. 262: Nietzsche on Self-Denial (Part One)
On Friedrich Nietzsche's The Genealogy of Morals (1887), "Third essay: what do ascetic ideals mean?" Self-regulation, where we tamp down certain aspects of our personality, is necessary for disciplined action, but it can clearly go too far. Nietzsche uses this concept of ascetici ... Show More
46m 6s
Apr 2021
Ep137 - Daniel Dennett | From Bacteria to Bach and Back
<p>How did we come to have minds?</p> <p>For centuries, this question has intrigued psychologists, physicists, poets, and philosophers, who have wondered how the human mind developed its unrivaled ability to create, imagine, and explain. Disciples of Darwin have long aspired to e ... Show More
1h 18m
Mar 2024
Catherine Malabou on the Clitoris, AI, Anarchism, Hegel, Marx… and much more!
Frank Ruda and Agon Hamza sit down with the French philosopher Catherine Malabou to discuss her latest books on anarchism and clitoris, Artificial Intelligence, domination, films and culture, the role of philosophy, and a lot of other topics. You can listen to our podcast here: h ... Show More
1h 12m