logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2020
49m 3s

Ep. 257: Locke Against Innate Ideas (Par...

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

Continuing on Book I of John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689).

We consider Locke's arguments that since there are no universally agreed upon principles, therefore there are no beliefs that we're all born with, or that we all (without the need for experience) immediately recognize as true as soon as we gain the use of reason or are otherwise equipped to understand them.

Start with part one. Hear the whole discussion with no ads and get access to our latest Nightcap: Join us at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.

Up next
Oct 4
PEL Presents PvI#102: Pit of Despair w/ Seth Paskin
Mark's Partially Examined Life co-host Seth joins us (i.e. Mark and Mary) to introduce Seth to improv and continue introducing philosophy to Mary. We discuss Seth's attraction to depressing texts, act out couples' therapy and monster beauty parlor, and open up a few philosophical ... Show More
47m 57s
Oct 6
Ep. 377: Emil Cioran's Pessimism (Part One)
On A Short History of Decay (1949), a pessimist/existentialist somewhat text from the most famous Romanian philosopher. Cioran's short essays touch on art, humor, God, salvation, time, nostalgia, mourning, death, disease, suicide, revolt, freedom, Buddhism, Daoism, and the role o ... Show More
52m 2s
Sep 28
PEL Presents PMP#206: Abbott Elementary w/o Emmys
For our Emmys/back-to-school episode, we cover the pinnacle of the current network sitcom landscape: The six-time 2025 Emmy nominated 4-year-old sitcom Abbott Elementary. Yes, it lost this year but has won in the past. Mark, Lawrence, Al and West-Philly-resident Sarahlyn discuss ... Show More
53m 13s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2014
Episode #035 ... John Locke pt. 1
On this episode of the podcast, we begin learning about John Locke. First, we ask ourselves whether or not we own our bodies and what other things we are entitled to simply by virtue of being born. Next, we consider whether its possible to develop a system of ethics by studying t ... Show More
30m 28s
Sep 2014
Episode #036 ... John Locke pt. 2 - The Blank Slate
On this episode of the podcast, we continue our discussion of John Locke. We first admire how brave Locke was to share his ideas during a time when dissent earned you the privilege of being drawn and quartered (literally… quartered). Next, we discuss Locke’s views on the Nature v ... Show More
28m 38s
Oct 2014
Episode #039 ... The Limits of Empiricism
On this episode of the podcast, we explore the idea of reality and how our senses prevent us from perceiving its true nature. First, we launch a smear campaign against human eyes and their limitations. Next, we discuss the difference between deductive reasoning (the kind you see ... Show More
26m 57s
Aug 2018
John Locke
Having stated that marriage and death “are nearly the same thing,” John Locke instead dedicated his life to knowledge, thought, and peace in one of England’s most turbulent times. From humble beginnings to the halls of power, John Locke’s philosophical ideas constructed the moder ... Show More
59m 9s
Mar 2024
The Social Contract | Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau | Keyword
In this episode, I explain Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau's views of the social contract. If you want to support me, you can do that with these links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theoryandphilosophy paypal.me/theoryphilosophy Twitter: @DavidGuignion IG: @theory_and_philosophy T ... Show More
13m 22s
May 2015
Episode #057 ... Kant pt. 2 - The Actual Introduction
On this episode of the podcast we continue our discussion of Kant, this time focusing on his contributions to the debate between rationalism and empiricism . We begin by reviewing the major points of contention between the rationalists and empiricists regarding how we arrive at k ... Show More
23m 6s
Jul 2015
Episode #063 ... Kant pt. 8 - Limits of Knowledge
On this episode of the podcast, we discuss Kant’s views on the limits of human knowledge. First, we ask ourselves why we seek knowledge at all and whether there will ever be an endpoint to our search for it. Next, we discuss our human experience of the world in contrast to the wo ... Show More
28m 20s
Mar 2024
Why we should question everything | Michael Della Rocca on radical philosophy
Is standard philosophy too conservative, overly relying on common sense? Can rationality and reason actually lead us to mysticism? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesJoin philosopher Michael Della Rocca as he defends his radical int ... Show More
16m 29s
Nov 2023
Episode 271: Concept-Con 2023
It’s the first annual “Concept-Con” – a not at all cringe episode where David and Tamler apply the methods and rigor of analytic philosophy to dissect not one, not two, but four new concepts. We start out with a Gen-Z special “mid” and then after a break we analyze the concept “c ... Show More
58m 53s
Mar 2024
John Locke's "First Treatise of Government"
In this episode, I cover John Locke's "First Treatise of Government." Tune in next week for the much-more-important Second Treatise. If you want to support me, you can do that with these links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theoryandphilosophy paypal.me/theoryphilosophy Twitte ... Show More
29m 35s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami