Philosophy Talk

Making and Breaking Habits - Philosophy Talk We often hear that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” The idea seems to be that long-standing habits are too entrenched to change. But are habits always so rigid and inflexible? Why does it seem...

Did you know that as a Premium Subscriber you can get early access to episodes, including next week's broadcast of "Making and Breaking Habits"? philosophytalk.org/shows/making...

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This Week: Elisabeth of Bohemia Podcast Episode · Philosophy Talk: Select Episodes · 10/05/2025 · 51m

ICYMI Yesterday's broadcast about the 17th-century princess who challenged Descartes is now available for download: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...

#PhilSky #philosophy #WiseWomen @nehgov.bsky.social @altnehgov.altgov.info

YouTube video by Philosophy Talk Elisabeth of Bohemia: Roving Philosophical Report

TODAY: Josh and Ray explore the life & thought of Elisabeth of Bohemia with @lshape.bsky.social from McGill University.

Check out this primer on Elisabeth's life & times from our Roving Philosophical Reporter, and tune in at 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & kalw.org.

youtu.be/mOPVl0btri8

Judith Jarvis Thomson - Philosophy Talk Judith Jarvis Thomson is best known for arguing that abortion is morally permissible, even granting the fetus the status of person. Her colorful thought experiments illustrate that a right to life doe...

More at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/judith-jarvis-thomson #PhilSky #philosophy

YouTube video by Philosophy Talk Judith Jarvis Thomson: Roving Philosophical Report

Judith Jarvis Thomson, whose followup to Philippa Foot's thought experiment spawned an industry jokingly known as Trolleyology, was born otd in 1929. For our #WiseWomen series earlier this year, we sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter, @skaskowitz.bsky.social, to investigate: youtu.be/ngl4vJNDOu8

Philippa Foot - Philosophy Talk Philippa Foot invented the thought experiment that famously became known as the Trolley Problem. Despite the vast industry of “trolleyology” it inspired, Foot’s goal to illuminate debates on abortion ...

More at philosophytalk.org/shows/philip....

YouTube video by Philosophy Talk Philippa Foot: Roving Philosophical Report

Moral philosopher Philippa Foot was born on this date in 1920. For our #WiseWomen episode earlier this year, we sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter, Mary-Catherine O'Connor, to learn more about what it was like to be one of the women in the so-called Oxford Quartet: youtu.be/aePK6JRh3go #PhilSky

Wise Women - Philosophy Talk Wise Women is a sixteen-episode series about women in philosophy from antiquity to the twentieth century, generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The first season focuses on hi...

Part of the "Wise Women" series, which was supported by a grant from the @nehgov.bsky.social. Listen to all the episodes in the series at philosophytalk.org/series/wisew... @altnehgov.altgov.info

Coming up: If the mind and body are distinct substances, how could they ever interact? Josh and Ray explore the life and thought of Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia with @lshape.bsky.social from McGill University – Sunday at 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & www.kalw.org/show/philoso... #PhilSky

Demo #1: Can Machines Think? - Philosophy Talk Will Computers someday be able to have humanlike consciousnes and intelligence? Will they someday outstrip the thinking of humans? Would it matter if they did? Or is Artificial Intelligence on fundame...

In fact, Searle was a guest on the *very-first* never-aired demo of the program: philosophytalk.org/shows/demo-1...

Gandhi as a Philosopher - Philosophy Talk Gandhi is famous as the leader of the movement for Indian independence, which he based on his philosophy of non-violence, an important influence on Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi’s ideas and the effect...

More at philosophytalk.org/shows/gandhi....

YouTube video by Philosophy Talk PT Goes to the Movies: Gandhi (1982)

Mohandas K. #Gandhi was born on this date in 1869. In 2008, as part of our episode "Gandhi as a Philosopher," John and Ken took PT to the Movies to discuss the Oscar-winning 1982 biopic starring Sir Ben Kingsley and directed by Sir Richard Attenborough: youtu.be/Z_WnrKREv0I

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October Gurls (and Boys) - Philosophy Talk Welcome to October, a fruitful month for philosophy. Three of the figures in our Wise Women series were born this month: Philippa Foot (October 3, 1920), Judith Jarvis Thomson (October 4, 1929), and N...

Hello, October—a very fruitful month for #philosophy. Three of the figures in our #WiseWomen series were born this month, along with an illustrious list of other October babies. Listen to our episodes about all these thinkers in This Month's Playlist: philosophytalk.org/playlist/oct... #PhilSky

This Week: Zhuangzi – Being One With Ten Thousand Things Podcast Episode · Philosophy Talk: Select Episodes · 09/28/2025 · 51m

Happy International #Podcast Day! What a perfect reason to download this week's episode about 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher #Zhuangzi: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p....

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We were saddened to learn about the passing of renowned philosopher of #language John Searle, who joined John and Ken on the program three times, most recently in 2015: philosophytalk.org/shows/how-wo...

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Zhuangzi: Being One With Ten Thousand Things What if I’m just a butterfly dreaming that I’m a philosopher?

Fun fact: our guest for that 2005 episode, Paul Kjellberg from @whittiercollege.bsky.social, is the same as the guest for today's episode on Zhuangzi. www.kalw.org/show/philoso...

YouTube video by Philosophy Talk Confucius: Roving Philosophical Report

Also known as Teachers Day, September 28 is traditionally celebrated as the birthday of #Confucius. For our episode back in 2005, we sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter to ask Chinese-Americans about what Confucian teachings mean to them: youtu.be/s_RnAkJ_yWQ?...

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I suppose if you listen to this (10-year old) piece, you'll find there's no rehabilitation going on. Perhaps if anything his enthusiasm speaks more to our current situation than any further insight into 1930s Germany itself.

No bearing on current events whatsoever 🥴

YouTube video by Philosophy Talk Martin Heidegger: Roving Philosophical Report

The ever-controversial Martin Heidegger was born on this date in 1889. For our episode in 2015, we sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter, Shuka Kalantari, to investigate whether #Heidegger was an enthusiastic Nazi or a reluctant and somewhat opportunistic dupe: youtu.be/_1FaB0etYgE

Coming up: Do the sages actually know anything? Josh and Ray question the Tao of #Zhuangzi with Paul Kjellberg from @whittiercollege.bsky.social, editor of "Essays on Skepticism, Relativism, and Ethics in the Zhuangzi" – Sunday 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in SF & www.kalw.org/show/philoso... #PhilSky

Zhuangzi: Being One with Ten Thousand Things - Philosophy Talk Zhuangzi, the 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher, was arguably the most important figure in Taoism. He believed that a person’s ideal relationship to the world was to “be one with ten thousand things...

Catch the complete broadcast this Sunday at 11 am on @kalwradio.bsky.social 91.7 FM in San Francisco & online at kalw.org. More at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/zhuangzi.

YouTube video by Philosophy Talk Zhuangzi: Roving Philosophical Report

Ahead of our next broadcast about the 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher #Zhuangzi, we sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter, Holly J. McDede, to talk to people who’ve taken Zhuangzi’s writings to interesting places: youtu.be/OLkqz6UgXnA

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How about they tackle Narcissistic Personality Disorder first?

YouTube video by Philosophy Talk Robert Musil and Life as Experiement

It's been a minute since we've heard from Ian Shaoles the Sixty-Second Philosopher, but he's got some choice words for this week's episode about Robert Musil's "The Man Without Qualities" and its echoes in our present moment: youtu.be/ugc5soMtg-U

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Jewish Philosophy - Philosophy Talk Rabbis and Talmudic scholars have spent centuries puzzling over theology, texts, and life.  In the process they came up with many philosophical ideas that have inspired the work of more recent philoso...

Episode from 2006: philosophytalk.org/shows/jewish... #PhilSky #philosophy

א גוט און זיס תשפ״ו

This Week: Robert Musil and Life as Experiment Podcast Episode · Philosophy Talk: Select Episodes · 09/21/2025 · 52m

ICYMI Yesterday's broadcast about Austrian novelist Robert Musil, author of "The Man Without Qualities," is now available for download: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...

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Robert Musil and Life as Experiment What would it be like to live provisionally, with principles we’re willing to give up at a moment’s notice?

TODAY: Josh and Ray question the philosophy of Robert Musil with @bencenanay.bsky.social from @uantwerpen.be, author of "Philosophy Without Qualities: Robert Musil, the Thinker" (forthcoming) – 11 am on @kalwradio.bsky.social 91.7 FM in San Francisco & www.kalw.org/show/philoso... #PhilSky

A Blog Without Qualities? - Philosophy Talk Robert Musil was an Austrian novelist writing in the 1920s and 30s. He’s most famous...

Looking for a primer about Robert Musil, author of "The Man Without Qualities" and subject of tomorrow's broadcast? Check out our lastest blog at Philosophers Corner: philosophytalk.org/blog/a-blog-...

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