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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 o…
6 months, 2 weeks ago
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…
6 months, 3 weeks ago
Ep. 376: Plato's "Laws" (Part Two)
Continuing on selections from this late Platonic dialogue. Starting in Book 4, Plato's characters are discussing how to create a new state ("Magnesia…
6 months, 4 weeks ago
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 sitc…
6 months, 4 weeks ago
PEL Presents NEM#238: Eric Andersen Endures
Eric was a major figure in the 1960s NYC folk scene, and his early tunes have been covered by Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, and many others. He's released…
6 months, 4 weeks ago
Ep. 376: Plato's "Laws" (Part One)
On this later dialogue presenting Plato's ideas about the character of laws in a just state. They should all be aimed at making people virtuous, and …
7 months ago
PREMIUM-PEL Back-to-School Nightcap 2025
Mark, Seth, and Dylan add some more detail and thought to our recent episodes, including more about Steven Pinker and re-litigation of the utility of…
7 months ago
PEL Presents PvI#101: Co-Hostery: Season Five Premiere with Mark and Mary
It is a new era! Merry Mary Hynes is now Mark's co-host, and we do some improv related to that and feel our the degree to which Mary has not studied …
7 months, 1 week ago
Ep. 375: Luce Irigaray's Feminism (Part Two)
Continuing on "Women on the Market" from The Sex Which Is Not One (1977) and other selections.
Irigaray gives a Marxist analysis of the commodificat…
7 months, 1 week ago
PEL Presents PMP#205: Fantastical Foursome
What do we expect out of a superhero film? Does it need overqualified dramatic actors? Does it even need a real budget?
Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and…
7 months, 1 week ago