Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchHoP 474 States of the Union: Descartes on the Passions
Episode 475
What do emotions reveal about the connection between mind and body? We turn to Descartes’ correspondence with Elisabeth and his On the Passions to fi…
5 months, 3 weeks ago
HoP 473 As Rational As You: Elisabeth of Bohemia
Episode 474
A royal scholar and philosopher sets aside the tribulations of her family to debate Descartes over the relation between mind and body and the nature …
6 months ago
HoP 472 Less Cheer, More Knowledge: Descartes’ Ethics
Episode 472
Descartes’ “provisional” morality and his views on free will and virtue.
6 months, 2 weeks ago
HoP 471 Unclear and Indistinct Ideas: Debating the Meditations
Episode 473
Descartes’ Meditations caused controversy as soon as it appeared. In this episode we look at criticisms including the “Cartesian Circle,” and how Des…
7 months ago
HoP 470 Gary Hatfield on Descartes' Meditations
Episode 471
We're joined in this episode by a leading expert on one of the most famous works of philosophy ever written: Descartes' Meditations.
7 months, 2 weeks ago
HoP 469 Ghost in the Machine: Cartesian Dualism
Episode 468
The word “Cartesian” is synonymous with a radical contrast between mind and body. What led Descartes to his dualism, and how can he explain vital act…
8 months ago
HoP 468 Perchance to Dream: Descartes’ Skeptical Method
Episode 470
How Descartes fashioned a “method” to repel even the strongest and most radical forms of doubt, with the cogito argument as its foundation.
8 months, 2 weeks ago
HoP 467 Written in Mathematics: Descartes’ Physics
Episode 469
For Descartes body is purely geometrical. So how does he understand features we can perceive, like color, and causation between bodies?
8 months, 4 weeks ago
HoP 466 Well Hidden: Descartes’ Life and Works
Episode 467
How René Descartes’ understanding of his own intellectual project evolved across his lifetime.
9 months, 1 week ago
HoP 465 Modern Times: France and the Netherlands in the 17th Century
Episode 465
A look at the political and religious ferment that made up the historical context of philosophy in 17th century France and the Netherlands.
9 months, 3 weeks ago