Recent Episodes

Democracy By Numbers

November 1, 2026

Despite adhering to the principle of “one person, one vote,” elections in the United States are often highly contentious: presidents can be elected after losing the popular vote, there is widespread gerrymandering and voter purging, and not everyone has equal representation in the Senate. So…

Emma Goldman

July 5, 2026

Activist and anarchist philosopher Emma Goldman fought for human liberation in every realm of life.…

Black and white portrait of Emma Goldman, famed anarchist and writer.

Jean-Paul Sartre

June 21, 2026

Jean-Paul Sartre was one of the first global public intellectuals, famous for his popular existentialist…

Jean-Paul Sartre, renowned philosopher, in a thoughtful pose.

What Is Gender?

June 14, 2026

Gender is a controversial topic these days, but people can’t seem to agree about what…

Gradient-colored figures representing diverse genders.

Dostoevsky and Doubting Faith

May 17, 2026

Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky was a practicing Christian, and his writings often feature characters who…

Portrait of Fyodor Dostoevsky, Russian novelist, author of works exploring faith.

Elizabeth Anscombe

May 10, 2026

Elizabeth Anscombe made hugely influential contributions to contemporary action theory, moral theory, and philosophy of…

Black and white portrait of philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe.

Marx and Morality

May 3, 2026

Karl Marx famously attempted to explain our social, political, and economic systems in terms of…

Karl Marx, philosopher and economist, in a formal portrait.

Marcus Aurelius

April 26, 2026

Marcus Aurelius was a 2nd century Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. He is most famous…

Bronze bust of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius

Hobbes and the Ideal Citizen

April 5, 2026

Seventeenth century philosopher Thomas Hobbes believed that without government to control our worst impulses, life…

Colossal figure of a king, holding a sword and scepter, overlooking a city; illustrating Hobbes' concept of the ideal citizen.

Nísia Floresta

March 22, 2026

Nísia Floresta was a 19th-century writer and translator known as “the Brazilian Mary Wollstonecraft.” She…

Portrait of Nísia Floresta, a Brazilian writer and feminist.

What Is Addiction?

March 15, 2026

People who are addicted to substances display a puzzling behavior: they keep using even when…

Hand in handcuffs attached to a shot glass of alcohol. Addiction concept.

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