Episode 234: Like A Dog (Kafka's "The Trial" Pt. 2)
David and Tamler conclude their discussion of "The Trial," Franz Kafka's darkly comic vision of an opaque and impenetrable bureaucracy that comes for us all in the end. Plus we interrupt our previousl...
5 Apr 20221h 53min
Episode 233: Keeping It Surreal (Kafka's "The Trial" Pt. 1)
David and Tamler wander through the bewildering dream-like world of Franz Kafka's "The Trial." In part one of a two-part discussion we discuss the circumstances of its publication, the various interpr...
22 Mars 20221h 53min
Episode 232: Mind Over Matter
It's the topic voted on by our beloved Patreon patrons, panpsychism! David and Tamler delve into the resurgent debate over whether consciousness is the fundamental stuff that makes up the universe. We...
8 Mars 20221h 39min
Episode 231: Ideal Critics (Hume's "Of the Standard of Taste")
Many of us think that art is subjective, but at the same time it seems like some artistic judgments are better than others. Do you think Crash deserved to receive an award for Best Picture? Did you li...
22 Feb 20221h 51min
Episode 230: Be Happy (Lars von Trier's "Melancholia")
David and Tamler sink deeper and deeper into Melancholia, Lars von Trier's harrowing and stunningly beautiful depiction of depression, anxiety, and a wedding reception that just won't end. They bring ...
8 Feb 20221h 50min
Episode 229: Skin Deep?
We think racism is wrong but what about "lookism" – a bias that favors attractive people over unattractive ones? If it's wrong to judge people by the color of their skin, what about judging people for...
25 Jan 20221h 39min
Episode 228: Forever Jung
David and Tamler confront their shadows and dive into Carl Jung's theory of the collective unconscious. What are the central differences between Jung and Freud? What did Jung mean by archetypes and wh...
11 Jan 20221h 33min
Episode 227: A Terrible Master (David Foster Wallace's "This Is Water").
David and Tamler dive into David Foster Wallace's celebrated and surprisingly earnest Kenyon College commencement speech "This is Water". How can we escape the prison and prism of our (literally) self...
21 Dec 20211h 38min
