Mark and Wes read through and discuss the first couple of pages of ch. 19, "Fathoming Life," How does Daoism compare to Stoicism, Aristotelianism, and Existentialism? How can being a Daoist sage keep one from harm? How is a really effective cicada catcher such a sage? Get more on Zhuangzi at . Sign up for the new Closereads public feed at , and check out Evergreen's other cool shows. For an ad-free experience with many extra episodes, sign up to support Closereads at , or combine your support for PEL and Closereads at . Learn about our new book at .

Ep. 341 Supplemental: Zhuangzi for Closereads Evergreen Network Launch

Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al look at pop music and the idea of genre. Beyoncé is beloved enough that she can do whatever she wants to musically, but the response to her Cowboy Carter&nbsp;album among country music listeners has been pretty critical. Is it real country, and what is it to even ask that question? Is gate-keeping about your favorite genre always stupid? For more, visit . Hear bonus content at  or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the . Sponsor: Get 50% off your first box of ready-to-eat meals and 20% off your next box at  (use code pretty50).

Pretty Much Pop #173: Cowboy Beyoncé? (Cross-Genre Music)

Do you want to listen to this episode? Or do you want to want to listen to this episode? Ashley tells us a bit about first and second order desires in her thesis studying moral responsibility. She also shares with us how she selected her major and shares some of her own struggles with mental illness in her time at Reed.

Reed community members can read Ashley's thesis, “How Mental Illness Impacts Moral Responsibility,” online in the Electronic Theses Archive:
https://rdc.reed.edu/i/57075318-72d1-4b40-a407-9a5231861249

Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website:
reed.edu/burnyourdraft

#60: Mildly Morally Wrong with Ashley Ledbetter '24, Philosophy

The ancient Mariner kills his Albatross with a carelessness that stands in stark contrast to his impulse for confession. For several days he and his shipmates feed the albatross, play with it, and treat it as if it were inhabited by a “Christian soul.” The mariner never tells the wedding guest why it is that he kills the bird, but the casual and seemingly unmotivated act is followed by a psychedelic nightmare that gives us some clues. Why do we rebel against our position within the natural world, even to the point of self-destruction? What is required to restore us? Today we discuss Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s classic poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”&nbsp;

PEL Presents SUBTEXT - Psychedelic Regrets in "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (Part 1)

More on the Zhuangzi, books 1-6 and 17-19 with guest Theo Brooks. We discuss epistemology (Can we know the mind of someone else? How can virtue make truth more accessible?), metaphysics (Is the world constantly changing such that we can't actually refer to anything? Does each thing somehow contain its opposite in virtue of being defined by its contrast with all that it is not?), and ethics (What constitutes the Utmost Person, i.e. the sage?). Get more at . Visit  to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Learn about our new book at .

Ep. 342: Zhuangzi on Knowledge and Virtue (Part One)

Kim has recorded about ten meticulously recorded country-evolving-to Americana albums out of Nashville since 1995. We discuss "Joy Rider" (and listen at the end to "Floating on the Surface") from Every New Beginning (2024), "A Place Called Home" from Rise (2002), and "I’m Alright" from Bitter Sweet (1997), which is also the home of the intro, "Every River."&nbsp;More at . .&nbsp;.

NEM#216: Kim Richey Learns to Cherish Collaboration

Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al discuss the new Amazon TV show based on on the video game series that launched in 1997. How does one best adapt a sandbox game? How dark is too dark for comedy? We talk world-building and exposition dumps, narrative structure and character revelation, and morality in a ruined world. For more, visit . Hear bonus content at  or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the .

Pretty Much Pop #174: Fallout Plays Post-Apocalyptic

We're concluding our treatment of the Daoist sage, focusing on the relation between metaphysics and ethics. Is a "wu wei" (non-action) philosophy compatible with fighting for justice? Does it even necessitate kindness? Get more at . Visit  to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Get a $1/month e-commerce trial at .  Information on our book is available at . Listen to Mark's new band, including the ending song to this episode, "I Insist," at .

Ep. 342: Zhuangzi on Knowledge and Virtue (Part Two)

The philosopher and entertainment journalist direct from Mark's &nbsp;joins PvI for an hour of merriment. We talk parenthood, philosophy of race, the RULES of improv (or the singular answer to a philosophy question), old 9th graders, one black Peggy, using racy improv in a classroom setting, and more. Mark philosophizes at . Bill improvises (and teaches) at . .  to get all our post-game discussions, a video version of the podcast, and other bonus stuff.

Philosophy vs. Improv #76: Hello, Larry w/ Lawrence Ware

Is history repeating itself? Today we will hear from Soha on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (which is often described as the 21st century silk road), and its effect on foreign investment in sub-saharan Africa.

Reed community members can read Soha's thesis online in the Electronic Theses Archive: https://rdc.reed.edu/c/etheses/s/r?_pp=20&query=soha%20ahmed&s=cba1d9f104c81a09b4c2739df6299fa52165a034&p=1&pp=1

#4: China's New Silk Road with Soha Ahmed '20, Economics

“Burn Your Draft” is a podcast exploring the year-long senior thesis experience at Reed College, an independent liberal arts and sciences college in Portland, Oregon. Each episode showcases a senior or recent graduate and interviews them about their thesis: what is it, why did they do it, and what comes next. This podcast is a joint production of Reed students, staff, and alumni, and was made possible by a gift from Seth Paskin '90. New episodes released every other week during the academic year. Episodes may contain explicit language and may deal with sensitive topics. The views, information, or opinions expressed on this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Reed College.

#4: China's New Silk Road with Soha Ahmed '20, Economics

Burn Your Draft

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