pods

Discussing the Theaetetus and the Meno, two dialogues about knowledge.  We’re returning to Plato for a somewhat more thorough treatment than we gave him in Episode 1. This should be considered part two (Hume being #1) of three discussions intended to convey the main conflict in the history of epistemology between the empiricists (like Hume) and the rationalists (like Plato).

This is a 34-minute preview of our vintage 2 hr, 18-minute episode which you can buy at partiallyexaminedlife.com/store or get for free with PEL Citizenship (see partiallyexaminedlife.com/membership). You can also purchase the full episode in the iTunes Store: Search for “Partially Examined Plato” and look under “Albums.”

We slog through most of the Theaetetus, where Plato considers and rejects a series of mostly very lame conceptions of knowledge and replaces them at the end with… NOTHING. Seth is crushed. In the Meno, knowledge is “remembrance” (maybe), like anything worth knowing can’t be learned but only elicited out of the depths of your unconscious.

Buy the full episode

Preview - Plato on Knowledge - Partially Examined Life

"
On W.V.O. Quine’s “On What There Is” (1948) and “Two Dogmas of Empiricism” (1951).

What kind of metaphysics is compatible with science? Quine sees science and philosophy as one and the same enterprise, and objects to ontologies that include types of entities that science can’t, even in principle, study. In these two highly influential essays, he first tells how to determine what ontological commitments your philosophical theory is making, and he advocates for one that, for instance, doesn’t allow talk of the “possible twin sister” that you could have had but didn’t. In particular, Quine doesn’t want an ontology to have linguistic meanings in it. Sure, sentences can be meaningful, but that doesn’t mean that the sentence refers to or makes use of some entity, the meaning, that must exist (as Frege thought) outside of the head of any speaker.

In “Two Dogmas,” he takes on a related point: the concept of synonymy, or “same meaning.” We think that some sentences are true by definition (“Bachelors are unmarried”) or true in virtue of logic alone (“x=x,” “2+2=4?), while others (“my dog is on fire”) require that we go out and look at the world to determine their truth. Quine challenges this distinction, arguing instead that our truths don’t get individually verified by experience, but “face the court of experience as corporate body.” So if I have an experience that seems to violate an established scientific law, I have leeway in which part of the “web of belief” can be adjusted to accommodate the new information. The statements we might have thought are analytically true (true by definition or logic) are really just those which most resist change. Quine drives us to this conclusion by allegedly showing that “true by definition” can’t be explained without circularity: we always end up referring to some version of “same meaning,” like synonymy or analyticity or a priori or necessarily true, and it’s this set of terms that we’re trying to give an account for.

Go to blog

Quine on Linguistic Meaning - Partially Examined Life

Freddie Wong, whose YouTube channel currently boasts over 6.5 million subscribers, talks to Rhett & Link about growing up as a first generation Chinese-American, his initial taste of fame as the World Champion Guitar Hero Player, and how he became arguably the most successful VFX mastermind on the Internet. 

*NOTE: This conversation contains adult themes and language.

Ep.4 Freddie Wong - Ear Biscuits

On Elizabeth Anscombe’s “Modern Moral Philosophy” (1958), Intention sections 22-27 (1957), and “War and Murder” (1961).

No, Anscombe thinks that our moral language was developed in a theistic context, and without a law-giver, the idea of a moral law or obligation doesn’t make sense. However, we can debate about what actions display “justice,” whether some action is “harmful,” whether some task was performed “well,” etc. There are lots of evaluative words that have established social contexts and can be used unproblematically, but they can’t be added up into some overall judgement that “This is good! You must do it!” …at least not without a lot of work into figuring out what constitutes human flourishing.

What she writes beyond that depends on her audience: In a Catholic journal, she has no problem doing ethics: Are we ever justified in killing innocents? Or in going to war? For her fellow analytic philosophers, she instead writes about how best to talk about our actions: Given that a particular action in a particular situation can be given innumerable descriptions, how do these all relate to each other? This, however is still relevant to ethics, in that we need to figure out how to talk about the intentions involved in an action in order to assess its morality.

Join Mark, Wes, Dylan, and special guest Philosophy Bro as we discuss how “why” relates to “how,” whether Anscombe has really overcome Hume’s is-ought gap, and coitus reservatus.

Anscombe on Moral Language - Partially Examined Life

California-based musical-duo Pomplamoose sits down with Rhett & Link this week to discuss their virtual disappearance after initial viral success, the struggle of cultivating both a healthy personal relationship and business venture simultaneously, how to maintain a balance between playing into the YouTube algorithm and artistic integrity, and why 2014 is "The Year of Pomplamoose." 

Ep. 27 Pomplamoose - Ear Biscuits

Drew from Knox Hamilton called into the show to talk about where the band got their name, their admiration of Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, and how Sophia Bush Instagrammed a picture of their EP! 

Knox Hamilton Interview

On Kurt Gödel’s essays, “Some Basic Theorems on the Foundations of Mathematics and their Implications” (1951) and “The Modern Development of the Foundations of Mathematics in Light of Philosophy” (1961).

Gödel is famous for some “incompleteness theorems” of direct interest only to those trying to axiomatize mathematics. What are the implications for the rest of philosophy? Gödel thought that, contra people’s claims that incompleteness demonstrates some kind of relativism, he had showed that the world of mathematics even in its most abstract reaches is part of the real (though non-physical) world. Mark, Wes, Dylan, and guest Adi Habbu try to figure out these unpublished and dare I say incomplete essays.

Gödel on Math

Discussing Lynda Walsh’s book Scientists as Prophets: A Rhetorical Genealogy (2013) with the author, focusing on Robert J. Oppenheimer. We also read a speech from 1950 he gave called “The Encouragement of Science.”

What is the role of the science adviser? Should scientists just “stick to the facts,” or can only someone with technical knowledge make decisions about what to actually do? After leading the atomic bomb project during WWII, Oppenheimer thought that scientists needed to become politicians themselves to make sure that the power of technology wasn’t abused. His views about openness (sharing weapons tech with other governments) didn’t go over well with the Eisenhower administration, and he was stripped of his security clearance.

Lynda’s book is not philosophy, exactly, but about rhetoric. Her thesis is that the social role of preacher-scientists like Oppenheimer is comparable to that of ancient prophets like the Oracle at Delphi: they serve to bring about political certainty by providing knowledge inaccessible to ordinary citizens. Insofar as we can’t ourselves analyze the data, we’re taking them on faith as authorities.

Lynda tries to get Mark, Seth, and Dylan to talk about the difference between philosophy and rhetoric. There’s some talk of Bill Nye, Neil Degrasse-Tyson, Rachael Carson, Stephen Jay Gould, and others. Listen to Lynda’s introduction and get more information about the topic, as well as Lynda’s book.

Oppenheimer and the Rhetoric of Science Advisors

The voice behind YouTube's most subscribed channel, Felix Kjellberg, better known as PewDiePie, sits down with Rhett & Link this week to talk about his previous jobs flipping burgers and directing boats to dock, meeting his girlfriend online and their awkward first IRL meeting, the path that led to becoming number one, and dealing with the pressure of staying there. 

Ep. 53 PewDiePie - Ear Biscuits

On Henry David Thoreau’s Walden (1854).

What is the appropriate life for a truly thoughtful person? Thoreau warns against getting ensnared by social bullshit like jobs and charity, and instead living simply, in direct contact with nature, relying as much as possible only on your own effort. His time in the woods on Walden pond was meant to be an experiment to see what life lived this way really has to offer.

Mark, Wes, and Dylan argue about how to best take Thoreau’s brand of opinionating, and what the ethical upshot of the attempt to live naturally is supposed to be. Read more about the topic and get the book.

End song: “Green Song” by Mark Linsenmayer, originally released on The MayTricks (1992), newly remixed.

Thoreau on Living Deliberately

This week on the Penguin Podcast we’ll be exploring how we remember information, things that have happened and even poetry through memory.  

The Penguin Podcast: Memory feat. Colm Toibin, Jeremy Paxman and Fiona Shaw

On Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment (1790), Pt. 1, Book 1.

Kant thinks that finding something beautiful is different than merely liking it. It’s a certain kind of liking, not dependent on your idiosyncratic tastes (like your preference for one color or flavor or tone over another) or on your moral opinions. He wants these judgments to be subjective in the sense that they’re not about the object, but about the fact that people receive pleasure from it, yet he also wants them to be universal, so that if I (correctly) find something beautiful, then I expect others to feel the same way, and moreover, if they have taste, they should.

Of course this is all put into very difficult Kantian language with virtually no actual examples, so the regular foursome had a good time attempting to translate it to something you can get your head around.

Kant on Beauty

#QOTD: Which social network are you hottest on RIGHT now?

Agencies in the market for awards is nonsense. I've been talking about this for a while in the halls of this world and within our industry. At the end of the day, these agencies are being hired to do work for THEIR CLIENTS, not for themselves. They're being hired to tell a story on behalf of the brand they're working for which in turn is supposed to sell sh*t. 

Agencies are using their work and these awards to recruit more talent and to gain more clients. I get that. It's smart in one way, but it's not intended for the long game and it's not sustainable. I'm not trying to begrudge the agencies that do it because I get the business rationale behind it but it's just not a healthy culture. It takes the eyes off the actual prize of doing what's best for the client and I just don't subscribe to it. 

Luckily for us at VaynerMedia, our proof is in the pudding. Our work is the word of mouth of our business and quite frankly, so is my personal brand, but if you've been watching this show, you can see that it's quite apparent as to why this is the place to be. And so, we're not here to win awards, we're here to win our clients over. We let our work and the results of our efforts speak for themselves. THAT'S IT.


#AskGaryVee Episode 54: Marketing Agencies, Ashton Kutcher, & Hot Cocoa

#QOTD: Where do you watch or listen to the #AskGaryVee Show?

I think that Instagram and Twitter are tremendously different. Look, Twitter is the town hall, the cocktail party of the social world. When things happen in the world and there’s breaking news, we’re running to Twitter not Instagram – we want the chatter, not the images. However, I do believe that Instagram has found a way (at least up til now) to gain the most attention from the consumer where we've found ourselves looking at those pictures pretty consistently. 

Attention wins and that’s what Instagram has been able to capture. People are actually consuming content on Instagram, whereas on Twitter, those days are over. Back in the day I used to be able to send out a tweet and although I had a substantially lower reach I was still able to garner that attention. Instagram, due to its image-focused nature, is naturally able to capture our attention more easily. And let’s face it, we’re lazy, and it’s much easier to consume an image than to take the time to read a few lines or click through to a long form piece of content. It’s just the nature of our tendencies, our attention spans, and the mediums where we’re consuming this content, which happens to stem from the palms of our hands.

OH! And did I mention? I have an Instagram account. You should follow me :) @GaryVee

#AskGaryVee Episode 56: Introverts, Guy Kawasaki, & The GaryVee Movie

Performed by Dennis Locorriere 

Runny Babbit lent to wunch
And heard the saitress way,
"We have some lovely stabbit rew --
Our Special for today."

From the legendary creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and The Giving Tree comes an unforgettable new character in children's literature.

Welcome to the world of Runny Babbit and his friends Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others who speak a topsy-turvy language all their own.

So if you say, "Let's bead a rook
That's billy as can se,"
You're talkin' Runny Babbit talk,
Just like mim and he.

PURCHASE THE CD:
http://www.harpercollins.com/9780060823962/runny-babbit-cd

DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL AUDIOBOOK:
http://www.audible.com/pd/Drama-Poetry/Runny-Babbit-Audiobook/B002VAA99E/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1420561367&sr=1-1

Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein

Jessie Burton talks about the fundamental inspiration behind her novel The Miniaturist.

Jessie Burton has woven a haunting, atmospheric and richly layered story into this wonderful novel. Gripping – and creepy.

Download the podcast in full here: http://bit.ly/1tQiB3X

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Buy Now

Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton (Chapter 2)

Dirty Chick by Antonia Murphy on Audible:
http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B00QFJUQ9A&source_code=AUDORWS1201149BUS

Get this audiobook for free when you try Audible:
http://www.audible.com/offers/30free?asin=B00QFJUQ9A&source_code=AUDORWS1201149BUS

Summary:

"One month into our stay, we'd managed to dispatch most of our charges. We executed the chickens. One of the cats disappeared, clearly disgusted with our urban ways. And Lucky [the cow] was escaping almost daily. It seemed we didn't have much of a talent for farming. And we still had eleven months to go." Antonia Murphy, you might say, is an unlikely farmer. Born and bred in San Francisco, she spent much of her life as a liberal urban cliché, and her interactions with the animal kingdom rarely extended past dinner. But then she became a mother. And when her eldest son was born with a rare, mysterious genetic condition, she and her husband, Peter, decided it was time to slow down and find a supportive community. So the Murphys moved to Purua, New Zealand - a rural area where most residents maintained private farms, complete with chickens, goats, and (this being New Zealand) sheep. The result was a comic disaster, and when one day their son had a medical crisis, it was also a little bit terrifying.

Dirty Chick chronicles Antonia's first year of life as an artisan farmer. Having bought into the myth that farming is a peaceful, fulfilling endeavor that allows one to commune with nature and live the way humans were meant to live, Antonia soon realized that the reality is far dirtier and way more disgusting than she ever imagined. Among the things she learned the hard way: Cows are prone to a number of serious bowel ailments, goat mating involves an astounding amount of urine, and roosters are complete and unredeemable assholes. But for all its traumas, Antonia quickly embraced farm life, getting drunk on homemade wine (it doesn't cause hangovers!), making cheese (except for the cat hair, it's a tremendously satisfying hobby), and raising a baby lamb (which was addictively cute until it grew into a sheep).

Buy on Audible

Dirty Chick by Antonia Murphy, Narrated by Antonia Murphy

SoulPancake Co-Founder and star of 'The Office,' Rainn Wilson, joins Rhett & Link this week to discuss how he prepared for his dramatic role on his new FOX show, 'Backstrom,' his adolescent struggle with and current devotion to his Baha'i faith, and his personal collection of animals including a zonkey (donkey-zebra hybrid)named Derek. 

*NOTE: This conversation contains adult themes and language.

Ep. 54 Rainn Wilson - Ear Biscuits

Chris Thiles of Punch Brothers discusses his first musical memory.

pods

grapefruitsky