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Closereads: Philosophy with Mark and Wes

Evergreen Podcasts
Philosophy
Phenomenology
Kant
Hegel
Ethics
Aristotle
Plotinus
Existentialism
Stoicism
Sartre's Being and Nothingness
Personal Identity
Moral Realism
Technology
Nothingness
Edmund Husserl
Consciousness
Ancient Egyptian Philosophy
Self-Consciousness
Descartes
Schopenhauer

Reading through difficult philosophy texts line-by-line to try to figure out what’s really being said.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes73Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PhilosophySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Closereads: Philosophy

Latest Episodes

On "Against Narrativity" (2004), where Galen (son of P.F.) argues that the prevalent philosophical and cultural camp is wrong. This objectionable camp (the Narratives) says that we understand our lives by telling ourselves a story about ourselves. Mo... more

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Continuing on Concluding Unscientific Postscript, now beginning the section called "Subjective Truth, Inwardness; Truth Is Subjectivity."

K. slowly unravels his thoughts on why objective thought as Hegel (or anyone else) conceives of it is inhuman: ... more

On an excerpt from Soren Kierkegaard's Concluding Unscientific Postscript (1846) that critiques Hegel's idea of logic (dialectic) and then argues for his own conception of "truth as subjectivity."

In this first part, he's mostly focusing on Hegel. F... more

We're up to sec. 208 in The Phenomenology of Spirit, still trying to figure out how and why individual consciousness is related to "The Unchangeable," which could be the Kantian thing-in-itself, or perhaps specifically the human soul as a thing-in-it... more

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Hosts

Wes Allwin
Co-host of Closereads; philosophy podcast host who engages in deep literary analysis and conversational exploration.
Mark Linsenmaier
Co-host of Closereads; philosophy podcast host who brings textual expertise and historical context to discussions.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 10 ratings
  • Entertaining

    I enjoy the time they take to explicate the ideas. It’s fun to listen to their banter as they untangle some tough texts. A good complement to Partially Examined Life.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sazi
    United States2 years ago
  • The title alone is great

    I love this approach to philosophy texts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Themis831*
    United States2 years ago
  • Plato

    The Plato episode is excellent. I agree, you could just keep working through Plato slowly like this. The conversation, the questions it brings up - priceless. Thank you.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Euripides0314
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Sharp banter and deep dives make philosophy feel approachable.
Listeners value the thoughtful cross-text connections and host chemistry.
Plato episodes are particularly appreciated for their clarity and pace.
Engaging, rigorous but accessible debates on tough texts.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Sartre on Nothingness (Part One)
Q: What are the key ideas we should keep in mind about consciousness in the context of Sartre's philosophy?
Consciousness for Sartre is synonymous with nothingness, emphasizing that it's inseparable from our freedom and the inability to categorize it as a substantial object.
Sartre on Nothingness (Part One)
Q: What are your overall thoughts on Sartre and this text?
I think he's quite accessible compared to Hegel and fits well within the neo-Kantian tradition with an emphasis on freedom.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Closereads: Philosophy

What is Closereads: Philosophy about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Two hosts engage in dense, text-focused conversations that unpack difficult philosophy texts through careful, line-by-line analysis. Across episodes, they oscillate between historical figures (Kierkegaard, Hegel, Latour, Fanon) and foundational questions about logic, subjectivity, freedom, and the nature of knowledge, all while weaving in contemporary interpretations and cross-text references. Their style blends rigorous debate with accessible humor, often connecting lengthy philosophical debates to real-world themes like social norms, identity, and ethics. The format tends to be conversational and long-form, with a strong emphasis on close reading and clear explanation, which can be especially engaging for listeners who enjoy intellectual ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Closereads: Philosophy?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Closereads: Philosophy:

1. The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
2. Very Bad Wizards
3. Philosophize This!
4. In Our Time
5. Radiolab

How many episodes of Closereads: Philosophy are there?

Closereads: Philosophy launched 2 years ago and published 73 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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