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Philosophy Talk

Philosophy Talk
Philosophy
Dionysus Awards
Ethics
Conclave
Arthur Schopenhauer
Heretic
Hard Truths
The Room Next Door
Pessimism
Existentialism
Feminism
A Real Pain
Dune Part II
Suffering
Im Yunjidang
Artificial Intelligence
Elizabeth Anscombe
Gilbert Ryle
Mary Midgley
Music

"The program that questions everything—except your intelligence." Philosophy Talk began as a weekly one-hour radio series and has been on the air for more than two decades. The host-professors bring clarity, depth, and humor to everyday topics that are lofty (Truth, Beauty, Justice), arresting (Terrorism, Intelligent Design, Suicide), and engaging (Baseball, Love, Happiness). This is not a lecture... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes655Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Education

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Artwork for Philosophy Talk

Latest Episodes

The Philosophers talk to the authors of recent and forthcoming books that speak to our dangerous times:

• Christopher Star from Middlebury College, editor of How to Face the End of the World: An Ancient Guide for Apocalyptic Times

• Christian Mille... more

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Jean-Paul Sartre was one of the first global public intellectuals, famous for his popular existentialist philosophy, his works of fiction, and his rivalry with Albert Camus. His existentialism was also adopted by Simone de Beauvoir, who used it as a ... more

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For French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty, everything we perceive takes the form of a shape. You don’t just see green and splotches: you see a tree. Even before your rational brain gets its motor running, your body has a sense of what’s out there,... more

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Human beings share the planet with many different organisms with vastly diverse ways of life. We like to think we’re a higher form of intelligence. But are we really that unique? How different are we as a species when it comes to language, thought, a... more

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Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Christian Miller
Author of The Honesty Crisis, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Episode: Summer Reading List 2026
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
Author of The Mattering Instinct
Academia/Author
Episode: Summer Reading List 2026
Thomas Flynn
Professor of philosophy at Emory University, author of Sartre, A Philosophical Biography
Emory University
Episode: Jean-Paul Sartre
Taylor Carman
Professor of Philosophy, Barnard College
Barnard College
Episode: Merleau-Ponty and Perception
Peter Godfrey-Smith
Professor of Philosophy, University of Sydney; author of Living on Earth
University of Sydney
Episode: What's So Special About Humans?
Helena de Bres
Professor of Philosophy at Wellesley College; author of Artful Truths, The Philosophy of Memoir
Wellesley College
Episode: The Scandalous Truth about Memor
Garry Hagberg
Professor of Aesthetics and Philosophy
Bard College
Episode: Dostoevsky and Doubting Faith
Rachael Wiseman
Reader in philosophy at the University of Liverpool, author of The Rutledge Guide to Anscombe's Intention
University of Liverpool
Episode: Wise Woman: Elizabeth Anscombe
Rachana Kamtekar
Professor of Philosophy at Cornell University and author
Cornell University
Episode: Marcus Aurelius

Hosts

Josh Landy
Host of Philosophy Talk; affiliated with Philosophy Talk (Stanford/KALW) and Stanford University
Ray Briggs
Co-host of Philosophy Talk; appears across multiple stations and affiliations
Ken Taylor
Co-host of Philosophy Talk; long-running contributor

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#213
United Kingdom/Education
Apple Podcasts
#86
Belgium/Education

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Jean-Paul Sartre
Q: How does Sartre reconcile radical freedom with social responsibility?
The guest notes that Sartre evolves from individual freedom to a social-political dimension, arguing for freedom that includes responsibility toward others and active engagement in changing unjust structures.
Jean-Paul Sartre
Q: What do you mean by 'freedom in the situation' versus 'free-floating freedom'?
Flynn explains that Sartre viewed freedom as always embedded in concrete circumstances; true liberty involves choosing within the given situation and recognizing responsibility rather than imagining absolute, context-free freedom.
Merleau-Ponty and Perception
Q: How does your body affect what you notice? Are you passively taking in information or actively shaping what you learn? If you're trapped in your own perspective, how can you know anything?
Taylor Carman explains that perception is actively embodied and perspectival; the body and senses continually shape what we notice, and knowing comes from engaging with the world from multiple viewpoints rather than passive reception.
The Scandalous Truth about Memor
Q: Do memoirs have to be completely true?
Memoirs should aim for experiential truth rather than every fact, balancing memory, interpretation, and the lived experience while avoiding bigger fabrications or impersonations that would mislead readers.
Hobbes and the Ideal Citizen
Q: What would make someone a good citizen for Hobbes?
For Hobbes, a good citizen is essentially a subject who shows virtually complete obedience to an absolute state in order to avoid the state of nature and civil war.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Philosophy Talk

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

Thought-provoking discussions that bring rigorous philosophy into everyday life, often through lively interviews with scholars and practitioners. Across recent episodes, core threads include memory and truth in memoir, doubt and faith in literature, nuanced analyses of ethics in addiction, civil disobedience, and the relationship between money and well-being, as well as deep dives into ancient and modern political philosophy. The show frequently pairs accessible classroom-style dialogue with expert guests to illuminate how philosophy can inform personal decisions, public policy, and cultural criticism, from Stoicism and Diogenes to Wollstonecraft and Cooper. A standout aspect is the blend of rigorous argument with practical, relatable takea... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Philosophy Talk?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Philosophy Talk:

1. Philosophy Bites
2. The Ezra Klein Show
3. The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
4. The Gray Area with Sean Illing
5. On the Media

How many episodes of Philosophy Talk are there?

Philosophy Talk launched a year ago and published 655 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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What guests have appeared on Philosophy Talk?

Recent guests on Philosophy Talk include:

1. Christian Miller
2. Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
3. Thomas Flynn
4. Taylor Carman
5. Peter Godfrey-Smith
6. Helena de Bres
7. Garry Hagberg
8. Rachael Wiseman

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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