The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan CaseyThe Partially Examined Life is a podcast by some guys who were at one point set on doing philosophy for a living but then thought better of it. Each episode, we pick a short text and chat about it with some balance between insight and flippancy. You don't have to know any philosophy, or even to have read the text we're talking about to (mostly) follow and (hopefully) enjoy the discussion. For link... more
| Publishes | Daily | Episodes | 884 | Founded | 17 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | PhilosophySociety & Culture | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
We now have a free-form discussion in light of what was raised in part one about the Federalist Papers and Frederick Douglass' Fourth of July Speech: What should we do about the problems identified? Is the system broken beyond repair? Was it built wi... more
Dan was Ben Vaughn's sound-man and released his first solo album of Americana rock in 2004. We discuss "Busted" from his eighth album (produced by Vaughn), the just Dan-and-his guitar effort Dispatches from the Desert, then "Beaumont" from Cast-Iron ... more
AmirAli is a philosophy researcher in Iran who tries to make Islamic philosophy speak to and with the West. We hear about doing philosophy in the "Islamic Republic of Iran," life during wartime, the relationship between play and philosophy, Islamic p... more
Enrollment is now open for our new online class.
It will be nine 75 min sessions, running from late Aug. to mid Dec., starting with Aristotle and Descartes but then spending the rest of the time on the most influential texts in this area since 1950... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Hosts
Reviews
- Waste of time
Tried listening to the episode on Wittgenstein; sound quality was awful, and it opens with dopey American guys talking nonsense over the top of each other. I realised there was nothing to be learned here.
Apple Podcasts1FT1/(
Australia12 days ago - Fun and accessible
I couldn’t afford to even pretend I was going to do philosophy for a living, but I can listen to this podcast while I labor under capitalism. I think it’s a good level, and pleasantly challenging to the layperson (me!)
Apple Podcasts5LostListens
United States25 days ago - just tired.
been listening to this podcast since really early on and the quality if discussion has risen and fallen, but i’m just tired of the need on wes’s part to inject his little hatred of trans people in every chance he gets. its annoying and really pathetic at a point. it’s old and tired now, get over it and talk about hegel.
Apple Podcasts1A is not AUnited States4 months ago - Smart people discussing big ideas - love it!
This is my favorite podcast of all time. I always learn something from PEL. All of the participants are excellent and super knowledgeable, and Mark especially has a great entertaining personality. Love PEL - thank you all!
Apple Podcasts5girltalk77United States5 months ago - Simplistic
Although they try and make a good show of it these guys are outside of the mainstream of philosophy and have not the time to actually go deep into the texts they approach.
Apple Podcasts1RenormalizerUnited States6 months ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #28 | United States/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Apple Podcasts | #18 |  United Kingdom/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Apple Podcasts | #53 |  Canada/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Apple Podcasts | #44 | Australia/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Apple Podcasts | #92 |  France/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Apple Podcasts | #96 |  Italy/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast
What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?
A thoughtful, accessible philosophy show that centers short texts and aims for balanced discussion, blending rigorous analysis with approachable, humorous commentary. Episodes typically feature multiple hosts debating ideas, with occasional guests who bring historical context, practical perspectives, or expertise from related fields. Notable strengths include clear guidance for newcomers, a preference for dialog over didactic lecturing, and a willingness to explore controversial questions with nuance. Across recent episodes, the show often pairs canonical philosophical texts with contemporary relevance, and it frequently situates ideas within broader cultural conversations, making it engaging for both students and general listeners who enjo... more
Where can I find podcast stats for this podcast?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to this podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does this podcast get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for this podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for this podcast?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for this podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does this podcast have?
To see how many followers or subscribers this podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?
These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:
1. Philosophize This!
2. Philosophy For Our Times
3. Philosophy Bites
4. Theory & Philosophy
5. History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
How many episodes of this podcast are there?
this podcast launched 17 years ago and published 884 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact this podcast?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for this podcast?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for this podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for this podcast?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of this podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on this podcast?
Recent guests on this podcast include:
1. Maddie Mutations
2. Bruce Soord
3. Wes Alwan
4. Herr Winston
5. Young Miss Petunia
6. Michael Timmins
7. Teddy Thompson
8. Andrea Roccella
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.