Philosophy Talk Podcast

This Week’s Episode

Jean-Paul Sartre

June 21, 2026

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…

Jean-Paul Sartre, renowned philosopher, in a thoughtful pose.

Recent Episodes

What Is Gender?

Gender is a controversial topic these days, but people can’t seem to agree about what…

June 14, 2026

Gradient-colored figures representing diverse genders.

Merleau-Ponty and Perception

For French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty, everything we perceive takes the form of a shape. You…

June 7, 2026

Maurice Merleau-Ponty portrait with cigarette, philosopher of perception

What’s So Special About Humans?

Human beings share the planet with many different organisms with vastly diverse ways of life.…

May 31, 2026

Book cover: Living on Earth, Life, Consciousness, and the Making of the Natural World

This Month’s Playlist

Zodiac wheel showing Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo signs against a starry background.

Junebugs

German philosopher and social theorist Jürgen Habermas, who died earlier this year, has the distinction of being the only then-living figure to be the subject of one of our episodes. But he’s also just one among other thinkers and guests whose birthdays fall this month: linguist Geoff Nunberg, psychiatrist Irv Yalom, along with Jean-Paul Sartre, Alan Turing, and Emma Goldman. Click the image to listen to these episodes.

Summer Reading List 2026

June 28, 2026

The Philosophers talk to the authors of recent and forthcoming books that speak to our…

Stack of books, coffee, and flowers on a table, perfect for summer reading.

Emma Goldman

July 5, 2026

Activist and anarchist philosopher Emma Goldman fought for human liberation in every realm of life.…

Black and white portrait of Emma Goldman, famed anarchist and writer.

Crisis and Creativity in Mayan Mythology

July 12, 2026

The Popol Vuh, written in 1702, was based on a Mayan oral tradition encompassing creation…

Mayan painting depicting a bird, figures, and glyphs, illustrating crisis and creativity in Mayan mythology.

Philosophers’ Corner

June 4, 2026

My Body, My Perception

Maurice Merleau-Ponty was a 20th century French philosopher who had all kinds of theories about...

April 17, 2026

Remembering Dan Dennett

This Sunday, on the second anniversary of his passing, we’ll be rebroadcasting the special retrospective...

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