Philosophy Talk Podcast
This Week’s Episode
Nachman of Breslov and the Obligation to be Happy
October 25, 2026
Nachman of Breslov was an 18th-century spiritual rabbinic leader, mystic, and storyteller, known particularly for his creative parables. His religious philosophy involved fostering an individual, conversational relationship with God. And he believed that being happy was not just a nice…
Recent Episodes
Foucault and Power
Michel Foucault was a 20th century philosopher known for his work concerning power and knowledge.…
October 18, 2026
Liberty and Justice for Who?
Many democracies are founded on the ideals of 18th- and 19th-Century British Liberalism: the idea…
October 11, 2026
Judith Jarvis Thomson
Judith Jarvis Thomson is best known for arguing that abortion is morally permissible, even granting…
October 4, 2026
This Month’s Playlist

Arts, Humanities, and the Well-Lived Life
Coming Up
Democracy By Numbers
November 1, 2026
The United States has prided itself on being “the world’s greatest democracy,” which adheres to…
Frege and the Language of Reason
November 8, 2026
At the end of the 19th Century, the German philosopher Gottlob Frege invented a new…
Daniel Kahneman and the Fallible Mind
November 15, 2026
Together with Amos Tversky, Daniel Kahneman discovered many fascinating quirks of the human mind, such…
Philosophers’ Corner
Practicing Joy with Rebbe Nachman
Nachman of Breslov was a 18th-century mystic, visionary, and religious provocateur. He lived a tortured...
Moses Maimonides, Man of (No) Mystery
Maimonides is one of the towering figures of Jewish intellectual history, and the perfect place...
Competition, Cooperation, and Game Theory
Game theory is a branch of mathematics that tries to model strategic interactions. One of...
Lifetimes of Learning
If you’re like anything the typical philosopher, your response to the title of this week’s...
Extended Summer Listening for Dangerous Times
Once again it’s that time of year when your local radio producer takes you behind...
My Body, My Perception
Maurice Merleau-Ponty was a 20th century French philosopher who had all kinds of theories about...
