It's a new year—a time for resolutions, fresh starts, and the marking of firsts: the first month of 2024, your first workout of the year, perhaps the first day of the new school term or your first day back to work. So why not celebrate January by taking a look at some trailblazing philosophers who were also firsts?

The subject of the first episode in our Wise Women series, Hypatia of Alexandria made significant contributions to mathematics, philosophy, and astronomy. That series got started last year as Josh and Ray explored her life and thought with Edward Watts from UC San Diego, author of Hypatia: The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher.

The ground-breaking philosophy of Confucius, emphasizing unity and harmony, has impacted more people for more generations than the work of any other philosopher on the planet. Enjoy this 2005 episode where John and Ken explore Confucius' wisdom with Paul Kjellberg from Whittier College.

René Descartes was famously the first to propose that the ego and its thoughts are indubitable: "I think, therefore I am." Back in 2005 John and Ken discussed the life, times, and philosophy of this fascinating French philosopher with Ron Rubin from Pitzer College, author of Silencing the Demon’s Advocate: The Strategy of Descartes’ Meditations.

Sociologist, historian, philosopher, editor, writer, and activist W.E.B. DuBois was one of the most influential intellectuals of the twentieth century and the first African-American Ph.D. from Harvard University. Listen to John and Ken's 2006 DuBois discussion with Lucius Outlaw from Vanderbilt University, author of On Race and Philosophy.

Sigmund Freud was the first to bring the notion of an unconscious mind to a wide audience. In 2014 John and Ken discussed Freud's legacy with Stanford historian Paul Robinson, author of Freud and His Critics.