Best Alwan Podcasts (2026)

101
PEL 2026 Kickoff Nightcap 42:00

Play Pause

17h ago42:00

42:00

It's another year, and this time we each came in with a short bucket list of philosophical works that we'd like to read before this podcast concludes, whenever that might be. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor: Get a $1/month e-commerce trial a…

51
Society as Swindle in “The Third Man” (1949) 43:19

23h ago43:19

43:19

The so-called “third man factor” is a phenomenon in which people in dire circumstances experience the presence of an extra person in their midst who gives comfort and aid when it’s most needed—a guardian angel, perhaps, or some figure of divine intervention. Harry Lime seems to have played just such a role in the lives of Holly Martins and Anna Sch…

1
Ep. 382: Freud on Group Psychology (Part Two) 48:42

8d ago48:42

48:42

Continuing on the first half of Sigmund Freud's Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego, now getting really into Freud's own type of explanation, whereby he explains how libidinal ties bind group members, typically via their shared love of a leader or leading idea. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support …

1
PEL Presents PvI#108: Guess Who's Coming to Christmas Dinner... Lawrence Ware! 51:22

11d ago51:22

51:22

Philosopher/writer/critic/podcaster Lawrence Ware returns to the show to meet Mary and talk about how Mark is his own personal Leroy Jesus. We act out and/or discuss orphan greeting cards, face-to-face instruction vs. writing books, imaginary friends, laugh trumpets, black ice, and is aesthetic judgment (especially of yourself) a mistake? Hear more…

1
PEL Presents PMP#212: Holiday Romance Films 57:58

12d ago57:58

57:58

The Hallmark Channel became famous for producing low-budget, formulaic Christmas films, and this has spread to other outlets, sometimes with higher budgets and ambitions. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al each watched a smattering of these and share their reflections on the genre and their specific experiences. Get an ad-free experience, plus bonus …

1
Ep. 382: Freud on Group Psychology (Part One) 45:50

15d ago45:50

45:50

On the first half of Sigmund Freud's Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego (1921). Why do members of a mob get dumber and less inhibited? Freud considers Gustave Le Bon's famous book on crowds but then turns to more organized groups like armies and churches. For all groups, Freud thinks that the leader (or leading ideal) replaces our conscie…

1
The Meaning of Christmas Spirit in “Elf” (2003) – Part 2 35:51

15d ago35:51

35:51

Like many of its genre, the film “Elf” connects Christmas spirit to the sorts of bonds that hold together families and communities, despite their inevitable tendencies towards conflict and dissolution. Wes & Erin discuss this 2003 classic, what it means to believe in Christmas, and how this is connected to the possibility of a genuine community. Up…

1
PEL Presents NEM#244: Year-End Chat with NEM Audio Editor Roger Heathers 1:05:27

18d ago1:05:27

1:05:27

In a special holiday episode, we get to meet musician and podcaster Roger Heathers, who edits this show. Together, Roger and I discuss how we make the show and share some highlights and challenges re. recent guests. At the beginning and the end of the show, you get to hear two tracks from his soon to be released Upward Spiral: "Guard Dogs" and "Hop…

1
PREMIUM-Ep. 381: Aquinas on Ethical Psychology (Part Three) 10:41

19d ago10:41

10:41

We discuss the first six questions from the "Moral Action" section in the Summa Theologica (1268), which we read in Thomas Aquinas: Selected Philosophical Writings (1993). If you're not hearing the full version of this part of the discussion, sign up via one of the options described at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support.…

1
The Meaning of Christmas Spirit in “Elf” (2003) 40:35

21d ago40:35

40:35

Half the plot involves a man reuniting with his father—and his species—after being raised by Christmas elves. The other involves saving Christmas itself from the growing cynicism of humanity. And so like many of its genre, the film “Elf” connects Christmas spirit to the sorts of bonds that hold together families and communities, despite their inevi…

1
Ep. 381: Aquinas on Ethical Psychology (Part Two) 59:11

22d ago59:11

59:11

Continuing to discuss the virtue and moral action from the Summa Theologica (1268). We discuss the definition of virtue and some subsequent questions about what parts of us the term virtue properly applies to. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsor…

1
PEL Presents PvI#107: Mary and Mark Argue About Arguing 49:42

23d ago49:42

49:42

Is argumentation essential to philosophy? Should you always be open to arguments challenging your beliefs? We act out a few symbiotic scenarios and reflect back on our last couple of episodes. Plus animal facts, complaining to your significant other about exes, astrology prejudice, sexual harassment videos, and on-stage self-pleasure. Hear more at …

1
PEL Presents PMP#211: Slow Horses and Predecessors 49:44

26d ago49:44

49:44

We discuss the British spy show based on the novels of Mick Herron, which are in turn firmly in a tradition of anti-007 books by John le Carré. Featuring Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al. The point is not to glamorize the spy service, but to use realism and black humor to stress the human cost and general boredom of this work along with the dysfunct…

1
Ep. 381: Aquinas on Ethical Psychology (Part One) 49:30

29d ago49:30

49:30

On selections about virtue and moral action from the Summa Theologica (1268). Aquinas defines virtue, tells us how it metaphysically fits us into the universe, and discusses how it actually works in us to make us perform moral acts. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bo…

1
PEL Presents Subtext: Erin's New Book "Avail" 1:00:58

1M ago1:00:58

1:00:58

Erin just published her first book, "Avail," which you can order here: https://www.pauldrybooks.com/products/avail "Avail" features a long prose-poem which titles the book and winds through sections of lineated, often formal poems. The prose-poem comprises a series of lyric meditations on the image of the veil—from religious and cultural veils, to …

1
PEL Presents NEM#243: Corey Ledet's Eclectic Zydeco 1:06:30

1M ago1:06:30

1:06:30

Corey has released many of zydeco music since 2004, and mixes his dedication to tradition (even recording a recent album in Louisiana Creole) with his love of many types of music. We discuss "J'ai Parti dans la Campagne" (and listen at the end to "Outro") from his new release, Live in Alaska; "That Girl Wanna Dance" from the Grammy nominated Nothin…

1
Ep. 380: Josiah Royce on Community (Part Two) 52:51

1M ago52:51

52:51

More on The Problem of Christianity, discussing how communities relate to history, how individuals relate to communities, and what's unique about Royce's ideal Christian world community. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion. Sponsors: Get $45 off Aura's b…

1
Erin’s New Book “Avail” 56:47

1M ago56:47

56:47

Erin just published her first book, “Avail,” which you can order here: https://www.pauldrybooks.com/products/avail “Avail” features a long prose-poem which titles the book and winds through sections of lineated, often formal poems. The prose-poem comprises a series of lyric meditations on the image of the veil—from religious and cultural veils, to …

1
PEL Presents PvI#106: Heart Tchochkes w/ Seth Stephon Brown 44:28

1M ago44:28

44:28

Seth is an improviser and aspiring professional "muse," which is a type of life coach that hangs out with you to see where you could be more in touch with your humanity so that you can then work out a coherent plan for your adult life. He discusses with Mary and Mark the conflict between authentic individual humans and a social structure filled wit…

1
PEL Presents PMP#210: One Paul Thomas Anderson Film After Another 54:34

1M ago54:34

54:34

In light of One Battle After Another, Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al walk through the range of his films from his 1996 crime film Hard Eight through his much lauded Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Punch-Drunk Love, and There Will Be Blood and his more controversial recent ones like Licorice Pizza, The Master, The Phantom Thread, and Inherent Vice. Get m…

1
Bacchic Redemption in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) (Part 2) 45:36

1M ago45:36

45:36

What happens when the Godzilla of superegos takes on a libidinal King Kong? Wes & Erin continue their discussion of the 1975 film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Upcoming Episodes: Erin’s book “Avail,” “The Third Man,” “Julius Caesar.” Pre-order Erin’s forthcoming book “Avail” here: http://subtextpodcast.com/avail For bonus content, become a pai…

1
Ep. 380: Josiah Royce on Community (Part One) 46:54

1M ago46:54

46:54

On sections of The Problem of Christianity (1913) which establish Royce's concept of a community of interpretation: individuals working together with a sense of shared history and expectation. He claims that such a grouping can be counted as a literal mind and that it solves the problem of human meaning. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit…

1
PEL Presents NEM#242: Marshall Crenshaw Subtracts 1:06:54

2M ago1:06:54

1:06:54

Marshall began creating his catchy, harmonically thick rock tunes in the early '80s with six major label albums, but went indie in the '90s to record four more as well as several EPs and live collections. We discuss "Stranger and Stranger," newly reworked for From the Hellhole (2025), "Right On Time" from Jaggedland (2009), "Fantastic Planet of Lov…

1
Ep. 379: Egyptian Philosophy with Chike Jeffers (Part Two) 1:11:12

2M ago1:11:12

1:11:12

Continuing on sources from ancient Egypt, finishing up the instructional literature: "The Instruction of Ptahhotep," and "The Instruction Addressed to King Merikare," and then we move to the dialogues, ""The Eloquent Peasant," and "The Dispute Between a Man and His Ba." Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support …

1
Bacchic Redemption in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) 41:54

2M ago41:54

41:54

Nurse Ratched likes a rigged game, according to R.P. McMurphy. And it’s true that the game he is playing—lawless and hedonistic, but also vital and free-spirited—is unwinnable on her sandlot. As their conflict develops, we seem to be asked to compare the therapeutic value of McMurphy’s introduction of the Dionysian, to Ratched’s attempt to enforce …

1
PEL Presents PvI#105: Friendtor Debate Club w/ Scott Gelfand 49:49

2M ago49:49

49:49

Scott, ex-professor at Oklahoma State University and author of "Thinking Ethically: A Handbook for Making Moral Choices," chats with Mark and Mary about ethical debate in our age of seemingly unbridgeable divides. We engage in some suspect philosophical counseling, have a staged mini-debate about affirmative action, and simulate a new class of disc…

1
PEL Presents PMP#209: Alien Franchised 53:54

2M ago53:54

53:54

In light of Noah Hawley TV show Alien Earth, Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al revisit the franchise through its seven canon films beginning with Ridley Scott's 1979 classic. While there's plenty of sheer repetition (alien loose, killing people one by one) throughout these properties, the various filmmakers attempt to avoid sure repetition by shiftin…

1
Ep. 379: Egyptian Philosophy with Chike Jeffers (Part One) 43:54

2M ago43:54

43:54

The co-author of the African run of the History of Philosophy Podcast (and new book) joins us to go over philosophical works from 2200-1400 BCE: "The Instruction of Ptahhotep," "The Instruction Addressed to King Merikare," "The Great Hymn to the Aten," "The Dispute Between a Man and His Ba," and "The Eloquent Peasant." Get more at partiallyexamined…

Alwan Podcasts

1
Subtext: Conversations about Classic Books and Films

Wes Alwan and Erin O'Luanaigh

1
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey

1
Wiki Bearings

Hassanein Alwan

101
PEL 2026 Kickoff Nightcap 42:00

51
Society as Swindle in “The Third Man” (1949) 43:19

1
Ep. 382: Freud on Group Psychology (Part Two) 48:42

1
PEL Presents PvI#108: Guess Who's Coming to Christmas Dinner... Lawrence Ware! 51:22

1
PEL Presents PMP#212: Holiday Romance Films 57:58

1
Ep. 382: Freud on Group Psychology (Part One) 45:50

1
The Meaning of Christmas Spirit in “Elf” (2003) – Part 2 35:51

1
PEL Presents NEM#244: Year-End Chat with NEM Audio Editor Roger Heathers 1:05:27

1
PREMIUM-Ep. 381: Aquinas on Ethical Psychology (Part Three) 10:41

1
The Meaning of Christmas Spirit in “Elf” (2003) 40:35

1
Ep. 381: Aquinas on Ethical Psychology (Part Two) 59:11

1
PEL Presents PvI#107: Mary and Mark Argue About Arguing 49:42

1
PEL Presents PMP#211: Slow Horses and Predecessors 49:44

1
Ep. 381: Aquinas on Ethical Psychology (Part One) 49:30

1
PEL Presents Subtext: Erin's New Book "Avail" 1:00:58

1
PEL Presents NEM#243: Corey Ledet's Eclectic Zydeco 1:06:30

1
Ep. 380: Josiah Royce on Community (Part Two) 52:51

1
Erin’s New Book “Avail” 56:47

1
PEL Presents PvI#106: Heart Tchochkes w/ Seth Stephon Brown 44:28

1
PEL Presents PMP#210: One Paul Thomas Anderson Film After Another 54:34

1
Bacchic Redemption in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) (Part 2) 45:36

1
Ep. 380: Josiah Royce on Community (Part One) 46:54

1
PEL Presents NEM#242: Marshall Crenshaw Subtracts 1:06:54

1
Ep. 379: Egyptian Philosophy with Chike Jeffers (Part Two) 1:11:12

1
Bacchic Redemption in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) 41:54

1
PEL Presents PvI#105: Friendtor Debate Club w/ Scott Gelfand 49:49

1
PEL Presents PMP#209: Alien Franchised 53:54

1
Ep. 379: Egyptian Philosophy with Chike Jeffers (Part One) 43:54