Best Better Said Than Written Podcasts (2025)

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The father I almost knew 8:59

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12d ago8:59

8:59

In the previous episode; Not Grieving, Just Noticing, Tamika shared the complicated story of her father, SD, and what it means to hold space for someone who was never really there. But two weeks later, while watching his funeral streamed from Dominica, something shifted.As she studied the faces of family in the front pews, Tamika couldn’t see herse…

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HoP 476 What He Should Have Said: the Early Cartesians 26:07

3d ago26:07

26:07

Early Cartesians including Cordemoy and de La Forge develop but also challenge Descartes’ ideas, defending atomism and occasionalism.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 475 Ariane Schneck on Elisabeth and Descartes 34:33

17d ago34:33

34:33

We finish our look at Elisabeth of Bohemia and Descartes by talking to Ariane Schneck about their correspondence, focusing on the mind-body problem and the passions.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 474 States of the Union: Descartes on the Passions 19:20

2M ago19:20

19:20

What do emotions reveal about the connection between mind and body? We turn to Descartes’ correspondence with Elisabeth and his On the Passions to find out.By Peter Adamson

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Not Grieving, Just Noticing: Catching Feelings for a Ghost. 7:09

3M ago7:09

7:09

What would you do if someone from your past, someone you never really knew, landed in the hospital, and you suddenly found yourself feeling... something?In this deeply personal solo episode, I unpack a message from my sister that stirred up more than just a laugh. It’s a short story about complicated family ties, unexpected emotions, and the weight…

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HoP 473 As Rational As You: Elisabeth of Bohemia 21:44

3M ago21:44

21:44

A royal scholar and philosopher sets aside the tribulations of her family to debate Descartes over the relation between mind and body and the nature of happiness.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 472 Less Cheer, More Knowledge: Descartes’ Ethics 20:31

3M ago20:31

20:31

Descartes’ “provisional” morality and his views on free will and virtue.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 471 Unclear and Indistinct Ideas: Debating the Meditations 21:51

4M ago21:51

21:51

Descartes’ Meditations caused controversy as soon as it appeared. In this episode we look at criticisms including the “Cartesian Circle,” and how Descartes answered them.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 470 Gary Hatfield on Descartes' Meditations 36:09

4M ago36:09

36:09

We're joined in this episode by a leading expert on one of the most famous works of philosophy ever written: Descartes' Meditations.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 469 Ghost in the Machine: Cartesian Dualism 24:30

5M ago24:30

24:30

The word “Cartesian” is synonymous with a radical contrast between mind and body. What led Descartes to his dualism, and how can he explain vital activities in humans and animals having rejected the Aristotelian theory of soul?By Peter Adamson

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HoP 468 Perchance to Dream: Descartes’ Skeptical Method 29:29

5M ago29:29

29:29

How Descartes fashioned a “method” to repel even the strongest and most radical forms of doubt, with the cogito argument as its foundation.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 467 Written in Mathematics: Descartes’ Physics 27:32

6M ago27:32

27:32

For Descartes body is purely geometrical. So how does he understand features we can perceive, like color, and causation between bodies?By Peter Adamson

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HoP 466 Well Hidden: Descartes’ Life and Works 20:13

6M ago20:13

20:13

How René Descartes’ understanding of his own intellectual project evolved across his lifetime.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 465 Modern Times: France and the Netherlands in the 17th Century 27:02

7M ago27:02

27:02

A look at the political and religious ferment that made up the historical context of philosophy in 17th century France and the Netherlands.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 464 Howard Hotson on the Republic of Letters 42:13

7M ago42:13

42:13

In this interview we learn more about the Republic of Letters: its importance for the history of ideas, it geographic breadth, who was involved, and the contributions of figures including Leibniz and Hartlib.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 463 Doctors without Borders: the Republic of Letters 23:36

7M ago23:36

23:36

How scholars around Europe created an international network of intellectual exchange. As examples we consider the activities of Mersenne, Peiresc, Leibniz, Calvet, and Hartlib.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 462 Freedom to Philosophize: Introduction to Early Modern Philosophy 36:34

8M ago36:34

36:34

What is Enlightenment, anyway?By Peter Adamson

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Hope in the darkness 6:03

8M ago6:03

6:03

This episode is for those who are struggling with life. Maybe you’re feeling lost. Maybe your soul is weighed down and it feels like an elephant is sitting on your chest. Maybe you’ve been battling depression, feeling like the darkness is just too much.Desmond Tutu once said: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darknes…

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Turning Pages 7:22

8M ago7:22

7:22

How do you feel about second chances? How do you feel about starting over? Maybe you had a dream to become a veterinarian. Or a goal to start a nonprofit. Maybe you have always wanted to travel outside of the country. I’m sure there’s something that once made your heart race just thinking about it. But just like everyone else, life happened. Doubt …

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Rewriting the Script 4:30

8M ago4:30

4:30

Every once in a while, I come across a speech that inspires me to take action.The other day, while scrolling on TikTok, I stumbled on a speech by Rolonda Watts. For those of you who don’t know, Rolonda had her own talk show back in the mid 1990s. The syndicated show ran from 1994 until 1997. Now I must admit, at first glance I didn’t recognize the …

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THE STRENGTH OF STARTING OVER 8:06

8M ago8:06

8:06

January 31, 2025It’s hard to believe we are only one month into 2025. With all of the “current events, and non-stop breaking news” it feels like we’re in the month of June, despite frigid temperatures sweeping through the U.S. this winter.Remember that life changing goal you set for yourself at the start of the new year? It’s not happening is it? Y…

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Know Your Role 4:42

8M ago4:42

4:42

For this episode, I’d like to share an excerpt from a sermon. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sermon as a “religious discourse delivered in public usually by a member of the clergy as a part of a worship service.”Usually, sermons are paired with a life lesson and a passage from religious scriptures from books like the Holy Bible, the Quran, …

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TikTok: The Hard Reset 27:26

8M ago27:26

27:26

This episode I’m doing something a little different. There is no excerpt from a book, poem, essay or quote. Instead, I just want to talk about TikTok and its coming and going.The on again off again situationship of TikTok between the U.S. government and China, gave me enough time to flip the switch to pursue my goals before I downloaded the app and…

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HoP 461 - Eileen Reeves on Galileo and the Telescope 43:04

8M ago43:04

43:04

We finish our look at philosophy in the Reformation era with an interview about Galileo's use of a revolutionary technology: the telescope.By Peter Adamson

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The courage to dream again 11:41

8M ago11:41

11:41

This episode is for those who’ve stopped pursuing a dream. Or maybe you never had the courage or support to dream. Or maybe fear is holding you back from imagining what’s possible.Langston Hughes once said, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”A broken-winged bird that cannot fly. They are stuck. Gr…

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THE ART OF LETTING GO 7:17

8M ago7:17

7:17

In this episode, I’m opening up the window to my one of the hardest things I ever had to do in life, and I bet some of you listening also had or have a tough time with: letting go.I want to start with a line from the poet Rumi. He wrote, “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”The qu…

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RISE AFTER THE FALL 6:11

9M ago6:11

6:11

Welcome to "Better Said Than Written," the podcast that shares inspirational excerpts from books, essays, poems, and quotes that, when read aloud, just sound better said than written.For this episode I would like to touch on one of life’s most profound truths: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”That timel…

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The First Step is the Hardest 11:07

9M ago11:07

11:07

Welcome to "Better Said Than Written," the podcast that shares inspirational excerpts from books, essays, poems, and quotes that, when read aloud, just sound better said than written.This episode is all about new beginnings—that first step on the journey toward a better future.I’d like to start with a quote, well, a Chinese proverb some of you migh…

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Another Day to Get Life Right 7:55

9M ago7:55

7:55

Welcome to "Better Said Than Written," the podcast that shares inspirational excerpts from books, essays, poems, and quotes that, when read aloud, just sound better said than written.Today’s excerpt comes from Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist:“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” This episode is all about start…

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HoP 460 - Trial and Error - Galileo and the Inquisition 18:59

9M ago18:59

18:59

The philosophical issues at the heart of the notorious condemnation of Galileo and Copernican astronomy.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 459 - Cardinal Rule - Robert Bellarmine 19:36

9M ago19:36

19:36

Though most famous for his role in persecuting Galileo, Robert Bellarmine was a central figure of the Counter-Reformation, especially in his political thought.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 458 - Outsider Philosophy - The Cheese and the Worms 22:15

10M ago22:15

22:15

Carlo Ginzburg’s innovative historical study The Cheese and the Worms looks at the ideas of an obscure 16th century miller, suggesting how popular culture might be integrated into the history of philosophy.By Peter Adamson

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Stories of Survival: Red Flags 17:56

10M ago17:56

17:56

In the last episode of Better Said Than Written, I introduced you to the series, Stories of Survival - S.O.S. - where I share stories from or about people who overcame difficult challenges in their lives.This next S.O.S. is an anonymous entry. Melanie shares her story of the time when she too was forced to create a plan. For her and her daughter’s …

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HoP 457 - Take Your Medicine - Oliva Sabuco and Camilla Erculiani 19:53

10M ago19:53

19:53

Natural philosophy and medicine in the work of two unorthodox thinkers of the late sixteenth century, both of them women.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 456 - Touch Me With Your Madness - Cervantes’ Don Quixote 25:39

11M ago25:39

25:39

Why do critics consider Don Quixote the first “modern” novel, and what does it tell us about the aesthetics of fiction?By Peter Adamson

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HoP 455 - Tom Pink on Francisco Suárez 35:26

11M ago35:26

35:26

We're joined by Tom Pink, who tells us about Suárez on ethics, law, religion, and the state.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 454 - By Appointment Only - Political Philosophy in the Second Scholastic 16:58

12M ago16:58

16:58

Suárez and other Iberian scholastics ask where political power comes from and under what circumstances it is exercised legitimately.By Peter Adamson

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Stories of Survival: How Ina Garten Changed my Life 10:00

12M ago10:00

10:00

Welcome to "Better Said Than Written," the podcast that shares inspirational excerpts from books, essays, poems, and quotes that, when read aloud, just sound better said than written.For the revamp, and return of Better Said Than Written, I plan to share stories from or about people who overcame difficult challenges in their lives … Stories of Surv…

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HoP 453 - The Price is Right - Law and Economics in the Second Scholastic 17:50

12M ago17:50

17:50

Vitoria, Molina, Suárez and others develop the idea of natural law, exploring its relevance for topics including international law, slavery, and the ethics of economic exchange.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 452 - Better Than Nothing - Metaphysics in the Second Scholastic 18:06

1y ago18:06

18:06

Did the metaphysics of Francisco Suárez mark a shift from traditional scholasticism to early modern philosophy?By Peter Adamson

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HoP 451 - Could’ve, Would’ve, Should’ve - Free Will in the Second Scholastic 20:44

1y ago20:44

20:44

What was Luis de Molina trying to say about human free will with his doctrine of “middle knowledge,” and why did it provoke such controversy?By Peter Adamson

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HoP 450 - Depicting What Cannot Be Depicted - Philosophy and Two Renaissance Artworks 25:11

1y ago25:11

25:11

To celebrate reaching 450 episodes, Peter looks at the philosophical resonance of two famous artworks from the turn of the 16th century: Dürer’s Self-Portrait and Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine Chapel.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 449 - Anna Tropia on Jesuit Philosophy 34:31

1y ago34:31

34:31

We learn from Anna Tropia how Jesuit philosophy of mind broke new ground in the scholastic tradition.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 448 - Secondary Schools - Iberian Scholasticism 20:01

1+ y ago20:01

20:01

The “School of Salamanca,” founded by Francisco Vitoria, and the commentators of Coimbra are at the center of a movement sometimes called the “Second Scholastic.”By Peter Adamson

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HoP 447 - Andrés Messmer on Spanish Protestantism 29:04

1+ y ago29:04

29:04

Yes, there were Spanish Protestants! Andrew (Andrés) Messmer joins us to explain how they drew on humanism and philosophy to argue for their religious agenda.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 446 - Not Doubting Thomas - the Aquinas Revival 25:20

1+ y ago25:20

25:20

Cajetan, Bañez and other thinkers make Aquinas a central figure of Counter-Reformation thought; we focus on their theories about analogy and the soul.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 445 - Band of Brothers - the Jesuits 22:21

1+ y ago22:21

22:21

Ignatius of Loyola’s movement begins modestly, but winds up having a global impact on education and philosophy.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 444 - The Dark Night Rises - Spanish Mysticism 23:13

1+ y ago23:13

23:13

Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross push the boundaries of individual spirituality and offer philosophically informed accounts of mystical experience.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 443 - Marketplace of Letters - Iberian Humanism 21:47

1+ y ago21:47

21:47

Fray Luis de Leon, Antonio Nebrija, Beatriz Galindo and other scholars bring the Renaissance to Spain.By Peter Adamson

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HoP 442 - Scott Williams on Disability and the New World 43:27

1+ y ago43:27

43:27

In this interview we learn about the main issues in modern-day philosophy of disability, and the relevance of this topic for the European encounter with the Americas.By Peter Adamson