This was a really fun conversation on an important topic, with the brilliant Helena de Bres. What does it take to give meaning to your life? Do you have to think of it as a story? Does the story need to be true? What if it's better to do without stories, sense of self, and/or meaning altogether?

Historian, #philosopher, and activist Michel Foucault was born 99 years ago today. In 2018 Josh and Ken explored his life and thought with the late Gary Gutting from @notredame.bsky.social, author of several books on #Foucault as well as "Thinking the Impossible: French #Philosophy Since 1960."

Historian and political theorist Hannah #Arendt was born on this date in 1906. In 2008 John and Ken explored her life & thought with Seyla Bengabib from Yale University, author of "The Reluctant Modernism of Hannah Arendt." More at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/hannah-arendt #PhilSky #philosophy

Coming up: Should we live provisionally, with principles we’re willing to give up at a moment’s notice? Josh and Ray explore the life & thought of Robert Musil with @bencenanay.bsky.social from @uantwerpen.be – Sunday at 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & www.kalw.org/show/philoso.... #PhilSky

One of the first philosophers to write about #climate change, Mary Midgley, was born on this date in 1919. For our episode earlier this year, we sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter to explore Midgley’s ideas about #animals and the Gaia hypothesis: youtu.be/yraIY5Uhb98 #PhilSky #WiseWomen

The good people at AJFS very kindly agreed to publish this piece of mine, on mixed-gender metaphors in Baudelaire. Baudelaire deliberately compares items gendered masculine (e.g. LE capitaine) with items gendered feminine (e.g. LA mort). But why? 1/ www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/abs/10.3...

ICYMI Director of Research and Advancement @lumagoo.bsky.social was on @kalwradio.bsky.social's Your Call yesterday to talk about funding cuts to the @nehgov.bsky.social, universities, and our program: www.kalw.org/show/your-ca... #PhilSky @altnehgov.altgov.info

Send us your questions before Monday morning, & we'll do our best to get them on the air! Quick summary: for Bergson, there's no such thing as an "instant," where everything is stationary, like in a photograph. Even rocks are moving, changing, getting worn away by time... 1/

Coming up: Looking for thought-provoking summer #movie watching? Josh and guest-host Jeremy Sabol present our annual Dionysus Awards for the most philosophically-compelling movies of the past year – Sunday 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & www.kalw.org/show/philoso.... #PhilSky #philosophy

Why does music matter? Can music express emotions? Is a cover song just a version of the original, or a whole new thing? Are we locked into loving the music we grew up with? And what’s up with the “music of the spheres”? Please send us your thoughts and questions!

French writer Marcel #Proust was born on this date in 1871. For our episode just a few years ago, we sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter, Holly J. McDede, to contemplate how smell and taste influence our memories and sense of self: youtu.be/kaLaI7kspY0 #PhilSky #philosophy #MarcelProust

Calling all college/university professors! Would you like to get your school on the growing list of institutions that can access our archive of 600+ thought-provoking episodes at no cost? Drop us a note at [email protected] and we'll get you set up! #PhilSky #AcademicSky #EduSky

Join the growing list of schools that can get FREE access to our archive of over 600 episodes.

For a variety of reasons we aren't producing our annual #SummerReading special this year, so for This Month’s Playlist we’ve gathered together the last several years' episodes. Take a listen and check out any of the recent #books you may have missed: philosophytalk.org/playlist/sum... #PhilSky

For our next episode, We sent our Roving Philosophical Reporter, Sarah @laistirland.bsky.social, to find out what difference it makes to be surrounded by cameras and other invasive devices, whether on our own phones or out in the world: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8ek... #PhilSky #philosophy #privacy

Ahead of this Sunday's broadcast of the final episode in our #WiseWomen series (supported by a grant from the @nehgov.bsky.social), head over to Philosophers Corner for a primer on the moral #philosophy of Philippa Foot: www.philosophytalk.org/blog/put-you... #PhilSky

Later today we record our final #WiseWomen episode, exploring the life & thought of Philippa Foot with John Hacker-Wright from @uofguelph.bsky.social. Got questions about the philosopher who originated the Trolley Problem? Let us know and we many ask your question on the show! #PhilSky #philosophy

ICYMI This week's #WiseWomen episode about pioneering eco-feminist Mary Midgley is now available for download: open.spotify.com/episode/5lKv... #PhilSky #philosophy @nehgov.bsky.social @altnehgov.altgov.info

TODAY: Josh and Ray explore the life & thought of Mary Midgley with Clare Mac Cumhaill from @durham-university.bsky.social, co-author of "Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought #Philosophy Back to Life" – 11a on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & www.kalw.org/show/philoso.... #PhilSky #WiseWomen

Not all the #WiseWomen in our series were mothers, but some were—happy #MothersDay! Listen to all the episodes in the series, which is supported by a grant from the @nehgov.bsky.social, at www.philosophytalk.org/wisewomen. #PhilSky #philosophy #women @altnehgov.altgov.info

I had a lovely time talking about Proust with @calflyn.bsky.social at “Five Books.” Hard to do justice to 3,000 pages in a short conversation, but we gave it our best shot! fivebooks.com/best-books/m...

To mark the passing of #PopeFrancis and the coming papal #conclave, listen to @profjoshlandy.bsky.social and Jeremy debate this year's Dionysus Award for Best Movie About Religious People Who Aren't Entirely What They Seem: www.philosophytalk.org/blog/creepy-... #PhilSky #philosophy #religion

TODAY: Josh and Ray explore the life & thought of philosopher-novelist Iris Murdoch with Eva-Maria Düringer from the @utuebingen.bsky.social, author of "Evaluating Emotions" – 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & online at www.kalw.org/show/philoso.... #PhilSky #philosophy #fiction

Despite the fact that the NEH just terminated the funding for our Wise Women series, we will continue undaunted. Our latest episode is on novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch, airing this Sunday. All episodes in the series can be heard at: www.philosophytalk.org/wisewomen

110% committed to our #WiseWomen series—which is/was supported by a grant from @nehgov.bsky.social—and next Sunday's episode on philosopher-novelist Iris Murdoch with Eva-Maria Düringer from @unituebingen.bsky.social. More at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/iris-m.... #PhilSky #philosophy #humanities

Coming up: How can art transform our lives? Ray and guest-host @lemuelgulliver.bsky.social invite regular co-host @profjoshlandy.bsky.social to the guest mic mic as they go in search of Proust's #philosophy – Sunday 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & www.kalw.org/show/philoso.... #PhilSky

Our next broadcast is an encore from a few years ago when @profjoshlandy.bsky.social's book "The World According to #Proust" came out. But our Roving Philosophical Reporter Holly J. McDede actually made her first foray into Proustland on our 2020 summer reading special: youtu.be/-xJJrvJRvVA #PhilSky

What better way to celebrate #philosophy's unsung heroines than to binge-listen to our #WiseWomen series on International Women's Day: www.philosophytalk.org/wisewomen. #PhilSky

Get a sneak peek at our upcoming episode on Alan Turing. #PhilSky #Philosophy #Computation #AI #RovingPhilosophicalReport

Wise Women is a sixteen-episode series about women in philosophy from antiquity to the twentieth century made by @philtalkradio.bsky.social www.philosophytalk.org/wisewomen

If you can't get enough 2024-in-review, check out extended versions of Josh & Ray's conversations with @dailynous.com editor Justin Weinberg, CNN legal analyst @eliehonig.bsky.social, and Rutgers philosopher @alexgphilosophy.bsky.social at our website: www.philosophytalk.org/shows/examined-year-2024

This Tuesday! Do stop by if you’re in the area. Should be a really interesting conversation.

Coming up: For the latest installment in our "Wise Women" series—and our 600th episode—Josh and Ray question the life & thought of Emma Goldman with Candace Falk, founding director of the Emma Goldman Papers project – Sunday at 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & www.kalw.org/show/philoso....