Dred's 2022 Podcast Recommendations
My top three, well, four (though the fourth is a few hundred) podcasts of the year.
Deets follow separately.
#PhilosophizeThis #StephenWest #HistoryOfPhilosophy #PeterAdamson #ComplexityPodcast #SantaFeInstitute #NewBookNetwork #MarhsallPoe #Podcasts #Recommendations #Tootstorm
1/n
"Philosophize This" by Stephen West is a quite good and accessible series on philosophy. It's largely worked through the historical overview and several of the recent segments have been on (reasonably) modern and unfamiliar (to me) topics, with the "Ethics of Care" episode this post August being standout excellent.
https://www.philosophizethis.org/
Ethics of Care episode: https://www.philosophizethis.org/podcast/episode-158-the-creation-of-meaning-nietzsche-the-ascetic-ideal-f8k5h-k8xfx-6tyfj-xc8hy-dl4jz-8zhf2-clycx-ktz24
My notes on EoC: https://diaspora.glasswings.com/posts/60cf1410e72f013a68ef448a5b29e257
#PhilsophizeThis #StephenWest #Philosophy #Podcasts #Recommendations
2/
Peter Adamson's "History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps" is now well into its third decade, 400th episode (in the mainstream podcast), and the 16th century (Jean Bodin). I rank it after West's effort only because I feel West can use the advocacy more. Both podcasts are excellent, Adamson is well supported through a tenured faculty position and institutional funding. Older philosophy provides insights into the development, and history of ideas, including (many, many, many, many) false starts and wild-goose chases, but also often startlingly modern thinking in ancient times. Having caught up with the full back-catalogue, I've returned to the beginning for a second listen.
https://historyofphilosophy.net/
#HistoryOfPhilosophy #PeterAdamson #Podcasts #Recommendations
3/
A third excellent series is "Complexity" from the Santa Fe Institute, largely looking at systems and complexity research. Topics, production, and editing are excellent, and definitely definitely definitely check out the show notes for additional references.
Actually, that last goes for all three of these podcasts, which really put the additional effort into documenting what was discussed.
Complexity: https://www.santafe.edu/culture/podcasts#Complexity
#ComplexityPodcast #SantaFeInstitute #Podcasts #Recommendations
4/
All of the above are commercial-free (West does solicit Patreon support at the beginning of each episode, Complexity notes SFI goings-on, both are brief and appropriate), which I find makes a huge difference for me in how approach and rate podcasts. There are any number of podcasts which include commercial spots which I have to steel myself to listen to.
5/
I'll throw in a "fourth" as a cheat: the New Books Network, which is not a single podcast but literally a collection of well over a hundred channels on academic topics (though many individual episodes will appear on multiple channels). This is the project of Marshall Poe.
Quality is uneven, both in production and hosting, and there is advertising, often sudden and intrusive. Still, as a place to find academic work and deep dives into topics very often not dominating news cycles or other cultural coverage, and for the huge back-catalogue (dating to the mid-aughts), again, an excellent resource. Some hosts are excellent, others ... grating with time. But I find myself returning frequently and being well rewarded more often than not.
#NewBooksNetwork #MarshallPoe #Podcasts #Recommendations
6/
There are a number of other academic and book-related podcasts, including from the London School of Economics, Yale Press, Intelligence Squared (both UK and US), and more which I can't help but mention, though the four pods listed above deserve top billing. I'm also increasingly listening to a number of foreign-language / foreign-service podcasts, in a number of languages, which I'm finding useful as a learning tool.
Readers may note that none of these podcasts feature current or technical topics. I consider both aspects strong positives, as overexposure to both news and tech has been a constant. Deep dives into specialised topics outside the mainstream is useful for surfacing new (and old) ideas and associations.
I have well over 100 subscriptions, which I dip into as informational, entertainment, and relaxation resources. I've listened to nearly 2,500 hours of podcasts so far in 2022, including several not listed above.
Oh, I should also mention my podcast app: #AntennaPod, F/OSS and installed on Android from #FDroid. Also ad-free and an excellent tool.
7/end/
@EricLawton Another one for your list: Anything by David Runciman (historian of political philosophy).
He's done a number of different podcasts through the LRB (London Review of Books). Present venture is Past Present Future. Also a few appearances on IQ2 as noted, some YouTube appearances, and a few standalone single-episode lectures (climate change, and IIRC conspiracy theories).
He's one of those sort-of-dry Brit types, but is incredibly insightful on almost everything he covers. Some of that is material I've some expertise in myself, and I'm impressed that he doesn't appear obviously wrong, often brings new concepts to bear for me, and where our knowledge overlaps he frequently strongly reinforces and supports my own interpretations and conclusions.
An example of that latter was an episode covering Max Weber where he deconstructs (and corrects popular misconceptions of) Weber's so-called "monopoly on violence" definition. (Spoiler alert: that's the wrong interpretation). I'd reached similar conclusions a year or two before hearing the episode, and listening to Runciman spell that out was both illuminating and validating.
I hesitate to mention Rand, but his coverage of her book(s)? (I know he did A.S., I think he mentions but doesn't cover FH in detail). I'd gone through a phase and was quite familiar with the plot and story line. Runciman's anything but a fan, but still gives insights on the book, particularly in the real-world figures her villains are based on. Which was kind of staggering for me to realise. (One I should have known, the economist. The second, the physicist, I hadn't and wouldn't have guessed. I'm avoiding mention to prevent spoilers.)
For someone who finds most current news, tech, and political discussion quite tiresome and dispiriting, he's a breath of fresh air. I'd contrast with someone like Ezra Klein, whom I find quite good, but takes some steeling of myself to get into an episode.
Have you tried CBC Ideas?
@EricLawton Yes.
I still miss Paul Kennedy, though Nahlah Ayed is good. The programme seemed to lose its footing for a while in the transition.
@nev Indian & Africana has been great as well, though I've not followed it quite as ... religiously ... as the main stream.
Very much looking forward to China.
Another of my listens is the History of China podcast.
Backstabbing. All the backstabbing.
Doc Edward Morbius ⭕
artsyhonker/Kathryn
Eric Lawton
nev