Ep. 383: Freud on Love and the Primal Horde (Part Two)

Finishing up Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego, finally now turning to Freud's anthropological account of group membership.
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NEM#245: Darren Michael Boyd's Guitar Instrumentals Beyond Metal

Ontario guitarist Darren has released six albums of concise instrumentals since 2019, often using metal guitar tones and tropes, but with a great rang...

PEL Presents PMP#213: Stranger Things Grown Familiar

The Netflix sci-fi/horror/teen series by the Duffer Brothers that started in 2016 has now finished with its sixth season, attempting to be both epic a...

Ep. 383: Freud on Love and the Primal Horde (Part One)

On the second half of Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego. We talk about the dual origins of group membership for Freud in personal love and...

PEL Presents PvI#109: Choose Your Own Failure w/ Rich Baker

Rich runs the Dare to Fail improv school and is author of Improv Made Easier. He joins Mark and Mary to discuss contexts of failure, failing to meet y...

PEL 2026 Kickoff Nightcap

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,...

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

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,...

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

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...

PEL Presents PMP#212: Holiday Romance Films

The Hallmark Channel became famous for producing low-budget, formulaic Christmas films, and this has spread to other outlets, sometimes with higher bu...

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

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?
...

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

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...

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

We discuss the first six questions from the "Moral Action" section in the Summa Theologica (1268), which we read in Thomas Aquinas: Selected Philosoph...

Bacchic Redemption in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) (Part 1)

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

Continuing to discuss the virtue and moral action from the Summa Theologica (1268). We discuss the definition of virtue and some subsequent questions...

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

Is argumentation essential to philosophy? Should you always be open to arguments challenging your beliefs? We act out a few symbiotic scenarios and re...

PEL Presents PMP#211: Slow Horses and Predecessors

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. Featur...

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

On selections about virtue and moral action from the Summa Theologica (1268). Aquinas defines virtue, tells us how it metaphysically fits us into the...

PEL Presents Subtext: Erin's New Book "Avail"

Erin just published her first book, "Avail," which you can order here: https://www.pauldrybooks.com/products/avail
"Avail" features a long prose...

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

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...

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

More on The Problem of Christianity, discussing how communities relate to history, how individuals relate to communities, and what's unique about Royc...

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

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...

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

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...

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

On sections of The Problem of Christianity (1913) which establish Royce's concept of a community of interpretation: individuals working together with...

Ep. 380: Josiah Royce on Community (Part One for Supporters)

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PEL Presents NEM#242: Marshall Crenshaw Subtracts

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...

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

Continuing on sources from ancient Egypt, finishing up the instructional literature: "The Instruction of Ptahhotep," and "The Instruction Addressed to...

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

Scott, ex-professor at Oklahoma State University and author of "Thinking Ethically: A Handbook for Making Moral Choices," chats with Mark and Mary abo...

PEL Presents PMP#209: Alien Franchised

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...

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

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...

PEL Presents NEM#241: Humor in Music Discussion

Mark is joined by returning NEM guest Don Rauf (from Life In a Blender), singer/songwriter/cartoonist David Heatley), and writer/musician Dave "Diggy"...

PREMIUM-Ep. 378: Aquinas on God and Mind (Part Four)

We complete our Aquinas treatment for the moment by considering emotions: categorizing them, asking whether they have opposites, and making them coher...

Ep. 378: Aquinas on God and Mind (Part Three)

We're now moving on to the "mind" portion of our discussion, covering how reason motivates us, how free will is possible, and the degree to which the...

PEL Presents PvI#104: The Hippie Code w/ Vickie Eistenstein

Mark and Mary are joined by improvisor-comedian-actress-filmmaker-host Vickie to talk about code switching and authenticity. Can you be authentic and...

Ep. 378: Aquinas on God and Mind (Part Two)

Continuing on bits of Thomas Aquinas: Selected Philosophical Writings, completing our analysis of his arguments for the existence of God and then turn...

PEL Presents PMP#208: An Ed Gein Halloween

It's a special two-hander where Mark and Lawrence reflect on the appeal of horror and how the new Monster: Ed Gein Netflix show has to contribute, giv...

PEL Presents NEM#240: Jonathan Rundman, Multi-Branded

Singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Jonathan (currently based in Minneapolis) has been putting out indie rock solo albums since 1992, but has also...

Ep. 378: Aquinas on God and Mind (Part One)

On selections from Thomas Aquinas: Selected Philosophical Writings, mostly taken from the Summa Theologica (1268).
Given our flawed, finite huma...

PEL Presents PvI#103: Post-COVID Mary and Mark

How does your body talk to you? Your favorite hosts-of-a-philosophy-and-improv-comedy show Mark Linsenmayer and Merry Mary Hynes re-connect after both...

Ep. 377: Emil Cioran's Pessimism (Part Two)

Continuing on "Directions for Decomposition" from A Short History of Decay (1949). What is it that humans are inevitably trying to avoid that seems so...

PEL Presents PMP#207: Spinal Tap and Other Fake Bands

Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al watched Spinal Tap and its new sequel, and we throw these into a mix with K-Pop Demon Hunters and other films and sho...