Podcast
Philosophizing With A Hammer
Hosted by Ben-Fradj Rachid · EN
What does it mean to live authentically in a world defined by relentless change? How can we cultivate resilience and integrity when confronted by crisis?
Philosophizing with a Hammer invites listeners to confront the profound questions and ethical dilemmas embedded in today’s most pressing issues.
Drawing on the wisdom of classical philosophers, this podcast examines how ancient insights into identity, Being, and transformation might guide us in facing the moral and existential challenges of our modern era.
23episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
23: Political Philosophy: John Locke, Freedom Against Fear
Mar 1700:35:33Tap to summarizeA concise exploration of John Locke as the thinker who challenged Thomas Hobbes, arguing that humans are rational creatures who posses natural rights: life, liberty, prosperity.
Transcribe →22: Political Philosophy: Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan
Mar 100:29:30Tap to summarizeDiving into the abyss, the Leviathan, we explore how fear shapes human nature.
Transcribe →21: Political Philosophy: Machiavelli’s Power in The Prince
Feb 700:35:33Tap to summarizeWe move decisively from Platonic idealism into the harsh realism of Renaissance. Why Machiavelli still matters today in a world driven by media, performance, and the normalization of emergency power.
Transcribe →20: Political Philosophy: Plato’s Republic - Blueprint for Tyranny?
Sep 1200:35:12Tap to summarizeIn this first episode of political philosophy we dive into Plato’s Republic. Was it a version of justice and wisdom? Or a dangerous model for authoritarian rule? We explore Plato’s life, his ideas of the philosopher-king, and the allegory of the cave, and the lasting debate over whether The Republic inspires democracy or dictatorship. Takeaway: what kind of leaders and societies we truly want today?
Transcribe →19: Existentialism: God Is Dead… Now What?
Aug 800:39:52Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Philosophizing with a Hammer, we confront one of the deepest questions of modern life: what comes after the death of God? Drawing on Nietzsche’s philosophy, we explore how to navigate the collapse of religious meaning without falling into despair or clinging to hollow substitutes. From the challenge of nihilism to the call for self-created values, we discuss art, love, responsibility, and the courage to affirm life without divine guarantees. This is a journey from inherited faith to existential freedom, where meaning isn’t found, but forged.
Transcribe →18: Scroll, Post, Repeat: Who are you performing for?
Jun 700:28:04Tap to summarizeIn this episode we confront a haunting question: Are we truly ourselves online, or just performing versions of who we think we should be? Drawing on Sartre’s concept of “bad faith” and Foucault’s digital-age Panopticon, we explore how social media transforms identity into performance, authenticity into aesthetics, and freedom into algorithmic suggestion. From Instagram’s curated self to LinkedIn’s highlight reels, and the creeping influence of AI on our choices, this episode challenges you to ask: Am I choosing who I am? Or am I being chosen?
Transcribe →17: Existentialism: Sisyphus in the 21st century
Jun 1, 202500:25:08Tap to summarizeLet’s reimagine Sisyphus, not as a symbol of resignation, but as an existential artist.What does that look like in a world of AI, algorithms, and endless repetition?
Transcribe →16: Existentialism: Heidegger, Being and Time
May 12, 202500:57:18Tap to summarizeIn this episode we explore Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time, uncovering how his groundbreaking ideas such as Being, Care, and Being-toward-death radically reframe what it means to exist. We trace Heidegger’s divergence from Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, and ask how his thought challenges us to live more consciously in today’s hyperconnected world.
Transcribe →15: Existentialism: Sarte’s Being And Nothingness
Apr 17, 202500:37:34Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we dive deep into Jean-Paul Sartre’s monumental work Being and Nothingness, exploring its core ideas such as consciousness, bad faith, freedom, and the weight of existence. Is his philosophy still relevant in the 21st century?
Transcribe →14: Existentialism: Kafka and The Metamorphosis
Mar 27, 202500:34:56Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Philosophizing with a Hammer, we delve into Kafka’s The Metamorphosis through the lens of existentialist thought. What does Gregor Samsa’s transformation reveal about alienation, absurdity, and the struggle for meaning? How does Kafka’s world parallel Sartre’s notion of bad faith or Camus’ absurd hero? Join me as we dissect this haunting tale and its lasting philosophical significance.
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