Podcast
The Panpsycast Philosophy Podcast
Hosted by Jack Symes | Andrew Horton, Oliver Marley, Rose de Castellane, Gregory Mill · EN
An 'informal and informative' philosophy podcast inspiring and supporting students, teachers, academics and free-thinkers worldwide. All episodes are available at www.thepanpsycast.com.
28episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 157, 'Jesus' Physical Appearance' with John Nelson
1w ago00:51:09Tap to summarize"Hey, it's Jack here – I'm still out in the van writing up my travel book. The wind and rain coming down hard in France, as you might hear in the background. We're recording an old-school show and another interview at the end of the month, which we're really excited to produce and share. In the meantime, I'm happy to release a one-to-one conversation with me and John Nelson – author of Jesus' Physical Appearance and host at Premier Unbelievable. We explore why the biblical writers include no description of Jesus' body, what that absence might mean, and how Jesus' appearance has been imagined, altered, and politicised across history. Along the way, we discuss Jesus' clothing, Stoic and Cynic influences, animals and incarnation, modern Christian culture, the politics of Jesus' image, and a few of the more intriguing Christian conspiracy theories. I hope you enjoy the show!" Links Jesus' Physical Appearance (book) Behind The Gospels (substack) Biblical Time Machine (podcast)
Transcribe →Episode 156, 'Epicurus – Worst Philosopher Ever?' with Jonny Thomson
3w ago00:45:53Tap to summarizeHey everyone, it's Jack here. I'm still out in the camper van writing a travel book – I'm really excited to share more on this soon. At the same time, we've been producing live events and YouTube videos – so there's been a lot going on. We'll be sharing audio from the live shows soon, as well as recording an old school Panpsycast episode at the end of May. In the meantime, I'm excited to share another conversation I've had for the new YouTube channel with Jonny Thomson on the philosophy of Epicurus. I confront Jonny on my verdict that Epicurus is the worst philosopher ever; and he does a tremendous job of telling me why I'm wrong. It's a great conversation, which i'm excited for you to hear it. So without further ado: here it is! Links Jonny Thomson, The Art of Enough (pre-order now!) Jonny Thomson, Mini Philosophy Philosophy Minis (Instagram) Philosophy Minis (TikTok) Jack Symes, YouTube
Transcribe →Episode 155, 'On Veganism' with Earthling Ed
Apr 1900:57:42Tap to summarizeHey, it's Jack here – I'm currently in the snowy hills of Switzerland, recording this from the back of my campervan, so forgive the audio quality. (It won't be like this beyond the introduction.) I've been busy producing new content for YouTube, with some exciting conversations coming your way – one of which, was with Ed Winters, which I'm excited to share with you today. We had a really interesting discussion about some of the internal tensions within vegan philosophy. We agree on a lot – but, as you'll hear, our main disagreements concern the moral status of non-animals (which Ed rejects) and whether veganism should involve avoiding products tied to slave labour (which he also rejects). You can watch the conversation on YouTube now – just search Dr Jack Symes – or sit back and listen here. Thanks again for your support – I hope you enjoy the show. Links Earthling Ed, Website Jack Symes, YouTube
Transcribe →Episode 154, 'African Philosophy of Religion' with Aribiah David Attoe (Part II - Further Analysis and Discussion)
Apr 500:28:37Tap to summarizeThe meaning of life is, as Albert Camus put it, the most urgent question in philosophy – the one on which everything else depends. Yet, when Western philosophy looks to answer this question, it paces up and down the same old libraries – the same shelves filled with the same assumptions about what counts as a self, a good life, and what happens after death. African philosophy of religion has been neglected in this area. Not because it has nothing to say – but because we haven't been listening. Today, we'll be exploring this tradition – that is, African philosophy – on the meaning of life with Dr Aribiah David Attoe, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Dr Attoe has published several books – including The Question of Life's Meaning: An African Perspective, and African Perspectives to the Question of Life's Meaning – as well as numerous articles and special journal issues on today's topic, bringing these globally neglected traditions into dialogue with mainstream philosophy. In this episode, we'll explore what it means to live meaningfully with others – not merely alongside them. We'll ask how harmony differs from conformity, and whether communal ideals can protect outsiders. And, most importantly, we'll confront life and death head-on: whether it's possible to find meaning, and – if not – how we should live in a meaningless world. This episode is produced in partnership with The Global Philosophy of Religion Project at University of Birmingham, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Links Aribiah David Attoe, Publications Global Philosophy of Religion Project 2
Transcribe →Episode 154, 'African Philosophy of Religion' with Aribiah David Attoe (Part I – The Meaning of Life)
Mar 2200:31:10Tap to summarizeThe meaning of life is, as Albert Camus put it, the most urgent question in philosophy – the one on which everything else depends. Yet, when Western philosophy looks to answer this question, it paces up and down the same old libraries – the same shelves filled with the same assumptions about what counts as a self, a good life, and what happens after death. African philosophy of religion has been neglected in this area. Not because it has nothing to say – but because we haven't been listening. Today, we'll be exploring this tradition – that is, African philosophy – on the meaning of life with Dr Aribiah David Attoe, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Dr Attoe has published several books – including The Question of Life's Meaning: An African Perspective, and African Perspectives to the Question of Life's Meaning – as well as numerous articles and special journal issues on today's topic, bringing these globally neglected traditions into dialogue with mainstream philosophy. In this episode, we'll explore what it means to live meaningfully with others – not merely alongside them. We'll ask how harmony differs from conformity, and whether communal ideals can protect outsiders. And, most importantly, we'll confront life and death head-on: whether it's possible to find meaning, and – if not – how we should live in a meaningless world. ___ This episode is produced in partnership with The Global Philosophy of Religion Project at University of Birmingham, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Links Aribiah David Attoe, Publications Global Philosophy of Religion Project 2
Transcribe →Episode 153, 'Beautiful Veganism' with Vid Simoniti
Mar 800:52:21Tap to summarizeHello, it's Jack here! I'm excited to share that I'll soon be launching a new YouTube video series, interviewing previous guests from The Panpsycast – along with a few new faces. The series launches at the end of March. Head to www.youtube.com/@DrJackSymes – or simply search Dr Jack Symes on YouTube – and subscribe so you're ready for the first release. In the meantime, I'll be releasing a few of these episodes here on The Panpsycast, starting with a conversation with Dr Vid Simoniti on the relationship between beauty and veganism. Normal service will resume in a couple of weeks. Until then, please do subscribe – that's Dr Jack Symes on YouTube – and enjoy this audio preview. I hope you enjoy the episode.
Transcribe →Episode 152, 'God, Consciousness, and Fundamental Reality' with Philip Goff, David Godman, and Miri Albahari (Part II - Further Analysis and Discussion)
Feb 2200:46:30Tap to summarizeThe supreme being of classical theism is unlimited in power, knowledge, and goodness – a being distinct from the world, who creates it out of nothing and governs it from beyond. On this picture, we are not identical with God. God's consciousness is not our consciousness – and our identity is not theirs. That picture has long been challenged by schools of Hindu philosophy and, more recently, by Western philosophies of religion that reject traditional conceptions of God. In response to the problem of evil, some philosophers now argue that if there is a creator, then that creator must be limited in power. Advaita's challenge is more radical. It doesn't just revise the traditional conception of God – it dissolves it. Where classical theism draws a sharp distinction between God and the world, Advaita says that reality is non-dual. The divine is not something separate from us or from the universe, but the underlying reality that appears as both. To explore these competing visions of the supreme being, reality, and our place within it, I'm joined by three guests. Returning to The Panpsycast for the fifth time is Philip Goff, Professor of Philosophy at Durham University. As listeners will remember, Philip is the author of several brilliant books – including Galileo's Error and, more recently, Why? The Purpose of the Universe. David Godman is a leading author, best known for his work on the Hindu sage, Sri Ramana Maharshi. And last but not least, Miri Albahari is Senior Lecturer at The University of Western Australia – where her work explores the metaphysics and epistemology of Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta. What is gained – and what is lost – when God is no longer unlimited, or is no longer separate from the world? Can these alternatives still ground mind, meaning, and morality? And by what means could we come to know such a reality – and decide between these rival conceptions of God? This episode is generously supported by The John Templeton Foundation, through The Panpsychism and Pan(en)theism Project (62683). Links Philip Goff, Website David Godman, Website Miri Albahari, Website
Transcribe →Episode 152, 'God, Consciousness, and Fundamental Reality' with Philip Goff, David Godman, and Miri Albahari (Part I - The Debate)
Feb 800:41:19Tap to summarizeThe supreme being of classical theism is unlimited in power, knowledge, and goodness – a being distinct from the world, who creates it out of nothing and governs it from beyond. On this picture, we are not identical with God. God's consciousness is not our consciousness – and our identity is not theirs. That picture has long been challenged by schools of Hindu philosophy and, more recently, by Western philosophies of religion that reject traditional conceptions of God. In response to the problem of evil, some philosophers now argue that if there is a creator, then that creator must be limited in power. Advaita's challenge is more radical. It doesn't just revise the traditional conception of God – it dissolves it. Where classical theism draws a sharp distinction between God and the world, Advaita says that reality is non-dual. The divine is not something separate from us or from the universe, but the underlying reality that appears as both. To explore these competing visions of the supreme being, reality, and our place within it, I'm joined by three guests. Returning to The Panpsycast for the fifth time is Philip Goff, Professor of Philosophy at Durham University. As listeners will remember, Philip is the author of several brilliant books – including Galileo's Error and, more recently, Why? The Purpose of the Universe. David Godman is a leading author, best known for his work on the Hindu sage, Sri Ramana Maharshi. And last but not least, Miri Albahari is Senior Lecturer at The University of Western Australia – where her work explores the metaphysics and epistemology of Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta. What is gained – and what is lost – when God is no longer unlimited, or is no longer separate from the world? Can these alternatives still ground mind, meaning, and morality? And by what means could we come to know such a reality – and decide between these rival conceptions of God? This episode is generously supported by The John Templeton Foundation, through The Panpsychism and Pan(en)theism Project (62683). Links Philip Goff, Website David Godman, Website Miri Albahari, Website
Transcribe →Episode 151, 'Afro-Brazilian Religions' with José Eduardo Porcher (Part II - Further Analysis and Discussion)
Jan 2500:34:56Tap to summarizeIn the beginning, there was nothing but air. The supreme being breathed upon it, and the air became water. Air and water moved together, forming mud. Seeing its shape, the supreme being breathed again – and life began. Today, we'll be exploring this creation story – born of Afro-Brazilian philosophy – forged under conditions of extreme violence, displacement, and resistance. During the transatlantic slave trade, more than four million Africans were forcibly taken to Brazil – far more than were sent to the United States. They brought with them their gods, their rituals, and their philosophies. Despite sustained efforts to suppress them, these traditions not only survived, but developed into sophisticated systems of thought that remain living practices today. We'll be exploring these traditions with José Eduardo Porcher Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. José is currently Director of the Spiritual Realities, Relationality, and Flourishing: Brazilian Contributions to Philosophy of Religion project, and has been centrally involved in a number of major research initiatives examining alternative approaches to philosophy of religion – including the John Templeton funded project Expanding the Philosophy of Religion by Engaging with Afro-Brazilian Traditions. In this episode, we'll explore the Afro-Brazilian religious tradition of Candomblé: its account of creation, its distinctive conception of God and the deities, and its striking vision of a world enchanted by a vital life-force that flows through people, objects, nature, and the divine. We'll ask what it means to live in a world where gods possess human bodies, where objects can be sacred, and where divinity is powerful yet limited. And we'll consider what these traditions might teach us about evil, responsibility, nature, and how to live well in a world that is far stranger than Western philosophy ever thought. This episode is produced in partnership with The Global Philosophy of Religion Project at University of Birmingham, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Links José Eduardo Porcher, Webite José Eduardo Porcher, Afro-Brazilian Religions (Book)
Transcribe →Episode 151, 'Afro-Brazilian Religions' with José Eduardo Porcher (Part I - Candomblé)
Jan 1100:35:33Tap to summarizeIn the beginning, there was nothing but air. The supreme being breathed upon it, and the air became water. Air and water moved together, forming mud. Seeing its shape, the supreme being breathed again – and life began. Today, we'll be exploring this creation story – born of Afro-Brazilian philosophy – forged under conditions of extreme violence, displacement, and resistance. During the transatlantic slave trade, more than four million Africans were forcibly taken to Brazil – far more than were sent to the United States. They brought with them their gods, their rituals, and their philosophies. Despite sustained efforts to suppress them, these traditions not only survived, but developed into sophisticated systems of thought that remain living practices today. We'll be exploring these traditions with José Eduardo Porcher Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. José is currently Director of the Spiritual Realities, Relationality, and Flourishing: Brazilian Contributions to Philosophy of Religion project, and has been centrally involved in a number of major research initiatives examining alternative approaches to philosophy of religion – including the John Templeton funded project Expanding the Philosophy of Religion by Engaging with Afro-Brazilian Traditions. In this episode, we'll explore the Afro-Brazilian religious tradition of Candomblé: its account of creation, its distinctive conception of God and the deities, and its striking vision of a world enchanted by a vital life-force that flows through people, objects, nature, and the divine. We'll ask what it means to live in a world where gods possess human bodies, where objects can be sacred, and where divinity is powerful yet limited. And we'll consider what these traditions might teach us about evil, responsibility, nature, and how to live well in a world that is far stranger than Western philosophy ever thought. This episode is produced in partnership with The Global Philosophy of Religion Project at University of Birmingham, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Links José Eduardo Porcher, Webite José Eduardo Porcher, Afro-Brazilian Religions (Book)
Transcribe →