Overthink

Ellie Anderson, Ph.D. and David Peña-Guzmán, Ph.D.
  • 5.0 (3)
  • PHILOSOPHY
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS
Overthink

The best of all possible podcasts, Leibniz would say. Putting big ideas in dialogue with the everyday, Overthink offers accessible and fresh takes on philosophy from enthusiastic experts. Hosted by professors Ellie Anderson (Pomona College) and David M. Peña-Guzmán (San Francisco State University).

  1. 3 JUN

    Water

    Oceans, baths, ponds, and amniotic sacs? In episode 131 of Overthink, David and Ellie take a deep dive into the topic of water as part of their four-part series on the elements. They discuss how all life begins in water, and the conceptual features of water, such as its fluidity and shapelessness. What did Thales of Miletus mean by ‘all is water’? How is water used as a metaphor for the Dao? And at what point does being in water go from feeling like Moana to feeling like Jaws? In the Patreon bonus segment, they talk about water as a symbol of purification, the significance of plate tectonics, and the relationship between AI and water usage.   Works Discussed:  Aristotle, On the Heavens  Francis Bacon, Novum Organum Jamie Linton, What Is Water? The History of a Modern Abstraction David Macauley, Elemental Philosophy: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water as Environmental Ideas  Anna Secor, “Spacetimeunconscious” Neil Shubin, Your Inner Fish Lao Tzu, Dao De Jing  Peter Godfrey Smith, Metazoa Support the show Patreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.com Instagram & Twitter | @overthink_pod Email | dearoverthink@gmail.com YouTube | Overthink podcast

    54 min

  2. 20 MAY

    Fire

    Are all fires inherently bad? In episode 130 of Overthink, David and Ellie launch a four-part series on the elements, starting off hot with fire. They look at the role of fire in Greek mythology (focusing on the myth of Prometheus), the evolution of humans’ relationship with fire, and fire’s role as the universal metaphor. Why did Prometheus steal fire from the Olympians and give it  to humans? Why does Bachelard believe that fire is “the” philosophical element par excellence? How did Western culture turn fire from friend to foe? And what would a non-antagonistic relationship to fire look like? In the bonus, your hosts give their fiery takes on arson and pyromania. Works Discussed:  Gaston Bachelard, The Psychoanalysis of Fire Stephen J. Pyne, The Pyrocene Stephen J. Pyne, “Fire in the mind: changing understandings of fire in Western civilization.” Support the show Patreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.com Instagram & Twitter | @overthink_pod Email | dearoverthink@gmail.com YouTube | Overthink podcast

    54 min

  3. 6 MAY

    Discretion with Barry Lam

    What value might there be in having fewer rules? In episode 129 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk to philosopher and host of Hi-Phi Nation Barry Lam about his book, Fewer Rules, Better People: The Case for Discretion. They discuss the problems with legalism and bureaucracy and the importance of discretion, as well as how the emergence of AI affects decision-making, and the negative impact of too many rules on our criminal justice system. Are we obliged to follow government rulings? Why is the ‘by the book bureaucrat’ the biggest villain of all? And how can we train people to make better discretionary decisions? In the bonus, your hosts consider the effects of decisions based on private morality and whether there are cultural differences in discretion. Works Discussed: Ronald Dworkin, Taking Rights Seriously Barry Lam,  Fewer Rules, Better People: The Case for Discretion Plato, Crito Support the show Patreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.com Instagram & Twitter | @overthink_pod Email | dearoverthink@gmail.com YouTube | Overthink podcast

    52 min

  4. 22 APR

    Cleanliness

    Episode 128 – Cleanliness How often should you shower to remain ‘clean’? How many times can you re-wear your jeans before they are considered ‘dirty’? In episode 128 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a look at cleanliness. They get into how humans have turned cleanliness into an art, and maybe even an obsession. Why are we so bothered by dirt? What is dirt, anyways? How are notions of dirtiness and cleanliness even into our symbolic systems, including language and religion? And what is up with TikTok’s obsession with the Clean Girl Aesthetic? As they tackle these questions, your hosts also explore the historical weaponisation of the concept of cleanliness against marginalised groups, such as queer people and people of color. In the bonus, Ellie and David discuss cleanliness as a social construct, the link between it and isolation, and Michel Serres’s ‘excremental theory’ of private property. Works Discussed: Bruce Bagemihl, Biological Exuberance Dana Berthold, “Tidy Whiteness: A Genealogy of Race, Purity, and Hygiene” L’Oreal Blackett, “In The “Hygiene Olympics” Black Folks Always Win — But Aren’t We Tired?” Mary Douglas, Purity and Danger Virginia Smith, Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and Purity Support the show Patreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.com Instagram & Twitter | @overthink_pod Email | dearoverthink@gmail.com YouTube | Overthink podcast

    56 min

  5. 8 APR

    Oligarchy

    Is Trump’s presidential reign turning the US into an oligarchy? Or did the US fall into oligarchic rule many years ago? In episode 127 of Overthink, David and Ellie dive into what an oligarchy looks like, the dangers of a country’s power being in the hands of the wealthy few, and whether or not oligarchic rule is new for the US. They look to the ancient Greeks for ideas on which form of government is conducive to the good life and explore how Aristotle’s notion of pleonexia relates to the current state of the US. Your hosts investigate how oligarchy morphs into tyranny, and try to answer the question, “How can we resist an oligarchy?” In the bonus, Ellie and David look at the four different types of oligarchy discussed by Jeffrey Winters. Works Discussed:  Aristotle, Politics Gordon Arlen, “Aristotle and the problem of oligarchic harm: Insights for democracy” Thom Hartmann, The Hidden History of American Oligarchy Plato, Republic  Luke Winslow, Oligarchy in America  Jeffrey Winters, Oligarchy    Support the show Patreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.com Instagram & Twitter | @overthink_pod Email | dearoverthink@gmail.com YouTube | Overthink podcast

    54 min

  6. 25 MAR

    Ecstasy

    Lasers, fog machines, silent prayers…and don’t forget the ecstasy! In episode 126 of Overthink, Ellie and David dive into the experience of ecstasy. They look at interpretations of ecstasy in the tradition of mysticism, where ecstasy has been figured as a loss of self. How common are experiences of ecstasy? Are they limited to religious contexts, or are there alternate avenues for entering ecstatic states? And what about MDMA and its relation to rave culture? In the bonus, they explore how well ecstasy fits into William James’ framework for mystical states, and consider the relationship between ecstasy, reason, and age. Works Discussed: St. Teresa of Avila, The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus Simon Critchley, On Mysticism: The Experience of Ecstasy James Landau, “The Flesh of Raving” Marghanita Laski, Everyday Ecstasy Wilhelm Mayer-Gross, “The Phenomenology of Abnormal Emotions of Happiness” Simon Reynolds, Generation Ecstasy Summer Heights High (2007) Support the show Patreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.com Instagram & Twitter | @overthink_pod Email | dearoverthink@gmail.com YouTube | Overthink podcast

    58 min

  7. 11 MAR

    Trans Identity with Talia Mae Bettcher

    How should we make sense of the Trump administration’s assault on Trans rights? In episode 125 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk to philosopher Talia Mae Bettcher about her new book Beyond Personhood: An Essay in Trans Philosophy, where she discusses everything from “genderphoria” to her notion of “reality enforcement” (a mechanism of transphobic oppression). In the interview, Dr. Bettcher expresses concerns about certain received views about trans identity, such as the “the wrong body” and “beyond the binary” views, which don’t capture the complexity of trans experiences. How can we move toward a more inclusive culture when it comes to trans identity? And, do we need to reject fundamental philosophical notions such as “person,” “self,” and “subject” in order to understand trans phoria? In the bonus, Ellie and David dive deeper into the idea of the interpersonal object and question whether or not the notion of the self is too far plagued by philosophical baggage and needs to be discarded. Works Discussed: Talia Mae Bettcher, Beyond Personhood: An Essay in Trans Philosophy Talia Mae Bettcher, “Evil Deceivers and Make-Believers: On Transphobic Violence and the Politics of Illusion” Jennifer Finney Boylan, “I’m a Transgender Woman. This Is Not the Metamorphosis I Was Expecting” Dean Spade, Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law Perry Zurn, Andrea J. Pitts, Talia Mae Bettcher and PJ DiPietro, Trans Philosophy  Support the show Patreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.com Instagram & Twitter | @overthink_pod Email | dearoverthink@gmail.com YouTube | Overthink podcast

    54 min

  8. 25 FEB

    Intuition

    Our intuitions are never wrong… right? In episode 124 of Overthink, Ellie and David wonder what intuition actually is. Is it a gut feeling, a rational insight, or just a generalization from past experience? They talk about the role intuition has played in early modern philosophy (in the works of Descartes, Hume, and Mill), in phenomenology (in the philosophies of Husserl and Nishida), and in the philosophy of science (in the writings of Bachelard). They also call into question the use of intuitions in contemporary analytic philosophy while also highlighting analytic critiques of the use of intuition in philosophical discourse. So, the question is: Can we trust our intuitions or not? Are they reliable sources of knowledge, or do they just reveal our implicit biases and cultural stereotypes? Plus, in the bonus, they dive into the limits of intuition. They take a look at John Stuart Mill’s rebellion against intuition, the ableism involved in many analytic intuitions, and Foucault’s concept of historical epistemes. Works Discussed: Maria Rosa Antognazza and Marco Segala, “Intuition in the history of philosophy (what’s in it for philosophers today?)” Gaston Bachelard, Rational Materialism Gaston Bachelard, The Philosophy of No Gaston Bachelard, The Rationalist Compromise Immanuel Kant, The Critique of Pure Reason John Stuart Mill, A System of Logic Moti Mizrahi, “Your Appeals to Intuition Have No Power Here!” Nishida Kitaro, Intuition and Reflection in Self-Consciousness Support the show Patreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.com Instagram & Twitter | @overthink_pod Email | dearoverthink@gmail.com YouTube | Overthink podcast

    54 min
See All (131)

Trailer

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The best of all possible podcasts, Leibniz would say. Putting big ideas in dialogue with the everyday, Overthink offers accessible and fresh takes on philosophy from enthusiastic experts. Hosted by professors Ellie Anderson (Pomona College) and David M. Peña-Guzmán (San Francisco State University).

Information

  • Creator
    Ellie Anderson, Ph.D. and David Peña-Guzmán, Ph.D.
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    131
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Overthink
  • Show Website
    Overthink

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