I was a weird kid. So weird, that by the time I was in grade seven, I began devouring any and every philosophy book I could get my hands on. So it’s no surprise that my love of this topic has passed through to the podcasts I listen to.
Prepare to dive into the realm of profound thought and intellectual discourse with our curated selection of top-tier philosophy podcasts. These gems offer you a gateway to explore life’s biggest questions, challenge conventional wisdom, and engage with the ideas of history’s greatest thinkers.
Whether you’re a seasoned philosopher or a curious newcomer, these podcasts serve as your personal lecture hall, bringing the insights of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Locke, Hume, Kant, and contemporary thinkers directly to your ears. From ethical dilemmas to metaphysical musings, this list covers a diverse range of philosophical topics, ensuring there’s something to pique every inquiring mind.
Philosophize This!
Newcomer-accessible when followed sequentially! This educational podcast on philosophy caters to curious minds, requiring no advanced academic background in the subject. It methodically explores and simplifies the philosophers and concepts that have shaped our current world, presenting them in historical order.
Philosophy For Our Times
Listen to Philosophy For Our Times
This complimentary philosophical audio series delivers fresh lectures and discussions from renowned intellectuals. We present weekly installments exploring contemporary pivotal concepts in current affairs, community, the arts, governance, scientific advancements, and cultural trends.
Philosophy Bites
David Edmonds (affiliated with the Uehiro Centre at Oxford University) and Nigel Warburton (independent philosopher and author) conduct dialogues with leading thinkers on diverse philosophical subjects. The conversations have inspired two volumes published by Oxford University Press.
The Partially Examined Life
Listen to The Partially Examined Life
Hosted by a group of friends who once considered philosophy as a career path but ultimately chose different directions. In each installment, they select a brief philosophical work and discuss it, blending thoughtful analysis with lighthearted banter. Listeners need not have a background in philosophy or be familiar with the text under discussion to (generally) grasp and (ideally) appreciate the conversation.
Philosopher’s Zone
Often, the most straightforward inquiries yield the most intricate responses. “Philosopher’s Zone” serves as your navigator through the bewildering forests of reasoning, reality studies, and moral philosophy.
Elucidations
“Elucidations” is a surprising philosophical audio series created in collaboration with Emergent Ventures. In each installment, host Matt Teichman reverts to the role of a learner, attempting to grasp the fundamentals of various subjects from individuals with intriguing philosophical perspectives.
In Our Time: Philosophy
Listen to In Our Time: Philosophy
Spanning from Selfless Concern to the ideas of Ludwig, this series explores thinkers, concepts, and essential topics in the realm of wisdom-seeking.
Very Bad Wizards
Very Bad Wizards is a podcast hosted by philosopher Tamler Sommers and psychologist David Pizarro. The duo shares a passion for ethics, pop culture, and cognitive science, while often blurring the lines between the sacred and the profane. Each episode hosts conversations about moral philosophy, recent research in moral psychology and neuroscience, and how these fields intersect.
The History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
Listen to The History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
Dr. Peter Adamson, who holds Philosophy professorships at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and King’s College London, guides audiences on a comprehensive journey through philosophical thought, exploring every era and leaving no period unexplored.
Brain in a Vat
Conceptual scenarios and dialogues with thinkers, led by Dr. Jason Werbeloff and Mark Oppenheimer.
Overthink
The pinnacle of audio programming, as Leibniz might declare. Bridging lofty concepts with daily life, Overthink presents philosophy in an approachable and novel manner, guided by passionate scholars. Your hosts are academics Ellie Anderson from Pomona College and David M. Peña-Guzmán of San Francisco State University.
What’s Left of Philosophy
Listen to What’s Left of Philosophy
Exploring philosophy’s revolutionary past and current political thought, Gil Morejón, Lillian Cicerchia, Owen Glyn-Williams, and William Paris host “What Remains of Philosophy”. The field isn’t extinct, but what endures?
Hotel Bar Sessions
The “Hotel Bar Sessions” podcast offers listeners an intimate and engaging exploration of philosophical ideas in a unique setting. Hosted by seasoned thinkers, the show recreates the atmosphere of late-night conversations in hotel bars, where deep discussions often unfold.
The Panpsycast Philosophy Podcast
Listen to The Panpsycast Philosophy Podcast
A ‘casual yet enlightening’ philosophical audio series, motivating and assisting learners, educators, scholars, and independent minds across the globe.
Acid Horizon
Acid Horizon and Inner Experience theory podcasts. Metaphysics, ethics, politics, critical theory, phenomenology, and beyond.
Why Theory
Blending abstract European thought with psychological insight, Why Theory analyzes societal trends and cultural expressions.
Do you know of another Philosophy podcast that you think should be on this list? Let me know.
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