68 episodes
The Dawdler's Philosophy The Dawdler's Philosophy
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- Philosophy
Most hustlers won’t wait to put off to tomorrow what they can do today. Not us! We can’t wait to put off to tomorrow what we can do today. We’re overripe fruit of the late bloom. Dawdlers. But all things must come to a partial end and this is partially it! ...a whimper into the abyss...
We do a podcast we call The Dawdler's Philosophy. It's just two of us, Harland and Ryan (maybe not making it even if we try). We mostly talk about ideas and science and stuff. We also talk about things. Stuffing!
We try to define the terms we use and, well, we try to be nice to each other.
Expect content. We aren't interested in spectacle or forced passion and drama. But we're also as advertised.
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Shorts - E25: Pedants and Magisters
Stay in yer lane, puny pedants!! This time the Dawdlers ponder the question: What is preferable, being a pedant or a magister? Tune in to find out which!
Then celebrate by doing the ma-corona! [moves: go to beach, dig hole in sand, stick head in] -
Shorts - E24: Deadlock
Longest. Dawdle. Yet.
But we come back to you now at the turn of the tide. This time Ryan asks a question and Harland gets it wrong (of course). But we're ok. Are YOU ok?
Let's talk about how the world will end then, shall we? -
E40: Maniraptoran Gravy -The Dinosaur Episode
Tastes like chicken!
What does?
Dinosaurs…
Happy Harrahdays,
-Dawdlers -
E39: We Don't Need No Stinking Badges - Whitehead on Laws of Nature
Metaphysical outlaws? Does our universe operate according to some set or other of fixed, eternal rules? Enforced by whom/what? Could these "laws" themselves "evolve"? This week the Dawdlers consider some lawlike generalizations from Alfred North Whitehead's book Adventures of Ideas where he presents a quadruple of suggestions for how "laws" might function metaphysically, and how various influential thinkers have developed this concept family historically.
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E38: Cognitive Combinatorialism - What Makes Humans Special?
What makes humans special? Is it language? Culture? Throwing? Semiotics? Impossible burgers?
Ryan thinks it’s the extent to which we combine ("meat", cheese, bun - see!?). In this episode we Dawdlers discuss this in this “short long” and will perhaps revisit it again sometime.
Join hands and feel our infinite combinatorial power, people!
-The Dawdlers
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00:01:13 – Ryan’s deep passions // A way in // Physics and the humanities and nothing in between!!!
00:06:58 – Without further ado, another story // Ubiquitous combination // Human exceptionalism?
00:12:54 – Cognitive combinatorialism // A simple definition // Conceptual blending/integration // Possible worlds
00:28:32 – A framework // Analogy and categorization // Actions and conditions // Shark test bites // It’s the extent to which we combine that’s different about us
00:39:57 – Biotic exceptionalism, not human exceptionalism // Photosynthesis comparison // Waste, extinction, and niche construction -
E37: The Memory of an Old Idea No One Ever Had - Derrida's Hauntology
To be or not to be, that’s the question, isn’t it?
In this episode, we Dawdlers discuss Jacques Derrida’s idea “Hauntology.” Not an easy philosopher to understand, we do our best to work out what spooks a Frenchman. In the end, this was but a first foray into the thoughts of an intellect that dealt in as much enigma as he did in misunderstanding.
Happy Halloween you cavity-riddled chompers!
-Dawds
P.s. Be warned, there’s some narration in this one.
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00:03:40 – First narration interruption
00:04:54 – Background to Derrida and Deconstruction
00:10:43 – (Metaphysical) Hauntology // Temporal and ontological disjunction // Melody example // Specters of Marx // Commodity/value example // The word itself
00:26:17 – (Cultural) Hauntology // Mark Fisher’s “Ghosts of My Life” // The slow cancellation of the future // Anachronism
00:33:15 – Second narration interruption
00:34:51 – (Cultural) Hauntology cont’d // Role in society and economy // Another Einstein-Brian Greene spacetime loaf idea comparison
00:51:54 – Harland asks, “So what?”
00:52:53 – Third narration interruption
00:53:52 – Ryan’s answer to Harland’s question // Part 1: improving judgments and decision making // Part 2: Hauntology is a symptom of important human cognitive processes // Conceptual blending // Arthur Koestler’s Buddhist monk riddle // Foreshadowing the next episode
Customer Reviews
Great show
I found the podcast by searching for “spandrels” so episode 2 where they talk about Gould and Lewontin was my first episode. I think they did a excellent job at explaining the paper and would be interested in more topics discussing these “intellectual dark web” clowns. The field of evolutionary psychology seems to have many of the same problems the spandrels paper is talking about (i.e. just so stories) so that might be a cool idea for a future episode! Looking forward to listening to the rest of the catalog.
Good Balance
The Dawdlers do a great job of taking their time to chew on big ideas. By not letting each other or ideas off the hook easily, but also keeping things light enough for this history teacher to follow, they get to the core of big questions. They’ll entertain you while you listen, and give you something to think about long after you’re done.
Accessible, Fun Conversations!
Harland and Ryan are always worth listening to for fresh takes on interesting philosophical topics as well as occasional investigations of the margins. Check it out!
