The 5 Best Philosophy Podcasts
To be Intellectually Productive
As someone who hosts a philosophy podcast and was once a graduate philosophy student, I have listened to hundreds of hours of other philosophy podcasts over the past five years. I strongly believe that philosophical works should be available to everyone and not just discussed behind paywalled journals in academic buildings.
The pursuit of philosophy can be a noble one and should be encouraged more by sharing the knowledge of the subject. Podcasts are a fantastic way to do that.
Here are 5 Best Philosophy Podcasts for any level of philosophy enthusiasts:
5. Making Sense with Sam Harris
Some might say Making Sense is misplaced in a list of philosophy podcasts but Sam does have some very interesting, sometimes controversial philosophical viewpoints. He is an outspoken atheist and author of The End of Faith. Along with Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitches, and Daniel Dennett, he contributed to the theme of New Atheism at the beginning of the century.
Sam is undoubtedly one of the most eloquent speakers out of any podcasters out there. He is a fantastic listener and has great podcasting etiquette. He speaks with guests on subjects like religion, consciousness, free will, death, and some political matters as well. I really enjoy his approach to ideas with rationale and scientific appreciation.
My favorite episodes: #186 The Bomb, #107 Is life actually worth living? With David Benetar, #86 From Cells to Cities with Geoffrey West
4. History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
Standing up to its name, this podcast is an incredibly thorough and comprehensive collection of episodes on philosophy. It starts with Thales, the first Greek philosopher, and currently covers 15th and 16th-century philosophy.
Peter Adamson is the host of the show and his research is unmatched in the philosophy podcasting world. If you’re really digging in and want to have a comprehensive understanding of any area of philosophy, this is your podcast.
My favorite episodes: Classical Greek Series, Islamic World Series
3. The Partially Examined Life
This is one of the longest-running podcasts and definitely a top choice. It is hosted by a bunch of old classmates who were at one time doing their master’s in philosophy. If you’re looking for a great combination of entertainment, philosophical range, and depth, this is your podcast.
The personality of the hosts comes through and there is just enough humor needed for a philosophy podcast. They are self-admittedly non-experts on the matters but do have a decent academic background. They discuss each of the topics in an open and critical dialogue, which is very engaging and insightful at the same time.
My favorite episodes: #160 Orwell on Totalitarianism and Language, #218 The hard problem of consciousness, #213 Nietzsche’s Zarathustra
2. Philosophize This!
This is my go-to podcast suggestion when a friend who is new to philosophy asks me where to start with getting into philosophy.
If you are looking for an entry point into philosophy this is the best podcast out there. Stephen West, the host of the podcast does a fantastic job of breaking down complex topics into easily digestible material that doesn’t require a graduate student to understand. Usually, when taking this approach, one runs the risk of diluting the complexity of the ideas but Stephen West manages to thread that needle really well. The podcast is in chronological order, starting from pre-socratic philosophy, up to modern contemporary philosophy.
My favorite episodes: #121 Michel Foucault, #73 How to win an argument, #136 Hannah Arendt ‘The Banality of Evil’
1. Bryan Magee — The Great Philosophers
Bryan Magee had a tremendous influence on me when I first started getting into philosophy. His interviews and sincerely curious conversations intrigued and hooked me so much that it eventually led me to get a master’s degree in philosophy. It includes guests such as Hillary Putnam, Martha Nussbaum, Isiah Berlin, AJ Ayer, Iris Murdoch, and other stalwarts of modern philosophy.
Bryan recently passed away in 2019 but his legacy still lives and his interview series has been made into a podcast. If you prefer watching live interviews (which I do), then you can watch his interviews on YouTube.
My favorite episodes apart from those mentioned above: Husserl, Heidegger, and Existentialism with Hubert Dreyfus; Frederik Copleston on Schopenhauer
