Deadbeat Philosophy

Rob Mottram is a scholar of modern European literature and culture, and senior lecturer in German studies at Whitman College.Rob and Dave chat about sandwiches, nostalgia, encountering computers as kids in the 1980s and early 1990s, AI (including AI term papers and AI podcasts), the overwhelming power of aesthetic experience, Goethe’s Faust Pt. II, and Rob’s transformative melding into Caspar David Friedrich’s “Mountain Landscape with Rainbow.”Rob’s Recommendations:Don’t Go to Montana and Don’t Enter Academia!The Flaming Lips, “At War with the Mystics” and “Embryonic” (Albums):George Steiner, “Real Presences” (Book) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Tatjana Schönwälder-Kuntze is a philosopher based in Munich and the author of, among other books, Freiheit als Norm? Kritische Theoriebildung und der Effekt Kantischer Moralphilosophie, Philosophische Methoden, and Judith Butlers Philosophie des Politischen: Kritische Lektüren.This is the first (but probably not the last?) German-language episode of the podcast. Recorded with a live audience at the Städtisches Lapidarium Stuttgart: https://www.lapidarium-stuttgart.de/Tatjana’s Recommendations:Ilija Trojanow, “Der Weltensammler” (Novel)Prince, “Sign o’ the Times” (Album)Lasse Hallström, “Gottes Werk & Teufels Beitrag” (Film) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

While producing the podcast and creating bizarre philosophy-themed YouTube videos over the past months, Dave has also been working on three books in progress–“Animality and Finitude,” “On the Kanthropocene,” and “A Bipolar Manifesto.”Parts of each book have been released on a rolling basis on the Deadbeat Philosophy homepage (deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com), and episodes 20, 21, and 22 of the podcast will feature readings of available sections of each.In this episode, Dave reads the first three parts of “A Bipolar Manifesto”:1. What This Book Plans to Do2. The Bipolar Appeal of Kant3. Bipolar is Like . . . Wintering in Antarctica This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

While producing the podcast and creating bizarre philosophy-themed YouTube videos over the past months, Dave has also been working on three books in progress–“Animality and Finitude,” “On the Kanthropocene,” and “A Bipolar Manifesto.”Parts of each book have been released on a rolling basis on the Deadbeat Philosophy homepage (deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com), and episodes 20, 21, and 22 of the podcast will feature readings of available sections of each.In this episode, Dave reads the first six parts of “On the Kanthropocene”:1. Jack and the Beanstalk of Reason2. With All Due Respect to Cephalopods3. The Kanthropocene Is4. The “Global Environmental Crisis”5. The Kanthropocene and Us6. Infanticidal Hominins in the Space of ReasonsInfo about live podcast recording on 8.8.25 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

While producing the podcast and creating bizarre philosophy-themed YouTube videos over the past months, Dave has also been working on three books in progress–“Animality and Finitude,” “On the Kanthropocene,” and “A Bipolar Manifesto.”Parts of each book have been released on a rolling basis on the Deadbeat Philosophy homepage (deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com), and episodes 20, 21, and 22 of the podcast will feature readings of available sections of each.In this episode, Dave reads the first six parts of “Animality and Finitude”:1. Life is a Journey. Death is Where that Journey Ends2. On the Animality of Cookie Monster, Grover, Elmo, and Oscar the Grouch3. On the Question of Ethical Eating4. Against Sustainability: Six Theses5. The Paradox of the Easter Bunny6. A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Paradoxical Medicine Go DownWith this episode, the Deadbeat Philosophy Podcast will shift to an every other week format–at least until the end of summer and the conclusion of all inglorious summer-related travel.Thanks for tuning in, and until soon. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Ivo Martin is a philosopher, educator, and musician based in Stuttgart.Dave and Ivo chat about the relative places of philosophy in the education and social systems of Germany and the USA, the (non?)relationship between studying philosophy and acting ethically, teaching philosophy to young children, the expectation of “neutrality” in the teaching of philosophy and politics, the value of anti-democratic philosophy in democratic states, the philosophical possibilities of rap music, spontaneity in music and thinking, the human/animal relation, anthropocentrism and the anthropocene, ecological nihilism, and more.In the second half, Ivo shares his recently recorded rap (under his rap alias “Nautilus”) “Was ist der Mensch?” (“What is the Human?”), which Dave and Ivo unpack and discuss.Hear “Was ist der Mensch?” againIvo’s Recommendations:“Triangle of Sadness” (Film)Otfried Preußler, “Krabat” (Novel)“It Takes Two” (Video Game) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Brian is a poet and novelist based in Colorado, USA.Dave and Brian chat about writing, relating (or not relating) to previous versions of oneself, mortality, grief, memory, identity, delusion, attachment, parenthood, marriage, divorce, loss, depression, solitude, nerds, my little ponies, and the philosopho-therapeutic value of literature and art.They discuss in some detail early twentieth Japanese novels by Natsume Sōseki (“Kokoro”), Osamu Dazai (“No Longer Human”, and Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (“Kappa”).And along the way, Brian reads to us a number of his (really excellent) poems, which Dave and Brian unpack and discuss.Brian’s Recommendations:Natsume Sōseki, “Kokoro” (Novel)Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, “Kappa” (Novella)Conway Twitty, “That’s My Job” (Song) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Chris Anderson is a Roman Catholic theologian, high school theology and philosophy teacher, college instructor, and pastoral minister based in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.Chris was a student of Dave’s during their overlapping time at Seton Hill University, and in this conversation the two revisit and expand upon themes they had first discussed years prior, including the relationship between philosophy and theology, the value of a liberal arts education, Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, the phenomenological and narrative richness of Augustine’s Confessions, and existentialism from Heidegger to Beauvoir.Along the way, Chris shares his reactions to the selection of an American (and Augustinian) pope, his approach to the concept of kenosis, his relationship to mortality in light of his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in early adulthood, his view of the relationship between AI and human mortality, and much more.Chris’ Recommendations:“Black Mirror” (TV Show)Martin Heidegger, “Poetry, Language, Thought” (Book)Sarah Bakewell, “At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails” (Book)David Baumeister, “Kant on the Human Animal: Anthropology, Ethics, Race” (Book) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Thibaud Henin is a Canadian political scientist based at Concordia University in Montreal.Dave and Thibaud chat about artificial intelligence from a variety of angles. They focus on algorithms and their interface with patterns of human and non-human behavior, thought, history, life, and physiology. They discuss the concept of AI agency, and of the creation within AI systems of delegated management, agency, and meta-agency roles. They debate the question of whether AI could in fact produce “truly innovative” poetry, art, or literature, or whether it might be condemned to an eternal repetition of wholly non-innovative cultural mush.They touch on examples such as AI art, AI poetry, AI philosophy, AI lawyers, AI in the justice system, AI music, AI film, AI YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok channels. They touch on the nature of innovation and creative novelty itself, and question whether even human innovation is not simply a matter of random mutations occurring within otherwise fully-patterned natural iterations. They share experiences encountering AI in academia (from the position of professor and researcher) and as parents. They end on a note of skepticism regarding whether it can be ruled out that this podcast is itself a product of generative AI.Thibaud's webpageThibaud’s Recommendations:Stephen Hawking, “The Illustrated A Brief History of Time” (Book)Jennifer Clapp, “Toxic Exports: The Transfer of Hazardous Wastes from Rich to Poor Countries” (Book)Classic Punk Albums by Ramones, Sex Pistols, and NOFX (Albums) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Reverend Tasha Brownfield is a Pantheist, Unitarian Universalist chaplain, minister, and educator. Currently, Tasha serves as the outpatient oncology chaplain at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, senior minister at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Smithton, PA, and a professor of religious studies and philosophy at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA.Tasha and Dave chat about Tasha’s life as a chaplain at one of the world’s largest and most cutting-edge hospitals, including accompanying patients and their families in transitions from life to death. They discuss the home Tasha has found in the Unitarian Universalist church and her experiences studying at Seton Hill University (where Dave and Tasha met) and at Yale divinity school (where Tasha’s uniquely open approach to ministry sparked several nationally covered scandals). They cover Tasha’s long-held commitment to and exploration of Pantheism and the Pantheistic worldview, her breakthrough drag-king performance-persona (Reverend Morningstar), and much more.Tasha’s Linkedin Page Reverend Morningstar on InstagramTasha’s Recommendations:Yōko Ogawa, “The Memory Police” (Novel)Jesse Welles, “Under the Power Lines” (Album)Mary-Jane Rubenstein, “Pantheologies: Gods, Worlds, Monsters” (Book)Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele, “When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir” (Book)Delores S. Williams, “Sisters in the Wilderness” (Book)The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the host, Dave Baumeister, and the guest, Rev. Tasha Brownfield, and do not reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated institutions, employers, or organizations associated with them. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Jim Martin is an American author, composer, musician, editor, photographer, and long-time Genesis fan living (like Dave) in Stuttgart Germany.Jim and Dave chat about ex-pat identity, about Jim’s upbringing at a military school in the US, about the unpredictable multiplicity of the creative process, and about Jim’s musical theatrical directorial debut scheduled for later this year. They cover mortality, Alan Watts and Joseph Campbell, Zen Buddhism and Taoism, the slippery moral quandaries that emerge when one commits oneself to “going with the flow,” Irish poetry, Mrs. Dalloway, Genesis, Gustav Mahler, and more.Tickets for Jim’s upcoming musical (“Die stumme Symphonie”), July 17–20, 2025 in StuttgartJim’s Music Blog (with links to and stories about some of Jim’s favorite pieces of music)Jim’s Recommendations:John O'Donohue, “Eternal Echoes” (Book)Virginia Woolf, “Mrs. Dalloway” (Novel)David Myers, “Genesis on Piano” (Album/Performance)Gustav Mahler, “Symphony No. 2” (Composition)Gaea Schoeters, “Trophäe” (Novel)Additional Recs:Bill Moyers' interview series with Joseph CampbellA summary of Campbell's teachings This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Patrick Reinhardt is a book collector, publisher, illustrator, and self-defined “atavistic gentleman scholar.” Patrick and Dave chat about Patrick’s lifelong obsession with books, beginning with childhood readings of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, all the way to his running of an independent classic literature publishing outfit today.They talk about developing an identity based around reading and designing books and the power of description, atmosphere, and plot in fantastic, speculative, and literary writing. They discuss Patrick’s “dayjob” working the night shift at the post office, the proverbial “midlife crisis,” and their shared affinity for objects and styles from bygone eras. Patrick also shares the story behind his upward-curling mustache and walks us through some of his favorite books and book series, including several that he has re-released himself.Patrick’s publishing house: https://curiouser.house/Patrick’s recommendations:Hope Mirrlees, “Lud in the Mist” (Novel)Jandek (Musician)Mervyn Peake, “Gormengast” (Novel Series)Joris-Karl Huysmans, “Against the Grain” (Novel) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Justin Hagge is an EMT-Firefighter on Lopez Island–one of the San Juan Islands in Washington State, USA, just below the US border with Canada. Justin was previously director of the Lopez Island Dump, and before that a high school social studies teacher in Denver, Colorado.Justin and Dave chat about what it’s like to live on Lopez Island, which has a permanent population of just over 3000 people. Hint: it’s not always as quiet and cozy as you might think! They cover Justin’s transition from school teacher, to technical infrastructure support, to waste management, to emt, and now to emt-firefighter. They talk about life and death situations, acting under intense mental and physiological stress, and what it is like to be present as Justin’s patients (and fellow islanders) pass away into unhaltable death, as all are eventually slotted to do. They also discuss the fantasy and sci-fi novel genres (including the “Wheel of Time” series), German youth slang (“Hey, Fatty!”), the excessive waste produced by contemporary Americans, grindcore music, and much else besides.Statement on Justin’s transition from the Lopez Dump to Lopez Fire and Emergency Medical Services.Justin’s recommendations:“The Waste Stream” (Upcoming 2025 Documentary)James S.A. Corey, “The Expanse” (Book Series)Trap Them, “Darker Handcraft” (Album) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Lucy Schultz is associate lecturer of philosophy and co-director of the environmental studies minor at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Lucy is the author of numerous articles and book chapters on, among other topics, environmental philosophy, modern Japanese philosophy, Hegel, aesthetics, phenomenology, climate change, and is the co-editor of the “Tetsugaku Companion to Nishida Kitaro” (2022).Lucy and Dave chat about place and spatiality, modern Japanese philosophy, the notion of “eastern vs. western” philosophy, Tetsuro Watsuji’s work on the intersection between nature, climate, and culture, Martin Heidegger, René Descartes, G.W.F. Hegel’s philosophies of nature and history, the unhealthy relationship to death prevalent in mainstream culture today, the sixth mass extinction, climate grief, our responsibility towards future generations, and more.Lucy’s WebpageLucy’s recommendations:“Satoyama: Japan’s Secret Water Garden,” Part 1 and Part 2 (Documentary)Andreas Malm, “How to Blow Up at Pipeline” (Book)Daniel Goldhaber, “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” (Film)The War on Drugs, “A Deeper Understanding” (Album) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe

Aidan Beatty is a historian at Carnegie Mellon University and the current president of the American Conference for Irish Studies. Aidan is author of the books Masculinity and Power in Irish Nationalism, 1884-1938 (2016), Private Property and the Fear of Social Chaos (2023), and, most recently, The Party is Always Right: The Untold Story of Gerry Healy and British Trotskyism (2024).Aidan and Dave chat about Irishness, ideology, whiteness, stereotypes, the history of private property, Marx & Engels, the Russian Revolution, Jewish history and identity, martyrdom, disciplinary divergences and overlaps between history and philosophy, and much else besides.Aidan’s WebpageAidan’s recommendations:Black Ox Orkestar, “Nisht Azoy” (Album)R.I. Moore, “The Formation of a Persecuting Society” (Book)Angela Bourke, “The Burning of Bridget Cleary” (Book) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deadbeatphilosophy.substack.com/subscribe