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A course in interdisciplinarity by Mario Veen. In each episode I travel through Plato's Allegory of the Cave together with a guide. Together, we examine the question of what it means to learn, grow and develop in life on earth. We do so from a new perspective every time. You can use this course to study whatever interests you through the lens of philosophy, film, art, physics, spirituality and many more. All you need is the willingness to think things through and the openness to have your preconceived notions challenged.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Plato’s Cave as framework • interdisciplinarity: philosophy, art, film • science lenses: physics, geology, neuroscience, biology • technology, media, disinformation • climate crisis, activism, environmental ethics • trauma, race, spirituality, education/medicineThis podcast uses Plato’s Allegory of the Cave as a recurring framework for interdisciplinary conversations about how humans form beliefs, perceive reality, and change their understanding over time. Across the episodes, the host interviews guides from many fields—philosophy, the arts, media studies, natural sciences, education, medicine, law, and activism—to revisit themes of illusion, truth, learning, and the often difficult transition from familiar explanations to more complex ones.
A major strand focuses on theories of truth, interpretation, and representation, drawing on thinkers in continental philosophy and contemporary cultural theory. Another strand explores how images and media shape attention and politics, including film as a way of thinking, social media as an attention economy, and “visual politics” in contexts such as racism and public violence. Related discussions examine disinformation, science denial, and science communication, emphasizing how people argue about evidence and how public discourse can become distorted.
The show also uses scientific perspectives to expand the “cave” metaphor outward and inward: geology and deep time, astrophysics and the search for life beyond Earth, neuroscience and meditation, and biology and evolution in relation to technology. Climate and ecology become a recurring practical horizon, connecting scientific knowledge to activism, institutions, economics, and emerging legal ideas such as rights of nature, as well as to health and healthcare sustainability.
Further episodes address trauma, memory, and intergenerational effects of war and genocide, alongside questions of education, professional practice, and how experts (including doctors and educators) think and learn. Overall, this podcast offers concept-driven, interview-based explorations of knowledge, meaning, and responsibility across personal, social, and planetary scales.
