TrueSciPhi

Podcast Profile: The Philosopher's Nest

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61 episodes
2022 to 2025
Median: 23 minutes
Collection: Philosophy

Description (podcaster-provided):

Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

This podcast features interview-style conversations with graduate students in philosophy, often at Oxford and other universities worldwide, focusing on both their research and their lived experience of academic philosophy. Across the episodes, listeners hear PhD candidates and recent graduates describe the questions that animate their work—ranging from core areas such as ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, political philosophy, aesthetics, and philosophy of science, to historically grounded projects engaging figures like Plato, Kant, and Spinoza.

A recurring theme is how philosophical inquiry connects to real-world issues and adjacent disciplines. Discussions frequently touch on law and political obligation, wellbeing measurement, technology and AI ethics, the ethics of robotics, and topics at the intersection of philosophy and psychiatry. Other conversations explore interpersonal and social dimensions of moral life, including authenticity, trust, moral criticism, moral testimony, and questions about what (or who) counts as a moral patient. Several episodes also engage philosophy of mind topics such as consciousness, confabulation, and perception.

Alongside research content, the show consistently foregrounds professional development and academic culture. Guests share pathways into philosophy from diverse backgrounds, reflect on differences in philosophical traditions and styles, and talk candidly about navigating PhD milestones, publishing, teaching, editorial work, and public philosophy. The podcast also addresses structural and personal challenges in academia—such as disability, first-generation and working-class experiences, harassment and misconduct, job-market pressures, and institutional change—while highlighting the value of mentorship, community, and practical advice for applicants and early-stage researchers.

Interspersed bonus-style conversations compile multiple short reflections from graduate students about lessons learned during the PhD and what they found most meaningful in the process, reinforcing the podcast’s dual emphasis on philosophical ideas and the realities of doing philosophy as a graduate student.

Episodes:

S3E13 - Bonus Episode: What was the Highlight of your PhD? 2025-May-12 14 minutes

S3E12 - Paloma Morales on the Philosophy of Interpersonal Relationships 2025-Apr-21 23 minutes

S3E11 - Julian Ratcliffe on Genealogical Anxiety and Analytic and Continental Philosophy 2025-Mar-31 30 minutes

S3E10 - Imogen Rivers on Law, Philosophy, and AI Ethics 2025-Mar-12 28 minutes

S3E9 - Sophie Nelson on the Nature of Consciousness and Applying to PhDs from a SLAC 2025-Feb-17 22 minutes

S3E8 - Helen Han Wei Luo on Ethics as Etiquette 2025-Jan-27 27 minutes

S3E7 - Gabriella Hulsey on Moral Criticism and the Mystification of Professional Philosophy 2025-Jan-06 25 minutes

S3E6 - Pablo Hubacher Haerle on the Irrationality of OCD 2024-Dec-16 23 minutes

S3E5 - David Harmon on Spinozan Metaphysics, Why Anything Exists, and the Diversity Reading List Initiative 2024-Nov-24 29 minutes

S3E4 - Jessica Pohlmann on the Metaphysics of Spacetime and Editorial Assistantship at AJP 2024-Nov-04 23 minutes

S3E3 - Shmuel Gomes on Teaching Soft Skills, Moral Patiency, and the Relationship between Judaism and Philosophy 2024-Oct-14 23 minutes

S3E2 - Emily Slome on Moral Testimony Pessimism and Evolutionary Debunking 2024-Sep-23 22 minutes

S3E1 - Kathleen Murphy-Hollies on Confabulation, UBirmingham, and the Philosophy Garden 2024-Sep-02 20 minutes

End of Season Announcement 2024-May-31 less than a minute

S2E13 - Bonus Episode! What's the Most Underrated Part of Doing a PhD? 2024-May-13 10 minutes

S2E12 - Joe Schmid on Existential Inertia, Psychophysical Harmony and Book-Publishing 2024-Apr-22 28 minutes

S2E11 - David Domínguez on the Zetetic Turn and Philosophy in Spain 2024-Apr-01 22 minutes

S2E10 - Cindy Friedman on Humanoid Robots and Ubuntu Ethics 2024-Mar-11 27 minutes

S2E9 - Asia Sakchatchawan on Tennis and Authenticity 2024-Feb-19 24 minutes

S2E8 - Kenny Novis on Podcasting, Marxism, and Spinoza 2024-Jan-29 22 minutes

S2E7 - Madeleine Parkinson on Erotic Love and Beauty in Plato 2024-Jan-08 21 minutes

S2E6 - Cayla Clinkenbeard on Trust, Knowledge, and Publishing in Topical Collections 2023-Dec-18 23 minutes

S2E5 - Facundo Rodriguez on Kant's Interpersonal Philosophy and the History of Philosophy 2023-Nov-27 24 minutes

S2E4 - Alexander Stooshinoff on Life as a Touring Musician, the Impact of Covid, and the Philosophy of Nature 2023-Nov-06 24 minutes

S2E3 - Danny Wardle on the Proposed Redundancies at ACU, Social Ontology, and Research Masters 2023-Oct-16 28 minutes

S2E2 - Declan O'Gara on University as a First-Gen Student, Moral Error Theory, and Running WiP Seminars 2023-Sep-25 31 minutes

S2E1 - Nicholas Drake on Self-Sufficiency, the Aim(s) of Philosophy, and Measuring Wellbeing 2023-Sep-04 27 minutes

End of Season Announcement 2023-Jun-05 less than a minute

S1E32 - Bonus Episode! What Grad Students Wish They'd Known About Doing a PhD 2023-May-22 17 minutes

S1E31 - Elliott Thornley on Population Ethics, Global Catastrophic Risks, and Writing an Integrated Thesis 2023-May-08 21 minutes

S1E30 - Deryn Thomas on Farming in Montana, PhD Vivas, and the Philosophy of Work 2023-Apr-24 23 minutes

S1E29 - Elizabeth Cantalamessa on Wyoming, Adjuncting, and Humor 2023-Apr-10 26 minutes

S1E28 - Levin Güver on the Boundaries between Law and Philosophy, Picking a Good Supervisor, and Intention in Law 2023-Mar-27 23 minutes

S1E27 - Jack Symes on The Panpsycast, the Evil God Challenge, and Stephen Fry 2023-Mar-13 26 minutes

S1E26 - Alice Harberd on Classics, Civil Service, and the Value of Art 2023-Feb-20 22 minutes

S1E25 - Kerry Langsdale on Time and Self-Funded PhDs 2023-Feb-06 30 minutes

S1E24 - Sophie Gibert on the Ethics of Influencing Others and Teaching as a PhD Student 2023-Jan-23 27 minutes

S1E23 - Logan Mitchell on PhD Admissions Waitlists and the Ethics of Mindfulness 2023-Jan-09 28 minutes

S1E22 - Cara-Julie Kather on Philosophy in non-Philosophy Departments, Feminism and Mathematics, and Sexual Harrassment in Academia 2022-Dec-19 26 minutes

S1E21 - Dario Vaccaro on Analytic versus Continental Philosophy and Reliability in Knowledge 2022-Nov-28 23 minutes

S1E20 - Linds Whittaker on PhD Admissions Data and Pet Food Ethics 2022-Nov-14 24 minutes

S1E19 - Bonus Episode! Advice for Students Applying for PhDs in Philosophy 2022-Oct-31 14 minutes

S1E18 - Lorenzo Elijah on an Eventful Lockdown, Duties to Obey the Law, and Good Mentors 2022-Oct-17 21 minutes

S1E17 - Atay Kozlovski on Swiss PhDs, Values, and Parity 2022-Oct-03 33 minutes

S1E16 - Mitchell Barrington on Advice for Applying to Grad Philosophy Programmes 2022-Sep-19 21 minutes

S1E15 - Lysette Chaproniere on Blindness in Academia and the Philosophy of Disability and Enhancement 2022-Sep-05

S1E14 - Eli Benjamin Israel on Moving to the US, Kant and the Sublime, and Interdisciplinary Public Philosophy 2022-Aug-22 21 minutes

S1E13 - Mary Peterson on Spinoza and Sexual Harassment in Academia 2022-Aug-08 15 minutes

S1E12 - Mira Hannegard on Swedish PhD Programmes, Social Epistemology, and Quitting Her PhD 2022-Jul-25 19 minutes

S1E11 - Casey Landers on Parenting during the PhD, Perception, and the Job Market 2022-Jul-11 28 minutes

S1E10 - Jack Beaulieu on Sanskrit Philosophy and Neurodiversity 2022-Jun-27

S1E9 - Emily Lawson on Indian Philosophy, Death, and Imagination 2022-Jun-13 23 minutes

S1E8 - Riana Popat on Outreach, Mental Health and Metaethics, and the Value of Philosophy 2022-Jun-06

S1E7 - Alexandra Gustafson on Love, Public Philosophy, and Disabilities in Academia 2022-May-09

S1E6 - Tomy Ames on Taking Time Out of Academia, Aphantasia, and Interdisciplinary PhD Programs 2022-Apr-25 23 minutes

S1E5 - Virginie Simoneau-Gilbert on Animal Ethics, Rhodes Scholarships, and Public Philosophy 2022-Apr-11 16 minutes

S1E4 - Eric Shoemaker on Grad Life at UToronto, Political Random Selection, and Philosophy Conferences 2022-Mar-28 24 minutes

S1E3 - Emma Curran on Doing 'Less than Best' and the Practical Relevance of Philosophy 2022-Mar-14 23 minutes

S1E2 - Jen Semler on AI, Icelandic Studies, Women in Philosophy, and Publishing 2022-Mar-14 18 minutes

S1E1 - Jordan Scott on Applying to UK & US Grad Programs, Race, and Publishing 2022-Mar-14 24 minutes

Trailer 2022-Mar-14 less than a minute