Twitter: @owls_at_dawn • @austin_hayden • @axwielderofdeth (@austin_hayden followed by 22 philosophers)
Site: www.owlsatdawn.com
100 episodes
2019 to 2022
Average episode: 94 minutes
Open in Apple Podcasts • RSS
Categories: Two Hosts
Podcaster's summary: Two dudes from SoCal who studied philosophy, politics, and religion around the globe who decided to start a podcast where we could bullshit with impunity.
| Episodes |
| 2022-Sep-05 "It’s Showtime (Almost)" - Oad Ep. 173 The dudes get into the show Winning Time on HBO, which was made for them to enjoy. Plus, Troy has found a new level of bad dialogue in movies, and Austin is almost finished with Better Call Saul. |
| 2022-Jul-04 • 106 minutes "Sex, Politics, and Transfiguring Desire" - Oad Ep. 172 The guys discuss the expectation of desire fulfillment and desire as an independent variable, contestable and changeable. Plus, a shitty minute to talk about the repetitive and seemingly fruitless nature of discourse on social media, and a recommendation for Heavy Metal Gangs of Wadeye. |
| 2022-Jun-30 • 96 minutes "Nuance: Virtue or Vice?" - OaD Ep. 171 The dudes discuss "Actually Existing Nuance" vs. the negative tendencies of the "nuance-promoting theorist," as introduced in Kieran Healy's "Fuck Nuance." Plus, Troy goes back and forth on his support for Draymond Green's podcast, and Austin is reading The Empty Space. |
| 2022-Jun-11 • 123 minutes "Can You Be An Ethical CEO?" - OaD Ep. 170 The dudes get into the second patron-chosen topic and ask if it's possible to be an ethical boss, using William Shaw's "Marxism, Business Ethics, and Corporate Responsibility" as framework. Plus, the toxicity of celebrity obsession and unexplained Youth behavior. |
| 2022-Jun-03 • 102 minutes "Your Outie is Beloved Podcast: Severance" - OaD Ep. 169 The guys discuss the show Severance. Plus, Troy says it's okay to feel hopeless - maybe even necessary - and Austin has finally gotten into Veep. |
| 2022-May-20 • 92 minutes "JOB: ANGRY AT GOD FOR THE CRIME OF BEING" - OAD EP. 168 The dudes discuss The Book of Job in a way that may differ from your middle school religious studies... Plus, The Self-Assessment Society and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. |
| 2022-May-13 • 99 minutes "EVERYTHING AND NOTHING ALL AT ONCE" - OAD EP. 167 The boys discuss the origins of nihilism and existential crises within the framework of the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once. Plus, Troy considers the political inclinations of crypto ads, and Austin enjoys some historical non-fiction reading. |
| 2022-May-05 • 83 minutes "Are You a Jerk or a Sweetheart?" - OaD Ep. 166 The dudes discuss Eric Schwitzgebel's article "The COVID Jerk" and what it means to be a Jerk and a Sweetheart, as well as the difference between niceness and kindness. Plus, there's no need to be so sour towards Bernie Sanders, but there IS a need to watch Everything Everywhere All At Once. |
| 2022-Apr-15 • 93 minutes "Are We Liberals?" - OaD Ep. 165 The dudes discuss a blog post by philosopher of science Liam Bright, which explores the genealogy of Liberalism and what it means to not identify as such in today's society. Plus, the hedonism of music festivals and a potentially "great" review of Severance. |
| 2022-Mar-24 • 101 minutes "Putin's Ignoble Lie: Fascism, Nihilism, and Zizek on the Ukraine War" - OaD Ep. 164 The dudes discuss fascism, nihilism, Prozorov's false universalism, and Alexandr Dugin's concept of the "Russian Truth." Plus, the absurdity of wanting a return to "normalcy" post-war, and the AppleTV series For All Mankind. |
| 2022-Mar-10 • 91 minutes "Russia-Ukraine War: There Can Be More Than One Empire" - OaD Ep. 163 The guys sit down with author and scholar Sergei Prozorov to discuss the Russia-Ukraine War. |
| 2022-Mar-02 "COVID and Legitimacy: Has Agamben Lost the Plot?" - OaD Ep. 162 The dudes discuss Adam Kotsko's article pondering Giorgio Agamben's pandemic writings, and whether or not they have permanently tarnished his legacy. Plus, Troy critiques the critiques of modern punk music, and Austin is finally watching The Night Of. |
| 2022-Feb-22 • 88 minutes "Art Sustains Us, Art Frees Us: Station Eleven" - OaD Ep. 161 The dudes talk about the importance and meaning of art in the HBO series 'Station Eleven,' based on the novel of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel. Plus, Austin expresses political anguish and Troy is excited for Adam McKay's 'Winning Time.' |
| 2022-Feb-16 • 87 minutes "There's No 'Normal' to Return To: Death Drive Nation" - OaD Ep. 160 The guys chat about Freud's death drive theory in response to Patrick Blanchfield's reexamination of the topic. They also promote reading in bars and watching Station Eleven. |
| 2022-Feb-08 • 104 minutes "Can We Have Meaning in a Virtual World?" - OaD Ep. 159 The dudes discuss whether virtual realities can hold the same meaning as our current reality. Plus, Austin questions Neil Young's choices and Troy reminisces on Dumb Starbucks. |
| 2022-Jan-31 • 100 minutes "Don't Look Up: Mocking, Impression, or Satire?" – OaD Ep. 158 The dudes chat about Don't Look Up and ask if it's a successful satire. Plus, Troy rants about some criticisms of Dune, and Austin recommends campervans. |
| 2022-Jan-28 • 81 minutes "Should We Blow Sh*t Up? On Andreas Malm and 'Intelligent Sabotage'" – OaD Ep. 157 The dudes chat about Andreas Malm's controversial ideas from his book *How to Blow Up a Pipeline* and ask if it's every morally right to engage in sabotage for political purposes. Plus, Austin rants about some bad takes on the Metaverse, and Troy recommends Station Eleven. |
| 2022-Jan-27 • 81 minutes "Ideal v. Non-Ideal Theory: Charles Mills In Memoriam" – OaD Ep. 156 The dudes pay respect to the recently departed Charles Mills, whose work on ethics shaped the landscape for much of what we now know as critical race theory and the philosophy of race. The dudes walk step-by-step through his essay "'Ideal Theory' as Ideology," and ponder over the value (or lack thereof) of idealizing when doing ethics. Plus, Troy rants about the phrase "doing my own research," and Austin recommends Pandora Sykes' book How Do We Know We're Doing It Right? |
| 2021-Sep-27 • 87 minutes "What is Education Anyway? - Philosophy of Pedagogy" – OaD Ep. 155 The dudes tackle the patron-chosen topic: philosophy of education. But, per usual, they bs beyond the normal bounds of this discussion and somehow tantra gets brought into the chat. Plus, Austin rants about the political blame game, and Troy recommends Pig |
| 2021-Sep-17 • 77 minutes "Just Let People Enjoy Things, Right? Right??" – OaD Ep. 154 The dudes chat about if we should collectively just calm the eff down and let people enjoy things without being so damned critical all the time. Plus, Troy rants and Austin recs. |
| 2021-Sep-06 • 71 minutes "Guys Being Dudes: On The Health Industry" – OaD Ep. 153 The dudes chat about how the health industry targets us. While it makes all of us feel shitty, the dudes chat specifically about the male wellness industry targeting dudes for not ever being Dude enough. Plus Austin rants and Troy recs. |
| 2021-Aug-12 • 104 minutes "Streaming and Post-scarcity" – OaD Ep. 152 The dudes chat about a blog post from Matt Bruenig on streaming services and living in a post-scarcity world (or is it?)... Plus, Troy rants about "The Hot Hand Fallacy" and Austin and Troy talk about the NBA Finals. |
| 2021-Aug-05 • 88 minutes "Melancholy v. Mourning: 'Resisting Left Melancholy' by Wendy Brown" – OaD Ep. 151 The dudes chat about an article by Wendy Brown on resisting left melancholy and how melancholy differs from mourning. Plus, Austin rants about 'going back to normal', and Troy recommends the original Space Jam. |
| 2021-Jul-19 • 104 minutes "Does Your Psychology Affect Your Philosophy?" – Owls at Dawn Episode 150 In this ep, the dudes look over a study that showed correlations between one's psychological traits and philosophical views. Plus, Troy talks about the Lakers Podcast Catfish story, and Austin recommends Nomadland, |
| 2021-May-17 • 86 minutes "Christianity and Sexual Repression" – OaD Episode 149 The dudes chat about an angle in the Georgia Shooting event that hasn't been examined as much: his Christian religion, and the possibility of this being a causal factor in driving him to perpetuate such a heinous act. Plus, Austin rants about TikTok and Troy recommends music-related goodies. |
| 2021-Mar-30 • 87 minutes "NFTs: Scam or Miracle?" – OaD Episode 148 NFTs are all the rage at the moment. The dudes chat about what they are and then give a few ways we can think critically about this fad. Plus, Troy rants about the NCAA tournament, and Austin gushes about new media. |
| 2021-Mar-24 • 1 minutes "Is Jordan Peterson Really a Fascist?" YouTube Video Austin's YouTube channel is relaunched and LIVE. He'll be doing videos every Monday and Thursday, bringing you the same content you've come to expect from him but in smaller and snappier form. Check out Austin Hayden's channel and spread the word! |
| 2021-Mar-22 • 97 minutes "Judas and the Black Messiah: w/Dr. Kamasi Hill" – OaD Ep. 147 Dr. Kamasi Hill joins the dudes to chat about Judas and the Black Messiah. They delve into the history of the black radical tradition, discuss youthful zeal, and ask what this film means for us in the 21st century. Plus, rants about pop psychology, and Troy recommends the KSR book Ministry for the Future. |
| 2021-Mar-15 • 96 minutes "Socialism and Marxism: Chat with Bhaskar Sunkara of Jacobin" – OaD Ep. 146 The dudes chat with Jacobin editor/publisher and author of The Socialist Manifesto Bhaskar Sunkara. They discuss the relevance of socialism and/or Marxism in the 21st century... and they chat a little basketball at the end as well ;) Plus, Troy rants about the Netflix film Moxie, and Austin is all excited about his new veggie box subscription. |
| 2021-Mar-05 • 100 minutes "Capitalism as Religion: Benjamin and Agamben" – OaD Ep. 145 The dudes tackle the patron-chosen topic: capitalism as religion. They use two essays on the subject to navigate the topic: one by Walter Benjamin and the other by Giorgio Agamben. Plus Austin rants about a tweet by Daniel Bessner and Troy recommend the music of Richard Dawson. |
| 2021-Mar-01 • 28 minutes SPECIAL EPISODE: Some Thoughts After a Family Tragedy SPECIAL EPISODE: Some Thoughts After a Family Tragedy |
| 2021-Mar-01 • 107 minutes "Chat with Sarah Jaffe on Burnout" – OaD Ep. 144 The dudes chat with journalist and author Sarah Jaffe about social unions, art collectives, and the future of work and burnout |
| 2021-Feb-11 • 92 minutes "True West: Family Trauma, Destiny, and the Decline of America" – OaD Ep. 143 The dudes chat about the play True West by Sam Shepard. Plus, Austin rants about a recent audition experience, and Troy recommends the video game Outer Wilds. |
| 2021-Feb-01 • 98 minutes "On Burnout" – OaD Ep. 142 The dudes chat about burnout. What it means What causes it. And what can be done about it. Plus, Troy rants about "Vanilla ISIS," and Austin gushes about some football. |
| 2021-Jan-20 • 96 minutes "Be Excellent to Each Other: The Ethics of the Bill and Ted Franchise" – OaD Ep. 141 The dudes chat about... the other dudes: Bill and Ted. They discuss the pretty sick ethics of the Bill and Ted franchise, focusing mainly on the first and third films. Plus, Austin rants about Instagram, and Troy recommends the film 'Another Round'. |
| 2021-Jan-07 • 85 minutes "End of 2020 Rants and Recommendations" – OaD Ep. 140 The dudes share their biggest rants and recs from the year |
| 2020-Dec-08 • 76 minutes "Datafication, Financialization, and Basketball?" – OaD Ep. 139 Adam Beddawi joins Austin to chat about how datafication and financialization are taking over more and more spheres of life. They chat about the NBA and explore how it's a perfect example of this tendency. |
| 2020-Nov-30 • 109 minutes "Can Sound Save Us?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 138 The dudes chat with Macon Holt about music festivals, sound, and freedom. Plus, Troy rants about Nu Metal (but maybe not how you'd expect), and Austin recommends some meditation apps (not ones you might expect...). |
| 2020-Nov-25 • 3 minutes *** Special Announcement: OUR MERCH IS HERE!!!! *** Our merch is finally here. Mugs, totes, phone cases, shirts, stickers, etc: owlsatdawn.com/merch |
| 2020-Nov-23 • 75 minutes "Parliamentary Book Club: Markus Gabriel's *Fields of Sense* Ch. 5" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 137 The dudes take on chapter five in Gabriel's Fields of Sense |
| 2020-Nov-09 • 97 minutes "David Graeber In Memoriam: Army of Altruists" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 136 The dudes chat about the life and work of David Graeber, focusing on an essay he wrote called "Army of Atruists." Plus, Austin rants about the election and popular politics, and Troy recommends the TV show Ramy. |
| 2020-Oct-28 • 104 minutes "Parliamentary Book Club: Markus Gabriel's *Fields of Sense* Ch. 4" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 135 The dudes jump back into their book club going through Markus Gabriel's *Fields of Sense*. This week they go through chapter 4, and discuss set theory, ontotheology, disenchantment, scientific nihilism, etc etc. Plus, Troy rants about Dune being pushed back and Austin recommends some foot pampering. |
| 2020-Oct-20 • 111 minutes "QAnon: The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 134 The dudes chat about QAnon. Plus, Austin rants about the left using certain words willy-nilly, and Troy recs more Phil Elverum music. |
| 2020-Oct-07 • 105 minutes "Empathy, Trauma, and Artistic Responsibility: The Last of Us 2" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 133 The dudes chat about The Last of Us (mostly part 2), and discuss empathy, trauma, and artistic responsibility. Plus, Troy chats about asterisks in sports, and Austin recommends reading plays. |
| 2020-Sep-15 • 102 minutes "Parliamentary Book Club: Markus Gabriel's *Fields of Sense* Ch. 3" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 132 The dudes are back!!!! Jumping back into Markus Gabriel's Fields of Sense, the dudes get into chapter 3 on why Kant and Frege are both wrong (according to Gabriel). Plus, Austin rants about Troy and OnlyFans, and Troy recommends some British TV. |
| 2020-Aug-10 • 107 minutes "Parliamentary Book Club: Markus Gabriel's Fields of Sense Ch. 2 " – Owls at Dawn, Episode 131 The dudes jump back into Gabriel's Fields of Sense. Plus Austin rants about 'cottagecore', and Troy recs some great music (Lingua Ignota), per usual ;) |
| 2020-Jul-06 • 103 minutes "Tearing Down Statues: Protests and Iconoclasm" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 130 The dudes chat about the BLM protests, paying particular attention to the logic(s) of tearing down statues. Plus, Troy rants about 'respect', and Austin recs the new Run the Jewels album |
| 2020-Jun-25 • 113 minutes "Parliamentary Book Club: Markus Gabriel's *Fields of Sense* Ch. 1" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 129 The dudes jump back into their journey through Gabriels Fields of Sense, this time tackling the first chapter on 'zoontology'. Plus, Austin and Troy do some ranting about discourses surrounding the BLM protests, and Troy recommends the zombie film One Cut of the Dead. |
| 2020-Jun-17 • 81 minutes "Michael Jordan, Great and Crazy" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 128 The dudes welcome back their longtime friend, Matthew Telle, to chat about the Espn/Netflix docuseries The Last Dance. |
| 2020-May-27 • 94 minutes "Parliamentary Book Club: Markus Gabriel's *Fields of Sense* Intro" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 127 The dudes start up a new Parliamentary Book Club, this time going through Markus Gabriel's tome *Fields of Sense*. Join us as we begin this pretty heft journey through some central questions in the history of Western Philosophy. Plus, Troy rants about "The Real Lord of the Flies," and Austin gushes about the sunrise. |
| 2020-May-19 • 94 minutes "From Socialism to... Christianity?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 126 We work through an essay by Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart on Socialism, and think about the limits and value of his 'Romantic' and 'Christian' critique of capitalism. Plus, Austin rants about 'This is the moment', and Troy recs some music. |
| 2020-May-11 • 101 minutes "The Politics of Certainty v. A Politics of Uncertainty" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 125 The dudes tackle the patron-chosen topic on political certainty versus uncertainty. Plus, Troy rants about "we are the virus," and Austin gushes about surfing. |
| 2020-Apr-29 • 117 minutes "Inventing the Future: The Film" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 124 The dudes chat about the cinematic adaptation of the best-selling book Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work. Plus, Austin rants about Bernie dropping out and Troy recommends Succession. |
| 2020-Apr-21 • 106 minutes "The 'Rona Ep" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 123 The dudes chat about the global pandemic and the social, political, and economic impact it is/will/might have. |
| 2020-Apr-08 • 100 minutes "Pop Music, Politics, and Capitalist Realism" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 122 The dudes welcome Macon Holt to chat about his new book. Plus, Troy rants about the Democratic Primary and Austin recs iPads (kinda) |
| 2020-Mar-29 • 91 minutes "Academia Sucks... or Does it?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 121 This week the dudes chat about an essay by a former academic who explains why he's leaving the world of professional philosophy. Plus, Austin rants about a power outage and Troy recs some hip hop. |
| 2020-Feb-26 • 83 minutes "Courage: An Outdated Concept?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 120 The dude's chat about a Frank Ruda article called "Courage." It's really accessible and available open access online. Check it out! Plus, Troy rants about a tv show "Don't F*ck with Cats" and Austin recommends working with your hands. |
| 2020-Feb-03 • 112 minutes "Nihilism, the Suburbs, and Redemptive Music: Interview w/Lars Iyer" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 119 Lars Iyer joins the dudes to chat about his new book *Nietzsche and the Burbs*. Lars' novels have been favs of our for a while so this was a great opportunity to chat with one of our favorite and most insightful writers... plus the book is FUNNY AF. Also, Austin rants about the Bernie-Joe Rogan kerfuffle, and Troy talks about building coalitions. |
| 2020-Jan-28 • 118 minutes "A Romantic Critique of Capitalism? "We Have Never Been Disenchanted'" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 118 The dudes chat about Eugene McCarraher's essay "We Have Never Been Disenchanted" and discuss just how far we can take his Romantic critique of capitalism before it falls into mere theological assertion. Plus, Troy rants about philosophy profs on TV/film, and Austin recommends Malick's latest masterpiece, A Hidden Life. |
| 2020-Jan-22 • 100 minutes "What's Going on in Iran? US-Iran War Games?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 117 The dudes welcome a guest who requested to keep her identity anonymous so as to not incriminate her family in Iran or to jeopardize her own future upon her return to the country, people, and culture she loves. She is an Iranian scholar currently living abroad who gives us unique insight into the Iranian mindset during these tumultuous times. Plus, Austin rants some more about the internet, and Troy recommends some philosophy haiku. |
| 2020-Jan-12 • 106 minutes "Star Wars is NOT Cinema" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 116 The dudes chat about the new Star Wars flick. Good? Bad? Hot takes? Is it just a financial instrument? Is there still value in it despite any possible criticisms? Plus, Troy rants about Obama's end of the year lists, and Austin recommends Enchantments of Mammon. |
| 2020-Jan-06 • 40 minutes *BONUS EPISODE* "How to Deal with Life if it's Meaningless" The dudes get personal and address an email question about the meaninglessness of life and the anxieties such a thought might bring up. |
| 2019-Dec-23 • 91 minutes "The End of the Decade Wrap-Up: From Philosophy to Film and Beyond" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 115 The dudes ask each other questions ranging from philosophy, to sports, to cooking, to film/music/etc etc... it gets a little deep and a little shallow – the perfect way to wrap up the 2010s. |
| 2019-Dec-20 • 90 minutes "Election Madness!!! What Happened in the UK? And What's Up with the US?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 114 The dudes chat about the upcoming US elections and the political climate. Plus, they welcome Jon AKA The Lit Crit Guy on to debrief us about what happened in the UK's election last week. |
| 2019-Dec-09 • 93 minutes "What Makes Life Worth Living?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 113 The dudes jump back into some ETHICS. This is basically a part two (check out last week's for the first part), but works as a stand alone episode. Troy and Austin tackle Parfit's Repugnant Conclusion and explore what it means for life to valuable/worth living/etc. Plus, Troy rants about Buttigieg, and Austin coos over his swimming obsession. |
| 2019-Dec-02 • 88 minutes "Are We Responsible to Future Generations?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 112 The dudes jump into a couple sections in Derek Parfit's renown tome Reasons and Persons and address the issue of identity and how it relates to our ethical responsibility to future persons. Plus, Austin rants about YouTubers daily eating vlogs, and Troy recommends Jeffrey Lewis. |
| 2019-Nov-25 • 98 minutes "Making Babies is Wrong: On Anti-Natalism" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 111 The dudes chat about anti-natalism and work through the various suppositions that define this, perhaps, controversial position. Plus, Troy rants about "Ok, Boomer" and Austin recommends some Walt Whitman. |
| 2019-Nov-18 • 92 minutes "Females: Everyone is Female and Everyone Hates it?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 110 The dude's do some proper BSing about Andrea Long Chu's new book Females. We discuss self-negation, weakness/meekness, capitalism, etc etc. Plus, Austin rants about BCE and Troy recommends the new Watchmen tv series. |
| 2019-Nov-11 • 100 minutes "Parasite: The Film Leftists Wanted Joker to Be" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 109 The dudes chat about Parasite!!!! Is it the best film of the year? Regardless, it's deep, profound, funny af, and will leave you with more than enough to chew on for a while. Plus, Troy rants about people getting all huffy over Scorcese's remarks on Marvel films, and Austin extols the virtues of moshpits. |
| 2019-Nov-05 • 108 minutes "A Catholic Case for Communism" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 108 Dean Dettloff of The Magnificast podcast joins the dudes to chat about an article he wrote that caused a little stir: "The Catholic Case for Communism." They chat about faith, doubt, Marx, The Pope, differences between Caths and Prots, and a whole lot more. Plus, Austin rants about TikTok, and Troy recommends Mr. Bungle. |
| 2019-Oct-28 • 94 minutes "Sex is Everything" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 107 This week, Isabel Millar joins the dudes to address the Patron-chosen topic: the philosophy of psychoanalysis (even though we kinda contest that phrasing a bit through the discussion). They chat about enjoyment, sex, AI, sex robots, etc etc etc. Plus Troy rants about the phrase "art is subjective," and Austin talks about how much he loves swimming... and his new speedo shorts. |
| 2019-Oct-22 • 152 minutes "Chile in Crisis: What? Why? How? And What's Next?" – Owls at Dawn, Bonus Episode Austin chats with Chilean Political Economist David Aviles about the crisis in Chile. They discuss David's background, Chile's history, and the economic and political underpinning that has led to the current wave of protests. |
| 2019-Oct-21 • 4 minutes *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* Special announcement letting y'all know about Austin's "An Apostate's Bible Read-through" on YouTube and Insta. Make sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel and follow his Insta to follow along. https://www.youtube.com/user/aus... |
| 2019-Oct-21 • 102 minutes "Joker: Profound or Confused?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 106 The dudes chat about the clown movie (Joker) and muse through the political lines that have been drawn, of course pressing the conversation into deeper (and more interesting) terrain. Plus, Austin takes time to consider political doubt, and Troy talks about the value of suffering... Yeah, it's a heavy episode ;) |
| 2019-Oct-14 • 94 minutes "Avoid Error or Remain Open to Truth? James' 'The Will to Believe'" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 105 The dudes discuss the nature of belief, using Williams James' classic lecture "The Will to Believe" as their guide. Plus, Troy rants about the China-NBA scuffle, and Austin talks about his new daily routine of drinking bone broth. |
| 2019-Oct-07 • 77 minutes "What is Empirical?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 104 The dudes work through a term that is often presumed to have a simple meaning: empirical. With the help of an essay by Jacob Loewenberg, they unpack this term and consider various ways this adjective is used. Plus, Austin rants about Argan Oil and Troy chats about the Hegel husband meme that caught the philosophy world by storm. |
| 2019-Sep-30 • 92 minutes "What Does it Mean to Care?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 103 This week, the dudes chat about care, ethics, and justice. Plus, Troy rants about comedians, and Austin gushes about his new tattoo (and just the whole tat process). |
| 2019-Sep-20 • 90 minutes "The World Sucks... or Does it? On the Suffering of the World" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 102 Does the world really suck? This week, the dudes work through Schopenhauer's essay "On the Suffering of the World" and put his metaphysical pessimism to the test. Plus, Austin rants about theatre demographics and Troy recommends Fleabag. |
| 2019-Sep-05 • 87 minutes "Bolsonaro Fiddles While The Amazon Burns" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 101 The dudes chat about nature, capital, the nation state and how we can think critically and philosophically about the environment. Plus, Troy rants about The Golden Rule, and Austin talks about his Baby Shark Ab challenge. |
| 2019-Aug-31 • 114 minutes "100th Episode Special!!! Answering Your Qs" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 100 It's the 100th episode mofos!!! We answer your questions, from the ethics of ass eating, to the Hong Kong protests, to how we got into philosophy, to whether or not we believe in God still... It was a great chat filled with both fun and some profundity. |
| 2019-Aug-19 • 91 minutes "Losing My Religion" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 99 TROY IS BACK!!! And this week, we chat about what it means to lose one's faith, whether in God, a political ideology or otherwise. We take the public announcement of a prominent US pastor and writer named Josh Harris as an example to help us think through this issue. Plus, Austin rants about the world passing him by, and Troy recommends The Beastie Boys Book |
| 2019-Aug-07 • 100 minutes "Is Anti-Stalinism Left Wing Racism? A Conversation w/a Tankie" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 98 This week, Austin sits down with researcher Jay Tharappel to discuss Stalinism and post-colonial theory. |
| 2019-Jul-30 • 120 minutes "According to the Real: What is Non-Philosophy?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 97 This week, Austin is joined by Laruelle translator and philosopher Taylor Adkins to explore the enigmatic musings of François Laruelle's non-philosophical project. Is it meta-philosophy? anti-philosophy? does it have a political project? and more! |
| 2019-Jul-23 • 100 minutes "What *IS* Racism? What Makes One (a) Racist?" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 96 The dudes chat about what racism is, and about what it means for someone to be a racist. Plus, Troy rants about the word "interesting," and Austin gushes about the release of the long-anticipated trailer for the cinematic adaptation of Inventing the Future. |
| 2019-Jul-18 • 101 minutes "Bureaucracy, Science, and Truth: Chernobyl" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 95 The dudes chat about the mini series Chernobyl and some of the surrounding themes. Plus, Austin rants about superlatives, and Troy recommends some Japanese music. |
| 2019-Jun-29 • 121 minutes "More Than Words: On Poetry w/Tim Lavenz" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 94 Philosopher-poet, Tim Lavenz, joins the dudes to pick up where he left off the last time he graced OaD with his presence. Then, the topic was non-religious Messianism. Now, the conversation shifts to poetry and how this artistic form opens up thought to the beyond. Plus, Troy rants about... Austin, and Austin recommends some films from the Sydney Film Fest. |
| 2019-Jun-24 • 116 minutes "Dueling Pianos: Zizek v. Peterson Pt. 2" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 93 We had so much fun chatting with Heidi and Dave last week about the event that we just needed to do one more episode covering the Zizek-Peterson debate. Plus, Austin rants about Mark Zuckerberg and Troy recaps a great sports story which confirms a long-held conspiracy theory. |
| 2019-Jun-18 • 105 minutes "Chomsky-Foucault 2.0: The Zizek v. Peterson Debate Pt. 1" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 92 This week, we tackle the patron-chosen topic: the Zizek v. Peterson debate. To help us work through the event, Heidi Matthews and David Slavick join us. Plus, Troy rants about airplanes and Austin offers some more skin care tips. |
| 2019-Jun-06 • 128 minutes "Rethinking Christianity, Religion, and the Secular: On Diaspora Pt. 5" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 91 The dudes wrap their book club going through Barber's On Diaspora. This final discussion hinges on how to re-conceive the concepts Christianity, religion, and the secular from within Barber's immanentist, diasporic project. Plus, Austin rants about misunderstandings of power, and Troy recommends The Real Bros of Simi Valley. |
| 2019-May-28 • 108 minutes "Wrestling, Dramatic Theater, and Catharsis" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 90 This week, we welcome Michael Luxemberg to the show to discuss wrestling, kayfabe, catharsis, greek theater, and the spectacle of excess. It's an interesting discussion into the semiotics behind a sport/activity that is generally derided in serious circles. But Lux explains the value and power of this spectacle of excess. Plus, Troy rants about GoT (kinda) and Austin recommends Ovid. |
| 2019-May-21 • 82 minutes Non-Religious Messianism This episode was originally a bonus episode discussion, but we're releasing for everyone. We discuss the concept of the messiah, messianism, or messianicity from outside a confessional or explicitly religious context. |
| 2019-May-13 • 101 minutes "Can Marxism Be Silent? Mieville's Apophatic Marxism" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 88 This week, we have a special episode for ya. We welcome philosopher Darius Sepheri to the show to discuss China Mieville's recent article concerning silence, revolution, and the possibility for an apophatic Marxism. Because the main segment discussion ran so long, we decided to cut the other two segments... but don't worry your pretty little heads: we have plenty of shitty and stickies through out the episode for ya. |
| 2019-May-06 • 116 minutes "Christianity, Religion, and the Secular: On Diaspora PT. 4" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 87 This week, the dudes examine the penultimate chapter of Daniel Barber's On Diaspora. Themes explored are Christianity, religion and the notion of the secular. Plus, Austin rants about hitting an intellectual wall and Recommends Final Fantasy 7. |
| 2019-Apr-29 • 81 minutes "Student Loans, Human Capital, and Debt Forgiveness" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 86 In this episode, the dudes jump into a current event and addressing the mounting student loan crisis and proposed solutions to this worldwide debt burden. Plus, Troy rants about... Girl Scout Cookie?!?! And Austin recommends some climate justice related stuff. |
| 2019-Apr-22 • 104 minutes "Paul's Ambivalent Apocalyptic Theology: On Diaspora Pt. 3" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 85 This week, the dudes pick up their examination of Daniel Barber's On Diaspora. In Chapter 3, Barber works through Apostle Paul's political theology in the frame of his development of a "diasporic Christianity." Beyond this, Austin rants about a subtle anti-intellectualism among the left, and Troy recommends a Sean Bean series where he... *SPOILER*... doesn't die!!! |
| 2019-Apr-10 • 111 minutes "Aristotle, Human Dignity, and Philosophy as Ethics" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 84 This week, we welcome philosopher Kendall Gilfillan on the show to chat about Aristotle, human dignity, social justice, and how philosophy can have ethical impact. Plus, Troy rants about Beto and Austin recommends the work of Quinn Slobodian. |
| 2019-Apr-04 • 102 minutes "Towards a Political Theory of Everything: Political Economy and Political Theology" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 83 This week, the dudes work through a discussion between political economist and social theorist Martijn Konings and philosopher of religion and political theologian Adam Kotsko on the issue of neoliberalism and how we can best understand this governmental regime. Plus, Austin rants about the 2020 Democratic primary and Troy recommends the "Before" trilogy. |
| 2019-Mar-25 • 100 minutes "This Ain't Your Grandpa's Christianity: On Diaspora Pt. 2" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 82 The dudes jump into Dan Barber's second chapter in On Diaspora and explore his efforts to problematize Christianity in the pursuit of an immanent and political diasporic Christianity. Plus, Troy rants about college basketball and Austin gushes over Sydney. |
| 2019-Mar-18 • 94 minutes "Childlike Wonder and Mortality" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 81 This week, the dudes chat about an article recently written by philosopher Martin Hagglund titled "Why Mortality Makes Us Free." Does the inevitability of our death ground our freedom? And is that shared experience a way to bind just communities? Plus, Austin and Troy discuss the unspeakable horrors of the New Zealand attack, and Troy talks about... surprise, surprise some music that is giving him joy. |
| 2019-Mar-11 • 128 minutes "Immanent Relations and Reverse Causality: On Diaspora Pt. 1" – Owls at Dawn, Episode 80 This week, we begin our next book event. We'll be going through Daniel Colucciello Barber's On Diaspora: Christianity, Religion and Secularity. We start with the Intro and Chapter 1 on 'Immanence'. Plus, Troy rants about the difference between people and the nation state, and Austin recommends Four Tet. |