Part 1: On the Question of Being, ft. Knox Pe...

Covering Part 8 of Alain Badiou’s Being and Event on “Theory of the Subject,” Alex and Andrew discuss the theory of subject and the event, and Badiou’s wider work. Guest Andrei Rodin contextualizes Badiou’s project through its relation to the wider philosophy of mathematics. Rodi ...  Show more

Covering Part 7 of Alain Badiou’s Being and Event on “Forcing the Generic,” Alex and Andrew discuss the four truth procedures as a way to force the generic into existence. Guest Madhavi Menon presents a queer universalist approach through indifference to difference. Menon is Prof ...  Show more

Rationalism says mathematical knowledge comes from within, from pure thought; empiricism that it comes from without, from experience and observation. Rationalism led Kepler to look for divine design in the universe, and Descartes to reduce all mechanical phenomena to contact mech ...  Show more

"A way that math can make the world a better place is by making it a more interesting place to be a conscious being." So says mathematician Emily Riehl near the start of this episode, and it's a good summary of what's to come. Emily works in realms of topology and category theory ...  Show more

Kant developed a philosophy of geometry that explained how geometry can be both knowable in pure thought and applicable to physical reality. Namely, because geometry is built into not only our minds but also the way in which we perceive the world. In this way, Kant solved the app ...  Show more

On Aristotle's Metaphysics, book 1 (aka Alpha) (ca. 340 BCE). What constitutes a basic explanation of the universe? We talk about how mere practical knowledge of how things in fact work is not enough; there's greater wisdom in knowing the theoretical underpinnings. Various philos ...  Show more