In episode 157 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about manipulation. They discuss what makes up a manipulative personality, why manipulators see social interaction as inherently combative, and what you can do when you find yourself entangled with a manipulator. They also explore what Niccolo Machiavelli tell us about the role of manipulation in politics. Should political leaders always be kind? Or, as Machiavelli says, do they need to learn to “be bad”? And what can we say about manipulation outside of politics? Does manipulative behavior require awareness and intention? Are all forms of manipulation inherently bad? And where do we draw the line between manipulation and other types of social influence?

In episode 157 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about manipulation. They discuss what makes up a manipulative personality, why manipulators see social interaction as inherently combative, and what you can do when you find yourself entangled with a manipulator. They also explore what Niccolo Machiavelli tell us about the role of manipulation in politics. Should political leaders always be kind? Or, as Machiavelli says, do they need to learn to “be bad”? And what can we say about manipulation outside of politics? Does manipulative behavior require awareness and intention? Are all forms of manipulation inherently bad? And where do we draw the line between manipulation and other types of social influence?

In episode 156 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a deep dive into Herbert Marcuse’s, One-Dimensional Man. They discuss Marcuse’s critique of analytic philosophy, how private space is getting crushed by new forms of social control, and how an affluent society leads to the absence of critical thinking. How does our society of one-dimensionality turn us into one-dimensional beings? Why does analytic philosophy’s obsession with formal logic prevent us from subversive modes of thinking? And how do the seeming alternatives to the status quo often end up adhering to it instead?

In episode 155 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about treason. They look at the changes in the legal definition of treason over time, the famous treasonous acts of  Benedict Arnold, Aaron Burr, and John Brown, the political value of treason, and how the very celebration of America's founding is a celebration of treason. Who is capable of committing a treasonous act? How might treason be understood as a transgression of law itself? And is treason ever morally permissible?