Episode 161: Spontaneity
Released February 17th, 2026
What does it mean to be spontaneous? In episode 161 of Overthink, Ellie and David get spontaneous. They look at Aristotle’s theory of spontaneous generation, at spontaneity’s role in politics, and at the dark side of spontaneity. How do different cultures and physical spaces enable or inhibit spontaneity? What is the relationship between spontaneity and human freedom? And is Lenin correct in arguing that leftists need to resist spontaneity in political organizing? In the Substack bonus segment, your hosts think through the relationship between spontaneity and habit, how spontaneity plays into the recording of Overthink episodes, and the habitual spontaneity of those with Tourette’s Syndrome.
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Works Discussed
Aristotle, Physics
Lucy Cooke, The Truth About Animals
Jonathan Gingerich, “Spontaneous Freedom”
Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason
Vladimir Lenin, What is to Be Done?
