Ellie and David reflect on the highs and lows of friendship, from their own bond to Montaigne’s intimate connection to Étienne de La Boétie. From Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics to today’s loneliness epidemic, they question what friends do, how they hold each other accountable, and the deep ways in which our vices and virtues are shaped by our friends.

In episode 110 of Overthink, Ellie and David untangle the role of intensity in shaping our aspirations, cultural tropes, and political goals. They trace its roots in Aristotle's theory of change, medieval science and princely romanticism. They turn to Henri Bergson and Gilles Deleuze’s accounts of consciousness and emotion to explore how intensity looks beyond the scientistic impulse to categorize and quantify, and think about its role in capitalist acceleration.

In episode 93 of Overthink, Ellie and David guide you through the philosophy of this emotion. From Aristotle to British charity telethons, pity lives in our moral and cultural worlds. But who is the object of our pity, and why? Where is the line between pity and compassion? How does pity interact with our social responsibilities and power structures?

What does socially distant friendship say about the nature of friendship more generally? This episode discusses Heidegger, Aristotle, and the lasting impact of the pandemic on friendships.