Ellie and David discuss fun, from its aesthetic opposition to the highbrow realm of beauty, to questions like: what role does fun play in the good life? How does fun relate to art, play, and ritual? Can you really have fun by yourself? And what happens when the lines blur between the fun and the political?

Ellie and David discuss civil disobedience in the present context of university activism for divestment from genocide in Gaza. They chart the concept in political theory, from Thoreau and MLK through to today. Together with guest Noëlle McAfee, Chair of the Philosophy Department at Emory University, they reflect on the relationship between legal protest, civil disobedience, and political dialogue, and think about why activism must be part of any healthy democracy.

In episode 101 of Overthink, Ellie and David speak with Dr. Shazeda Ahmed, specialist in AI Safety, to dive into the philosophy guiding artificial intelligence. With the rise of LLMs like ChatGPT, the lofty utilitarian principles of Effective Altruism have taken the tech-world spotlight by storm. Who is right about AI: the doomers or the utopians? And whose voices are part of the conversation in the first place?

In Episode 98, Ellie and David untangle the philosophy behind reputations. From Machiavelli’s advice to despots looking to stay popular, to disgruntled students venting on their professors online, they explore concepts like the Matthew effect, the homo comparativus, and informational asymmetry.

“They find our bodies repulsive.” On episode 96 of Overthink, Ellie and David bring on Dr. Kate Manne, philosopher and author of Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia. She explains the moral failures and biomedical perils of our fatphobic culture and diets. They look at the politics of fat, fatness, and fatphobia for questions of accessibility, justice, and intimacy, discussing the BMI, Ozempic, and more.

Night vision. Superhuman strength. And… kale salad? In episode 95 of Overthink, Ellie and David explore the weird world of biohackers, who leverage science and technology to optimize their bodies. The movement moves from the blurry ethics of self-experimentation to Cartesian dualism. The stakes are political, metaphysical, and ethical — and your hosts are here to make philosophical sense of it all.

In episode 88, we explore the philosophy of food, discussing everything from Glaucon’s speech in Plato’s Republic, to the link between cultural identity and culinary taste. They welcome food critic and philosophy professor Shanti Chu for conversation on the gendering of meals, the ethics of food systems (lab-grown meat, anyone?), the future of restaurants, and much more. Bon appetit!

Martha Nussbaum discusses her new book, Justice for Animals, including her view of predators, capabilities approach, and more.

Heroes: everyday agents or spectacular superheroes? David and Ellie dive into the philosophy of heroes and heroism from ancient Greece to the present day.

Deleuze suggests we’ve moved from a society characterized by Foucault’s panopticon to a society of control. Ellie and David talk TSA, smartphones listening to you, and more.

Myisha Cherry discusses her revolutionary work on rage with Ellie and David, talking about how her recent book The Case for Rage helps philosophy rethink this emotion.

Were you harmed by coming into existence? Is it unethical to have children? Ellie and David investigate the philosophical position of anti-natalism.

When do we have the right to keep secrets? What are the differences between secrecy, lying, and privacy?

Is disgust a moral emotion? How and why did it evolve, and do we have the power to change what disgusts us?

Professors Ellie and David discuss the ethics and gender politics of hookup culture on college campuses and beyond.

From 23andMe to prenatal testing, genetic testing is everywhere these days. The use of these tests raises important concerns about "velvet eugenics" and the value of human life.

Many argue that polyamory has liberatory potential as a radical form of relating to others. Ellie and David examine polyamory re: human evolution and colonialism, and unpack the concept of compersion.