About the themed list of Bites podcast links

revised 14th November 2013

  • This list is designed to be useful in several ways:
  • The podcasts are grouped into several broad categories which are named using everyday language rather than technical terms.
  • The categories and the titles within them are listed in a logical order so that individual episodes can be found easily.
  • The interviews are also ordered in a way that maximizes the continuity between related topics so that they can be listened to in sequence.
  • Many of the podcasts are listed more than once so that each section will be as rich as possible with relevant material.
  • In most sections, podcasts dealing with historical figures are freely mixed in with the others in recognition of their relevance to current thought.
  • All the podcasts from all six Bites series – Philosophy Bites, Ethics Bites, Bioethics Bites, Multiculturalism Bites, Social Science Bites and Free Speech Bites – are included.
  • Each title is preceded by a number which indicates its order of its release.
  • The Philosophy Bites podcasts are labeled with a 3-digit number reflecting the original release order within this series. Included here are 4 of the 14 Ethics Bites podcasts and all the Bioethics Bites podcasts.
  • The other 10 Ethics Bites podcasts are indicated by an “E” followed by the order of their release to iTunes. (The website lists them in a slightly different order.)
  • The Multiculturalism Bites podcasts are indicated by an “M” followed by the track number given on the website (even though iTunes, and one’s music player, may list these in reverse order).
  • The Social Science Bites podcasts are preceded by an “S” and the Free Speech Bites podcasts by an “F.” The reference numbers for the latter reflect the order listed on the website, which is slightly different from the order on iTunes and the actual release order.
  • The titles link to web pages devoted to each podcast which contain further links to direct audio feeds, supplementary materials and (in some series) transcripts.
  • Each section of the list corresponds roughly to a branch of philosophy or a related discipline, though the scope of the discussions often transcends those disciplines.
  • Many of the podcasts (and almost all those dealing with historical figures) are listed more than once, in whichever sections they are relevant. As a general rule, if roughly half of a podcast (or more) pertains to a particular section, it will be listed there.
  • Many sections consist of subsections which are not labeled but should be apparent from the content. For example, the epistemology section (Knowledge, Thought and Belief) divides roughly into subsections dealing with sources of knowledge (innate and acquired), tools of thinking and critiques of reason.
  • In the History and Biography section, the historical profiles are listed chronologically by year of birth of the subject discussed.
  • This section also includes several podcasts not explicitly identified as historical but whichfocus on the thinking of a single figure from the past. The titles of these podcasts are modified (in this section only) to indicate the person under discussion.
  • The order of every podcast on the list is deliberate and is chosen so as to maximize the connections and “flow” between related topics.
  • When possible, sections begin with some sort of introductory discussion.
  • Some sections and subsections are organized in a roughly chronologic fashion, since later thinking is often based on earlier thought.
  • Occasionally a section may end with a podcast that effectively sums up that section. More often, though, sections will end with specialized or future-oriented or more speculative topics.
  • The titles of the podcasts often do not (and cannot) fully convey all the directions an interview will take, and as such are not always reliable guides to where the episodes should be placed on the list.
  • For example, the podcast entitled “Kant’s Metaphysics” may seem as if it should go in the ontology section (Existence and Reality), but the actual discussion focuses on what can be known and how it can be known, so it appears in the epistemology section instead.
  • Similarly, about half of the podcast devoted to “The Idea of Cannibalism” pertains to early modern political thought, so it is placed in the appropriate category, after Hobbes.
  • In all cases, the order of the podcasts is determined by the actual experience of listening to them – or more specifically, listening to small groups of podcasts in various orders and seeing how they play out.
  • The order of the podcasts is not chosen to favor or slight any particular points of view. Instead, attempts are made to insure that all the episodes, especially those that express controversial or contrary points of view, are able to make their best possible case in relation to the podcasts that surround them.
  • This list was compiled by Seth A. Adelman. To offer feedback, please contact Nigel (via email or comments on his website) or Seth (biteslist AT comcast DOT net). Please let us know if you find any incorrect or broken links!