The Nietzsche Podcast

142: Commands, Symbols & Games - Nietzsche, Cassirer & Wittgenstein on Language 02.06.2026 1t 37min

In this episode we're going to explore three very different thinkers who nonetheless converge on their theories of language. We're going to see if we can't extract an intelligible whole out of the ideas generated by this trio: the Nietzschean theory of language as command, the view of Cassirer that man is a symbolic animal, and Wittgenstein's concept of the language-game.

141: Ernst Cassirer - Language & Myth 26.05.2026 1t 40min

In this episode, we're venturing into the life and thought of Ernst Cassirer, the last humanist of the Enlightenment tradition. Cassirer is widely known today for his debate with Heidegger at Davos, in which Cassirer appeared as the old style philosopher against the new world signified by Heidegger's radical existentialism. And yet, the very fact that this debate was taking as symbolic of the broader trends in philosophy is in some sense a vindication of Cassirer, who believed that mankind was properly undertsood as animale symbolicum: the animal who symbolizes. Thinking in the Neo-Kantian tradition, Cassirer doesn't seem the symbolic world as approximating a "ready-made" world of objects, but as the conceptual organ for experiencing and thinking about the world at all. From this framework, Cassirer advances a remarkable notion: that language and myth are two shoots from the same stem, and if we want to understand language, we should look to the phases of mythic thinking. The central mystery we shall explore is how the "metaphorical transference" can take place, in which a sound comes to stand for an image, and the specific for the general category. At the root of all this, Cassirer raises an intriguing possibility: perhaps all of language originates in magical thinking and spiritual excitement.

140: Anti-Schmitt 19.05.2026 1t 34min

This is an audio version of the first two sections of a planned series of political writings, gathered under the name Antipolitik: I. The Birth of the State at the End of Warre, and II. Anti-Schmitt. I've grouped them under the name Anti-Schmitt because these two sections form a polemical unity, against the philosophy of Carl Schmitt and his friend-enemy distinction. Enjoy!

Untimely Reflections #45: Nick Nielsen - Philosophy of History 12.05.2026 1t 16min

I spoke with Nick Nielsen (Geopolicraticus), who publishes a regular newsletter, and the series, Today in the Philosophy of History. We discussed Augustine's theory of history; the differing views of history of Hegel and Schopenhauer; the Renaissance and the Reformation; textual gaps in the Middle Ages; Nietzsche's "On the Use and Abuse of History for Life"; Nietzsche & Machiavelli as the monumental role models of our time; ideographic versus nomothetic knowledge; Peter Turchin's Cliodynamics. This was my first conversation with Nick, but it was lovely to meet him and I had a nice time talking to him. I very much enjoy his Youtube channel and would recommend it to those among the Patrons who enjoy history, and speculations about history.

Untimely Reflections #44: Christopher Satoor (The Young Idealist) - Friedrich Schelling 05.05.2026 1t 21min

Chris joined me for a conversation on Friedrich Schelling & German Idealism! In spite of his prominence, Schelling tends to be underdiscussed in popular philosophy circles when it comes to the German Idealist tradition. In this episode, we talk about his essay Philosophical Inquiries into the Essence of Human Freedom, the dialectic of potencies that develops out of nature-philosophy, and the relation of Schelling's ideas to those of his school friends at Tubingen - two gentlemen you may or may not have heard of, named Hegel and Holderlin. The three of them were enthusiastic about the French Revolution, and planted a "freedom tree", around which they danced and sang "Hen Kai Pain" - "One and All" - the watchword of Hellenistic pantheists. Schelling's late lectures were attended by everyone from Kierkegaard to Burckhardt to Engels to Bakunin; his views on myth (centering on Apollo and Dionysus) likely influenced Nietzsche, and his notion of the dark ground as a ceaseless impulsive striving echoes in the work of Schopenhauer. At the end of the episode, we have a brief discussion about Chris' thoughts on Deleuze, a philosopher he has drifted away from, and some of the pitfalls of post-structuralist thinking.Christopher, on how to read Schelling's Freedom Essay: https://epochemagazine.org/77/freedom-god-and-ground-an-introduction-to-schellings-1809-freedom-essay/Papers Referenced: Exceeding Reason: Freedom and Religion in Schelling and Nietzsche by Dennis Vanden AuweeleNietzsche, German Idealism and Its Critics (DeGruyter)

139: Ludwig Wittgenstein - Philosophical Investigations, pt 2 28.04.2026 1t 25min

In our continuation of Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations, we'll discuss Wittgenstein's arguments against the possibility of a private language, which culminates in the position that all subjective experiences of sensations are not communicable. Thus, language must be doing something else, other than communicating inner experiences, with its words that seem to refer to these experiences. Of particular interest to Wittgenstein is the communication of pain, and sense perceptions. Finally, we'll consider Wittgenstein's arguments as concern meaning: presumably there is an inner experience of "meaning something" by one's words, which is different from how the words may be perceived - or the individual may even intend to deceive. Is it therefore sensible to speak about an "inner meaning" separate from common use? Join me as we explore my favorite ideas from Wittgenstein!

138: Ludwig Wittgenstein - Philosophical Investigations, part 1 21.04.2026 1t 43min

In this episode, we're finally talking about a book near and dear to my heart, Wittgenstein's "Philosophical Investigations" (this book took second place in a Patreon poll, and I decided it was time). What is language? How is the meaning of words determined? Wittgenstein initially proposed a pictorial theory of the meaning of sentences, but after his return to philosophy, Wittgenstein II put forward a new theory of language, as the "language-game". We will discuss Wittgenstein's life and career, and then focus on Philosophical Investigations, a work assembled from notes written over the span of 16 years, covering a wide variety of topics and approaching philosophy through thought-experiments, and reflections on the varied uses of words. Wittgenstein's method is to describe rather than explain, and to take our understanding of words from the metaphysical down to the everyday. "Don't think, but look!"

Untimely Reflections #43: Joe Folley (Unsolicited Advice) - Camus & Absurdism 14.04.2026 1t 23min

Joe Folley joins me for a conversation on Albert Camus and the absurdist response to the death of God. We begin by comparing and contrasting Camus and Nietzsche, and their differing approaches to the devaluation of values. Taking inspiration from Nietzsche, Camus searches for an attitude to life akin to amor fati, but defined by a defiance against dogmatic certainties and nihilistic abandonment of life's struggles. We also consider the influence from Descartes, the Stoics, and Schopenhauer on Camus' thought. In the latter half of the conversation, we explore the meaning behind philosophy's attempts at consolation; the question of the suspension of judgment versus the affirmation of certainties; the arguments between analytic and continental philosophers; the philosophers who have bridged the divide; the classical versus romantic worldviews; and the value of truths of a vague or emotional nature that can only be conveyed through art.

Q&A #14 07.04.2026 3t 37min

The longest Q&A so far! The beginning has a number of Patreon updates, most of which involve things that have already transpired on the podcast. If you want to be involved with asking Q&A questions, or voting in polls to decide future material for the podcast, join the Patreon!

137: Philosopher as Spectator 31.03.2026 1t 32min

In Marcus Tullius Cicero's Tusculan Disputations, he cites a story of Pythagoras, the man who created the term, "philosopher". His description of the philosopher is as one who comes into life not as a competitor, not in the pursuit of money or fame - but merely as a spectator, who observes and inquires into the nature of things. According to Pythagoras, this way of life is the best, by far; Cicero wholeheartedly embraces this way of understanding philosophy, as part of his consolatory project in which philosophy is seen as part and parcel with virtue. For Cicero, the worth of philosophy is that it delivers us from life's suffering. We will explore the background of Cicero's Tusculan Disputations, the Pythagorean doctrine of metempsychosis, and the Homeric convention of presenting the gods themselves as spectators. This analysis will bring us back to Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy, as well as some of the comments he makes in his later career about the theatric element of Greek culture, and the philosopher as a spectator, who "stands aside" from the world rather than acting within it. By the end of the episode, we will pose the question of whether or not Cicero's Stoic philosophy actually constitutes a life as spectating, or whether Cicero is just another actor on the philosophical stage.

136: Pyrrho - Ancient Skepticism 24.03.2026 1t 32min

There is nothing new under the sun: it was here, already, long ago. It was here before our time. This much must be said of the ancient skeptics, who put forward perspectival, relativistic, and moral anti-realist arguments during the Hellenistic age. The central figure is Pyrrho of Elis, who is only known through secondary sources, and whose life is surrounded by a number of fascinating anecdotes which speak to an of image life guided by indifference and the pursuit of ataraxia. In this episode, we'll discuss that concepts, as well as ephektos, adiaphoria, and the possibility of viewing skepticism as a power or a practice rather than a doctrine or ideology. We will also discuss the ten skeptical tropes of Pyrrho and the five tropes of Agrippa. Primarily, we will follow the chapter on Pyrrho found in Diogenes Laertius, but I've also included some insights from A.W. Benn's "The Greek Philosophers" and Mary Mills Patrick's book on Sextus Empiricus, as well Sextus Empiricus himself (particularly the chapter on Gorgias).

Untimely Reflections #42: Devin Goure - Star Trek & Philosophy 17.03.2026 1t 34min

Devin (Left Nietzschean) joined me to discuss the underlying philosophical themes of Star Trek, including a potential affinity with Nietzsche as regards the need for self-overcoming as opposed to utopia; the idea of moral "perfectionism", interpreted through "Schopenhauer as Educator"; interpreting the political positions and critiques of the show in their cultural context, as regards the significance of the Federation, Borg, and Dominion; the distinctive traits of each captain in classic Trek, including an interpretation of Kirk as an Odysseus figure; the depressing inability of "New Trek" to articulate a positive vision of the future, instead choosing to wallow in dystopia.

135: Hume v/s Nietzsche - On Causality, Free Will & Habit 10.03.2026 1t 43min

In this episode, we'll compare Nietzsche's view of causality, habit, and free will to Hume. Although, in substance, they make very similar arguments, we'll explore important differences. Nietzsche arrives at his critique of causality through his attack on free will, and the subsequent understanding of metaphysical beliefs as necessitated by moral beliefs - whereas for Hume, the issue of liberty versus necessity is secondary to the critique of reason's ability to derive necessary connexions. For Hume, habit cannot be further explained, because this would be to ignore our practical affirmation of habit and the insufficiency of reason; Nietzsche wishes to investigate the genealogy of habit as part of his critique of morals. Perhaps most importantly, Hume places his philosophy in "subserviency" to the easy and obvious philosophy of commonsense, whereas Nietzsche sets his philosophy against common sense - and everything "common".

134: David Hume - Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding 03.03.2026 1t 54min

Today we're going to become Humean, All Too Humean. This is an introduction to David Hume's life and works, brief consideration of his influences, and deep dive into Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding - the work that woke Kant from his dogmatic slumber. In our analysis we discuss: Hume's 'two species of philosophy'; Hume's distinction between ideas & impressions, and between relations of ideas & matters of fact; his critique of causality; his explanation of habit, or custom as a 'guide to human life'; a brief look at his comments on probability, on free will, on miracles; and Hume's moderate skepticism versus what he calls, Pyrrhonism.

Untimely Reflections #41: Gnostic Informant - The History of Demons 24.02.2026 1t 46min

Gnostic Informant on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtdweFMJ5DGj7_q5IcpQhPQNeal and I do a deep dive into the origins of the term "demon"/"demonic". What was the original meaning of the term "daimones" in Ancient Greece? How does the understanding of the term change, from the Hellenic to the Hellenistic to the Christian eras? We also discuss the imagery associated with the demonic, deriving from Pan, and discuss the anecdote from the ancient world, from which we get the phrase, "the Great God Pan is dead!"

Untimely Reflections #40: Hans Georg Moeller - Zhuangzi & Nietzsche 17.02.2026 1t 22min

A conversation with Prof. Moeller (Carefree Wandering). We discuss the political implications of Daoist philosophy, the Daoist critique of Confucian family roles and anthropocentrism, the comparison to Nietzsche's critique of modernist theories of truth, the differences between the two regarding their respective past and future orientations in philosophy, the difference in "vibe", and the parallel between the two as focused on achieving "great health". Butcher Ding Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGtgGz5SsY0Happy Fish Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nMCrj3soDUProf. Moeller's new book: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-enigma-of-gender/9780231221276/

133: Baruch Spinoza - The Intellectual Love of God 10.02.2026 1t 33min

There was much ado about Spinoza, at least amongst the German rationalists and romantics. In this episode, we're going beyond the metaphysics to talk about the entire purpose of Spinoza's Ethics: the path to human freedom, in which a human being can become liberated from domination of the affects. The way to achieve this, according to Spinoza, is purely through understanding. No willpower or effort is needed: with knowledge alone, one can understand the necessity of all things, and connect the idea of God to all things. This is the intellectual love of God, through which God infinitely loves himself. In this episode, we will also examine the topics of: Spinoza's three types of knowledge; the meaning of "sub species aeternitatis"; Spinoza's difference from Descartes & the Stoics.

132: Daemonic, part 3 - Stefan Zweig & Nietzsche's Struggle with the Daemon 03.02.2026 1t 28min

In the conclusion to the daemonic series, we're looking at Stefan Zweig's Struggle with the Daemon - specifically, the section on Nietzsche. Particularly helpful for our analysis will be Zweig's comparison and contrast of Nietzsche with Goethe: both men contain the daemoniacal drive, but whereas Goethe holds it at a distance, Nietzsche gives himself over to it. By following Zweig's interpretation of Nietzsche's life and work, we can move from the abstract conception of it to a particular manifestation, and get a sense of the daemonic as it appears in an individual.

131: Daemonic, part 2 - Herder's Substantial Forces & Goethe's Flame of Genius 27.01.2026 1t 28min

In the second part of this series, we'll examine how it is that Goethe came to his conception of the Daemonic, involved as it is with Spinoza's pantheism. Goethe's introduction to Spinoza was largely through Herder, and his friendship with Herder he described as one of the most important in his entire life. We'll consider Herder's personality and some of the most important aspects of Herder's worldview, as well as the use of the term "daemonic" as Herder received it from his mentor, the "Magus of the North", Hamann. In the latter half of the episode, we'll look at the specifics of how Goethe describes the Daemonic in Dichtung und Wahrheit and in Conversations with Goethe, in which he describes it as a force that pushes against all limits and manifests in prodigious human beings. We'll relate the idea to Werther, Faust, and consider some of Goethe's real-world examples of it.

130: Daemonic, part 1 - Ancient Spirits & The Pantheism Controversy 20.01.2026 1t 19min

Part one of three. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe often spoke of a dangerous but invigorating life-force that he christened "the daemonic". In his conversations with Eckermann, and in his autobiography Dichtung und Wahrheit, he describes the daemonic by direct reference to Spinoza, and his pantheist philosophy. In this first episode of our series on Goethe's Daemonic, we're going to look at Goethe's statement of the idea, then go back in time to consider: Plato's Symposium, the daemonion of Socrates, the writings of Philo of Alexandria, Justin Martyr and St. Augustine, and finally, the alleged Spinozism of the playwright Gotthold Lessing and the "pantheism controversy" that emerged over Lessing's legacy, argued by Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi and Moses Mendelssohn.Next week (part two) will involve a closer reading of Goethe's concept of the daemonic and the influence of Herder on Goethe's reception of Spinoza. Episode art: Lessing, pictured in front of some Greek daimones.