Latest Episode
PvI#38: The Bones of Tragedy with Jay O. Sanders
Jay Sanders, famed not only for his appearances on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and The Day After Tomorrow and many many other screens and stages, joins us to talk tragedy, how he’s applied the lessons of improv to his scripted acting, and more. Jump into the improv maelstrom with us! In the post-game, which just…
Continue Reading PvI#38: The Bones of Tragedy with Jay O. Sanders
PvI#37: Season One Final Round
It’s all down to this. Which discipline, which host will prevail?
All stakes are on the table, and if this thinking isn’t critical enough, if these scenes aren’t congruent enough, if we fail the big scan-tron test that is life, then it’s all been for nothing. Tune in for this, the most exciting single podcast episode you’ve ever heard in your whole goddamned life.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
PvI#36: Authentic Authenticity w/ Skye Cleary
Skye teaches and Columbia and the City University of New York, and she recently published How to Be Authentic: Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Fulfillment (which is very good, and NOT snake oil).
She joins Mark and Bill to talk about what authenticity might mean for an existentialist, how it relates to truth, responsibility, and picking a theme for your birthday party.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Continue Reading PvI#36: Authentic Authenticity w/ Skye Cleary
PvI#35: Submarine Observations w/ Chris Rathjen
We talk about observations and how they relate to theories and other types of preconception. Is there such a thing as pure observation?
We tour a submarine and plan a party. There is no Chumbawamba in either case.
Improver Chris starred in the Improvised Star Trek podcast and has been a recurrent guest and now an editor on Hello From the Magic Tavern.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Continue Reading PvI#35: Submarine Observations w/ Chris Rathjen
PvI#34: Possible Diners w/ Barry Lam
Barry hosts Hi-Phi Nation, and his most recent season had a run on David Lewis, America’s foremost philosopher of possible worlds. So we talk about that notion that Hollywood has had so much fun with lately, and then we have fun with it in a couple of variations on a classic diner scene. Cheese salad, anyone?
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
PvI#33: Virtuous Garbage Director w/ Jack Newell
Bill is a sad but steadfast street sweeper. Mark has secret character traits. Filmmaker Jack C. Newell is our inaugural non-philosopher, non-improviser guest, and his film knowledge leads to us talking about ethics in terms of film tropes plus some meta-historical-reenactment.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Continue Reading PvI#33: Virtuous Garbage Director w/ Jack Newell
PvI#32: “On the Standard of [Bad] Taste” w/ Babette Babich
Babette teaches at Fordham and recently edited the collection “Reading David Hume’s ‘On The Standard of Taste,’” which Mark made use of for PEL#289. So, more philosophically beefy than our typical PvI episode, and yet also live and hence unpredictable. Taste it!
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Continue Reading PvI#32: “On the Standard of [Bad] Taste” w/ Babette Babich
PvI#31: Signs, Signs, Ubiquitous Signs w/ Brooke Breit
Contemplate the difference between signs, symbols, and symptoms. Did our improv scene get Zoom-bombed, or is that just real life intruding? THINK OF THE CHILDREN (eating Doritos)! What flavor of chip is Bill trying to teach today? Why is Brooke sad?
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Continue Reading PvI#31: Signs, Signs, Ubiquitous Signs w/ Brooke Breit
PvI#30: In Historica Res
…which, as I was saying, is right in the middle of a sentence or scene! How should our personal and family histories shape our behavior, both in real life and in improv scenes? Do these histories, these stories we tell ourselves, nail us down as people? Are we all old before our time? Are those your real parents?
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
PvI#29: Personal Panpsychism w/ Jack Symes
Panpsycast host Jack brings his promiscuous philosophy of mind to the show, wherein mind is here, there, and everywhere. But what does that mean? Skits about renting a flat for nefarious purposes and designing software for Nozick’s experience machine reveal all! But the question remains… So what? You have to care!
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Sponsor: Get 15% off premium earbuds at BuyRaycon.com/pvi.
PvI#28: Enhanced Interrogation w/ Adal Rifai
Today’s episode is about questioning: how one might question, what sets the parameters for a proper answer, and how to give those answers in an informative and/or dramatically effective way. Watch out for dream pigs! Also, how to get into the VIP room at Stuckey’s. Perhaps a pair of paralegals can help.
In the post-game, included JUST THIS ONCE for public enjoyment, we reflect on improv in the real world and some potential spin-off improv podcasts from our episode.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Sponsor: Get 15% off premium earbuds at BuyRaycon.com/pvi.
Continue Reading PvI#28: Enhanced Interrogation w/ Adal Rifai
PvI#27: Normaliticitizationism w/ Andrew Lavin
We are joined by the young purveyor of the Reductio podcast, who wrote his dissertation on normality, which was such a normie thing to do. Can “abnormality” be morally neutral, or is that term cursed? You down with OTPs? How many towels do you need?
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Continue Reading PvI#27: Normaliticitizationism w/ Andrew Lavin
PvI#26: Monetize Your Syphilitic Storytelling w/ Linda Orr
Is money the root of all evil, or does it save us from needless cabaret bartering? What is money qua social construction? Should we retain the chocolate fountain? Are you ready to run? Did you bring your NFTs to trade for blue powder? Bill is master of the frustration scene.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Continue Reading PvI#26: Monetize Your Syphilitic Storytelling w/ Linda Orr
PvI#25: Questionable Causal Practices
Guest free, we discuss topics from hairballs to boogers to color vision among inanimate objects and rules for unicorn play. When the bad-ass, smelly, screaming white ball hits the 5 ball, how does the causality work? Is skepticism about physical forces just conspiracy theory?
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
PvI#24: Game Time w/ C. Thi Nguyen
The philosopher of games joins us for a frustration game. What is a game, anyway? We ask dumb questions on a museum tour.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
PvI#23: Things Mean Things w/ Tommy Maranges (aka Philosophy Bro)
Can we have an entertaining discussion inspired by Aristotle’s most boring book? Bill leads Mark and our guest Tommy through some let’s-describe-what’s-in-an-imaginary-room exercises.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Sponsor: Learn about St. John’s College at sjc.edu/improv.
Continue Reading PvI#23: Things Mean Things w/ Tommy Maranges (aka Philosophy Bro)
PvI#22: Punishment w/ Noah Gregoropoulos
There’s trouble at the work site! There are secret shifts of emotion going on. Do they make sense? Later, a guy’s car is blocking a driveway. Does he deserve the electric chair, or a beer? It depends on your theory of punishment.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
PvI#21: Sentient Garage
The scene is its own entity. What else might be its own entity? Can a machine that passes the Turing test know what it’s like to be a bat? We bring in emotions from irrelevant contexts, and we keep hearing them long after they’re gone.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Sponsor: Learn about St. John’s College at sjc.edu/improv.
PvI#20: The “Other” Story w/ Jenny Hansen
What is “othering”? Why did Bill get such a bad grade? Is it because of his feather quill pen? Our first real philosophy professor guest joins us for some office hours and anti-vaxxer drama.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Sponsors: Visit betterhelp.com/improv to be matched with a licensed, professional therapist. Learn about St. John’s College at sjc.edu/improv.
PvI#19: Broken Atomic Dogs
Let’s all lose our jobs and talk instead about fundamental ontology and social dynamics.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Sponsors: Visit betterhelp.com/improv to be matched with a licensed, professional therapist. Learn about St. John’s College at sjc.edu/improv.
PvI#18: Utopias w/ Jill Bernard and Michelle Gilliam
Featuring TWO guest improvisers, Jill, co-founder of HUGE Theater and her friend Michelle, owner of Improv MKE.
Bill and our guests each start a scene to explore something of what utopia might amount to, and of course how it will inevitably go bad. Could there be some single utopia for everyone?
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Sponsors: Visit betterhelp.com/improv to be matched with a licensed, professional therapist. Learn about St. John’s College at sjc.edu/improv.
Continue Reading PvI#18: Utopias w/ Jill Bernard and Michelle Gilliam
PvI#17: The Imitation Game (with Toaster)
Riffing on resemblance. Eventually invoking the spirit of a toaster. Mark is wrong: the God Emperor of Dune can’t drink water at all, just dried food.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Sponsors: Visit betterhelp.com/improv to be matched with a licensed, professional therapist. Learn about St. John’s College at sjc.edu/improv.
PvI#16: The Legend of Kermit’s Gold w/ Tim Sniffen
Do you believe in miracles? If doctors believed in miracles, would they just let surgeries finish themselves? Do assumptions of a logical universe make it not just unjustified by psychologically impossible for us to really believe in miracles?
Read about our VERY FIRST guest, Tim Sniffen at timsniffen.com.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
Sponsors: Visit betterhelp.com/improv to be matched with a licensed, professional therapist. Learn about St. John’s College at sjc.edu/improv.
Continue Reading PvI#16: The Legend of Kermit’s Gold w/ Tim Sniffen
PvI#15: There is no “I” in “Dahyulectecs”
Who stole Carmine’s lunch? I think you know. Are there only a certain number of “logical” directions from one idea to another? Are there no mistakes, or are there mistakes that know?
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more Philosophy vs. Improv. Support the podcast to get all our post-game discussions and other bonus stuff.
PvI#14: Action Idealism!
Are so-called “material objects” really just a scam? These two cut-ups (Bill and Mark) cut up the world in various ways, showing you how to teach, how to act, and how to haggle.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get our post-game discussion and other bonus stuff.
PvI#13: F*** Your Grapes
Beauty is cool, but is art always aiming at beauty? Generations disagree about their music. Snakes disagree about how much they should worry.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get our post-game discussion and other bonus stuff.
PvI#12: Stand by Me II
Bill gets really real, with his unlogical emotions. When we feel things, do we know why? Is there a why?
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get our post-game discussion and other bonus stuff.
PvI#11: The Trolley Opportunity
Bill gets to have the power of live and death, with a bit of moral luck. Is he enthused?
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get our post-game discussion and other bonus stuff.
Sponsor: Learn about St. John’s college at sjc.edu/improv.
PvI#10: Reasonable Beasts
Turkeys speculate in a game scene. Are they reasonable and/or jive turkeys? Then, geometry is subject to ad hominem attack in an instructive relationship scene.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get our post-game discussion and other bonus stuff.
PvI#9: Keepin’ It Super Real
Why is lying wrong? Scene conceptions clash. It is hard to lie in a pretend scene, because the pretending is already a lie. You can lie inside-out or outside-in.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to our post-game discussion and other bonus stuff.
PvI#8: Here Ought to Be Dragons
Mark and Bill do impressions of people you don’t know. The is-ought distinction is bravely explored. Does pretending to be cavemen help? Magic business is afoot. Childhood speaks.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get bonus stuff (including the “post-game” portion of this discussion.
PvI#7: Meritocracy Now!
Does it make sense to try to have everyone get what they “deserve”? We act out the desert machine but yet get no predictable cake.
Judgebot 5000 enters our lives. Is this our first really good episode? Maybe.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get bonus stuff and good karma!
PvI#6: Let’s Have Made a Deal!
We try to be boring. Bill tries to make a discovery amidst the canards. Mark tries to be a good meta-dupe. With our first celebrity guest, the final judge is unveiled!
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get bonus stuff and good karma!
PvI#5: What Is Bread? Are You Bread?
Two scenes reveal our underlying definitions. How will we overcome the lag between our words? How many beats in an heirloom beet if an heirloom hair-looms beets?
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get bonus stuff and good karma!
PvI#4: Death at Not a Doctor’s Office
Is death something to be feared? What’s next? What are the DETAILS? Do not adjust your listening device; that sound you hear is improvisation.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get bonus stuff and good karma!
PvI#3: Equality of Ignorance
Our first improvised scene! We get real high on self-esteem.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get bonus stuff and good karma!
PvI#2: Real Lava Accommodation
Mark Linsenmayer asks what is real? Bill Arnett accommodates and highlights as appropriate. A flawless performance by all, despite the judges’ feedback.
Mark philosophizes at partiallyexaminedlife.com.
Bill improvises (and teaches) at chicagoimprovstudio.com.
Support the podcast to get bonus stuff and good karma!
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get bonus stuff and good karma!
PvI#1: We Have Always Already Been Improvising
An epic journey begins. Which path will produce the most profound profundity? The wisest wisdom? Bill Arnett eases us into first gear, but Mark Linsenmayer pulls the wheel toward murder.
For more about Mark and Bill, respectfully see partiallyexaminedlife.com and chicagoimprovstudio.com respectively.
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast to get bonus stuff and good karma!
Continue Reading PvI#1: We Have Always Already Been Improvising
Philosophy vs. Improv: An Introductory Trailer
What is Philosophy vs. Improv? Hear about the new podcast by Mark Linsenmayer (The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast) and Bill Arnett (Chicago Improv Studio, The Complete Improviser author).
Thanks to our announcer, Erica Spyres.
Get more episodes than are now publicly available plus supporter-only content at patreon.com/philosophyimprov. This new project needs your support to get off the ground!
Continue Reading Philosophy vs. Improv: An Introductory Trailer