Hey everyone, it's Jack here. I'm still out in the camper van writing a travel book – I'm really excited to share more on this soon.

At the same time, we've been producing live events and YouTube videos – so there's been a lot going on. We'll be sharing audio from the live shows soon, as well as recording an old school Panpsycast episode at the end of May.

In the meantime, I'm excited to share another conversation I've had for the new YouTube channel with Jonny Thomson on the philosophy of Epicurus.

I confront Jonny on my verdict that Epicurus is the worst philosopher ever; and he does a tremendous job of telling me why I'm wrong.

It's a great conversation, which i'm excited for you to hear it. So without further ado: here it is!

Links

Jonny Thomson, The Art of Enough (pre-order now!)

Jonny Thomson, Mini Philosophy

Philosophy Minis (Instagram)

Philosophy Minis (TikTok)

Jack Symes, YouTube

Hey, it's Jack here – I'm currently in the snowy hills of Switzerland, recording this from the back of my campervan, so forgive the audio quality. (It won't be like this beyond the introduction.)

I've been busy producing new content for YouTube, with some exciting conversations coming your way – one of which, was with Ed Winters, which I'm excited to share with you today.

We had a really interesting discussion about some of the internal tensions within vegan philosophy. We agree on a lot – but, as you'll hear, our main disagreements concern the moral status of non-animals (which Ed rejects) and whether veganism should involve avoiding products tied to slave labour (which he also rejects).

You can watch the conversation on YouTube now – just search Dr Jack Symes – or sit back and listen here. Thanks again for your support – I hope you enjoy the show.

Links

Earthling Ed, Website

Jack Symes, YouTube

The meaning of life is, as Albert Camus put it, the most urgent question in philosophy – the one on which everything else depends. Yet, when Western philosophy looks to answer this question, it paces up and down the same old libraries – the same shelves filled with the same assumptions about what counts as a self, a good life, and what happens after death.

African philosophy of religion has been neglected in this area. Not because it has nothing to say – but because we haven't been listening. Today, we'll be exploring this tradition – that is, African philosophy – on the meaning of life with Dr Aribiah David Attoe, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Dr Attoe has published several books – including The Question of Life's Meaning: An African Perspective, and African Perspectives to the Question of Life's Meaning – as well as numerous articles and special journal issues on today's topic, bringing these globally neglected traditions into dialogue with mainstream philosophy.

In this episode, we'll explore what it means to live meaningfully with others – not merely alongside them. We'll ask how harmony differs from conformity, and whether communal ideals can protect outsiders. And, most importantly, we'll confront life and death head-on: whether it's possible to find meaning, and – if not – how we should live in a meaningless world.

This episode is produced in partnership with The Global Philosophy of Religion Project at University of Birmingham, funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

Links

Aribiah David Attoe, Publications

Global Philosophy of Religion Project 2