From What We Gathered

From What We Gathered

By Dani Nelson & Kylie ShaharSociety & CultureEducationSelf-ImprovementPhilosophy
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From What We Gathered episodes

  • The Good Life Ep 3: Zeno and Delicious Soup
    It's with great joy that I tell the story of Zeno's soup. Is soup a delicious portal to the good life? If you view healthy eating as part of the virtue of temperance, you bet it is! We'll also talk about what Stoicism has to say about intentionality in our lives.
    Below is the recipe for Zeno's lentil soup which we discuss for an indulgent amount of time at the beginning of the episode. Simple ingredients like lentils, vegetables, vinegar, and coriander seeds, reflect the values of moderation and mindfulness.
    INGREDIENTS
    1 lb. lentils
    8 cups broth vegetable or light meat broth
    1 large leek minced
    1 carrot sliced
    1 stalk celery sliced
    1 small onion sliced
    2 tbsp vinegar (wine vinegar preferred)
    1 tsp honey
    2 tbsp olive oil per serving
    Salt and pepper to taste
    12 coriander seeds per serving
    INSTRUCTIONS
    1. Rinse the lentils thoroughly, then place them in a pot with the broth. Bring to a boil.
    2. Reduce the heat and simmer for one hour.
    3. Skim off any foam from the top, then add the leek, carrot, celery, and onion.
    4. Simmer until vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes.
    5. If the soup appears too watery, mash a portion of the lentils or pass them through a sieve to thicken.
    6. Add the vinegar and honey, then stir to combine.
    7. Serve hot with a generous drizzle of olive oil and exactly 12 coriander seeds per bowl.
    35 min
  • The Good Life Ep. 2: Aristotle
    Do you strive for excellence? Aristotle thinks you should if you are going to achieve eudaimonia. As we cover our second Hellenistic philosopher in our discussion of The Good Life, we describe Aristotle's view of honing your skills mental, physical, comical (in our case) to achieve virtuous balance.
    37 min
  • The Good Life Ep 1: Cardinal Virtues and Diogenes
    Starting Series 2 where the focus is The Good Life, Dani and Kylie explain the four cardinal virtues beloved by Ancient Philosophy and introduce listeners to Diogenes, a hilarious Cynic who doesn't mind laying with the dogs. Flourishing can mean pure happiness but it can also be contentment with only a loin cloth to your name.
    49 min
  • Friendship Ep 9: Reflections
    Kylie and Dani end the Friendship series with reflections and philosophies necessarily missing in the discussion in our initial go with this format. We know there are holes left to explore and we hope to build a community that helps us builds on these ideas. Hear more about what we're hoping you might get out of these episodes and From What We Gathered.
    39 min
  • Friendship Ep 8: Marilyn Friedman
    Communitarianism is fairly new in the philosophy world. Really getting going in the 1980's by political philosophers who view social development as a group work rather than an individual accomplishment. In Marilyn Friedman's article, "Feminism and Modern Friendship: Dislocating the Community', she discusses how our chosen communities, our friends, have taken the place of historic relationships that shape our world. Family, neighbors, school teachers, coworkers and religious contacts made up the entirety of our relationships. Modern life has made sub-cultures the norm and are reshaping the value we place on who our closes influences are. Jump into the discussion with us on From What We've Gathered.
    36 min
  • Friendship Ep 7: Jean-Paul Sartre
    Leap into the 20th century with us for coffee and metaphorical cigarettes as we explore the ideas and friendships of Existential philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. We'll attempt to be our most authentic selves as we look at the positives and negatives of trying to live life in a genuine way.
    34 min
  • Friendship Ep 6: Mary Wollstonecraft
    Mary Wollstonecraft was a British philosopher and feminist who lived her life as a testament to her ideas of equality. This included an abundance of friendships with men whether society was ready for such progress or not. Within these friendships, she discovers the only kind of marriage she might agree too, that of being wedded to a friend. Find out more on From What We've Gathered with Dani Nelson and Kylie Shahar.
    44 min
  • Friendship Ep 5: Mary Astell
    Episode 5 of From What We Gathered introduces the listeners to Mary Astell. A brilliant wit from the 17th century who is often viewed as England's first feminist. Her ideas presented women as capable of the deepest friendships because of shared experience, which could be greatly enriched by their mutual education and would be most beneficial in a monastery where student and teacher alike were female. While we're not circulating a pamphlet on the topic, you can listen now as Kylie & Dani ponder over her dream of an educational monastery that never happened.
    35 min
  • Friendship Ep 4: Michele de Montaigne
    Michele de Montaigne is added to the mix in Episode 4 of From What We Gathered. Montaigne gives us a perspective on why only men are capable of friendship...at least in the 16th century. To no ones' surprise, Kylie and I do not agree even if Montaigne seems witty, charming and super smart. He also takes a stance that true friendship is a bond akin to soulmates, stressing unconditional love. Have you had a friend that meant more to you than romantic interests or family or societal expectations?
    37 min
  • Friendship Ep 3: Confucius
    From What We Gathered episode three has arrived! This round, we turn to ancient Eastern Philosophy to consider types of people who might be looking to befriend us. Confucius may have an approved list, but we're discussing those he explicitly says for us to avoid least we shame ourselves and everyone we know. Are you surrounded by two-faced flatterers looking to con you out of your virtue? You may not have even realized, until now, on From What We Gathered.
    40 min

About From What We Gathered

From the publisher's feed

From What We Gathered is a podcast series that explores everyday concepts through the ideas of a variety of philosophers. Inviting the audience to join along in consideration of some of life’s perennial questions, co-hosts Dani Nelson and Kylie Shahar weigh in on these ideas from their different backgrounds. While Dani’s educational background is mostly (entirely?) of the informal, self-driven sort, she shares her understanding and vault of historical context-setting knowledge with Kylie’s conversational (so, don’t worry: unscholarly!) chit-chat, which is shaped by her formal training as a professional philosopher. If you enjoy enriching your mind with a new way of thinking about ordinary and familiar ideas, or you just want to benefit from the remnants of old wisdom (peppered with contemporary scenarios) in a lively humorous spirit, join us on From What We Gathered.