Continuing on Kwame Anthony Appiah's "Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections" (1994), Charles Mills's "But What Are You Really?, The Metaphysics of Race" (1998), and Neven Sesardic's "Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept" (2010) with guest Coleman Hughes.

Racial classifications vary geographically, therefore race is socially constructed. Given this, can we retain the positive aspects of group-identification without hierarchies and what Appiah calls "imperialism of identity?"

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End song: "Tired Skin" by Alejandro Escovedo, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #60.

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Ace bassist Mike started with punk legends MINUTEMEN in the early '80s, broke into the majors with fireHOSE going into the 90s, and was so beloved by the alternative music scene that his first solo album in '94 was star-studded, with Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl in the supporting tour. Mike has released three concept albums over the years and has collaborated on dozes of projects as well as backing Iggy Pop in the reformed Stooges.

We discuss "Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs" by Minutemen from What Makes a Man Start Fires (1983), "The Boilerman" from Contemplating the Engine Room (1997), the first, second, and last sections from Hyphenated-Man (2011), and "I Got Marty Feldman Eyes" from the Big Walnuts Yonder self-titled album (2017). We conclude by listening to "Yeah, We’re Gonna Learn to Fall" by Jumpstarted Plowhards from Round One (2019) featuring Todd Congelliere. Intro: "Walking the Cow" by fireHOSE from Flyin’ the Flannel (1991). For more, visit mikewatt.com.

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On Kwame Anthony Appiah's "Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections" (1994), Charles Mills's "But What Are You Really?, The Metaphysics of Race" (1998), and Neven Sesardic's "Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept" (2010). With guest Coleman Hughes.

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Continuing Ian Hacking’s The Social Construction of What (1999) and Peter Berger's “Religion and World Construction" (1967).

We break down Hacking's typology of construction arguments: Are they exploring where our ideas came from or trying to change things? Are they trying to state facts about nature vs. nurture or essentially political solicitations for us to reconceptualize in healthier ways? Plus, more about the supposed divide between science wars and the culture wars and Berger's picture of the nomos (custom) defining what it is for us to live a meaningful life.

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End song: "The ConstruKction of Light, Part 1" by King Crimson; listen to Mark with Trey Gunn on Nakedly Examined Music #21.

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Barry started in '77 playing keys with XTC and after two albums started his own band Shriekback in '81, with whom he's had 14 releases plus some solo albums. He's known for inventive soundscapes placed over solid grooves and philosophical lyrics delivered in a low chant.

We discuss three Shriekback tunes: "Such, Such Are the Joys" from Why Anything? Why This? (2018), "Amaryllis in the Sprawl" from Glory Bumps (2007), and "Stimulate the Beaded Hamster"/"Pond Life" from Naked Apes and Pond Life (2000). We conclude by listening to a solo tune, "Virgin of the Ladder" by Barry Andrews from Contaminated Pop (2019). Intro: "Nemesis" from Oil & Gold (1985). For more, see shriekback.com.

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On Ian Hacking’s The Social Construction of What (1999) and Peter Berger's “Religion and World Construction" (1967).

Guest Coleman Hughes from Dilemma joins us to survey the types of social construction arguments: the "culture wars" (e.g. race, gender) and the "science wars" (scientific findings are not read off the world but emerge from history). Something can be constructed, yet still be an objective truth we have to deal with.

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John founded the Brooklyn space-rock cooperative Oneida in the mid 90s and has put out 13 albums with them plus four as his solo project Man Forever and several others as collaborations or as Kid Millions.

We discuss two tracks by Man Forever from Play What They Want (2017): "You Were Never Here" and "Twin Torches" (feat. Laurie Anderson), then Oneida's "All in Due Time" from Romance (2018), and listen  to "Nine Years of Facing a Wall" by Fox Millions Duo from Biting Through (2019). Intro: "Sheets of Easter" by Oneida from Each One Teach One (2002). For more, see johnwilliamcolpitts.com.

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Continuing on Sir Francis Bacon's New Organon (1620).

We cover more of Bacon's "idols" and how Bacon divides religion from science (and what this means politically). We then move on to book 2, including Bacon's novel update of the term "form," and take a look at Bacon's method of doing science by filling out tables before actually doing experiments.

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End song: "Stuck in a Cave" by Chrome Cranks; hear Mark talk to singer/songwriter Peter Aaron on Nakedly Examined Music #93.

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Wes joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood in the context of Tarantino's other films. We consider T's strange sense of pacing, his comic violence, his historical revisionism, and casting choices. Is this a brilliant film or a fundamentally misguided idea badly in need of an editor?

For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.

This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life podcast network and is curated by openculture.com.

On Sir Francis Bacon's New Organon (1620).

Bacon claims to have developed a new toolset that will open up nature to inquiry in a way that wasn't possible for ancient and modern natural philosophy.

Mark, Wes, and Dylan consider how much what Bacon describes resembles modern scientific method, talk through Bacon's "four idols" that interfere with impartial inquiry, and consider how Bacon's method fits in with his larger political-ethical-religious views.

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