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Otium and The Moral Philosopher – William James
4 July 2025
Episode 6.03 – Otium and The Moral Philosopher – William James
Le Guin leans on an essay by William James, but what does that have to do with all our garden talk? It’s about our blind spots and our privilege. Here’s James’s argument and how it sets up a pragmatic popular ethic that may be worrisome.
William James: “The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life” – https://archive.org/details/jstor-2375309/page/n1/mode/2up
New to Literary Nomads? Check out episode 5.00 to find out what we’re all about: https://waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/waywords_podcast/an-introduction-and-irony/
Listener Survey Available! Please let me know what you thought of Season 5, and get some free stuff, too!
Reading Ahead, Journey 6:
Complete Resources: https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/
CHAPTERS
00:00 The Cranky Professor
05:25 Opening Theme
05:59 Oppositions to Work
12:51 Otium as Privilege
23:22 Hideous Bargains: William James
29:40 Back to Our Garden
32:37 Closing Theme and Credits
===
Transcript: https://waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/transcript-6-00-trailer
Have a Question? Literary Nomads Mailbag: https://forms.gle/WKGp1YWrazNZ3TLt8
===
Literary Nomads is the primary program of Waywords Studio (https://waywordsstudio.com). The podcast posts new material each week, with thought-provoking examinations of literature around selected questions or themes and several smaller supplemental episodes in between the larger programs: history, writing, and contemporary applications of ideas.
Visit us for expanded resources for guests and the Waywords community, for other programs and writing, and for opportunities to support our goal to expand reading. Resources available can include full bibliographies of material referenced, full and partial texts, annotated editions, supplemental and expanded episodes, fictional explorations, teaching and learning resources, additional essays, and online courses.
Website: https://waywordsstudio.com
Newsletter: https://waywordsstudio.kit.com/
Instagram: @WaywordsStudio
Facebook: Waywords.Studio
YouTube: Waywords Studio
LinkedIn: Waywords-Studio
CREDITS:
Original music by Randon Myles (https://randonmyles.com/)
Chapter headings by Natalie Harrison and Sarah Skaleski
USING THIS WORK:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. It is open to be used and adapted for all not-for-profit uses with proper attribution.
MLA CITATION:
Chisnell, Steve. “Otium and The Moral Philosopher – William James,” Literary Nomads. Waywords Studio, 4 July 2025, https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/.
View all episodes
By Steve Chisnell4 July 2025
Episode 6.03 – Otium and The Moral Philosopher – William James
Le Guin leans on an essay by William James, but what does that have to do with all our garden talk? It’s about our blind spots and our privilege. Here’s James’s argument and how it sets up a pragmatic popular ethic that may be worrisome.
William James: “The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life” – https://archive.org/details/jstor-2375309/page/n1/mode/2up
New to Literary Nomads? Check out episode 5.00 to find out what we’re all about: https://waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/waywords_podcast/an-introduction-and-irony/
Listener Survey Available! Please let me know what you thought of Season 5, and get some free stuff, too!
Reading Ahead, Journey 6:
Complete Resources: https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/
CHAPTERS
00:00 The Cranky Professor
05:25 Opening Theme
05:59 Oppositions to Work
12:51 Otium as Privilege
23:22 Hideous Bargains: William James
29:40 Back to Our Garden
32:37 Closing Theme and Credits
===
Transcript: https://waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/transcript-6-00-trailer
Have a Question? Literary Nomads Mailbag: https://forms.gle/WKGp1YWrazNZ3TLt8
===
Literary Nomads is the primary program of Waywords Studio (https://waywordsstudio.com). The podcast posts new material each week, with thought-provoking examinations of literature around selected questions or themes and several smaller supplemental episodes in between the larger programs: history, writing, and contemporary applications of ideas.
Visit us for expanded resources for guests and the Waywords community, for other programs and writing, and for opportunities to support our goal to expand reading. Resources available can include full bibliographies of material referenced, full and partial texts, annotated editions, supplemental and expanded episodes, fictional explorations, teaching and learning resources, additional essays, and online courses.
Website: https://waywordsstudio.com
Newsletter: https://waywordsstudio.kit.com/
Instagram: @WaywordsStudio
Facebook: Waywords.Studio
YouTube: Waywords Studio
LinkedIn: Waywords-Studio
CREDITS:
Original music by Randon Myles (https://randonmyles.com/)
Chapter headings by Natalie Harrison and Sarah Skaleski
USING THIS WORK:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. It is open to be used and adapted for all not-for-profit uses with proper attribution.
MLA CITATION:
Chisnell, Steve. “Otium and The Moral Philosopher – William James,” Literary Nomads. Waywords Studio, 4 July 2025, https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/.