The Philosophical Orientations Podcast

Podcast #1 (July 2020)

How will the Coronavirus pandemic change our world? A Conversation with Mike Hodges

The first FPO video podcast guest was Mike Hodges, founder of the Foundation for Philosophical Orientation, hosted by Reinhard Mueller. Before delving into the main topic of “How does the Coronavirus pandemic change our world?” Mike Hodges describes his path to philosophy and to the philosophy of orientation. This podcast was recorded on July 10, 2020 in Nashville, TN. Click here to watch the recording.

Podcast #2 (November 2021)

A Conversation with Olga Faccani, FPO Fellow 2021-22

In this video podcast, Reinhard Mueller and Olga Faccani discuss Olga’s biographical background, her dissertation research and her work as a teacher at UC Santa Barbara and in the “Odyssey Project,” a theater program between undergraduate students and incarcerated youth. This podcast was recorded on November 17, 2021. Watch it here.

Podcast #3 (July 2022)

The God Dionysus: Second Podcast with Olga Faccani (FPO Fellow 2021-22)

In this second video podcast between Olga Faccani and Reinhard G. Mueller, the two explore the various facets of the mysterious god Dionysus, including his depiction in Euripides’ tragedy The Bacchae, the myths surrounding his two births, as well as the philosophical principles he represents: absurdity, chaos, madness, frenzy, truth, fertility, change, and destruction. Watch it here.

Podcast #4 (June 2023)

Conversation with James Sirigotis (FPO Fellow 2022-23)

In this podcast with James Sirigotis, Reinhard is asking James about his path to graduate school, his dissertation project “Resilient Optionality: (Infra-)Structures of Water, Feeling, and Finance,” and now his concept of resilient optionality applies to our contemporary world. Watch it here.

Podcast #5 (June 2024)

Evolutionary Neuroscience and Human Evolution: Nicolás Wiggenhauser (FPO Fellow 2023-24)

In this podcast with Nicolás Wiggenhauser, Reinhard is discusses with Nicolás the scientific field of evolutionary neuroscience, his dissertation project on “The Macroevolution of the Striatum in Mammals and Primates,” Nicolás’ path to his PhD studies at Stony Brook University, and the fundamental philosophical questions of: How does the human brain differ from those of other primates and mammals? How is the human being unique among the animals? Watch it here.

Podcast #6 (May 2025)

Gut feelings and The Wisdom of the BOdy: Jes Heppler (FPO Fellow 2024-25)

In this episode, FPO Fellow Jes Heppler joins Reinhard G. Mueller to discuss her dissertation project, Gut Feelings and Embodied Epistemology, and the question of what kind of knowledge the body offers. Together, they dive into what gut feelings really are and where they come from, how the body’s wisdom challenges the mind-body divide, and to what extent Nietzsche’s line — “There is more reason in your body than in your deepest wisdom” — still resonates today. Watch it here.

Podcast #7 (June 2025)

Revisiting America the Philosophical: Carlin Romano

In this episode, Carlin Romano joins Reinhard G. Mueller to revisit his 2012 book, America the Philosophical, in which he claims that the United States constitutes the most philosophical culture the world has ever seen. The two discuss whether this claim still holds true today, what in fact defines philosophy, and the challenges facing philosophical inquiry today. Watch it here.

Podcast #8 (July 2025)

Aesthetics in Grief and Mourning: Kathleen Higgins

In this episode, philosophy professor Kathleen Higgins joins Reinhard to discuss her profound new book Aesthetics in Grief and Mourning: Philosophical Reflections on Coping with Loss (2024). They explore why grief transforms our experience of the world, how mourning relates to love, meaning, and art — and why aesthetic activity is essential in navigating loss. From ancient Greek tragedy to modern technologies like chatbots, Kathleen offers deep insights into the human condition and how aesthetic practices help us reorient ourselves after loss. Watch it here.

Podcast #9 (December 2025)

Identity and Orientation in An Age of Profiles: Hans Georg Moeller

What shapes our identity today? How does the academic industry influence philosophy and our pursuit of wisdom? In this conversation, Hans-Georg Moeller and Reinhard discuss Moeller’s theory of profilicity and the three identity technologies – sincerity, authenticity, and profilicity – as developed in the book You and Your Profile: Identity After Authenticity (2021), exploring how we can orient ourselves amid the plurality of identities in our time. Via the lens of Werner Stegmaier’s philosophy of orientation, the episode examines the shift from Bildung to the academic industry, the transformation of mass media, cultural differences between Europe, the US, and China, and debates around the sovereign individual, culture wars, and thinkers such as G. W. F. Hegel, Friedrich Nietzsche, Niklas Luhmann, Robert Sapolsky, and Jordan Peterson. Watch it here.