WELCOME TO The Philosophical Orientations Podcast

Podcast #1 (July 2020)

Topic: How will the Coronavirus pandemic change our world?

A conversation with Mike Hodges, Founder of the Foundation for Philosophical Orientation

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. You can watch the full 1h 11min video podcast or shorter video segments. 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, Hodges 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 (Hodges 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 (Dissertation 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)

A Conversation with Nicolás Wiggenhauser (Dissertation 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 EMbodied Epistemology: A Conversation with Jes Heppler (Dissertation 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 #6 (June 2025)

Revisiting America the Philosophical: A Conversation with 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.