History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

Peter Adamson

Peter Adamson, Professor of Philosophy at the LMU in Munich and at King's College London, takes listeners through the history of philosophy, "without any gaps". www.historyofphilosophy.net

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20 episodes
Updated July 26

Episodes20

Newest first

July 26 · 20 min
HoP 498 Probably Probable: Pierre Bayle and his Dictionary
Is Pierre Bayle’s pioneering reference work, the Historical and Critical Dictionary, a monument to skepticism or to fideism?
July 12 · 19 min
HoP 497 Pure and Simple: Quietism
The “Quietists” Jeanne Guyon and François Fénelon argue that self-love can be overcome by cultivating a “pure love” for God. Their reward: to be accused of heresy.
June 28 · 16 min
HoP 496 He Unwilling, She Unwilling: Jean Racine
How the “neo-classical” tragedies of Racine explore the battle between passion and reason.
June 14 · 18 min
HoP 495 Comedy of Errors: Molière
Molière’s famous comedies scandalize Paris and dramatize themes from French moralism, especially the danger of hypocrisy.
May 31 · 23 min
HoP 494 Tell the Truth While Laughing: The French Moralists
La Rochefoucauld and other “moralists” offer a penetrating and witty critique of human pride, selfishness, and hypocrisy. Is this just cynicism, or does it support a positive ethic?
May 17 · 21 min
HoP 493 Better Nature: The French Garden
How the French formal garden embodied both Cartesian philosophy and the political ideology of the French monarchy.
May 3 · 21 min
HoP 492 Changing By Degrees: French Scholasticism
How philosophy at the universities evolved in response to Cartesianism and the “new science.”
April 19 · 19 min
HoP 491 Image Problems: Arnauld vs Malebranche on Ideas
Arnauld’s attack on Malebranche’s theory of the “vision in God” leads to a nuanced debate over the nature of ideas.
April 5 · 32 min
HoP 490 Steven Nadler on Occasionalism
What inspired the occasionalist theory embraced by the 17th century Cartesians? We find out from a leading specialist on the topic.
March 22 · 21 min
HoP 489 All Power to Him: Malebranche and Occasionalism
What led Malebranche to his notorious view that all bodily motions and thoughts are caused by God, with created things serving only as “occasions” for divine action?
March 8 · 19 min
HoP 488 No Particular Reason: Nicolas Malebranche
We begin to explore Malebranche’s controversial development of Cartesian philosophy by looking at his theodicy.
February 22 · 21 min
HoP 487 Showing Good Judgment: The Port Royal Logic
Antoine Arnauld and Pierre Nicole update the study of logic to take account of the ideas of Descartes.
February 8 · 19 min
HoP 486 Friends of the Truth: Arnauld and Jansenism
Antoine Arnauld combines Cartesian philosophy with Jansenism, one of the most controversial religious movements of the 17th century.
January 25 · 38 min
HoP 485 Liz Jackson on Pascal's Wager
An interview on contemporary approaches to Pascal's Wager: where decision theory meets philosophy of religion.
January 11 · 22 min
HoP 484 You Bet Your Life: Pascal’s Wager
Should we gamble on belief in God to have a chance at infinite reward?
Dec 28, 2025 · 20 min
HoP 483 Between Infinity and the Void: Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal was a pioneering scientist and deeply spiritual religious thinker; what united these two sides of his thought?
Dec 14, 2025 · 20 min
HoP 482 Indivisible, Under God: the Revival of Atomism
Why did Sébastian Basso and Pierre Gassendi think ancient atomism was the key to developing a new, modern science?
Nov 30, 2025 · 20 min
HoP 481 True Fool’s Gold: Pierre Gassendi
Gassendi’s path from skepticism to “baptized Epicureanism.”
Nov 16, 2025 · 21 min
HoP 480 Honorable Ignorance: French Skepticism
So-called “libertines” like Mothe le Vayer revive ancient skepticism, provoking a backlash from Mersenne and Arnauld. Were they right to see the skeptics as anti-religious?
Nov 2, 2025 · 33 min
HoP 479 Gideon Manning on Cartesian Medicine
An interview exploring Descartes' interest in medicine, how his medical ideas relate to his dualism, and his influence on medical science.

History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

HoP 498 Probably Probable: Pierre Bayle and his Dictionary

HoP 497 Pure and Simple: Quietism

HoP 496 He Unwilling, She Unwilling: Jean Racine

HoP 495 Comedy of Errors: Molière

HoP 494 Tell the Truth While Laughing: The French Moralists

HoP 493 Better Nature: The French Garden

HoP 492 Changing By Degrees: French Scholasticism

HoP 491 Image Problems: Arnauld vs Malebranche on Ideas

HoP 490 Steven Nadler on Occasionalism

HoP 489 All Power to Him: Malebranche and Occasionalism

HoP 488 No Particular Reason: Nicolas Malebranche

HoP 487 Showing Good Judgment: The Port Royal Logic

HoP 486 Friends of the Truth: Arnauld and Jansenism

HoP 485 Liz Jackson on Pascal's Wager

HoP 484 You Bet Your Life: Pascal’s Wager

HoP 483 Between Infinity and the Void: Blaise Pascal

HoP 482 Indivisible, Under God: the Revival of Atomism

HoP 481 True Fool’s Gold: Pierre Gassendi

HoP 480 Honorable Ignorance: French Skepticism

HoP 479 Gideon Manning on Cartesian Medicine