The Thinking Reed
Tom Vierra
Publishing Details
About This Podcast
A philosophy podcast for everyone. The main idea is for us to get to know some of the most interesting thinkers that ever lived. Each episode is part of a series on a certain thinker/writer. Episodes are fairly short (about 15-30 minutes), but long enough to get you thinking. We explore a wide range of thinkers and writers, both ancient and modern. Pascal, Plato, Dostoevsky, Seneca, Nietzsche, Rousseau, Shakespeare, Camus, Melville -- just some of the names we will encounter together.
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Recent Episodes
Episode 14: Descartes, The Conqueror of Skepticism?
In this first episode on Rene Descartes, we explore the beginnings of his response to crisis of skepticism -- the great philosophical challenge of his time. We look more closely at how skepticism…
Episode 13: Montaigne, Skepticism and Why It Doesn't Work
In this episode we look at Montaigne's most well known essay, "The Apology for Raymond Sebond." In this rambling essay Montaigne seeks to defend his own version of skepticism. But does it work? I…
Episode 12: Montaigne, Can We Know Anything? (An introduction to skepticism)
In this episode we cover an introduction to skepticism -- the view that denies we can ever truly know something -- and how it came to impact Montaigne's thought. Skepticism is not a simple…
Episode 11: Montaigne, The First Modern Philosopher?
In this episode we take up the ever so familiar idea of "the self" or "personality" and discover in Montaigne the beginnings of our own modern understanding of this topic. What does it mean to "be…
Episode 10: Montaigne, Life and Times
In this episode we take a look at wonderfully interesting life of Michel de Montaigne. He lived in late 16th century France, one of the most tumultuous times in European history. The Protestant…
Episode 9: Montaigne, Philosophy as Learning How to Die (which is learning how to be happy)
Cicero once remarked that philosophy is learning how to die. In this episode, our first on Michel de Montaigne, we take up his famous essay on this comment from Cicero. What is the most important…
Episode 8: Graham Tomlin on How Pascal Made the Modern World
In this episode I interview Dr. Graham Tomlin, one of the world's leading experts on Pascal and author of the book, Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World. We discuss everything from…
Episode 7: Pascal, The Wager (and why we get it wrong)
In this episode we consider one of the most famous arguments for God: Pascal's "Wager." But is it an argument for God's existence? What exactly is Pascal doing with the Wager? And what are some…
Episode 6: Pascal, The Heart Has Its Reasons
In this episode we consider Pascal's thoughts on whether there is such a thing as non-rational knowledge. He famously stated that "the heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing." But what…
Episode 5: Pascal, The Vulnerability of Reason
In this episode we explore Pascal's thoughts on the vulnerability of reason. How do we know we are being rational? Are we as rational as we think? Pascal's thoughts on this topic are fascinating…
Episode 4: Pascal, Why We Love Distractions
In this episode we explore Pascal's famous statement that all of our problems come from our inability to sit alone quietly in a room. Why does he say this? Why do we love distractions? Why would…
Episode 3: Pascal, The Night of Fire
In this episode we look more closely at the most important experience of Blaise Pascal's life -- his "Night of Fire" vision. This experience is the gateway to understanding his great philosophical…
Episode 2: Pascal, Life and Times
In this episode we take up the life of Blaise Pascal and the world in which he lived. It was a time of religious conflict, of major shifts in scientific and philosophical understanding, and at the…
Episode 1: Pascal, Man as a Thinking Reed
In this episode the podcast itself is introduced, along with a short reflection on Pascal's famous statement that man is "a thinking reed."
Frequently Asked Questions
The Thinking Reed has published 14 episodes since January 2026, covering topics in Education, Fiction.
The Thinking Reed is currently declining with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 29m.
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