Episode 83: Exercise
Released August 1st, 2023
Western philosophy started… at the gym. In episode 83 of Overthink, Ellie and David tackle the philosophy of workouts, from Plato’s days as a wrestler to the modern loneliness of a solitary bench press. As they discuss the role of exercise — which the Greeks called gymnastics — in building bodies and training souls, they consider the ancient Olympics, the cravings for health and beauty that guide us through what David calls the "Protestant work-out ethic," and Jean Baudrillard's thoughts about Americans' passion for jogging.
Interested in the works discussed? You can find them here:
Jean Baudrillard, America
Mark Greif, “Against Exercise”
Drew Hyland, Philosophy of Sport
Plato, The Republic, The Laws, and Euthyphro
Heather Reid, Introduction to the Philosophy of Sport
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, and “The Government of Poland”
Sabrina Strings, Fearing the Black Body
Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
