Overthink

About Overthink

The best of all possible podcasts, Leibniz would say. Putting big ideas in dialogue with the everyday, Overthink offers accessible and fresh takes on philosophy from enthusiastic experts. Hosted by professors Ellie Anderson (Pomona College) and David M. Peña-Guzmán (San Francisco State University).

Publisher

Ellie Anderson, Ph.D. and David Peña-Guzmán, Ph.D.

Category

education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Oct 2020

Latest episode

25 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

76 of 182 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   25 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Reflection

   Hosts Ellie Anderson and David explore the philosophical value and drawbacks of reflection, examining its role in self-perception and animal cognition.

2. 

   11 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Mourning

   Nothing can devastate us more than the loss of a loved one. In this episode of Overthink, David and Ellie talk about mourning. What kinds of losses hurl us into a state of mourning? Are there healthy and unhealthy ways of mourning? Or does this distinction not apply in cases when we are dealing with irreparable loss? And how do we deal with the loss of someone when the feeling of loss doesn't naturally resolve but rather stays with us like “an open wound,” as Freud says? To shed light on this difficult experience, your hosts explore Sigmund Freud’s distinction between mourning and melancholia, Roland Barthes’ account of grieving the death of his mother, as well as Emilio Uranga’s analysis of the role that culture plays in our experience of death. In the Substack bonus segment, Ellie and David discuss how Freud’s notion of ambivalence can help to make sense of mourning.Works Discussed:Roland Barthes, Mourning DiaryJulie Alev Dilmaç, “The new forms of mourning: Loss and exhibition of the death on the internet”Martin Heidegger, Being and TimeCorina Sas and Alina Coman, “Designing personal grief rituals: An analysis of symbolic objects and actions”Sigmund Freud, “Mourning and Melancholia”Emilio Uranga, “Dos teorias de la muerte: Sartre y Heidegger”Emilio Uranga, “Notas para un estudio del mexicano”Emilio Uranga, Analysis of Mexican BeingElevate your summer wardrobe. Go to Quince.com/overthink for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.If you’re ready to stop talking yourself out of finding care and making progress, then head to rula.com and take the first step. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

3. 

   28 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Weddings

   Hosts Ellie and David explore the historical and social functions of weddings, questioning their connection to marriage and examining enduring symbols in this interview.

Inside a recent episode

Reflection

Published 25 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And what I maybe want us to just keep in mind is that the metaphor of literal light might be useful for thinking about what we're doing when we're thinking. But the metaphor also breaks down because in many, many ways, the act of thinking is not actually a reflective practice. […]

Who has been a guest on Overthink

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Heather Widdows
• Hanna Pickard
• Sarah Stein Lubrano
• Barry Lam
• Mariana Alessandri

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

6,584,317

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

477 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 83 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

88

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

99

Contact Overthink

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about Overthink