About Possessed: the historical ideas that haunt us
We are possessed by our pasts. Yesterday's ideas haunt us today, exerting a powerful influence on us, shaping how we think about and engage with the world. This podcast critically investigates the histories that possess us—and their afterlives. Our hosts (and occasional exorcists) are a minister, an atheist, and a Jew, who are also researchers in Religious Studies, Philosophy, and History. Between Andrew’s historical expertise, Matt’s philosophical dexterity, and Mary’s training in theology and ethics, we so enjoy chopping it up and sharing what we’ve learned with you.
Publisher
USC Faculty: Andrew Berns, Matt Kisner, Mary Nickel
today's episode of Possessed, we consider whether stories are supposed to make sense. From childhood on, we're taught that stories have a moral, a lesson to teach, some edifying message. In other words, stories are supposed to make sense. But it wasn't always this way. What are the educational, cultural, spiritual consequences of believing that the stories that inspire our lives should have a single main point? Our guest today is Mary Beth Gorman Craig. Mary Beth is an actor, director, intimacy coordinator, and text dialect coach. She teaches in the Department of Theater and Dance at USC.
12 Sept 2026
All Natural
Today on Possessed, we talk about our assumption that the natural is better than the artificial. But there's a lot of natural things that are pretty terrible--think cyanide, pain in childbirth, E. Coli--and there's a lot of non-natural things that are pretty wonderful--think glasses, surgery, breastpumps. How do we make sense of our enduring preference for the natural? Our guest is Dr. Heather Staples, a pediatric pulmonologist who serves on the executive committee of the South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, teaches at the School of Medicine, and serves on an ethics board at a local hospital.
12 Sept 2026
Specialization
On today's episode of Possessed, we discuss the pull that specialization continues to have over us in today's world. Our guest is Ella Lukowiak, the producer of Possessed.
12 Sept 2026
The Greatest Good
On today's episode, we examine the surprising history of the most controversial theory in ethics: Utilitarianism. According to utilitarianism, the right decision is the one that brings about the greatest good, understood as the greatest happiness. This reasoning is fundamental to how we make choices every day. Still, utilitarianism has long been the most controversial ethical theory in history. It's both strongly supported by leading ethicists and frequently decried as immoral. In this episode, we explore the fascinating history of the ethical approach. Our guest is Ryan Darr, a professor at Yale's School of Divinity.
12 Sept 2026
Romantic Love
Is it a mistake to marry for love? Many of us just assume that it's better to marry for love. But for thousands of years of human history, that's not how people have viewed marriage. Our guest for today is Marcia Zug.
21 Oct 2025
Season 1 Teaser Trailer
An introduction to Possessed
23 Aug 2025
Civil Disobedience
Civil disobedience is taught widely in American schools as an integral part of the American story. Henry David Thoreau is honored as a civil hero. Susan B. Anthony earned placement on American coinage, and Martin Luther King received a holiday in his honor. But what counts as civil disobedience? What makes it civil, and what makes it disobedient? For this episode, we explore the the concept of civil disobedience in the United States, with a special attention to the religious and philosophical contexts in which it emerged.
Guests: Alexander Livingston (https://government.cornell.edu/alexander-livingston), associate professor at Cornell University
22 Aug 2025
The Nuclear Family
As David Brooks has written, the nuclear family was a blip in human history, not a regulating norm. Yet many of us continue to think that the nuclear family is the way that family ought to be—and, importantly, that care ought to be provided for children and others. Why do we think this way? And what other ways might we provide care for the young and others in need of care?
Guests: Jennifer Augustine (https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/sociology/our_people/faculty_staff_directory/augustine_jennifer.php) + Allison Dunatchik (https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/sociology/our_people/faculty_staff_directory/dunatchik_allison.php)
Cited in the show:
David Brooks' Atlantic article: "The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/the-nuclear-family-was-a-mistake/605536/)"
22 Aug 2025
Measuring Happiness
Many psychologists today propose that scientific research can help us learn how to become happy. This proposal rests on the provocative assumption that happiness is the sort of thing that you can measure scientifically, an idea that would have been rejected throughout most of western history. This episode examines the origin of the idea that happiness is measurable. We are joined by Leah McClimans, who has authored a new book on measuring wellbeing and using measurements to improve medical outcomes.
Guest: Leah McClimans (https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/philosophy/our_people/directory/mcclimans_leah.php), of USC's Philosophy Department
22 Aug 2025
The idealized body
What makes a body ideal? Is it how it looks, what it does, or what it signifies? In this episode, we explore the ever-shifting idea of the ideal, or idealized body, with two professional dancers and professors of dance, whose work grapples daily with bodies in motion, under scrutiny, and in transformation. What kinds of ideals continue to regulate, elevate, or distort our sense of what a body should be? How are we today still possessed by these ideas?
Guests: Jennifer Deckert (https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/theatre_and_dance/our_people/directory/deckert_jennifer.php) and André Megerdichian (https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/theatre_and_dance/our_people/directory/megerdichian_andre.php) of USC's Blackmon Dance Program
22 Aug 2025
The Body as Machine
This episode delves into the metaphor of the body as a machine, a concept deeply shaped by René Descartes in the 17th century. His comparison of the body to a mechanical system, like a clock, reflected the era's medical advancements, and helped establish a mechanistic view of human anatomy. Yet this metaphor carries profound implications. As later critics like Wendell Berry argue, it reduces the body to a mere object, stripping away its connection to nature and the land. The episode explores how this shift in thinking continues to influence modern medicine and our relationship with our own bodies.
Guest: Michael Burkett (https://michaelaburkett.com/) of USC Athletics
22 Aug 2025
The Magic Ring
This episode explores the history of the idea that without being watched by other people, we are more likely to behave badly. We start with Plato's myth of Gyges' ring, but also explore online surveillance, secret ballots, and more.
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