Unpacking Ideas

About Unpacking Ideas

Unpacking the most influential ideas from the past to make them more accessible in the present. To read along with us visit www.unpackingideas.com/podcast

Publisher

Zach Stehura

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 May 2021

Latest episode

3 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 44 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   3 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   43. Goethe on The Faustian Bargain pt.1

   Host Zach Stehura interviews Philip Kubasov to unpack Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's "Faust Part 1," exploring the consequences of endless striving and the temptation of evil.

2. 

   18 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   42. Erich Fromm on Being vs. Having

   Host Zach Stehura interviews Psychoanalyst and Sociologist Erich Fromm about the core concepts of "To Have or To Be," exploring the myth of progress and the consumer personality.

3. 

   22 Dec 2025

   41. William James on Pragmatic Truth

   In this episode we unpack the American Philosopher & Psychologist William James' 1907 classic, "Pragmatism." This book explores... *The Pragmatic Theory of Truth *The Nature of Belief Change *The Psychology's connection to Philosophy Host: Zach Stehura  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UnpackingIdeas.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.unpackingideas.com/) Guest: Brent Mondoskin Intro Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Polyenso⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.dualtone.com/polyenso) Free PDF of the book: Pragmatism by William James⁠ (https://annas-archive.org/md5/10482ac4a1a273b8f251425f86be957d) Resources Mentioned The Metaphysical Club by Louis Menand(book) The Essential Pierce vol.1 by C.S. Pierce(book) Radical Empiricism by William James (book) Mindset by Carol Dweck(book) The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy (book) Timestamps 0:00 Introduction

Inside a recent episode

43. Goethe on The Faustian Bargain pt.1

Published 3 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Because it seems there is kind of throughout this Mephistopheles is, I mean, obviously a bad influence. You know, he's the devil after all. But he also doesn't kind of have the power to... force faust to do anything he's more just kind of persuading him again kind of undermining yeah i think i think that's valid if you remember in the very beginning when he entered faust's study for the second time faust had to tell him three times to enter right right so they what is the idea it's volition The devil doesn't make you do anything. Ultimately, you decide what you're going to do. Even when he was the poodle, he had to be invited in. […]

Who has been a guest on Unpacking Ideas

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

• Philip Kubasov
• Oriane Hakkila
• Kilaya Ciriello

Reach and audience

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

YouTube views

9,420

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.9 / 5

25 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

53 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100

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

Quality

30

Social presence

0

YouTube

74

Engagement

50

Contact Unpacking Ideas

Guest appearances

Books guests

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

Questions about Unpacking Ideas