Best David Hornsby Podcasts (2025)

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22: For the People - A Conversation with our Community 46:51

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5h ago46:51

46:51

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 22: For the People - A Conversation with our Community In this episode, Jamal and Dave step back from the mic to reflect on the journey so far—and to respond to you, the Getting Back Up community. Since launching, we’ve received love, critique, DMs, and real talk from peopl…

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Analytic or Continental philosophy | Christoph Schuringa, Genia Schönbaumsfeld, Babette Babich 49:07

19h ago49:07

49:07

The future of European thought What is analytic philosophy and what is continental philosophy? And, perhaps most importantly, does this distinction make any sense? The division between these two branches has divided Western philosophy for decades now, with the Anglo-Saxon world largely associated with the analytical school, and the European contine…

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How Words Warp Reality | Nick Enfield 32:53

5d ago32:53

32:53

Language shapes how we think, remember, and reason. But does it help us to uncover the fundamental nature of reality? Join the author of Language vs. Reality and linguistic anthropologist, Nick Enfield, as he explores why language excels at persuasion but falters at faithfully representing reality. From media spin to courtroom rhetoric, he reveals …

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21: A Son’s Reflection on Love, Loss, and Legacy with Russell Hornsby (Part 1) 48:40

7d ago48:40

48:40

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 21: A Son’s Reflection on Love, Loss, & Legacy with Russell Hornsby (Part 1) In this deeply personal conversation, Jamal and David sit down with acclaimed actor Russell Hornsby to talk about the kind of loss that doesn’t always make headlines—but leaves a lifelong imprint. …

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Consciousness and psychedelics: In conversation with Rupert Sheldrake 31:33

12d ago31:33

31:33

Philosophers cannot stop talking about consciousness - what are its limits? What is it made of? What does it allow us? This podcast is part of that conversation, but from a more experimental perspective. Join biologist and researcher Rupert Sheldrake as he discusses consciousness with philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes from the lens of psychedelics.…

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A Thanksgiving Break 3:01

14d ago3:01

3:01

Send us a text Going into Thanksgiving and somewhat taking a break. We are thankful to our fans and listeners and grateful for this community. Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David a…

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The philosophy of religion and love with Alain de Botton and Alex O'Connor 26:11

15d ago26:11

26:11

Why we worship without knowing it What should be included within the remit of philosophy? Religion? Love? Hair? Join well-known public speakers and writers Alain de Botton and Alex O'Connor as they talk through what philosophy can offer us, why we should study love, and what the role of religion is in philosophy and in our lives. See Privacy Policy…

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20. Children and Grief with Kelly Medvin (LPC) 53:29

21d ago53:29

53:29

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 20: Children and Grief with Kelly Medvin (LPC) In this episode, Jamal and Dave sit down with Kelly Medvin, a licensed professional counselor from New Jersey whose work with grieving families began with her own story—losing her sister suddenly and stepping in to support her …

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Mazes of the mind: The philosophy of neuroscience | Iain McGilchrist, Colin Blakemore, Bryan Appleyard 47:58

28d ago47:58

47:58

Over the past decades, neuroscience has blossomed, positioning itself as a kind of master discipline over everything else. For who understands the brain surely understands all of human activity and creation? Or not? Neuroscience's reach has extended past its scientific remit and into the world of philosophy and its major questions. What is a human?…

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19: Life After Loss w/ Melody Rollins Downes (Part 2) 46:58

28d ago46:58

46:58

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 19: Life After Loss w/ Melody Rollins Downes (Part 2) In Part 2 of thier powerful conversation, Melody opens up about the final chapter of her husband’s life—the caregiving, the chaos, the clarity, and the quiet moments in between. This episode goes deeper into how they man…

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In search of nothing | David Deutsch, Amanda Gefter, Lee Smolin 1:00:17

1M ago1:00:17

1:00:17

What is nothing? Can it be defined, either philosophically or scientifically? Or will the exploration of nothing bring, ultimately, to nothing? The philosophical exploration of nothingness is an ancient one, from the mysterious number zero through theological understandings of the absence of God right to modern physics and ideas of the void. Join l…

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18: Life After Loss w/ Melody Rollins Downes (Part 1) 1:13:18

1M ago1:13:18

1:13:18

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 18: Life After Loss w/ Melody Rollins Downes (Part 1) In this episode, Jamal and David sit down with Melody Rollins Downes, a close friend, mother, and widow, to explore the full story—not just the moment of loss, but the life that came before it. Melody opens up about her …

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Halloween SPECIAL | The philosophy of the apocalypse 44:25

1M ago44:25

44:25

Why are we fascinated by apocalyptic stories? Join the team at the IAI for a reading of four Halloween-themed articles, written by historian and philosopher Natalie Lawrence, professor of political philosophy Matthew Festenstein, and professor of comparative literature Florian Mussgnug. From the allure of the end times to the symbolic value of mons…

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The importance of giving up | Adam Phillips 27:14

1M ago27:14

27:14

Einstein was called “slow” at school, J. K. Rowling collected a dozen rejections, and Walt Disney was once fired for “lacking imagination.” We love stories of perseverance—but what’s the cost of never letting go? In this conversation, psychoanalyst Adam Phillips argues that our obsession with endurance can have hidden, corrosive effects. He invites…

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17: The Holidays After Loss 42:33

1M ago42:33

42:33

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 17: The Holidays After Loss For anyone grieving, the holiday season doesn’t just bring lights and cheer—it brings shadows, silence, and reminders of what (and who) is missing. In this episode, Jamal and Dave get real about what it’s like to face your first holiday after los…

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16.5: Time Out - Still Getting Back Up 32:50

2M ago32:50

32:50

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 16.5: Time Out - Still Getting Back Up Ten episodes later, we’ve gone from the first morning alone to parenting through pain, rediscovering purpose, and opening our hearts to what comes next. In this reflection episode, Jamal and Dave look back at where they’ve been—from te…

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Slavoj Žižek on philosophy today | The madness of reality 38:03

2M ago38:03

38:03

Slavoj Žižek is back in a new interview where he takes us through his thoughts on the role of philosophy, the future of sex, his fear and love of AI and, as always, so much more. Tune in to hear one of contemporary philosophy's most original and darkly comedic minds expose his thoughts on the present and where we are heading - though that is imposs…

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How to fathom timelessness | Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes 31:23

2M ago31:23

31:23

What should time mean to us? Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a philosopher of mind who specialises in the thought of Alfred North Whitehead, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Benedict de Spinoza, and in fields pertaining to panpsychism and altered states of mind. In this talk, he combines insights from psychedelic experiences with an intriguing view put forward by…

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16. New Love on the Horizon 55:07

2M ago55:07

55:07

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 16: New Love On the Horizon Falling in love again after loss is layered. In this episode, Jamal and Dave reflect on what it means to move forward while still honoring the past. Jamal shares how his connection with Jordan grew organically—through friendship, life experiences…

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After postmodernism | Hilary Lawson, Robin van den Akker, Abby Innes, Sophie Scott-Brown 47:13

2M ago47:13

47:13

Hugely influential in the latter decades of the 20th century, postmodernism transformed many academic disciplines and culture at large. Associated with an attack on objective truth and the uniqueness of meaning, it called into question the whole edifice of knowledge which Western culture had previously glorified. But it left many lost, and in the w…

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15. The DadMom - Taking Over the Solos 33:58

2M ago33:58

33:58

By Jamal Jones & David McClain

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The language of the unconscious: Pyschoanalysis and AI | Alenka Zupančič 29:46

2M ago29:46

29:46

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14. Dating again: What we learned. What you should know. 20:50

2M ago20:50

20:50

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 14: Dating again: What we learned. What you should know. Dating after loss is a different kind of game—and the playbook isn’t exactly handed to you. You’ve changed. The world has changed. And when it comes to love after grief… nobody teaches you how to try again. In this ep…

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The Enlightenment is racist (and why) | Kehinde Andrews 20:38

2M ago20:38

20:38

The Enlightenment has faced a lot of criticism in recent years - its defenders and detractors often come head to head, scrambling to articulate its ultimate value or lack thereof to contemporary society. This podcast contributes to this wider debate and question facing all those interested in philosophy and politics: Are Enlightenment ideas salvage…

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13. We were ready to date. Or were we? 40:19

3M ago40:19

40:19

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 13: We were ready to date...Or were we? In this episode, Jamal and Dave talk about what it was like to start dating after months of loneliness. After all, they were single fathers trying to focus on their kids, also realizing that there was something missing. Besides the pr…

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12: The Tough First Solo Decisions 42:21

3M ago42:21

42:21

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 12: The Tough First Solo Decisions From what to make for dinner… to how to fill out “Mother” on a school form—those first solo decisions hit harder than expected. In this episode, Jamal and Dave talk through the early choices that reminded them they were doing life without …

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The struggle for the good life | Massimo Pigliucci on ancient philosophy for the modern era 29:29

3M ago29:29

29:29

We all want to live the good life. But how many of us can claim to be truly content? Join philosopher and evolutionary biologist Massimo Pigliucci as he argues that pleasure, character, and a healthy dose of doubt, form the basis of the good life, and that purpose in life is crucial to realising our potential. Massimo Pigliucci is a renowned philos…

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Psychedelics and the structure of reality | Julian Baggini, Eileen Hall, and James Rucker 46:51

3M ago46:51

46:51

Truth, delusion and psychedelic reality Do psychedelics reveal hidden layers of reality, or are we simply tripping? Psychedelics are back in the cultural zeitgeist, this time as a treatment for mental health issues. However, critics argue that psychedelics only work by replacing mental illness with a distorted view of reality - but, is this an accu…

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The unconscious mind: Is the unconscious real? 48:58

3M ago48:58

48:58

The unconscious has become a well-known feature of our human lived experience since Freud. We often refer to unwanted impulses, suppressed thoughts, unconscious desires, and the like. But what IS the unconscious? Is it just an easy excuse for our behaviour? Or is it a necessary piece of what it means to be human? Join our diverse and rich panel as …

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11. The Pressure to Move On...Or Just Move 42:38

3M ago42:38

42:38

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 11: The Pressure to Move On...or Just Move Everyone’s got opinions when you’re grieving—especially the folks who’ve never done it. In this episode, Jamal and Dave get real about the pressure to “move on” after losing a spouse. From advice that stings to silence that screams…

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A landscape of consciousness | Robert Lawrence Kuhn and Hilary Lawson 41:19

3M ago41:19

41:19

Will we ever reach a conclusive, agreed-upon theory of consciousness? Over the millennia of recorded history, countless stories, theories, and arguments have emerged to explain the origins of consciousness. And yet, here we are in 2025 - post-Plato, post-Descartes, post-scientific revolution - and still we don't understand the phenomenon of conscio…

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10: When the Calls Stop Coming...It's just me. 56:23

3M ago56:23

56:23

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 10: When the Calls Stop Coming...It's just me. The food stops showing up. The texts stop buzzing. The people who promised to be there… vanish. In this episode, Jamal and Dave open up about the moment the crowd fades and the real loneliness begins. They share their own stori…

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Will psychedelics revolutionize mental health treatment? | Matthew Johnson, Shayla Love, and Kevin Sabet 49:34

3M ago49:34

49:34

The psychedelic revolution Will LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine treatments live up to the hype? For decades, psychedelics were derided as dangerous recreational drugs; now many claim they have the potential to revolutionise the treatment of mental health. With hundreds of clinical trials now taking place, the psychedelic therapeutic market is p…

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9: Honoring A Life & Your Rite of Passage 1:18:21

4M ago1:18:21

1:18:21

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 9: Honoring A Life & Your Rite of Passage The church was full. Or maybe it was nearly empty. Either way, you stood there—grieving, performing, surviving. In this episode, Jamal and Dave reflect on the surreal experience of the services held for their late wives. From family…

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The illusion of separation | Jessica Frazier on the Monism of Hindu philosophy 24:39

4M ago24:39

24:39

Indian philosophy and the search for unity In our everyday lives we act as though we are all separate individuals, but is this really the case? Jessica Frazer argues that reality is ultimately unified, and that this shift in perspective can change the way we live our lives. It can help you lose your isolated ego and escape feelings of alienation fr…

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The limits of nothingness | Peter van Inwagen 27:44

4M ago27:44

27:44

From philosophy to science, metaphysics to psychology, the idea of 'nothing' is central to the universe, existence and experience as a whole. But the nature of 'nothing' is even more bewildering than we might first imagine. Parmenides argued that non-being is impossible because thinking about nothing is still something. Join philosopher Peter van I…

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8. How Do You Tell the Kids? 35:00

4M ago35:00

35:00

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 8: How Do You Tell the Kids? There’s no blueprint for this. No playbook. Just a heart that’s breaking—and a child looking to you for answers. In this episode, Jamal and Dave revisit the most painful part of early grief: telling their kids (and family) that their wives were …

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Is free will an illusion? The chemistry of freedom | Patrick Haggard, George Ellis, Jennifer Hornsby 40:10

4M ago40:10

40:10

The question of free will - and whether we have it or not - is age-old across philosophy, religion, and human thought in general. Having free will allows us to have meaning, responsibility, reward and punishment. Yet discoveries in neuroscience have put our ability to choose, outside of a set of neuronal reactions, in question. Do we have free will…

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7. The First Moments Alone... 38:32

4M ago38:32

38:32

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 7: The First Moments Alone What happens when the chaos quiets down and you’re left alone? Just…you. And the silence. The first moments that you actually begin to process losing your spouse and flood of emotions, thoughts, and actions that follow. In this episode, Jamal and …

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6.5. Timeout: Let's Catch Our Breath 11:21

4M ago11:21

11:21

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 6.5: Timeout: Let's Catch Our Breath In this special episode, Jamal and Dave reflect on the first six episodes of Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death. From their origin stories to the passing of their wives, the journey so far has been raw, emotional, and deeply perso…

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Has the world gone to Hell? | Slavoj Žižek on fascism, shame, and dirty jokes 41:11

4M ago41:11

41:11

Žižek: "Trump did what The Left couldn't" As we look around at the state of the modern world, it's very easy to get disheartened - and that's putting it lightly! From pointless wars and endless suffering to the decline of social bonds and trustworthy institutions, there really is a lot to get you down. Fortunately, maverick philosopher Slavoj Žižek…

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Video games and the meaning of life | James Tartaglia 27:49

4M ago27:49

27:49

Video games are changing how we think. Many are so realistic that some argue they are becoming reality. In this talk by philosopher James Tartaglia, he uncovers the relationship between games and reality. James Tartaglia is Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at Keele University. His latest book is Inner Space Philosophy: Why the Next Stage of Hum…

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6. Til Death Do Us Part 19:57

4M ago19:57

19:57

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 6: Til Death Do Us Part In this episode, we talk about the final days—what we remember, how we coped, and the moments that made us laugh and cry. Honest, raw, and full of love. This episode starts to tease the questions, "Is she really gone?" and "What the hell do I do next…

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The philosophy of literature SPECIAL | George Orwell, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Aldous Huxley, and more 44:01

5M ago44:01

44:01

How literature helps us to understand morality, totalitarian politics, and the life of Jesus Christ. Join the team at the IAI for four articles about great, classic literature, covering world-renowned authors such as George Orwell, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Clarice Lispector, to name but a few. These articles were written by Michael Marder, Emrah Atasoy, …

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5: Putting In The 4th Quarter Team 23:17

5M ago23:17

23:17

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 5: Putting In The 4th Quarter Team When it got real, who did we call? We talk about how we leaned on friends, family, and even professionals when things got dark—and the importance of building your own squad for the hard times. Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a…

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How other species challenge our idea of consciousness | Peter Godfrey-Smith 21:13

5M ago21:13

21:13

In this IAI Studio interview, philosopher and science writer Peter Godfrey-Smith explores the evolution of consciousness and the enduring mystery of the mind–body problem. Drawing on his work with octopuses and other animals, he argues that consciousness emerged gradually through increasingly complex forms of sensory-motor interaction, rather than …

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Utopia and human nature | Paul Bloom 27:15

5M ago27:15

27:15

Human nature and the possibility of utopia The idea of utopia - of a perfect society devoid of suffering and inequality - is planted firmly in the human imagination and psyche. From pre-biblical times to Thomas More and communism and beyond, widely disparate groups have attempted to plan or create a utopia. But is it achievable? And if not, why not…

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4. Through Sickness & In Health - She Has Cancer. Now What? 28:41

5M ago28:41

28:41

Send us a text Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1) Episode 4: Through Sickness & In Health - She Has Cancer. Now What? We open up about what it was like walking with our wives through their cancer journeys—holding on to hope, confronting fear, and staying present through it all. Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcas…

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More choice means less freedom | Psychologist Barry Schwartz 18:32

5M ago18:32

18:32

Why more is less We're surrounded by choice - an endless sea of possible paths we might take. However, does the overwhelming range of choices leave us better off or worse? In general, we tend to think that more is better, but Barry Schwartz, author of the ground-breaking book 'The Paradox of Choice', argues that this view is mistaken. More can lead…

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The limits of logic: Should we embrace the irrational? |Iain McGilchrist, Beatrix Campbell, Simon Blackburn 43:28

5M ago43:28

43:28

Our culture prizes logic and rationality, if not above all else, as two of the most fundamental social traits. But are we missing out by overlooking the irrational? Can logic explain everything, or what is it missing? And is it possible to live (and enjoy) a life led by logic? Logic, in philosophy and beyond, seems to always to be self-evidently ri…