Unlike the typical podcast, however, the materials here are not lectures, interviews, or explanatory discussions. Instead, they are real-time recordings of my mind at work, as I grapple with philosophical puzzles that emerge spontaneously rather than as part of a structured program (questions as if “from nowhere” that seize my attention in the moment).

I don’t remember exactly what led me to start recording my thoughts in real-time, but it aligned perfectly with both my approach to philosophical engagement and my frustration with the prevailing philosophical discourse.

I have long wished to share my work with the world. But having realized, after many fruitless efforts, that, absent a formal academic affiliation, my philosophical manuscripts would never find their way into a reputable venue, launching my own digital outlet seemed like a viable alternative. Furthermore, since writing inherently distances a person from their own reasoning, inviting an imminent degree of interpretation, I gradually became confident that the practice of thinking as it unfolds, despite its lack of polish or the grace of a carefully written argument, is the more authentic form of philosophical engagement and should therefore be shared as such, rather than analyzed and discussed in hindsight.

Unlike mathematics or theoretical physics, philosophical work is best pursued in one’s mind rather than on paper, as its subject matter defies capture by any formal chain of propositions. We can write our ideas and arguments, and even chart our lines of reasoning, but – as opposed to formalizing mathematical or physical insights on a whiteboard – something is fundamentally lost when we try to formalize our perspective on (encounter with) our cognitive-experiential landscape, namely, to construct a theory of mind. Recording one’s real-time engagement with that landscape, on the other hand, namely registering the real-time conundrums that arise when the mind tries to scrutinize itself (examine itself as a distinct object), while just as – if not more – challenging as any retrospective reconstruction, remains true to the fundamental quality of its subject matter and therefore provides a more lucid perspective, which in turn yields a more effective approach to those conundrums. Put differently: one can converse with oneself (and others) as if the world is listening, but not about any of it when the latter actually does (or can).

So, at some point, I figured: “Record it live! Just think out loud and share your thoughts, questions, and struggles as they arise in your mind. The cognitive pains and brainteasers of philosophy are not merely universal; they are also intimately your own. So share your authentic confrontation with them, which best conveys your deep appreciation and recognition of their value; Your φίλος of σοφία indeed. Give it your best shot! For there lies a philosophy that is far more valuable than any polished theory.”

And so I did. The result, while ultimately intended to be shared, was not a live broadcast or a prepared podcast, but a raw and authentic engagement with philosophy, and this is what I want to share with you here.

Over time, this practice allowed me to not only seize the pressing puzzles of philosophical contemplation but fundamentally augment the process of inquiry, linger on the bare conceptual contexts of these puzzles and navigate their straightforward epistemic roots, adding momentum and refining the engagement as a whole. The result, I believe, surpasses mere problem-solving and transforms the philosophical experience itself, revealing that our limitations are not an impediment to progress, but rather a path to profound personal growth.

In the pursuit of authenticity, I paid a price in fluency and eloquence. My recordings deliberately retain – and even honor – the pauses, hesitations, and moments of intellectual impasse that a typical podcast strives to omit. They are, in fact, the very essence of my project, as they are of philosophy per se. A far greater value lies in dwelling on them than in forcing the philosophical discourse into a stifling, alien, and ultimately malignant, framework for the sake of eloquent rhetoric and hollow academic prestige. Hence, that was a worthy price to pay.

Finally, I chose to record most of my content in English to reach the widest possible audience. As is evident in the materials, however, I am not a native English speaker. While the linguistic impact of this fact can be easily mitigated in written texts, no such possibility exists for live speech, much less for the raw process of thinking out loud. I am confident that this does not compromise the project’s quality, but I note it here to stress that linguistic proficiency should only serve to amplify the benefits I hope to offer.