The Cambridge Geek

Andy Zaltzman's My Life as a...
Andy Zaltzman's My Life as a...

Have another "short look at relatively serious things with a comedian" radio series. If you're anything like me, you quite like them.

And if you're like me in at least two ways (lucky you), you likely live the unexamined life, which famously isn't worth living. However, since there's no hemlock to hand, I'd best get examining, which I'm doing this week with the help of Andy Zaltzman. He's taken a long hard look at philosophy and has decided that the best way to get a proper understanding of the different approaches to life is to do a bit of practical work ahead of the exam.

(In this metaphor, I'm going to assume both the existence of an afterlife and a judgmental entity who moderates the final exam. Sort of an invigilator of the soul.)

So, why not dive straight into the (cold and) deep end with the stoics, whose general approach has been rather heavily co-opted into the British self-image in the form of "Keep calm and carry on". However, it goes rather deeper than that, requiring a sense of self-awareness and self-knowledge that I certainly find myself lacking.

The programme's approach is the usual form, with a particular expert of the week (Jules Evans, pop-philosopher) and a bit of silliness from the comedian involved, but it's solidly put together and doesn't have any obvious failings. May have encouraged me to pick up Aurelius' Meditations, but definitely hasn't encouraged me to take up rugby, due to a rather painful aside.

More thinky than funny, and not quite got the same appeal as Natalie Haynes, but I'll definitely keep listening, mainly to do a little compare and contrast on the different systems available, and see if I can achieve any self-improvement, but also because on the whole it's an enjoyable half hour.

Recommended.

Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Documentary Philosophy