Hello and welcome to Overthink.

The podcast where two professors relate philosophy to everyday life and current issues.

I am Dr. David Peña Usman.

And I'm Dr. Ellie Anderson.

What does life look like without the possibility of redemption?

That's one of the things that Sebastian Purcell asks in his book, The Outward Path, the Wisdom of the Aztecs, which we're going to be talking about today. And it has really stuck with me, David, since I read the text. In general, the Aztecs are a very overlooked people when it comes to philosophical thinking. And so we'll get into why it's bad that they've been overlooked in some of our

discussions today. But Purcell thinks that they offer an important antidote to our usual ways of

thinking. And one of those usual ways of thinking is that happiness is important in this life and redemption is important at the end of it.

And perhaps even for a future life.

Purcell says the Aztecs don't care about redemption.

They don't think it's possible.

And they also don't think happiness is a particularly important goal.

Also one that's not possible. One that we'll talk to Sebastian about once we speak with him

a little bit later in the episode.

But the answer to the question, what does life look like without the possibility of redemption,

is that basically it's still fine.

Like, don't worry too much.

He says, you will be fine.

That's their answer to this.

Well, but that does have some unpalatable consequences, like in his discussion about

death, right?

Most of us want to think that if there's an afterlife, whatever part of the afterlife

...