Episode 330: A Fact-Based Podcast (Gogol's "The Overcoat")

Very Bad Wizards

Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro

Society & Culture, Philosophy

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 14 April 2026

⏱️ 77 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

David and Tamler return to the strange world of Nikolai Gogol and discuss his absurdist masterpiece "The Overcoat," a story that both calls for and steadfastly resists interpretation. But first we discuss a forthcoming Phil Studies article "Philosophy as Fact-Based Discipline: 200 Philosophical Facts." Wait until you hear what they are.

Frances, B. (2026). Philosophy as fact-based discipline: 200 philosophical facts. Philosophical Studies, 183(2), 551-581. [springer.com]

The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol [wikipedia.org]

Transcript

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0:00.0	Very Bad Wizards is a podcast with a philosopher, my dad, and psychologist Dave Vizarro, having an informal discussion about issues in science and ethics.
0:09.4	Please note that the discussion contains bad words that I'm not allowed to say, and knowing my dad, some very inappropriate jokes.
0:17.2	You did the right thing.
0:18.7	No, I didn't. The thing I thought was right, but not what people think is right.
0:23.6	Well, baby, you're turning into people.
0:25.6	But I don't want to be people.
0:27.6	The great end boss has spoken.
0:33.6	Play no attention to that man behind the curtain.
0:43.6	Who are you?
0:45.7	Who are you?
0:47.4	I'm a very bad man.
0:49.3	I'm a very good man.
0:51.0	Good man.
0:59.0	They think deep thoughts, and with no more brains than you have. May no attention tonight, man.
1:02.0	Anybody can have a brain?
1:07.0	You're a very bad man. I'm a very good man. Just a very bad man.
1:11.7	I'm a very good man.
1:13.3	Just a very bad wizard.
1:16.2	Welcome to Very Bad Wizards.
1:17.7	I'm Tamler Summers from the University of Houston.
1:20.4	Dave, your boy, Luca, is hurt.
1:22.8	So there's only one contest for you to care about now.
	...

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