The Existential in Red Dead Redemption 2
The Art of Manliness
The Art of Manliness
4.7 • 14.8K Ratings
🗓️ 5 December 2022
⏱️ 55 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
People sometimes ask me what I think of video games. I think that, in moderation, they're a fine source of the kind of passive entertainment we all need little doses of in our lives. But for me personally, I rarely play video games because there's just too much other stuff I'd rather do instead.
There is one notable exception to my ambivalence towards video games, however. A game which I played for hours with thorough enjoyment and zero regret: Red Dead Redemption 2. It's a video game that's more immersive and story-like than most others, and even gets you reflecting on the existential layers of life.
Here to discuss those deeper layers of Red Dead Redemption 2 with me is Patrick Stokes, a professor of philosophy and fellow fan of the game. We combine two of my favorite things — Red Dead Redemption 2 and the philosophy of Soren Kierkegaard — in a conversation on the existential themes you can find in the game like nostalgia, freedom, choice and consequences, and the certain uncertainty of death.
Resources Related to the Episode- AoM Podcast #790: Kierkegaard on the Present (Passionless) Age
- AoM Podcast #635: The Existentialist’s Survival Guide
- "Art for Trying Times: How a Philosopher Found Solace Playing RedDeadRedemption 2" by Patrick Stokes
- Digital Souls: A Philosophy of Online Death by Patrick Stokes
- "A Special Way of Being Afraid" — Kathy Behrendt on the fear of non-existence in death
- A Very Easy Death by Simone De Beauvoir
- Photo of Lewis Powell — conspirator in the Lincoln assassination
- "The Ruin" poem
- Kierkegaard quote on living life forwards
- Mimesis as Make-Believe by Kendall Walton
- The Ethical Demand by Knud Ejler Løgstrup
- Patrick's articles on New PhilosopherÂ
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Brat McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness podcast. |
| 0:11.1 | People sometimes ask me what I think of video games. |
| 0:13.7 | I think that, in moderation, there are fine sources of the kind of passive entertainment |
| 0:17.9 | we all need little doses of in our lives. |
| 0:20.1 | But for me personally, I rarely play video games because there's just too much other stuff |
| 0:23.8 | I'd rather do instead. |
| 0:25.5 | There is one notable exception to my ambivalence towards video games, however, a game which I |
| 0:29.6 | played for hours with thorough enjoyment and zero regret. |
| 0:33.3 | Red Dead Redemption 2. |
| 0:35.1 | It's a video game that's more immersive and story-like than most others, and even gets |
| 0:38.7 | you reflecting on the existential layers of life. |
| 0:41.6 | Here to discuss those deeper layers of Red Dead Redemption 2 with me is Patrick Stokes, |
| 0:45.5 | a professor of philosophy and a fellow fan of the game. |
| 0:48.2 | We combine two of my favorite things, Red Dead Redemption 2 and the Philosophy of |
| 0:52.3 | Soaring Kickerguard, and a conversation on the existential themes you can find in the |
| 0:56.4 | game. |
| 0:57.4 | Adulgia, Freedom, Choicing Consequences, and the Certain Uncertainty of Death. |
| 1:03.1 | After shows over, check out our show notes at a-wim.ias-rdr2. |
| 1:26.2 | Thanks for having me. |
| 1:30.2 | So you are a professor of philosophy who specializes in continental philosophy, existential |
| 1:35.0 | philosophy, particularly the philosophy of Soaring Kickerguard. |
| 1:38.6 | How did you make the Danes with Awesome Hair, the subject of your academic career? |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Art of Manliness, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Art of Manliness and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

