Chasing Leviathan

This episode was recorded before the tragic news of Dr. Habermas' death. We deeply mourn his passing. Dr Habermas was a man who carefully and passionately pursued the truth, and so we hope that today's episode, in that spirit, we'll pay a small tribute to his legacy.What happens to our democracy when the "written word" is replaced by the "viral image," and reasoned debate is drowned out by the hunt for clicks? University of Groningen professor Dr. Peter Verovšek joins host PJ Wehry to discuss the legacy of Jürgen Habermas and how the digital age is transforming the democratic public sphere. Dr. Verovšek explores the core arguments of his book, Jürgen Habermas: Public Intellectual and Engaged Critical Theorist. They examine the philosophical evolution of Habermas’ work, from his early critiques of post-war Germany to his recent concerns regarding the "new" structural transformation of the public sphere caused by social media. In this conversation they explore:The "Desk" of the Intellectual: Why Habermas views the written word as the primary tool for public engagement and why he performs his role as an academic from the "primary place" of his desk. The First Generation vs. Habermas: How Habermas moved Critical Theory away from the "negativism" of Adorno and Horkheimer toward a consistent account where theory and practice flow from one another. The "Life World" vs. Systems: Why we must protect our day-to-day cultural lives—the "life world"—from being "colonized" by the impersonal logics of money and administrative power. Social Media as a "Double-Edged Sword": How the internet turned every citizen into a potential author while simultaneously removing the editors and fact-checkers essential for democratic legitimacy. The Intellectual vs. The Guru: Why true public intellectuals act as "early warning systems" for society rather than "gurus" who monetize their following or tell people how to live. The Crisis of Digital Authorship: Why the shift from reasoned argumentation to "appearance" and "mobilization" makes it increasingly difficult for marginalized voices to be heard in a saturated media environment. This is a conversation for anyone interested in political philosophy and media ethics who wants to understand the forces reshaping our democracy and how to reclaim a meaningful public square.Make sure to check out Dr. Verovšek's book: Jürgen Habermas: Public Intellectual and Engaged Critical Theorist 👉 https://a.co/d/09IMLbLhCheck out our website at chasingleviathan.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.Timestamps0:00 Introduction & Tribute To Jürgen Habermas0:46 Introducing Peter Verovšek2:59 Why This Habermas Book Now4:13 Discovering Habermas Through Continental Philosophy5:00 Habermas As A Formative Voice In Modern Germany5:59 Habermas' Public Writings Versus Academic Philosophy8:52 How Translation And Publishing Shaped Habermas Reception9:16 Why Habermas Matters In Late 20th Century Philosophy10:24 Habermas' Childhood Under Nazism And Postwar Germany13:38 Postwar Philosophy Disillusionment And Political Activism15:36 Joining The Frankfurt School17:53 Structural Transformation & The Habilitation Controversy19:45 The Student Movement 196822:00 Leaving Frankfurt & Refocusing on Theory23:10 Theory Of Communicative Action & a New Critical Theory23:52 What It Means to be an Engaged Critical Theorist29:08 German Reunification, European Integration, & Democratic Legitimacy32:25 Lifeworld Versus System And The Power Of Global Capital36:42 The Idea Of The Life World In The Phenomenological Tradition37:03 Early Attempts To Resist Instrumental Reason39:39 Defining The Public Sphere & Its Role In Democracy45:24 The New Structural Transformation47:18 Platforms, Algorithms, & the Crisis of Public Communication49:00 True Public Intellectuals vs Gurus53:32 How To Choose Better Voices In Your Own Media Diet

How does recognizing our deep physical and social connections change the way we understand human nature?University of Cincinnati philosophy and psychology professor Dr. Anthony Chemero joins host PJ Weary to challenge traditional Western philosophy and explore the embodied nature of cognition.Dr. Chemero unpacks his book Intertwined Creatures: The Embodied Cognitive Science of Self and Other. Together they discuss the intersection of cognitive science and feminist theory to show how deeply our environments and social circles shape who we are.In this conversation they explore: How feminist critiques of traditional philosophy reveal that our earliest experiences as infants are shared rather than isolated. The flaws of the Cartesian worldview that treats the self as a hidden mind sparsely connected to a mechanical body. Using the pub crawl from the movie The World's End to explain why viewing other people as unthinking blanks is a fundamental failure of understanding humanity. What flushing toilets and far-from-equilibrium thermodynamics teach us about the self-organizing nature of human behavior. The physical and social constraints that effortlessly coordinate our actions when we move a sofa or dance with another person. The concept of shared public moods and how our emotions are often collective rather than purely internal.This is a conversation for anyone interested in psychology and philosophy who wants to break free from the illusion of isolation and embrace a deeply connected human experience.Make sure to check out Dr. Chemero's book: Intertwined Creatures: The Embodied Cognitive Science of Self and Other 👉 https://cup.columbia.edu/book/intertwined-creatures/9780231223195/Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.Timestamps0:00 – Introduction1:13 – Grad School, Feminism, and the Limits of Analytic Philosophy2:10 – From Chomsky to Dennett to Feminist Cognitive Science3:16 – Discovering Feminist Political Theory and Embodiment4:22 – Embodiment, Social Interaction, and What People Really Are4:45 – AI as Blanks and The World’s End Analogy5:33 – Why No One Around You Is a Blank6:16 – The Problem of Other Minds7:26 – Philosophy, Real Life, and Promoting Social Change8:46 – What Is a Person? Traditional Views vs Feminist Critique9:50 – Mothers, Infants, and Shared Experience10:30 – Minimal Self, Narrative Self, and a Three Year Old’s Identity11:32 – From Newborn Coexperience to Semi Autonomy12:20 – Robinson Crusoe, Technology, and Minds Without Others13:11 – Culture, Chairs, and How Social Norms Shape Perception15:00 – Are Some Cultures More Communal Than the West15:58 – How Roles and Rooms Quietly Shape Our Choices16:38 – What Are Dynamical Systems in Cognitive Science18:01 – Far From Equilibrium Thermodynamics and Living Systems19:19 – Bringing Dynamics into Neuroscience and Cognition20:11 – Frisbee Catching and Why Minds Extend Beyond the Skull20:39 – Self Organization, Constraints, and Everyday Common Sense22:28 – Toilets, Whirlpools, and How Order Emerges Without a Leader24:23 – Actions as Self Organizing Rather Than Commanded25:00 – Social Constraints, Bowls, and How Groups Shape Behavior25:27 – Carrying a Sofa Together as Joint Action27:19 – Moods as Public and Shared Rather Than Private28:37 – Personality, Moods, and Emotions Across Timescales29:10 – Shared Emotions and the Feel of Being in an Argument29:34 – Power, Hierarchy, and Antagonistic Coupling30:11 – Belittling, Culture, and How Reactions Are Learned30:59 – Novels, Violence, and How Books Shape Collective Mood31:59 – Beyond Cartesian Mind Reading32:37 – Conversations, Grumpiness, and Shared Affective Fields36:03 – Truth, Activism, and Why Theory Choice Is Moral37:02 – Chomsky, Nativism, and Morally Dubious Pictures of Persons38:17 – How Intertwined Selves Reshape Parenting and Gender39:44 – Emotional Connectedness as the Human Default40:01 – Individual Health as Community Health40:28 – Environment, Regulation, and Why the World Matters for Persons41:22 – Inverting Harmful Policies Through Interdependence41:50 – Descartes, Souls, and the Myth of Radical Independence42:47 – Relationships as Systems With Their Own Integrity45:00 – Microbiomes, Air Quality, and the Fragility of Thought47:09 – Jeff VanderMeer, Area X, and Transformative Environments50:00 – Violence, Mobs, and When Social Dynamics Go Wrong51:25 – Concluding Thoughts

What comes after the endless critiques of postmodernism? Williams College professor Dr. Jason Ananda Josephson Storm joins host PJ Wehry to rethink the trajectory of the human sciences and chart a course for the future of academic theory. Dr. Storm, the Francis Christopher Oakley Third Century Professor of Religion and Chair of Science and Technology Studies, unpacks his book, Metamodernism: The Future of Theory. Together they discuss how scholars can move past deconstruction and begin building again. In this conversation they explore:🔷 Why starting with critique is necessary but terminating in critique fails to move conversations forward. 🔷 How academic disciplines systematically dismantled their own core categories like art, religion, and society. 🔷 The frustrating cycle of scholarly "turns" that repeat past mistakes without interdisciplinary awareness. 🔷 Reclaiming the liberal arts as a practical guide for living a life worth having lived. 🔷 The shift from academic destruction to compassionate philosophy after the birth of his daughter. 🔷 Critical virtue ethics and the importance of struggling together to build a better world despite pervasive suffering. This is a conversation for anyone exhausted by constant skepticism who wants to find constructive ways to engage with society and scholarship. Make sure to check out Dr. Storm's book: Metamodernism: The Future of Theory 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/022678665XCheck out our website at chasingleviathan.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.Timestamps0:00 Introduction5:00 Beyond Postmodernism10:00 Humanities, Jobs, and Lives Worth Having Lived15:00 Teaching “The Meaning of Life” and Guiding Students Toward Flourishing20:00 Epistemic Communities, Self-Deception, and Critical Virtue Ethics30:23 How Categories Like “Art,” “Religion,” and “Society” Fall Apart38:38 What Metamodernism Tries to Build44:11 Academic Incentives, Jargon, and Trying to Do No-Bullshit Philosophy53:05 The Impact of Fatherhood1:02:07 Critical Virtue Ethics

Can beauty actually reveal God? Oxford theologian Dr. Mark McInroy joins host PJ Wehry to explore Hans Urs von Balthasar's radical claim that beauty is not decoration, but the very structure of divine revelation.Dr. McInroy, Associate Professor of Contemporary and Systematic Theology at the University of Oxford, unpacks his book Balthasar on the Spiritual Senses: Perceiving Splendor, a guide to one of the most important (and most difficult) Catholic thinkers of the 20th century.In this conversation they discuss:What Balthasar means by "spiritual senses"How beauty functions as a transcendental property of being itselfWhy God's self-disclosure in Christ is fundamentally sensory, not merely rationalThe concept of "splendor"Why beauty, truth, and goodness are inseparableHow perceiving divine beauty is available to all Christians, not just mysticsIf you've ever felt that a great work of art, a piece of music, or a moment in nature pointed toward something beyond itself, Balthasar has a theology for that experience.Make sure to check out Dr. McInroy's book: Balthasar on the Spiritual Senses: Perceiving Splendor 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199689008Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ sits down with Dr. Michael Sawyer, Professor of African American Literature and Culture at the University of Pittsburgh. They dive deep into the philosophy behind Dr. Sawyer's latest book, The Door of No Return: Being as Black.Dr. Sawyer challenges traditional academic boundaries, arguing that Black aesthetic practices—from the novels of Toni Morrison and Ralph Ellison to the musical performances of Bob Marley and Aretha Franklin—are profound philosophical statements in their own right.Together, PJ and Dr. Sawyer discuss:🔷 The limitations of W.E.B. Du Bois's "double consciousness"🔷 How Hegel's dialectic outlines the anti-black world🔷 Toni Morrison's vision of a non-dialectical "third world" of sovereign blacknessWhat does it practically mean to push past the Middle Passage and imagine a world beyond anti-blackness? Dr. Sawyer explains how this speculative philosophy translates to a day-to-day reality where systemic tragedies like the death of Breonna Taylor simply do not happen.Make sure to check out Sawyer's book: The Door of No Return: Being-As-Black 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439925577Use the code: 25FNBK at tupress.temple.edu/books/the-door-of-no-return for a 25% discount!Check out our website at chasingleviathan.comWho thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Barbara Rosenwein to discuss her book, Generations of Feeling: A History of Emotions, 600 to 1700, and the decade-long research process required to bridge the traditional academic silos of the medieval and early modern periods.Dr. Rosenwein introduces her concept of "emotional communities," explaining how groups throughout history, much like modern political parties, have maintained distinct norms and values regarding what is felt and expressed . She challenges the linear view that modern society has reached a "pinnacle" of emotional development , arguing that historians have often "read out" emotions from the past , and advocates for understanding historical figures on their own terms rather than through modern judgment.The conversation also covers the evolution of friendship from the virtue-based models of Aristotle and Cicero to modern romantic ideals , the shifting biological theories of emotion from the heart to the brain , and why expanding our emotional vocabulary is essential to becoming fully human.Make sure to check out Rosenwein's book: Generations of Feeling: A History of Emotions, 600 to 1700 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1107097045Check out our website at chasingleviathan.comWho thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Eric Jacobsen, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washington, to discuss his book Three Pieces of Glass: Why We Feel Lonely in a World Mediated by Screens. Together they explore how modern life, shaped by smartphones, automobiles, and screen-mediated environments, quietly reshapes our relationships, our neighborhoods, and our sense of belonging. Rather than treating loneliness as only a personal or psychological problem, Jacobsen reframes it as a civic and cultural issue rooted in how we build and inhabit our shared spaces.The conversation moves through the hidden costs of car-centered development, the loss of walkable neighborhoods, and the rise of placeless places that fail to hold human stories. Jacobsen explains how habits formed since the mid-twentieth century have trained us to see others as obstacles rather than neighbors, while also hollowing out the everyday relationships that once created social trust and connection. Drawing on urban theory, theology, and lived experience, he makes the case that loneliness is not only about missing close friendships but also about losing meaningful ties to place, community, and civic life.Throughout the episode, PJ and Dr. Jacobsen discuss placemaking, social capital, and the importance of ordinary relationships with neighbors, shopkeepers, and strangers who slowly become acquaintances. They also reflect on how Christian theology, common grace, and the pursuit of the common good can help believers collaborate with their wider communities for the flourishing of shared spaces. This episode will resonate with anyone interested in technology and culture, urban design, Christian theology, or the growing crisis of loneliness in modern society.Make sure to check out Jacobsen's book: Three Pieces of Glass: Why We Feel Lonely in a World Mediated by Screens 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1587434229Check out our blog on www.candidgoatproductions.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Kalliopi Nikolopoulou discuss the intersection of ancient tragedy, justice, and cosmology. Drawing from Dr. Nikolopoulou’s book Hunting for Justice: The Cosmology of Decay in Aeschylus' Oresteia, the conversation explores how the relationship between nature and justice has been severed by modern political thought. Together, they examine Aeschylus’ Oresteia—the only fully surviving trilogy of Greek tragedy—to trace the move from tribal blood-feuds to the establishment of the Areopagus, the world's first courtroom.The discussion engages the philosophical tension between the "Solar" order of Apollo and the "Chthonic" justice of the Furies, asking whether human reason alone can sustain a civic community. Analyzing the trial of Orestes and its famous hung jury, Dr. Nikolopoulou critiques the Hegelian view of progress, suggesting that when justice is reduced to a mere social construct, it loses its vital alignment with the natural world. The episode explores concepts such as ananke (necessity), the "theological politics" of Athena, and the inherent arbitrariness that persists within even the most rational legal systems.This conversation is essential for those interested in classical philology, legal theory, environmental ethics, and continental philosophy. Rather than viewing the Oresteia as a simple story of legal evolution, Dr. Nikolopoulou reframes it as a warning about the limits of human technology and craft in the face of mortality. Scholarly yet accessible, this episode speaks to the need for a "cosmological" justice that remains open to the biological and existential realities of the human condition.Make sure to check out Dr. Nikolopoulou's book: Hunting for Justice: The Cosmology of Dike in Aeschylus’s Oresteia 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFSSGKL4Check out our blog on www.candidgoatproductions.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Harris Bechtol discuss the death of the other—and why Western philosophy has largely failed to take it seriously. Drawing from Bechtol’s book A Death of the World: Surviving the Death of the Other, the conversation explores how grief, mourning, and loss are not merely private emotions but world-altering events that rupture time, memory, and meaning itself.Together, they examine Martin Heidegger’s famous claim that when someone dies we are “merely nearby,” asking whether that view can really account for the lived reality of grief. Engaging thinkers like Heidegger, Derrida, Augustine, and Nicholas Wolterstorff, Dr. Bechtol reframes death as an event—an interruption that transforms the world for those who remain. The episode explores concepts like interruption, disruption, presence-of-absence, transactive memory, and why the loss of a loved one is never confined to a single moment in time.This conversation is especially relevant for anyone wrestling with grief, sudden loss, terminal illness, or the long aftermath of mourning. Rather than offering platitudes or stages to “get over” loss, Dr. Bechtol proposes an ethic of workless mourning—a way of living on after death that remains open to sorrow, surprise, and transformation. Philosophical yet deeply human, this episode speaks to theology, continental philosophy, grief studies, and the existential realities of surviving the death of someone you love.Make sure to check out Dr. Bechtol's book: A Death of the World: Surviving the Death of the Other 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJF2NYN9Check out our blog on www.candidgoatproductions.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, host PJ Wehry sits down with Rev. Andrea Ferrari—Reformed pastor, theologian, and author of The Fall and Redemption of Conscience: A Reformed Biblical Theology—to explore one of the most neglected yet foundational topics in Christian thought: the nature of the human conscience. From John Calvin’s sensus divinitatis to Thomas Aquinas’ intellectual approach to moral reasoning, Rev. Ferrari uncovers how Scripture, church history, and theological tradition shape our understanding of what it means to be human before God.Together, PJ and Rev. Ferrari discuss how conscience functions not merely as a moral calculator but as a spiritual sense, an innate awareness of the presence, judgment, and goodness of God. The conversation ranges from the spiritual senses tradition of the early church and medieval theologians like Bonaventure, to modern debates about whether conscience existed before the Fall, engaging voices like Herman Bavinck, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and John Webster. Along the way, they explore the implications of conscience for everyday moral experience, the universality of moral awareness in Romans 2, and the relationship between law, grace, and the human person in Reformed theology.If you're interested in biblical theology, Christian anthropology, Reformed doctrine, spiritual perception, Calvin vs. Aquinas, or the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and theology, this deep and accessible conversation sheds new light on the heart of what it means to perceive God and respond to Him. A rich and thoughtful dialogue for pastors, scholars, students, and anyone curious about how conscience shapes the Christian life.Make sure to check out Rev. Ferrari's book: The Fall and Redemption of Conscience: A Reformed Biblical Theology 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1683598725Check out our blog on www.candidgoatproductions.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ Wehry sits down with Dr. David Bather Woods to explore the remarkable life behind one of history’s most influential—and misunderstood—thinkers: Arthur Schopenhauer.Drawing from his new book, Arthur Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of Philosophy’s Greatest Pessimist, Dr. Bather Woods reveals how Schopenhauer’s turbulent biography shaped his philosophy, why his ideas resonated so late in life, and how a man famous for pessimism became a surprising influence on artists, feminists, early advocates for animal welfare, and even modern conversations about compassion.Whether you’re new to Schopenhauer or already fascinated by his work, this episode offers an accessible, engaging guide to the man whose ideas shaped Nietzsche, inspired generations of artists, and still challenge how we think about suffering, meaning, and how to live well.If you're interested in philosophy, biography, pessimism, ethics, German idealism, or the history of ideas, this conversation is for you.Make sure to check out Dr. Woods' book: Arthur Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of Philosophy’s Greatest Pessimist 👉 https://us.amazon.com/dp/B0F2VDV4KN/Check out our blog on www.candidgoatproductions.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. Every episode is a dialogue, a journey into the depths of a meaningful question explored through the lens of personal experience or professional expertise.

In this episode, PJ sits down with Dr. Rebecca Tukachinsky-Forster to explore parasocial relationships—the one-sided connections people form with media figures. They discuss how these relationships have evolved since the 1950s, their role in emotional support, and how social media has reshaped the way we connect with content creators.Learn about common misconceptions, the benefits and dangers of parasocial connections, and the psychological and cultural factors that shape them. Dr. Forster also highlights the importance of self-awareness in understanding your own media relationships and how fandom and media consumption influence emotional well-being.Make sure to check out Dr. Forster's book: The Oxford Handbook of Parasocial Experiences 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0197650678Check out our blog on www.candidgoatproductions.comWho thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. Every episode is a dialogue, a journey into the depths of a meaningful question explored through the lens of personal experience or professional expertise.