About this episode

In this episode, Ellie and David explore the concept of reflection and its significance in philosophy as Overthink approaches its conclusion.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit overthinkpod.substack.com As Overthink comes to a close, why not take a look back? In Episode 182, Ellie and David tackle the concept of reflection and explain why it is so central to philosophy. What is the value of reflection, and what are its drawbacks? How does philosophy go astray when it treats the self as a product of reflection, and how can phenomenology and existentialism shed light on the proper role of reflection in our lives? Your hosts analyze the myth of Narcissus, discuss studies on reflection among animals such as rats and dolphins, and consider reflection as a visual metaphor for thinking. In the Substack bonus segment, Ellie and David reflect on Overthink and give some final thoughts before its end. Works Discussed: Ellie Anderson, Self-Relation: A Phenomenology of Ambiguity (forthcoming May 2027) Hans-Johann Glock, “Do Animals Have Thoughts?”Dieter Henrich, “Fichte’s Original Insight”Maurice Merleau-Ponty, The Phenomenology of Perception Gabriel Marcel, The Mystery of Being Ovid, Metamorphosis David Peña-Guzmán, When Animals Dream JD Smith et al. “The uncertain response in the bottlenosed dolphin…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ellie Anderson, David Peña-Guzmán

Topics covered

• reflection
• philosophy
• self
• existentialism
• phenomenology
• Narcissus
• animal studies

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Self-Relation: A Phenomenology of Ambiguity, Do Animals Have Thoughts?, Fichte’s Original Insight, The Phenomenology of Perception, The Mystery of Being, Metamorphosis, The uncertain response in the bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

More episodes of Overthink

• 181. Mourning (Extended) · August 11, 2026 · 1 min
• 180. Weddings (Extended) · July 28, 2026 · 1h 18m

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