In this second introductory episode, Stefani explains many of the reasons we are so stuck the way we are: anxious, nihilistic, relativistic, defensive, polarized. Learn about ancient humanity, the importance of the invention of writing, the death of God, and more. Enter the free giveaway at stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway ; find show notes and more at stefaniruper.com/podcast.

3: What's in it for you?

Existentialist philosophers such as Albert Camus and Hannah Arendt once said the modern world has rendered us naked: we are stripped of traditional beliefs, grasping for truths constantly out of reach, and devastatingly aware of our finitude. Is this true? Where do we go from here? Who are we? Who COULD we be? For Season I of this podcast (all currently posted episodes) I ask historians, psychologists, sociologists, and biologists: what does it mean to be human in the modern world?