322 | Philip Pettit on Language, Agency, Politics, and Freedom

<p>When we think of the capacities that distinguish humans from other species, we generally turn to intelligence and its byproducts, including our technological prowess. But our intelligence is highly connected to our ability to use language, which is in turn closely related to our capacities as social creatures. Philosopher Philip Pettit would encourage us to think of those social capacities, as enabled by language, as the primary locus of what makes humans different, as discussed in his new book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Minds-Converse-Social-Genealogy/dp/019886311X" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>When Minds Converse: A Social Genealogy of the Human Soul</em></a>. And that linguistic aptitude helps us understand the nature of agency, responsibility, and freedom.</p><p>Blog post with transcript: <a href="https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/07/21/322-philip-pettit-on-language-agency-politics-and-freedom/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_b...