Aztec Philosophy with Sebastian Purcell

Why are Aztecs often considered pessimists from a philosophical perspective? In episode 150 of Overthink, Ellie and David chat with philosopher Sebastian Purcell about his book The Outward Path: The Wisdom of the Aztecs. They discuss how the Aztecs urge us to take an “outside-in” approach to the self, how their understanding of happiness differs from much of Western philosophy, and how their view of the mind as inherently chaotic shapes their moral outlook. Why did the Aztecs think happiness was not an important goal? How can the Aztec notion of ‘right speech’ help us gain control over the internal chaos of the mind? And why did the Aztecs reject the possibility of redemption? In the Substack bonus segment, your hosts dive deeper into the pessimism of the Aztecs and the claustrophobia of the Spanish conquest.

Works Discussed:

Sebastian Purcell, The Outward Path: The Wisdom of the Aztecs

Jacques Soustelle, Daily Life of the Aztecs on the Eve of the Spanish Conquest

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The best of all possible podcasts, Leibniz would say. Putting big ideas in dialogue with the everyday, Overthink offers accessible and fresh takes on philosophy from enthusiastic experts.

Hosted by professors Ellie Anderson (Pomona College) and David M. Peña-Guzmán (San Francisco State University).

• No. of episodes: 150
• Latest episode: 2025-12-02
• Education Society & Culture Philosophy Courses

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