Sean Carroll
@seancarroll·255K subscribers·596 videos
J. Eric Oliver on the Self and How to Know It | Mindscape 350
Posted
April 13, 2026
Views
10,941
Likes
264
Comments
37
Engagement
2.75%
April 13, 2026
10,941
264
37
2.75%
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Blog post with audio player, show notes, and transcript
We are more familiar with ourselves than with anything else in the universe, but we generally don't come very close to really understanding what our "self" is. That's not too surprising, as selves are very complicated and we are burdened by all sorts of biases. Today's guest is J. Eric Oliver, who has been teaching a popular course at the University of Chicago called "The Intelligible Self." His academic specialty is political science, but he brings together ideas from psychology, neuroscience, and a broad swath of the humanities. His view is summarized in his recent book, How to Know Yourself: The Art and Science of Discovering Who You Really Are.
J. Eric Oliver received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently a Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. His research interests include contemporary American politics, suburban and racial politics, political psychology, and the politics of science. He is the host of the podcast Knowing: With Eric Oliver.
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