Theory Underground
Thanks for listening! Please review us on your favorite podcast app so that the haters don't win. Become a member of Theory Underground here: https://theoryunderground.com/subscribe Tier 1 and higher get access to the courses and seminars going monthly throughout 2026: Intro to Theory, The Philosophy of Stewardship, and The Philosophy of Religion with David McKerracher. Tier 2 and higher get access to a monthly writers or speaking workshop. Tier 3 includes the book or thesis writer's cohort. All members get access to the monthly Post Duopoly (de)Radicalization Starter Pack reading group, which is a collaboration between TU and 1Dime. https://theoryunderground.com/subscribe David McKerracher is an organizer, theorist, husband and father (not in that order), and the founder of Theory Underground. McKerracher is the author of Timenergy: Why You Have No Time or Energy (Foreword by Slavoj Žižek), as well as the chief editor of Underground Theory (Volumes one and two are available now, with volume three in the works). Office hours: The first Monday of every month at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, or if you wait around after lectures/seminars. Theory Underground (TU) is dedicated to making challenging philosophical and theoretical work accessible for a non-college audience. TU emphasizes audio-based learning for real-world application of big ideas, operating both online and through an international tour that has hosted events in over 20 U.S. cities, 9 countries throughout Europe, as well as cities in Canada and Mexico. Mission: To provide accessible, rigorous, and wide-ranging educational material for three types of people: - dropout workers with earbuds getting into big ideas during daily routines - burnt-out postgrads seeking to supplement their journey - parents who take a deliberate role in their children's education through keeping alive their sense of wonder. Vision: A world that is timenergy-rich, meaning that parents and teachers have large, energy-infused, and reliably repeatable blocks of time throughout their day, week, and month. Such a world would construct and cultivate a culture of active leisure for the sake of discovering and stewarding one’s own talent and the talents of future generations. Lectures: Ongoing and archived sessions on key thinkers and topics, including: 📚Intro courses: Intro to Theory (monthly throughout 2026), Intro to Marx, Intro to Heidegger, Political Theory, Intro to The Idea of the University, Intro to Žižek, Intro to Lacan, Intro to Land, Intro to Illich, The Philosophy of Nature, Intro to the PMC, Intro to Critical Social Theory, and The Philosophy of Religion (2026). 📚Advanced courses: Martin Heidegger's Being and Time, Emmanuel Levinas' Totality and Infinity, and Slavoj Žižek's For They Know Not What They Do, The Autistic Subject and the Clinical Structures of Psychoanalysis. 📚Seminars: Critical Media Theory (2 years), Critical Doxology & Timenergy (1 year), The Philosophy of Stewardship and Home Economics (monthly throughout 2026). Publishing: Underground Theory Volumes 1 and 2, Timenergy: Why You Have No Time or Energy, as well as serial releases of chapters, original thoughts, and upcoming books. Community: Conferences, retreats, and international tour. TU’s hybrid and experimental grassroots (self-funded) tour events have occurred in prestigious private universities as well as people's garages and backyards, on campus quads or downtown in busy urban areas, as well as deep in the wilderness. TU is virtually everywhere and always on tour, but physically it is based on a small regenerative farm in North Idaho. Renowned professors at Theory Underground have included Slavoj Žižek, Benjamin Studebaker, Nina Power, John D. Caputo, Peter Rollins, Chris Cutrone, Iain Thomson, Alenka Zupančič, Leon Brenner; Todd McGowan, as well as lesser-known but nonetheless amazing lecturers such as Tony Chamas, Bryan Weeks, Michael Downs, and Elton L.K. of the Working Class Intelligentsia and the Democratic Socialists of America education podcast called CLASS. Music Logo Sequence Music is always either by https://olliebeanz.com/music https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/legalcode or “What's Left” Adam Leher. Thanks! If you are an artist who has something that might be good for TU's unique vibe, you can always send it to us a hell.theoryunderground@gmail.com
Episodes
You can buy a copy of Waypoint here: https://a.co/d/05YHYOSZ
Thanks for listening! Thanks even more for liking, sharing, and commenting—whether it be something thoughtful or just for the algorithm. It definitely makes a difference. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning I research 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶�...
Help out for a free chance to win playable, collectible, and rare cards! Just follow the Canon: TCG Kickstarter here ASAP: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/canontcg/canon-tcg
Thanks for listening! Thanks even more for liking, sharing, and commenting—whether it be something thoughtful or just for the algorithm. It definitely makes a difference.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David...
A tribute and obituary to Wendell Berry.
Also, for a chance to win some of these cards you'll want to follow the Canon: TCG Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/canontcg/canon-tcg
Thanks for listening! Thanks even more for liking, sharing, and commenting—whether it be something thoughtful or just for the algorithm. It definitely makes a difference. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰�...
Help Canon: TCG by signing up BEFORE the Kickstarter launch: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/canontcg/canon-tcg
Follow Nick's project The Piraeus here: https://www.thepiraeus.com/
Thanks for listening! Thanks even more for liking, sharing, and commenting—whether it be something thoughtful or just for the algorithm. It definitely makes a difference. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From ...
Take back the comments pt. 1
Thanks for listening! Thanks even more for liking, sharing, and commenting—whether it be something thoughtful or just for the algorithm. It definitely makes a difference. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning I research 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 ...
Read along here: https://theoryunderground.substack.com/p/the-weight-of-summonability
Thanks for listening! Thanks even more for liking, sharing, and commenting—whether it be something thoughtful or just for the algorithm. It definitely makes a difference.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learnin...
Read along here: https://theoryunderground.substack.com/p/socioanalyzing-analytic-philosophy
Thanks for listening! Thanks even more for liking, sharing, and commenting—whether it be something thoughtful or just for the algorithm. It definitely makes a difference.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real...
If you really want to know what someone thinks, ask them with a gun to their head.
Thanks for listening! Thanks even more for liking, sharing, and commenting—whether it be something thoughtful or just for the algorithm. It definitely makes a difference.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning I...
Read it for yourself here: https://theoryunderground.substack.com/p/the-natality-pill-is-not-pro-natalism
What provoked it: https://theoryunderground.substack.com/p/why-i-hate-the-rebel-priest-class
Thanks for listening!
Thanks even more for liking, sharing, and commenting—whether it be something thoughtful or just for the algorithm. It definitely makes a difference. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵...
Read it here: https://theoryunderground.substack.com/p/why-i-hate-the-rebel-priest-class
Thanks for listening! Thanks even more for liking, sharing, and commenting—whether it be something thoughtful or just for the algorithm. It definitely makes a difference. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real lear...
Read the whole thing here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-195697911
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning.
I research the future of education and work, bridging manual labor and the life of the mind at the foundations of life. Theory Underground runs on two things: my effort plus your atte...
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning.
I research the future of education and work, bridging manua...
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning.
I research the future of education and work, bridging manual labor and the life of the mind at the foundations of life. Theory Underground runs on two things: my effort plus your attention and participation. Show up, listen, engage, share, and keep me on...
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning.
I research the future of education and work, bridging manual labor and the life of the mind at the foundations of life. Theory Underground runs on two things: my effort plus your attention and participation. Show up, listen, engage, share, and keep me on...
Why Polyamory is Impossible: Timenergy and The Virtuous Circle
Read it here: https://theoryunderground.substack.com/p/why-polyamory-is-impossible-timenergy
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning.
I research the future of education and work, bridging manual labor and the life of the mind at the...
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning.
I research the future of education and work, bridging manual labor and the life of the mind at the foundations of life. Theory Underground runs on two things: my effort plus your attention and participation. Show up, listen, engage, share, and keep me on...
Read it for yourself here: https://theoryunderground.substack.com/p/chapo-trap-house-hyperstitioned-chud
Video cred for "Hodegtwins Show Megyn Kelly Chud The Builder Clips For The First Time!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce5iYa2yF8M
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning.
I research the ...
Apply for the next SAARUTU co-hort here: https://forms.gle/q3YroxHE9QLZm9hU7
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning.
I research the future of education and work, bridging manual labor and the life of the mind at the foundations of life. Theory Underground runs on two things: my effort plus you...
I added "allegedly" to that claim about the ugly version of the pride flag and a huge footnote on it in the written version, which you can read here: https://open.substack.com/pub/theoryunderground/p/its-2026-and-youre-still-left-without?
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning.
I research the ...
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 From David McKerracher, a worker with earbuds, theorizing the future of meaningful work and real learning.
I research the future of education and work, bridging manual labor and the life of the mind at the foundations of life. Theory Underground runs on two things: my effort plus your attention and participation. Show up, listen, engage, share, and keep me on...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.