The Hours of Darkness are Necessary
The Peripatetics
In this episode of The Peripatetics, we explore the interplay of shadow and light — how each shapes and reveals the other, and ultimately defines the contours of our lives. Following Thoreau's assertion that “the hours of darkness are as necessary,” we enter the shadows, considering their role not as absence, but as a vital source of restoration and clarity. Host Trey Hill shares stories of crossing personal thresholds – moments when testing limits required courage, and unearthed connection and meaning. From a midnight adventure through the vast American West to the lessons gleaned in...
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Our Only True Names
The Peripatetics
In this episode of The Peripatetics, we turn our attention to names — their meaning, their limits, and the tension they create between essence and identity. With Thoreau as our guide, we wander through the wild landscapes of Walking, reflecting on his assertion that “at present, our only true names are nicknames.” What do names reveal, and what do they obscure? And how do we move beyond the constraints of the names we’ve inherited to discover the truth of who we are? Such a journey requires vulnerability, and willingness to remember the things we ultimately need to forget. Modeling...
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Reassert Your Native Rights
The Peripatetics
In this episode of The Peripatetics, we return to the theme of wildness with Thoreau as our guide. Reflecting on instinct, the raw power of wild nature, and the human struggle to reassert our own “native rights,” we explore the deeper tensions between civilization and the untamed spirit within. Through personal stories of transformation and a re-wilding experience in the heart of Kenya, we delve into the sharp contrast between the forces that seek to control and those that preserve the wild. From domesticated animals breaking free to the untamable intellect, we ask: What happens when we...
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Make The Darkness Visible
The Peripatetics
We continue Walking with Thoreau through the wild terrain of uncivilized thought — where genius shatters the temples of knowledge, exposing the unseen forces shaping our reality. Thoreau reminds us that it is the wild, uncultivated mind that truly delights, as free and swift as a mallard in flight. In this episode of The Peripatetics, we explore the invisible connections that bind us — atomic thoughts dancing like pollen on a pond, elusive yet undeniable. From the rediscovery of an ancient poem, lost for a thousand years, to my own realization of the creative life’s atomic nature,...
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A Mere Animal Existence
The Peripatetics
To a world on the brink of madness, at war with itself, Thoreau pointed to a paradoxical truth: “There is a keen enjoyment in a mere animal existence.” In this episode of The Peripatetics, we explore the precarious balance between humanity’s creative genius and the traps we’ve set for our wild nature. From the endangered mountain lions of Los Angeles, confined by freeways, to the ways in which algorithms confine today’s artists, we navigate a way to bridge the tension between freedom and control, wildness and civilization. Building on the reflections in episode 7 about Romulus and...
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Suckled By The Wolf
The Peripatetics
Drawing on the ancient legend of Romulus and Remus, Thoreau unearths the primal tension between wildness and civilization with his famous declaration: “In Wildness is the preservation of the World.” In this episode of The Peripatetics, we journey through the mythic origins of Rome, explore its eventual fall, and come face to face with the wild forces that shape individuals and empires. Along the way, I share personal reflections on my childhood at the edge of the Pineywoods in Texas, questioning whether any wildness remains within us in an increasingly domesticated world. Transcripts of...
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From The East, Light
The Peripatetics
Explore the symbolic resonance across time and space, between the light of the past and the pull toward progress. In this episode of The Peripatetics, we examine the tension between Thoreau’s idealized vision for the future and the reality that unfolded, contemplating how to better balance optimism with the complexities created by our drive for expansion, both as individuals and as a society. Transcripts of all episodes are available . Find . About The Show Inspired by the ancient tradition of walking philosophers — from Aristotle and his followers to Thoreau and Nietzsche —...
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That Walk, Never Yet Taken
The Peripatetics
Uncover the subtle magnetism of Nature through the paths we choose, both literal and metaphorical. In this episode of The Peripatetics, we explore the pilgrim’s parabolic path, revealing the deeper significance of aligning ourselves with Nature’s guidance, whether venturing into the unknown or returning to familiar ground. Transcripts of all episodes are available . Find . About The Show Inspired by the ancient tradition of walking philosophers — from Aristotle and his followers to Nietzsche and Thoreau — who walked as a way to engage deeply with their thoughts and ideas, The...
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You May Name It America
The Peripatetics
Discover the tension between the Holy-Lander and the Degenerate Villager in this episode of The Peripatetics. Join us as we delve into Thoreau’s reflections on how our travels and the roads we take reveal the hidden virtues that can bridge societal divides. Transcripts of all episodes are available . Find . About The Show Inspired by the ancient tradition of walking philosophers — from Aristotle and his followers to Nietzsche and Thoreau — who walked as a way to engage deeply with their thoughts and ideas, The Peripatetics wanders through the thoughts of great thinkers in nature, art,...
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The Finer Tissue
The Peripatetics
Explore the profound interplay between our rugged exteriors and the delicate inner qualities that define our humanity. In this episode of The Peripatetics, we delve into Thoreau’s reflections on how our movement through natural world shapes the finer tissue of our character. Transcripts of all episodes are available . About The Show Inspired by the ancient tradition of walking philosophers — from Aristotle and his followers to Nietzsche and Thoreau — who walked as a way to engage deeply with their thoughts and ideas, The Peripatetics wanders through the thoughts of great thinkers in...
info_outlineIn this episode of The Peripatetics, we turn our attention to names — their meaning, their limits, and the tension they create between essence and identity. With Thoreau as our guide, we wander through the wild landscapes of Walking, reflecting on his assertion that “at present, our only true names are nicknames.” What do names reveal, and what do they obscure? And how do we move beyond the constraints of the names we’ve inherited to discover the truth of who we are?
Such a journey requires vulnerability, and willingness to remember the things we ultimately need to forget. Modeling this, Trey traverses the topography of himself through the stories of some of the names he's answered to in his life. Along the way, we trace the philosophical threads of Aristotle, Linnaeus, and Monet, weaving their ideas into a rich tapestry of inquiry into clarity, essence, and the human need for connection.
Join us as we strip away the labels, rediscover the unbridled nature within, and seek the truest name of all — the one that emerges when we dare to crest the higher hills of our own becoming.
Transcripts of all episodes are available here. Find Trey on Instagram.
Episode Themes Include:
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The Essence of Identity: This episode delves into the meaning and limitations of names, reflecting on Thoreau’s idea that “our only true names are nicknames.” By examining the tension between essence and identity, we explore how names can reveal, obscure, or constrain our understanding of who we are.
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Remembering to Forget: In a conversation that spans millenia, this episode explores the paradoxical act of remembering the things we must ultimately forget to see clearly. Drawing on the ideas of Monet, Aristotle, and Linnaeus, the episode challenges us to strip away the assumptions and biases attached to names and labels.
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The Journey to the Truest Name: This theme explores the idea of becoming — how the names we answer to evolve with us and how discovering our truest name requires vulnerability and self-exploration. The episode reflects on the human need to transcend inherited labels and connect with the unbridled nature within.
About The Show
Inspired by the ancient tradition of walking philosophers — from Aristotle and his followers to Thoreau and Nietzsche — who walked as a way to engage deeply with their thoughts and ideas, The Peripatetics wanders through th e thoughts of great thinkers in nature, art, literature, and philosophy as they intersect with the simple, transformative act of walking.
In season 1, we are discussing Henry David Thoreau’s definitive essay on the subject of walking, connecting it with wisdom from a wide swath of philosophic tradtions which share his devotion to achieving clarity and peace through movement.
Whether you’re a fellow walker, someone looking for a bit of tranquility, or just curious about how a good walk can change your perspective, you’re in the right place.
May your path be smooth and your pace steady.
About The Host
Trey Hill is a filmmaker who cut his teeth as a photographer and one-man-band storyteller for non-profits and NGOs, work which carried him around the world as he sought to expose the inner light present in some of the planet’s most overlooked people. He also spent 10 seasons in the NHL as team photographer for the Dallas Stars and has, for the better part of the last decade, directed TV commercials for global brands, working with household names, musicians, sports heroes, and politicians. In 2019, his feature-length debut, the documentary LOUD KRAZY LOVE about Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch, premiered on Showtime.