Brain in a Vat

Freedom | Ernst Roets and Martin Van Staaden

26 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Does the State protect or curtail freedom? Are communities more important than individuals? Should freedom be constrained by virtue?

The Philosophy of Black Mirror's White Bear | Rebecca Tuvel

19 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Black Mirror's episode, White Bear, is full of interesting philosophical problems. Are you still responsible for a crime you committed even if y...

Why you should stop eating meat | Mylan Engel

12 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do your current moral values require you to stop eating meat? Will going vegan actually prevent animal cruelty? Is the vegan movement a force for goo...

David Benatar on the Israel Palestine Conflict

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are Jews entitled to their own homeland?  Is the Israeli response to the massacre of civilians perpetrated by Hammas on October 7th justified? Should...

The Ethics of Killing in War | Jeff McMahan (Rebroadcast)

29 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This older conversation about war sheds light on the current conflict in Israel and Gaza. Are soldiers fighting for the wrong side ever justified in k...

Pornography and Exploitation | Holly Lawford-Smith

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are women generally exploited in pornography? Even in cases where women report that their pornography career is empowering, have they nevertheless bee...

Organ Markets | James Stacey Taylor

15 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should we be allowed to sell our organs on the open market?  Would the poor be exploited under such a system? And does organ donation impose an unfai...

Is Monogamy Wrong? | Harry Chalmers

08 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is the restriction on having additional sexual or romantic partners similar to the restriction on having additional friends? Should you allow your par...

The Philosophy of Infinity Pool | Travis Timmerman

01 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Does the clone of a murderer deserve to be punished? Is the clone with the murderer’s memories and dispositions guilty of the murder? And has justic...

Oppenheimers on Barbenheimer

24 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Was dropping the bomb on Hiroshima justified? Is Ken the real star of Barbie? Three Oppenheimers weigh in on the film event of the year. Presenters:...

Stephen Kershnar on Cultural Appropriation

17 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is it permissible for members of one group to appropriate the cultural practices of another? Is there anything wrong with cultural appropriation at al...

Sex work or prostitution? | Lori Watson

10 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is sex work actually work? Is prostitution always a form of exploitation? And show we legalize or decriminalize prostitution?

The Islam-Atheism Debate: Behind the Curtain

03 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Recently, Eron Fasser and Mark Oppenheimer debated Hamza Tzortzis and Mohammed Hijab on whether Atheism or is Islam more rational. This episode discus...

Death | Travis Timmerman

27 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Would it be better to live forever than to die? Is the goodness or badness of death dependent on the future quality of our lives? Is death so bad that...

Luck and Knowledge | Mylan Engel

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is knowledge? Does a justified true belief count as knowledge? And is our knowledge lucky?

Who was Derek Parfit? | David Edmonds

13 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Parfit altered the landscape of the philosophy of identity. We speak to David Edmonds about his recently released biography on this influential philos...

Is Islam more rational than Atheism? | Eron Fasser, Mohammed Hijab, Mark Oppenheimer, Hamza Tzortzis

06 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A debate held at the University of Johannesburg. Does God Exist? How can something come from nothing? Are God's commands moral?

Imagine There’s No Gender | Holly Lawford-Smith (with Raja Halwani)

30 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Would the world be better if we didn’t recognize genders? In such a world, there would be males and females, but nothing associated with what it me...

Hate Speech | Mark Oppenheimer (Live at St Andrews)

23 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Oppenheimer presents a live seminar at St Andrews. The talk features footage from a prominent hate speech trial that Mark appeared in as a lawyer...

What is a woman? | Alex Byrne

16 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Oxford University Press refused to publish Alex Byrne's book on gender. We discuss whether women are adult human females and whether sex is the s...

Is Grieving Good for You? | Michael Cholbi

09 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Experiencing grief at the death of a person we love or who matters to us―as universal as it is painful―is central to the human condition. In Grie...

The Supreme Court Ban on Affirmative Action | David Benatar

02 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should we implement affirmative action when determining which students are admitted to universities? Should affirmative action be based on race or so...

Self-driving Cars and the Apocalypse | Ryan Jenkins (with Stephen Kershnar)

25 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As technology improves, ethical problems deepen too. Flying cars and ChatGPT are convenient, but may benefit some at the cost of harming others. Is th...

Animal Ethics | Thad Metz

18 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do we have ethical obligations to all animals or only cute and majestic ones? Is factory farming worse than hunting? We answered these questions and...

Will there be peace in the middle east? | Raja Halwani

11 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is a two state solution desirable to resolve the Arab Israeli conflict? Does Israel have the right to be a Jewish state? Do other states have an obli...

Friendship is Magic | Samuel Kimbriel

04 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are human beings social creatures? Do social groups have an important role to play in political life? Can hermits lead meaningful lives?

Anonymous Publishing | Ivar Hardman

28 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are some ideas too controversial to publish in your own name? Is it cowardly to use a pseudonym?  Does the journal for controversial ideas ghettoiz...

Thought Experiments | Spencer Case

21 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen and Porter Kaufman Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://sma...

Conserving Monuments | Dan Demetriou

14 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should we preserve monuments, even if they offend us? Do we have a right to call for monuments to be removed in other countries? Does Ghengis Khan des...

Why Americans Don't Owe Veterans Gratitude | Stephen Kershnar (with Spencer Case)

07 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Traditionally, we celebrate American soldiers with strong displays of gratitude, including national holidays and monuments. But is this gratitude war...

Procreative Ethics | Rivka Weinberg

30 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is it wrong to bring new life into the world? Is adopting a child a moral obligation? Is parenting meaningful? 

Anti-Semitism | Mark Oppenheimer

23 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What do anti-semites and ultra orthodox Jews have in common? How did the ivy league discriminate against Jews? Is America still a safe haven for Jews...

Ultimate Meaning | Rivka Weinberg

16 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is it possible for us to lead meaningful lives? Is there an ultimate point to our existence? Can we enrich our lives with the pursuit of love, knowle...

Dystopian Technology | Ryan Jenkins, guest host Stephen Kershnar

09 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Will technology improve or worsen our lives? And should social media and AI be used to prevent hurtful speech?

Dark humor and censorship | Connor Kianpour, guest host Stephen Kershnar

02 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we laugh at some jokes but not at others? Is dark humor always funnier? Should some comedians be censored?

David Benatar on Affirmative Action

26 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should we implement affirmative action when determining which students are admitted to universities? Should affirmative action be based on race or soc...

Holocaust Responsibility | Spencer Case

19 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Were indoctrinated or brainwashed Nazi soldiers morally responsible for their actions? Were they responsible for their repugnant beliefs? And were Naz...

Parental Licensing | Connor Kianpour

12 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should you be required to get a parental license from the State before you can raise your own children? Do the wishes of parents matter at all – or ...

Amnesia and Split Identity | Jacob Derin

05 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should you fear future pain even if your future self will not remember who you are now? If an identical copy of you is created, would you survive thro...

Is AI art unfair to artists? | James Helps

26 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a world where machines can seemingly generate art instantly, and often better than humans can, should we feel sorry for artists? But is AI really&n...

The Ethics of Pet Ownership | Cheryl Abbate

19 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do we weigh the needs of cats to roam freely, with the millions of birds they kill each year? What duties do we owe our pets? And are some animals...

Conversations about Philosophy | Brain in a Vat

12 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Buy the books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0987XX8M2 What are your favorite episodes of Brain in a Vat? We've taken ours and made them i...

Stephen Kershnar on the Impossibility of Responsibility

05 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kershnar presents a dilemma: we’re responsible for our decisions because they’re caused by our psychology. But do we choose our psychology? If we ...

End of the Year Special: A Look Back

18 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mark and Jason join their producer in this retrospective season finale.   Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff  Editor and Prod...

David Benatar: The Meaning of Life [Remastered]

11 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What does it all mean? If we live on a pail blue dot in a vast and uncaring universe can our lives have cosmic meaning? Is it better never to have bee...

The Right to Sex | Raja Halwani

04 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do we have a right to sex, and is there an obligation to sexually fulfill the disabled? Should sex work be not only legal, but obligatory?   Pres...

Lionel Shriver on Abominations

27 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Should we remove offensive monuments at the cost of erasing history? Is there an unacceptable cost to open borders? And what would a just tax sys...

We Should Be More Pragmatic about Ethics | Andrew Sepielli

20 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are moral facts baked into reality, the way facts about socks or rocks are? Or should we think about morality in a more pragmatic way: that it doesn’...

Do the guilty deserve punishment? | John Martin Fischer

13 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why should we punish the guilty? Is it because they’ve done something wrong, to remove them from society, or to dissuade others from wrongdoing? Pr...

African Ethics: A Superior Moral Framework? | Thaddeus Metz

06 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Utilitarians and Kantians struggle to account for the care we should provide loved ones over strangers.   Can Ubuntu, or African Ethics, provide ...

Putnam on the Brain in a Vat | David Macarthur

30 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Could we be systematically mistaken about the world around us? Would we be wrong about everything if we turned out to be a brain in a vat, a mind mani...

Hillary Putnam on Morality | Mario de Caro

23 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is lying ever justified? Is it permissible to kill one innocent person to save many others? Learn more about the views of one of the greatest phi...

Using AI to Fight Crime | David Boonin

16 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is racial profiling always wrong, even if used by an AI to decrease crime? Should we use AI to judge criminal cases,  recommend sentences for the...

Freedom of the Press | Toby Young

09 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do reporters have special moral obligations? Is it ever justified for governments to shut down newspapers? Should private companies like Paypal be all...

Why it's okay to eat meat - or is it? | Dan Shahar

02 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Shahar defends the view that eating meat is permissible, even though meat farming is not. Is this a coherent position?   Presenters: Mark Opp...

Is Your Gender Up to You? | Shaun Stanley

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is gender a social construct? Is gender distinct from sex? And can you be wrong in your beliefs about your own gender? Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer an...

The Supreme Court and Abortion | Brian Leiter

18 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Should Judges decide if and when women are entitled to abort their pregnancies? Should this choice be left up to congress? If abortion is immoral, sho...

Martha Nussbaum on Disgust

11 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What exactly makes us feel disgusted? Is disgust for a person or group ever justified? And is disgust useful, or should we try to eliminate it? Prese...

Should we silence defectors? | Connor Kianpour

04 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do defectors generally do something wrong when they contradict their group's values or beliefs? And is it permissible for the group to silence them, e...

Trans Sports | Jon Pike

28 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are transathletes a minority group that warrant special protection?  Is the purpose of sport to be inclusive or fair? Sh...

The Problem with Democracy | Jason Brennan

21 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If most voters are misinformed, is democracy legitimate? What sort of voting system should we have in its place? And should some votes count more than...

Immortality | John Martin Fischer

14 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is immortality a blessing or a curse? Would eternal life be boring, meaningless, and amoral? Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff  Ed...

Is Hate Speech Free Speech? | Nadine Strossen

07 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why is free speech valuable? Should there be any limits on what we are allowed to say? Should we tolerate words that are hateful? Hosted by Mark Oppe...

Science and The Big Questions | Alexander Arnold

31 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do scientists and philosophers work together to make progress on the nature of the cosmos, the meaning of life, and what it means to flourish? The...

Music and Philosophy | Mark Linsenmayer

24 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can music be objectively good (or bad)? How should we understand fundamental disagreement about preferences and values? And should philosophical discu...

Effective Altruism | Theron Pummer

17 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are we obligated to save strangers? Does it matter whether those strangers are in different countries or our in own? And even if we are not obligated,...

The Philosophy of Apology | Jeff Helmreich

10 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What makes a good apology? Are we ever obligated to apologize even though we did nothing wrong? And how should we deal with apologies in this highly p...

The Philosophy of Everything Everywhere All at Once | Taylor Cyr

03 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a magnificent mess. The film raises questions around the meaning of life, the nature of the multiverse, and ...

Lionel Shriver on Should We Stay or Should We Go

26 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When is death preferable to living?  Are there fates worse than death? And what sort of future society should we build? Lionel Shriver discusses ...

The Philosophy of Severance | Travis Timmerman

19 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Stiller's superb series, Severance, raises fascinating questions about the nature of personal identity. Are we minds or brains? Is it possible for...

The Ethics of Killing in War | Jeff McMahan

12 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As Russia wages an unjust war against Ukraine, questions around the ethics of war abound. Are soldiers fighting for the wrong side ever justified in k...

Eureka! Why epiphanies matter | Sophie Grace Chappell

05 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What is an "Aha" moment, and why does it matter for our lives? Sophie Grace Chappel argues that our ethics and value system should be formed around ou...

David Chalmers on Virtual Reality and The Simulation Argument

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Could you be a brain in a vat, or be living in a simulated or virtual reality? Could you live a meaningful, valuable existence even if you were? Pres...

The Value of Truth | Simon Blackburn

22 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why is the truth important? Who decides what the truth is? Is there such a thing as objective, eternal truth, or is truth simply a matter of perspecti...

The Creative Life | Theresa Hardman

15 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What is creativity and how does it work? Is all creativity valuable? What are the pre-conditions for creativity, and how should Jason overcome his wri...

The Kalam Cosmological Argument | Majesty of Reason

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If everything was created by a cause, is God the creator of the Universe? Is God an uncaused cause? Could God have abandoned his creation?   Maje...

Trans women in sport: Is it fair? | Stephen Kershnar

01 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lia Thomas, a trans woman, has sparked controversy by competing in and winning women’s collegiate swimming events. Should Thomas and other trans ath...

Evolutionary Psychology | Justin Garson

24 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is evolution the root cause of racism, rape, and disgust? Are differences between men and women a result of both nature and nurture? Are some forms of...

The Philosophy of Dune | Adam Taylor

17 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dune contains a sophisticated moral dilemma - should Paul Atreides sacrifice billions of lives to avoid humanity's extinction? The answer echoes throu...

How to discover TRUTH | Galen Barry

10 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the world's greatest discoveries were made by those on the fringe. Should scientists be encouraged to explore crazy ideas? Does the search for...

Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation | Raja Halwani

03 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is your sexual orientation determined by the sex or the gender of the person you’re attracted to? How does gender fluidity impact sexual orientation...

Hidden Motives| Elena Garadja

20 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are Jean Jacques Rousseau's confessions trustworthy? Can we consciously decide to forget our sins? Should we be held accountable for all of our action...

Dignity and Society | Colin Bird

20 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How important is it to treat people with dignity, or respect? Do institutions and groups, rather than individuals, owe us dignity? And if we have to c...

Gun Control | Eric Sampson

13 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Should citizens have the right to bear arms? Are guns necessary to defend yourself from criminals, invading militants, and your own government? Should...

Should we save animals? | Jeffrey Sebo

06 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Should we sacrifice our time and convenience to save animals? Jeff Sebo argues we must, but more than that, it's in our self-interest to do so.  ...

Near-Death Experiences | John Martin Fischer

27 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is there life after death? Are near-death experiences meaningful? Are they similar to other altered states like meditation and drug induced hallucinat...

The Philosophy of Squid Game | Travis Timmerman

20 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Travis Timmerman shows us what can we learn about morality, democracy, and exploitation from Squid Game. Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://sm...

Free Will and Moral Responsibility | John Fischer

13 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is it possible to be morally responsible for a choice even if you could not have chosen otherwise? Can you have free will even if God knows ahead of t...

Abortion | Stephen Kershnar

06 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Does a fetus have a right to its mother's womb? Are we obligated to have as many children as possible? And must pro-lifers assassinate abortion doctor...

The Kershnar Controversy | Brain in a Vat

03 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We recently aired an episode with Stephen Kershnar on sexual taboos. A clip from that episode has been viewed over a million times on Twitter, and on ...

Sexual Taboos | Stephen Kershnar

30 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Should there be an age of consent? Is it wrong to fantasize about someone against their will? Is it wrong to lust after someone because of their race?...

Parfit's view of personal identity | Jeff McMahan

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What makes the 'you' of yesterday the same 'you' today? Should we care about future people who don't yet exist, and should we prevent climate change i...

Do you have a character? | Iskra Fileva

16 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a core to who we are that is unchanging or unique? Do people have characters, personalities, or neither? Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): h...

End of Year Surprise

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In our final episode for 2021, we reveal a surprise we've been working on all year, and tell you about the exciting episodes planned for 2022.

The Fall of UCT | David Benatar

05 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Destructive forces have been eroding the University of Cape Town, Africa’s leading university. David Benatar tells the sad, true tale of what has be...

The Possible Worlds of David Lewis | Barry Lam

28 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are possible worlds? Could you have been born to different parents, and could the laws of physics be different? Barry Lam explains how David Lewi...

Can Hope Save Your Life? | Jack Kwong

21 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is it possible to hope for something good, but feel despair that it won't happen? Is it virtuous to feel hopeful? Can hoping make you act recklessly?&...

Moral Disagreement | Eric Sampson

14 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a world where we disagree about pretty much everything - about borders and abortion, marriage and monogamy, wars and meat-eating - how do you maint...

Ballenesque | Roger Ballen

07 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Marginalized people, animals, found objects, wires and childlike drawings inhabit the unlocatable worlds presented in Ballen's artworks. Ballen descri...

Pandemic Ethics | Peter Singer

31 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca Tuvel, Dan Cullen and Eric Samson interview Peter Singer about pandemic ethics. Are lockdowns and mandatory vaccines morally justified? What s...