Philosophy Talk
Episodes
The 2022 Dionysus Awards
20 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What recent movies artfully explored philosophical ideas and questions, or complicated political or ethical issues that previously seemed straightforw...
#MeToo: Retribution, Accountability, and Justice
06 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The #MeToo movement exposed how pervasive sexual harassment and abuse are, and how rare it is for perpetrators to be held accountable. Although some r...
Righteous Rage
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote that anger is a form of madness. Other philosophers share this suspicion, viewing anger as a destructive emotion that l...
Marcus Aurelius
30 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius was a 2nd century Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. He is most famous for his Meditations, which was written as a private guide to...
Could Robots Be Persons?
09 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As we approach the advent of autonomous robots, we must decide how we will determine culpability for their actions. Some propose creating a new legal ...
The Examined Year: 2021
26 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What happened over the past 12 months that challenged our assumptions and made us think about things in new ways? The Year in Political Insurrection ...
What Can Virtual Reality (Actually) Do?
12 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
VR transports users into all kinds of different realities, some modeled on the real world, others completely invented. Though still in its infancy, th...
Should All Ages Be Equal?
28 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Age determines a lot about your position in society—what activities you can do, what benefits you can access, and what rights and responsibilities y...
The Social Lives of Robots
14 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Machines might surpass humans in terms of computational intelligence, but when it comes to social intelligence, they’re not very sophisticated. They...
Frege and the Language of Reason
07 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of the 19th Century, the German philosopher Gottlob Frege invented a new language, based on mathematics, designed to help people reason mor...
Akan Philosophy and Personhood
24 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Akan people of West Africa have developed a system of metaphysics, epistemology, and moral philosophy with a special focus on personhood. For the ...
The Mysterious Timelessness of Math
10 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Math is a really useful subject—at least, that’s what your parents and teachers told you. But math also leads to scenarios, like Zeno’s ...
The Ethics of Awesomeness
29 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The word “awesome” once meant inspiring extreme fear or dread. Nowadays it’s mostly used as a general purpose exclamation of approval. So when w...
Microaggressions
15 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Microaggressions are small comments or questions that may be insulting or hurtful to another person because of their race, gender, sexuality, and so o...
Referring to the World: Ken’s Final Work
25 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On December 2, 2019, Ken Taylor announced that he finally had “an almost complete draft” of a book he had been writing for years. “I think IR...
Your Brain on Literature
11 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cognitive science has revolutionized our understanding of the brain and how it functions. Researchers have even used fMRI to detect differences in the...
Summer Reading List 2021
20 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As some parts of our lives return to a kind of normal, Josh and Ray ask authors and philosophers about what’s been on their summer reading lists...
Nonduality and the Oneness of Being
06 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Some branches of Hindu philosophy propose that reality is nondual in nature. Such schools of thought—called advaita schools, from a Sanskrit wor...
The Lives and Ideas of the Vienna Circle
23 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Vienna Circle was a group of early twentieth-century philosophers, mathematicians, logicians, and scientists, best known for developing the theory...
Disinformation and the Future of Democracy
09 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The 2020 election and startling events that followed show that the US is as polarized as ever. Not only is there fundamental disagreement over values ...
Montaigne and the Art of the Essay
25 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
French thinker Michel de Montaigne invented a whole new genre in which to do philosophy: the essay. But in his use of that form, Montaigne repeatedly ...
The 2021 Dionysus Awards
11 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After a year in which “entertainment” took on a whole new meaning, what were the movies that challenged our assumptions and made us think ...
What Is Masculinity?
21 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Strong, in control, and stoic—these are traits of the ideal masculine man. Men who fail to conform to this ideal are often penalized, particularly i...
What Has Replaced Freud?
28 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Although the concept that we can have thoughts and desires hidden from consciousness can be traced back to antiquity, it was Freud who truly populariz...
The Rhetoric of Big Tech
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Big tech is known for its “disruption” of established industries and changing fundamental aspects of our lives from shopping and delivery ...
Democracy By Numbers
17 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The United States prides itself on being “the world’s greatest democracy,” which adheres to the principle, “one person, one vote.” Despite t...
The Examined Year: 2020
27 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Year in Pandemic Ethics with Karen Stohr from Georgetown University, Senior Research Scholar at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics and author of a c...
Minds and Matter
13 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everything that seems to have a mind also has a body made of flesh and blood. But if we look at the diversity of animals found in the world, we find...
The Arts For All?
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When we think of “real” art, we often think of expensive, highbrow pieces that are displayed in museums and galleries, and critiqued by the elite....
Are We All to Blame?
15 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to identify the pressing issues facing our world today, but it’s much more difficult to assign responsibility for them. Often the blame ...
What’s In a Game?
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Games have been an integral part of human society since the earliest civilizations. They are played around the world by people at every rank and stati...
Why We Hate
18 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that the number of hate groups operating in the U.S. has risen to a record high. There has also been a corresp...
Science and Skepticism
04 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In recent decades, we’ve witnessed intense cultural wars waged on scientifically established phenomena, such as climate change and the benefit of va...
Citizenship and Justice
13 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Securing citizenship to a developed country could guarantee people enormous privileges and opportunities. Some condemn those who try illegally to reap...
The Merits of Meritocracy
30 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For centuries, the promise of the “American Dream” has been that as long as someone buckles down and works hard, she can achieve her goals. In oth...
Can Streets Discriminate?
09 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
City streets play an important role in our everyday lives. We commute to work, walk our dogs, meet our friends, and stage protests on city streets. In...
The Ethical Jerk
26 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ethics philosophers are more ethical than the average person — right? Well, maybe not. Studies show that philosophy professors are just as biased as...
Walter Benjamin and the Re-Enchanted World
12 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Walter Benjamin was a German Jewish critical theorist, essayist, and philosopher who died tragically during the Second World War. His thoughts about m...
Pet Ethics
28 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us, even the staunchest animal activists, usually take it for granted that keeping a pet is morally acceptable. But regardless of how well we ...
Time for Summer Reading
14 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When John and Ken began shopping around their idea for a philosophy-on-the-radio show nearly 20 years ago, many believed it would never work, let alon...
Covid Conundrums and Moral Dilemmas
31 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In just months the world changed radically, and we have all had to adjust our lifestyles to stop the spread of Covid-19. Those working on the frontlin...
Comforting Conversations, pt.2
24 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In troubling, uncertain times, the arts and humanities are more important than ever. Engaging with works of literature can provide both much needed in...
Comforting Conversations, pt.1
17 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In troubling, uncertain times, the arts and humanities are more important than ever. Engaging with works of literature can provide both much needed in...
(Why) Money Matters
26 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Money, they say, does not buy happiness; but having none can make life extraordinarily hard. Whether we have a little or a lot, we are all familiar wi...
Philosophy and the Superhero
12 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Philosophy is replete with thought experiments featuring characters like Descartes’ “Evil Genius” and Davidson’s “Swampman.” Some of the s...
The 2020 Dionysus Awards
15 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What movies of the past year challenged our assumptions and made us think about things in new ways? Josh and guest co-host Jeremy Sabol talk to philos...
Is the Self an Illusion?
23 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us think it’s obvious that we have a self, but famously, both Buddhism and British philosopher David Hume are skeptical that such a thing ex...
Death of the Sentence
26 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A child’s first sentence is a pivotal moment in her development when she is recognized as now capable of communicating complete thoughts. But in the...
Comedy and the Culture Wars
12 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Comedy can often give offense, especially when it concerns such sensitive topics as race, gender, and sexuality. Should comedy like that be shunned, b...
Ken Taylor Tribute
29 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Philosophy Talk team is deeply saddened by Ken Taylor’s untimely passing this month. Ken was the show’s co-founder, longtime co-host, ...
Sanctuary Cities
17 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the U.S. there are over 500 sanctuary cities—municipalities that limit their cooperation with the federal government’s immigration law enforcem...
Hobbes and the Ideal Citizen
04 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Seventeenth century philosopher Thomas Hobbes believed that without government to control our worst impulses, life would be ‘solitary, poor, nas...
Conscious Machines
20 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Computers have already surpassed us in their ability to perform certain cognitive tasks. Perhaps it won’t be long till every household has a super i...
The Allure of Authoritarianism
06 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In George Orwell’s 1984, the party’s “final, most essential command” was “to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.” Authoritarian reg...
Explanation At Its Best
29 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In science as well as everyday life, we often feel the pull of simpler, more elegant, or more beautiful explanations. For example, you notice the stre...
Changing Minds on Climate Change
08 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There is consensus among scientists that global warming is real and that it’s caused by human activity. Despite the overwhelming evidence and the ur...
Reading the Troubled Past
11 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe lambasted Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness as a deeply racist work that should be removed from the Western ca...
The Doomsday Doctrine
04 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The doctrine of mutually assured destruction is supposed to deter both sides in a war from launching the first nuclear strike. However, the strategy o...
Is Postmodernism Really to Blame for Post-Truth?
14 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Postmodernism is often characterized by its rejection of concepts championed by the Enlightenment, like meaning, truth, reason, and knowledge. Some ph...
Summer Reading (and Misreading)
07 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What should you be reading this summer—and how should you be reading it? We’re often told that fiction offers us entertainment, moral examples, an...
J.S. Mill and the Good Life
23 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
John Stuart Mill was one of the most important British philosophers of the 19th century. As a liberal, he thought that individuals are generally the b...
The Limits of Tolerance
09 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In order to reach compromise, people try to be tolerant of others with different beliefs. Despite its value, there are numerous factors that may hinde...
What Is Religious Belief?
05 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Many people profess to believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing, benevolent God. Yet psychological data shows that people often think and reason about ...
Is Philanthropy Bad for Democracy?
28 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In a liberal democracy, individuals should have the freedom to give money to charities of their choice. But is there a difference between charitable g...
Authority and Resistance
21 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Authority can refer to people or institutions that have the political power to make decisions, give orders, and enforce rules. It can also refer to a ...
Hacking the Brain: Beyond the Five Senses
14 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Humans evolved to have a variety of senses—smell, sight, touch, etc.—that provide information about the world around us. Our brains use this senso...
Immigration and Multiculturalism
10 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Whether for economic reasons or to flee violence and persecution, immigration rates continue to climb globally. At the same time, opposition to immigr...
The 2019 Dionysus Awards
17 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What movies of the past year challenged our assumptions and made us think about things in new ways? Josh and Ken talk to philosophers, film critics, a...
What Do We Owe Future Generations?
10 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about owing future generations a better world. We might also think that we should do things for future generations even if our actions might n...
Envy: Vice or Virtue?
27 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bertrand Russell said that envy was one of the most potent causes of unhappiness, and it’s well known as one of the seven deadly sins. But is en...
The Examined Year: 2018
30 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A new year offers an opportunity to reflect on the significant events of the previous year. So what happened over the past twelve months that challeng...
Foreign Aid – or Injury?
16 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us might think that developed nations should lead the effort to end global poverty. But decades of foreign aid—from governments and non-gove...
Foucault and Power
02 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Michel Foucault was a 20th century philosopher known for his work concerning power and knowledge. Foucault is often cited for his theory of knowledge ...
The Creative Life
25 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Parents and students alike often think that a college major defines possible career options. Yet what distinguishes today’s work world from bygo...
Does Reputation Matter?
11 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We think about about our own reputation all the time, and we constantly reference the reputations of the people we meet and interact with. But why do ...
Can Reason Save Us?
21 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
To an optimist, things are constantly getting better: disease and extreme poverty are down; life expectancy, literacy, and equality are up; and it’s...
The New Golden Age of Television
30 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
They called it a “vast wasteland” in the 1960s, but TV is very different today. Freedom from the broadcast schedule means TV makers can create lon...
The Psychology of Cruelty
16 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout history, people have committed all kinds of cruel, degrading, and evil acts toward other people. Many believe that for evil acts like genoc...
The Athlete as Philosopher
26 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For the ancient Greeks, sport was an integral part of education. Athletic programs remain in schools today, but there is a growing gap between the mod...
The Ethics of Algorithms
12 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Recent years have seen the rise of machine learning algorithms surrounding us in our homes and back pockets. They’re increasingly used in everyt...
Does Science Over-reach?
22 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all heard the phrase, “You can’t argue with science.” Appealing to scientific fact as a way to settle a question makes s...
Radical Markets: Solutions for a Gilded Age?
15 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Many people think that growing inequality, the rise of populism and nativism, and the decay of democratic institutions all have the same cause—the o...
Summer Reading List 2018
01 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Summer is here – what philosophers, philosophies, or philosophical issues do you want to read up on? Heidegger’s Being and Time may not be the...
The Value of Care: Feminism and Ethics
10 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We sometimes think of the domains of ethics and morality as divorced from feeling and emotion. You keep your promises because it maximizes good. But w...
Repugnant Markets: Should Everything Be For Sale?
03 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We might ban buying or selling horse meat in the US not for the protection of horses, but because we find it morally repugnant. Yet this moral repugna...
Faith and Humility
06 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Some would argue that faith requires that one blindly—rather than rationally— believe. Faith in one ‘true’ religion often entails rejection of...
Are We Alone?
29 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
News that life might exist or have existed on Mars or somewhere else in our universe excites many. But should we really be happy to hear that news? Wh...
Trolling, Bullying, and Flame Wars: Humility and Online Discourse
15 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Open up any online comments section and you’ll find them: internet trolls, from the mildly inflammatory to the viciously bullying. It seems that the...
Monstrous Technologies?
08 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein raises powerful questions about the responsibilities of scientists to consider the impact of their inventions on the wor...
Adorno and the Culture Industry
25 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What’s your favorite movie? Did you watch that season finale last night? No spoilers! Popular cultures pervades modern life. But what if pop cul...
How to Humbly Disagree
11 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
People like to argue, especially Philosophy Talk listeners! But no matter how hard we try to resolve disputes through rational discourse, sometimes we...
Misogyny and Gender Inequality
25 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
With the recent #MeToo viral campaign, along with the wave of prominent male figures toppled for being serial sexual harassers or worse, the topic of ...
The 5th (Mostly) Annual Dionysus Awards
18 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Josh and Ken talk to philosophers, film critics, and listeners in presenting their fifth (mostly) annual Dionysus Awards for the most philosophically ...
James Baldwin and Social Justice
11 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, we struggle to tell the truth—especially when it’s the truth about ourselves. Why did James Baldwin, a prominent Civil Rights-era i...
Frantz Fanon and the Violence of Colonialism
28 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Frantz Fanon is a thinker who has inspired radical liberation movements in places ranging from Palestine to South Africa to the United States. Most fa...
Fractured Identities
21 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Despite tremendous strides made towards civil and political rights in the United States, discrimination and exclusion based on race, class, gender, an...
The Philosophy of Retirement
07 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us look forward to retirement, that time in life when we stop working for a living. But what exactly is retirement and why do we retire? Does ...
The Examined Year: 2017
31 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A new year offers an opportunity to reflect on the significant events of the previous year. But what ideas and events took shape over the past twelve ...
Can Speech Kill?
10 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Free speech is one of the core tenets of our democracy. We’re inclined to think that more speech is always better. Although the Supreme Court has ou...
Midlife and Meaning
03 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
At some point or another, the midlife crisis comes for us all. But what is it really about? Is it a sense of our mortality, the fear of not achieving ...