We’re continuing to get some great responses to our recent show, A World Without Work, including this email from Paul R. If you have questions or comments on a show, feel free to send us an email and we might just feature it here on the blog.
How exactly does consciousness occur? Neuroscientist Anil Seth argues that it is a controlled hallucination. Having less to do with intelligence than we often think, consciousness depends on how the brain predicts its world to operate.
Does learning about the inconceivably large universe mean that we must doubt the significance of human life on this planet? Is there a way to account for the intuition that we are just a microscopic blip in the universe and avoid nihilism?
Why on earth would anybody want to get rid of the word “racism”? It seems like a perfectly fine word. In fact, it seems like a morally valuable word. If racism is a morally bad thing, then having the language to address it—to track it, analyze it, condemn it, and call it out—must be a good thing, right?
We had a great response from listeners to our recent show, A World Without Work. Katherine B had a number of fantastic questions, so I asked our guest, Juliana Bidadanure, as well as our hosts, Debra and Ken, to respond to their favorite one.
Hate speech: it can exclude, stigmatize, and potentially threaten our progress toward equality. So why is hate speech protected under the First Amendment, and should it actually be protected?
Do you think America is the greatest country in the world? Do you think other countries have bigger problems and worse institutions than ours? Could you never imagine moving to another country?
How should Americans balance the values of equal respect and free speech? What role should universities play in protecting and promoting speakers? What makes free speech valuable anyway?
The word “fascism” is thrown around so much, it risks becoming an empty label. It has been used to describe students at Yale who demand a safe space as well as self-declared anti-fascists. So should we just give up on this word?
Will technology eventually eliminate the need for human labor? Without work, will we finally have all the free time we want to pursue our hobbies and passions? Or do we need work to give our lives a sense of purpose and achievement?
How will we eliminate racism from all facets of our society, from the institutions to the quotidian interactions? Ibram X Kendi suggests we take people who have been oppressed by racism and give them the positions of power.
Ever thought social status could be understood through a philosophical lens? What do you think gives rise to social status? How do dominance, prestige, and admiration underpin it?
AI takeover—the hypothetical event wherein computers or robots take over the world and obliterate humankind—is a common trope in science fiction books and apocalyptic movies. But is superintelligent AI really something we should fear?
What explains the fact that women makeup only 25% of British philosophy departments? Note that the numbers aren’t so different for American universities. MIT philosopher Sally Haslanger reports that even “As recently as 2010, philosophy had a lower percentage of women doctorates than math, chemistry and economics.”
It’s time to make it official. After well over 400 episodes, 13 and half years on the air, and two years before that trying to get on the air, John has decided to transition into a new role on Philosophy Talk.
Happy 114th birthday to Theodor Adorno, the influential founder of the Frankfurt School. His writings on culture, capitalism, and fascism are as timely as when they were written.