Recent Episodes

The 2026 Dionysus Awards

July 26, 2026

Now that the dust has settled from the Oscars, it’s time to think about what movies of the past year challenged our assumptions and made us think about things in new ways. Josh and guest co-host Jorah Danenberg present our annual Dionysus Awards for the…

Regulating Bodies

February 8, 2015

Most countries allow their citizens to smoke cigarettes, get intoxicated, and eat unhealthy food –…

Four backscatter X-ray scans showing different body postures. Regulating bodies.

Why Be Moral?

January 18, 2015

Morality tells us how we ought to behave, if we want to do the right…

Thoughtful chimpanzee contemplating morality.

Prostitution and the Sex Trade

December 28, 2014

Some consider the commodification of sexual services inherently wrong, something that ought to be abolished…

Blurred images of women allegedly involved in a Secret Service prostitution scandal.

Hypocrisy

November 30, 2014

Hypocrites believe one thing, but do another. Jefferson opposed slavery, but owned slaves. Jesus professed…

Cartoon politician at a podium says, "Sure, but think what a crook I'd be without hypocrisy!

Neuroscience and the Law

September 7, 2014

Recent advances in neuroscience have revealed that certain neurological disorders, like a brain tumor, can…

Brain diagrams illustrating neuroscience and the law, alongside gavel images representing the justice system.

What Might Have Been

August 24, 2014

When we make claims about things that could have been—what philosophers call counterfactual statements—we are,…

Astronaut on moon with Nazi flag; "What Might Have Been

What Are Leaders Made of?

July 13, 2014

There seems to be a paradox in leadership: the qualities of ruthlessness and opportunism necessary…

Book cover: Great Quotes from Great Leaders, featuring photos of historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, and John F. Kennedy.

Pantheism

June 22, 2014

Pantheism is the doctrine that the world is either identical with God or an expression…

Hands cradling Earth, representing pantheistic worldview.

Summer Reading List 2014

June 8, 2014

What philosophers, philosophies, or philosophical issues would you like to read up on over the…

Summer reading list: Books by J.R. Ward and Twilight series.

Am I Alone?

June 1, 2014

A popular theme in science fiction is the eerily lifelike robot: a piece of machinery…

Rene Descartes, holding a brain in a dish, contemplates the question: Am I Alone?

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