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…

Mental Imagery

December 28, 2008

In the Early Modern period many philosophers took ideas to be mental images of the…

Person exploring a dark cloud representing mental imagery with a magnifying glass.

Animal Minds

December 21, 2008

People have strong but divergent opinions about the nature of animals’ minds.  Do dogs make…

A chimpanzee thoughtfully strokes its chin, showcasing the complexity of animal minds.

Legal Ethics

November 30, 2008

Lawyers are often thought to be hardly better than hired guns, who, in the words…

Confused businessman choosing between ethical and legal paths. Legal ethics decision.

Giving and Keeping

October 26, 2008

How should people allocate their assets – however modest or grand – ethically and effectively? …

Infographic: Generational Giving Trends. Shows data on Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, and Matures' charitable giving habits.

Philosophy and Neuroscience

September 21, 2008

Philosophers have always been concerned with the mind.  What is consciousness? Representation?  Emotion?  Now that…

The Thinker statue with areas highlighting spirituality, knowledge, self, and other philosophical concepts related to neuroscience and philosophy.

The Morality of Food

September 21, 2008

Veganism, freeganism, organic, sustainability, simplicity, biofuel, animal rights, worker’s rights, nutrition, preventing hunger, reducing waste…

Blurred supermarket aisles with fresh produce and packaged goods. Exploring the morality of food choices.

Utilitarianism

September 7, 2008

Can morality be quantified?  Can the good be calculated?  Utilitarianism says the right action is…

Graphic illustrating the concept of Utilitarianism, split between black and white.

Separation of Powers

August 17, 2008

In America, there’s not just one governing body, there are three: executive, legislative, and judicial.…

Illustration of the White House, Capitol Building, and Supreme Court, representing the separation of powers in US government.

Philosophy and Pop Culture

August 3, 2008

From Star Trek and the Grateful Dead to South Park and Stephen Colbert, philosophical questions…

Comic book superhero revealing "Introducing Philosophy Through Pop Culture: From Socrates to South Park" t-shirt.

Believing in God

July 20, 2008

Some have argued that there aren’t any good arguments for believing in God. Is belief…

Mountains at sunset with text overlay: Believing in God

Language and Thought

June 15, 2008

You might think our thoughts simply determine what we say. But maybe the language we…

Two heads communicating, illustrating the relationship between language and thought.

The Problem of Evil

June 8, 2008

Many religions tell us that God is perfect: all-knowing, all-powerful, and beneficent.  Why then do…

Dr. Evil holding a hairless cat, pondering the problem of evil.

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