Recent Episodes

Hildegard von Bingen

September 20, 2026

Hildegard von Bingen was a 12th century mystic, polymath, and composer whose work spanned visionary theology, philosophy, cosmology, medicine, botany, and music. Her extraordinary intellectual accomplishments belie her humble claim to be “just a woman”. Was her humility justified in the face of the divine,…

The Ethics of Algorithms

April 18, 2021

Recent years have seen the rise of machine learning algorithms surrounding us in our homes…

Diagram showing algorithm ethics: thumbs up leads to positive feedback (five stars) and theatrical masks representing positive and negative user experiences.

Does Science Over-reach?

April 4, 2021

We’ve all heard the phrase, “You can’t argue with science.” Appealing to scientific fact as…

Graphic: SCIENCE Ruining Everything Since 1543. Image shows crossed-out icons of the geocentric model, a mythical creature, and a unicorn, questioning science's impact.

John Rawls

February 21, 2021

John Rawls was one of the most influential political philosophers of the twentieth century. In…

Black and white portrait of John Rawls

What Is Love?

February 14, 2021

It may seem doubtful that philosophers have much to tell us about love (beyond their…

Red heart with wooden blocks spelling "LOVE".

The Examined Year: 2020

December 27, 2020

The Year in Pandemic Ethics with Karen Stohr from Georgetown University, Senior Research Scholar at the…

Wooden 2020 numerals examined with magnifying glass

Faith and Humility

December 20, 2020

Some would argue that faith requires that one blindly—rather than rationally— believe. Faith in one…

Silhouette of a kneeling man contemplating; the word HUMILITY is overlaid.

Are We Alone?

December 6, 2020

News that life might exist or have existed on Mars or somewhere else in our…

Alien face and radio telescope searching for extraterrestrial life. Are we alone?

Camus and the Absurd

November 8, 2020

Albert Camus is most famous for his existential works of fiction including The Stranger as…

Black and white portrait of Albert Camus, author of The Stranger, embodying the philosophy of the absurd.

Monstrous Technologies?

November 1, 2020

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein raises powerful questions about the responsibilities of scientists to consider the impact…

Stanford University 2018 Frankenstein-themed logo featuring a stylized Frankenstein's monster head with medical and scientific imagery.

Hannah Arendt

October 11, 2020

Hannah Arendt was one of the most original and influential philosophers of the 20th century. …

Hannah Arendt, a renowned German-born theorist, in a thoughtful pose.

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