Brain in a Vat

Spencer Case returns to discuss Pluribus, one of the most philosophically ambitious science fiction series in recent years. The conversation explores whether individuality is worth preserving if giving it up would create a happier and more peaceful world, raising questions about personal identity, autonomy, and the ethics of a hive mind. Chapters: [00:00] Welcome [00:58] Pluribus Explained [03:09]...

Rivka Weinberg returns to argue that time is both the source of meaning and its greatest threat, making meaningful lives possible while also guaranteeing loss and impermanence. The conversation explores the relationship between suffering and meaning, whether ultimate meaning is attainable, and why temporary achievements may remain valuable even if nothing lasts forever. Chapters: [00:00] Introduct...

Do adults have a right to decide what goes into their own bodies, even when experts believe they're making a mistake? Jessica Flanigan returns to defend a radical idea: competent adults should have the freedom to access pharmaceuticals without needing permission from doctors or government regulators. Flanigan argues that the same principles underlying informed consent also support a right to s...

We welcome back Stephen Kershnar to discuss the ethics of torture. Kershnar argues that some criminals deserve torture because severe wrongdoing can cause a person to forfeit protections against extreme punishment. He critiques the idea that there are moral constraints the state must never cross. The dialogue also examines objections to torture concerning human dignity, bodily integrity, and the d...

What happens to human beings in a world without scarcity? If all our needs were met, would we actually be better off? Will technological progress lead to utopia or collapse? Humans are living through massive improvements in material conditions. More people have access to food, energy, and technology than ever before. Steven Kotler examines what this kind of abundance does to us. It may support a m...

What does it mean to live with adversity? How ought we respond to the suffering of others? How can we adapt to hardship? Adversity is a universal experience. Nearly everyone, at some point, faces physical, psychological, or social challenges, and yet suffering often goes unnoticed. David Benatar joins us to discuss these questions on the human condition, provoked by his book 'Living with Adver...

Kevin Allison, creator of the RISK! podcast, recounts a high school prank at an all-boys Jesuit school in 1986. After a crush teased him by repeatedly spitting on him, Kevin later mailed him a sealed container of feces labeled “enjoy the cookies.” In retelling the story, Kevin considers how the prank mixes humiliation and a possible form of intimacy, situated within his experience of growing up ga...

Clinical psychologist Chloe Carmichael, author of "Can I Say That?," examines how free expression relates to psychological well-being and social trust. Carmichael argues that suppressing disagreement drives resentment and misperception, rather than resolving conflict. She also scrutinizes the role of safe spaces, the spread of therapeutic language, and what limits on speech might be just...

Amy Wax joins us to discuss the ideological landscape of higher education. Wax reflects on her conflict with the University of Pennsylvania and argues that universities have become increasingly hostile to conservative viewpoints. The conversation explores ideological bias on campus, academic freedom, and the challenges conservatives face within modern higher education. [00:00] Welcome to the Discu...

Tomás Bogardus joins to discuss his book "The Nature of the Sexes" and argues for a reproductive-functional account of biological sex. According to Bogardus, males and females are defined by the reproductive function their bodies are structured to perform: producing sperm or eggs. Even when that function is not realized and no sperm or eggs are produced, a person’s sex remains the same,...

Brain in a Vat is back from hiatus with a deep dive into the philosophy of religion. Stephen Kershnar and Nathan Bray join us to ask whether God can be morally responsible and whether worship makes sense if God could not have done otherwise. The discussion begins with a thought experiment about gratitude and worship. If worship expresses praise for morally responsible action, can a perfectly good...

In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, Brad Duchaine from the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at Dartmouth discusses prosopometamorphopsia (PMO) – a condition where individuals see distorted faces. The episode explores various manifestations of PMO, including seeing demonic features, dragons, or entirely different faces, and distinguishes it from prosopagnosia (face blindness). It...

When is death preferable to living? Are there fates worse than death? And what sort of future society should we build? Lionel Shriver discusses her latest novel, Should We Stay or Should We Go.

Should you be required to get a parental license from the State before you can raise your own children? Do the wishes of parents matter at all – or should we only care about the best interests of their children?

In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, we step outside our usual format to interview Miles Spencer, founder of Reflekta — a company using cutting-edge AI to recreate digital reflections of loved ones who’ve passed away. Miles shares his personal journey of using Reflekta to reconnect with his late father and explains how the system blends voice recordings, photos, and written biographies to cr...

Is it permissible for members of one group to appropriate the cultural practices of another? Is there anything wrong with cultural appropriation at all, or are there benefits to cultural appropriation?

How did the Aztecs understand life, morality, and human purpose? What can Aztec philosophy teach us about living well? Sebastian Purcell guides us through Aztec thought, beginning with a thought experiment from Homer’s Odyssey and moving into the core ideas of Aztec wisdom. Along the way, he contrasts Aztec ethics with Western traditions and applies them to modern debates on morality, from sex and...

In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, Mark and Jasondiscuss the tragic assassination of political commentator, Charlie Kirk. The episode discusses Kirk's commitment to open dialogue and civil discourse, particularly on college campuses, and critique the societal implications of hisdeath. The episode delves into themes of free speech, academicfreedom, and the dangerous conflation of words...

Is racial profiling always wrong, even if used by an AI to decrease crime? Should we use AI to judge criminal cases, recommend sentences for the guilty, or decide parole for prisoners? Chapters: [00:00] Introduction to AI in Crime Fighting [00:12] Thought Experiment: The Looting Scenario [06:32] Predictive Policing and AI [10:13] Debating the Ethics of AI in Law Enforcement [23:26] Affirmative Act...

In this episode of Brain in a Vat, we’re joined by Brian Leiter, co-author (with Jamie Edwards) of a new book on Marx. We explore whether workers in contemporary capitalism are truly free—or trapped in a form of “wage slavery.” Leiter uses thought experiments to probe the limits of workplace freedom. He also examines Marx’s labor theory of value—its strengths and flaws—and shows how modern capital...

What are possible worlds? Could you have been born to different parents, and could an object be both completely green and completely red? Barry Lam explains how David Lewis’s views on possible worlds can help us understand everything from time travel to the nature of who we are.

Is it wrong to bring new life into the world? Is adopting a child a moral obligation? Is parenting meaningful?

Would the world be better if we didn’t recognize genders? In such a world, there would be males and females, but nothing associated with what it means to be male or female other than biological facts. Men and women would be equally likely to be social leaders. And there would be no stereotypically male or female behavior. In this world, there’d be true sex equality, and, it seems, no need for tran...

What does a spy owe — to their country, their conscience, or their cause? In this episode, Cécile Fabre investigates the moral lives of Cold War operatives like Kim Philby and Oleg Gordievsky. With Fabre, we probe the strange morality of spies and the ethical paradoxes they inhabit. Is it ever right to betray your country? Can deception be a moral duty? These questions come to life through real st...

Do we have a right to sex, and is there an obligation to sexually fulfill the disabled? Should sex work be not only legal, but obligatory? [00:00] Introduction and Guest Welcome [00:16] Exploring the Right to Sex: Thought Experiment [03:43] Negative vs. Positive Rights to Sex [09:50] State-Sponsored Sex Work and Ethical Considerations [11:52] Sexual Obligations and Imperfect Duties [23:51] Rights...