Brain in a Vat

Does a fetus have a right to life? Should there be any limitations on the choices that a woman makes over her own body?    Nathan's book: https://www.abortionarguments.com/p/this-book-introduces-readers-to-many.html  Thomson's violinist: https://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/Phil160,Fall02/thomson.htm

Anarchism, or the view that we should not have a government, seems impractical. But Michael Huemer believes there is a way to understand Anarchism that not only resolves these impracticalities - it may provide a better society than the one we have now.  Michael Huemer's book, 'The Problem of Political Authority': https://www.amazon.com/Problem-Political-Authority-Examination-Coerce/dp/1137281...

What's it like to be unable to recognize faces? 2% of the population have a neurological condition called prosopagnosia, or face blindness - including this week's guest, and one of our hosts.  Listen to Jeff's Face Blind podcast here: https://faceblindpodcast.com/

Christopher Nolan's Tenet is a visual feast, but does it make any sense? Eron Fasser explains if you can you time travel to change the past and if Neil and Protagonist have free will?  Brain in a Vat Book:  www.smarturl.it/lockdownbook

A round up of our favorite episodes and some insight into how we make the show. We will be on a hiatus until January. Let us know in the YouTube comments who you want to see us interview in the coming year.

Is the Supreme Court merely a political body made up of warring liberals and conservatives? Should Judges apply laws that are unjust? Will the Supreme Court declare Trump the winner of the election? Leiter Report: https://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/

What makes life worth living? How valuable are truth, beauty and morality? If life is ultimately meaningless from the perspective of the universe is none the less better to have been born?  Thad on the Meaning of Life :https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/

Is it possible for your actions to be free, even if they are determined? And would an indeterministic universe make us any freer? If we don't have free will, should we be held accountable for our actions?

If your vote has only a tiny chance of influencing the outcome of an election, is it irrational to vote? Does voting grant legitimacy to repugnant candidates? Is voting always an obligation, or are there situations that require you not to vote? Philosopher Games on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PhilosopherGames/ Philosopher Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilosopherGames

Is virtual sex outside of a relationship cheating? How should we determine a person's gender? Should the same rules apply to race?  Rebecca's article: In Defense of Transracialism https://cryptome.org/2017/05/in-defense-of-transracialism.pdf Hypatia transracialism controversy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypatia_transracialism_controversy

We have a philosophical conversation with an artist about her latest exhibition. Dom's paintings explore the social and sexual mores of the last twenty years through the lens of our current values.

Are you just a physical body? If you have a brain transplant do you stay with your original body or move with your brain? Could the existence of an immaterial soul solve the mind body problem?   Tyron's Books: The Puzzle of Existence: Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?  Idealism: New Essays in Metaphysics Thumbnail Art: Lateralus Album Cover by Alex Grey

Is it wrong to destroy an AI if it can have a conversation with a human being? If a robot expresses suffering is it wrong to torture it? Should we mourn the death of a robot lover?  Sparrow, R. 2004.  The Turing triage test. Ethics and Information Technology  6(4): 203-213. Sparrow, R. 2007.  Killer robots. Journal of Applied Philosophy  24(1): 62-77, March. Sparrow, R. 20...

Are some animals more equal than others? Are game reserves a part of nature if they are man made?  Is global warming universally bad or does it benefit some species? Brain in a Vat Store: smarturl.it/Lockdownbook Thumbnail Art: Peace by Lynn Bywaters

Is cancel culture destroying our institutions? Should Holocaust deniers have the right to speak? What is hate speech, and should it be illegal? Brain in a Vat Store: smarturl.it/Lockdownbook Harpers Letter: https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/

Atom bombs, diamond billionaires, and hate mail have a special role to play in this bonus episode.   Brain in a Vat Store: smarturl.it/Lockdownbook 

Is it wrong to only have a sexual preference for certain races? Can you have sex without being objectified? Is there a moral limit on our sexual fantasies?   Store: http://smarturl.it/LockdownBook Thumbnail Art: The Yoshiwara Prostitute by Kikugawa Eizan 

What does it all mean? If we live on a pail blue dot in a vast and uncaring universe can our lives have cosmic meaning? Is it better never to have been born?

Could purposely infecting volunteers with the Coronavirus help us reach herd immunity or develop a vaccine more rapidly? Is it wrong to expose people to the risk of death, even if they consent?  Thumbnail Art: Hold Your Breath Paulina Siniatkina

Can you be revolted and attracted to the same person? Can concepts be beautiful? Does art need to create sensations to be enjoyed?   IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ Thumbnail Art: A Grotesque Old Woman by Quentin Matsys

Who deserves to be punished? Should the State kill killers and rape rapists?  Should we abolish the police and the prison system?   Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat IMDB:  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/

Culturals groups have different beliefs about what is morally right and wrong. Does a tolerant outlook mean that we should accept these different beliefs as correct? What if those beliefs are discriminatory?    Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat  IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/  Thumbnail Art: The Dinner Party by Sam Walsh

Is love everlasting? Can we love more than one person at the same time?   Do we choose our lovers for the wrong reasons? http://rajasmusingsconfusings.blogspot.com/  Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat  IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/  Thumbnail Art: The Lovers by Rene Magritte

Is it wrong to root for the bad guy in a horror movie? Is evil a matter of who you are or what you do? What makes an action supremely evil? Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat  IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/  Thumbnail Art: The number of the beast is 666 by William Blake

What do Greta Thunberg, #BLM and #Metoo have in common? Are these moralising quests to end climate change, racism and sexism motivated by the will to do good, or merely the will to look good?   Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk https://www.amazon.com/Grandstanding-Use-Abuse-Moral-Talk-ebook/dp/B0851PR3DB/    Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat&nb...