Egg Timer Philosophy

Do the Gods love the good because it is good or is something good because the Gods love it?  That's the dilemma that Plato posed through the voice of Socrates in his dialogue Euthyphro and the topic for this episode of the egg timer. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com

On today's episode we delve deeper into the ethical conundrum of the trolley problem. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: By 04_15_09_162xp_-_Flickr_-_drewj1946.jpg: Drew  Jacksich from San Jose, CA, The Republic of Californiaderivative work:  Bruce1ee - This file was derived from:  04 15 09 162xp - Flic...

Imagine you are conducting a trolley and the break gets stuck.  If you do nothing the trolley will kill five workman on your path.  But you can quickly switch tracks where the trolley will kill one person.  Should you pull the lever and switch tracks?  That's the question on this episode of the egg timer. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggti...

How would you respond to the offer to live life again forever exactly as you have lived it?  That's the question Nietzsche poses with his eternal recurrence thought experiment.  This episode explores how the notion of regret plays a strong role in how this offer is treated. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Art Attribution: E...

Is eating meat a moral practice?  Today's episode explores this question with specific attention given to a very interesting analogy between eating meat and swinging a baseball bat into a cow's skull offered by Robert Nozick. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: By This image was released by the Agricultural Resear...

This episode of the egg timer explores James Rachels's influential essay, 'Active and Passive Euthanasia'.  Rachels suggests that the distinction based upon the difference between killing and letting die that has shaped medical policy surrounding euthanasia in the United States is deeply flawed.  Tune in to find out why Rachels holds this position. Send over your thoughts, questions or i...

This episode of the egg timer is devoted to the Platonic Dialouge of Crito.  In this Dialouge Socrates finds himself in prison awaiting a death sentence and his friend Crito has come to visit.  Crito comes with the enticing offer of helping Socrates escape from prison.  Listen to why find out why Socrates rejects the offer and accepts his sentence of death. Send over your thoughts,...

Does weakness of will exist?  It sure seems like the answer is yes but as we will see, by looking at the basic views of Plato and Aristotle, the answer is more nuanced and interestingly complex than it first appears.   Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: SOUNDCLOUD

This episode of the egg timer considers the distinction between threats and offers.  Many people typically think that offers are morally permissible and threats are not. This thought is normally right but as we will explore things are more complicated than they first appear. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Photo Attribution: Sil...

Can human nature and freedom coexist?  Maybe, but if so a new way to look at both ideas will probably be needed.  Enjoy this episode of the egg timer as the topic of how human nature and freedom might relate with one another is explored. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: By TonyTheTiger - Own work, CC BY-SA...

On this episode of the egg timer the distinction between act and rule utilitarianism is given a closer look. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: Alpha Stock Images - http://alphastockimages.com/

This episode of the egg timer is devoted to exploring and attempting to define the concept of use. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Do people conducting business have any ethical obligations beyond following the law and making as much profit as possible?  On Today's episode we will explore Milton Friedman's influential answer to this question. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: By The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice - RobertHannah8...

This episode of the egg timer is devoted to exploring the basic aspects of utilitarian ethical thought. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: Perhelion, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

What exists?  George Berkeley argued that the only things that exists are minds and ideas.  Find out more about this odd but strangely compelling view on this episode of the egg timer. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Art Attribution: By John Smibert - 1wEMkObfE2BRpQ at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Do...

Today on the egg timer the topic will be how William James makes the case that a deterministic view of the world is confronted with a very challenging dilemma. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: By Notman Studios (photographer) - [1]MS Am 1092 (1185), Series II, 23, Houghton Library, Harvard University, Public Domain,...

This episode of the egg timer is devoted to reviewing the basic positions that philosophers take toward free will.  Are alternatives possibilities necessary for free will?  That's just one question that will be scrambled up on this episode. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: By Enoch Lai at the English langu...

This episode of the egg timer is devoted to exploring the moral principle that 'ought implies can'.  The principle enjoys lots of philosophical support but is more questionable than it first appears. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Art Attribution: By Edmund Leighton - Art Renewal Center Museum, image 15585., Public Domain, http...

How much money would it take for you to sell your ability to experience music?  That's the question for this episode of the egg timer. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Art Attribution: By Phintias - User:Bibi Saint-Pol, own work, 2007-02-10, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2724330

What does it mean for a person to own their self?  This episode of the egg timer explores the basic answer that political philosophers have given to this vexing question. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: By Collectie Stichting Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/in...

This episode of the egg timer explores the concepts of ownership and property.  Do you own, in any sense, a car that you have just rented at the airport counter?  Tune in, as this and other examples are discussed. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: By Brian Stansberry (photographer) - Own work, CC BY 3.0, ht...

What separates science from other areas of inquiry?  Karl Popper argued that it is the activity of falsification.  Tune in to hear about Karl Popper's falsification driven view of scientific inquiry. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: By NASA/WMAP Science Team - Original version: NASA; modified by Cherkash,...

This episode of the egg timer is devoted to discussing the major themes within Aristotle's approach to ethics. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Art Attribution: By After Lysippos - Jastrow (2006), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1359807

What forces drive us to economically consume?  Today's egg timer will take a look at the philosophical and socially engaging answer that Thorstein Veblen gives to this question. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Photo Attribution: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=249718

This episode of the egg timer explores a passage from Robert Pirsig's 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' to better understand the relationship between time and experience. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: eggtimerphilosophy@gmail.com Image Attribution: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=259260