Fauxlosophers

This week, David's mad that the kids are coming up with words for things that don't need them. Is it really just the kids that are doing it, though? And are the names really unnecessary? -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.spoti...

This week, we discuss the implications of the commodification of influence and the personal character of so-called "influencers". -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fauxlosophers Fauxlosophers is supporte...

Employers and employees have differing ideas of what makes a good employee. This week, we examine this dynamic and what sorts of tensions it causes in the workplace and the job market. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod...

It seems the question underlying all political discussion is that of fairness. This week, we consider the question of fairness and some of the weird decisions Western democracies have made in pursuit of fairness. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https:...

Have you ever neglected a responsibility or moral urge because you felt you had already done enough good that day? This week, we explore some concepts of transactional morality and moral licensing. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.sp...

This week, we explore the subject of struggling, specifically the value our culture places upon it. Is it really virtuous to struggle, suffer, and sacrifice, or is this just a common trait of other virtuous behavior? -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: ht...

This week, we consider the odd relationship between the people of the past (who set government policies), the government of today (who must carry out those policies), and the people of today (who may not like them anymore). -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anc...

This week, we talk about some real philosophy: what's real, and what do we think is real that we really just decided? a better way to count: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qID2B4MK7Y0 the best way to count: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDDaEVcwIJM -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Emai...

If you're confused by the title, you'll understand within the first 11 minutes of the show. This week, we revisit the topic of justice. Rather than enumerating the various goals and conceptions of justice, we instead explore hypothetical situations to see how people's intuitions and feelings led us to the systems of justice we see today. -- If you have suggestions for future show topic...

In today's technological world, it's easy for people to blame our problems on technology and long for the world of the past. This week, we discuss the problems with glorifying "nature". -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcast...

Warning: we spend a fair amount of time discussing video games in this episode. This week, we got talking about how game developers try to do everything when the classics all stick to a core concept. This led us into the broader topic of keeping things simple versus trying to be everything. David's favorite performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr...

What are friends for? This week's topic is the nature of friendship and why it's so hard to adults to make new friends. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fauxlosophers Fauxlosophers is supported by viewers...

This week, we discuss issues with the status quo of science funding and propose an alternative which prioritizes results. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fauxlosophers Fauxlosophers is supported by viewers like...

Atheism is not a religion. Nevertheless, it competes with religions in the culture. This week, we discuss the subject of whether or not atheists ought to do their own sort of evangelism. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/p...

Democracy is sold on the principle that people will choose representatives that align with their views. It turns out this is true, too true. Politicians quickly figure out that the winning strategy is to pick winners and losers to win over a critical mass of votes at the expense of a society worth living in. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you thi...

This week, we discuss the origins and nature of holidays, as well as the concept of duty, which is usually foregone on holidays. Historia Civilis video about Saturnalia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OImabGvoQNs -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https...

This week, we revisit Eliezer Yudkowsky in another essay entitled The Sin of Underconfidence. This essay explores the tendency for intelligent people to be too humble. Read for yourself: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/pkFazhcTErMw7TFtT/the-sin-of-underconfidence -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods...

This week, we read and respond to an essay regarding online forum moderation and how the goal of maintaining a community worth being in is at odds with our academic intuition that censorship is evil. Well-Kept Gardens Die by Pacifism: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/tscc3e5eujrsEeFN4/well-kept-gardens-die-by-pacifism -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know wha...

This week, we contemplate an interesting case of someone changing their public identity for explicitly political reasons. We look further into a well-known historical movement of this sort and get distracted along the way. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anch...

Violence is generally prohibited in civil society, but everyone seems to have a different idea of what qualifies as violence. This week, we analyze the meaning of violence and whether certain forms of political protest qualify. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com -...

This week, we learn about the philosophy of Henry George, who believed that a single tax on land value would be sufficient for all of society. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fauxlosophers Fauxlosophers is suppo...

This week, we ponder the reasons why certain European countries are considering new blasphemy laws and the consequences these sorts of laws bring for generations to follow. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fauxlo...

Last week, we answered the first half of the DozenValues quiz. This week, we finish up and analyze the results. -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fauxlosophers Fauxlosophers is supported by viewers like you. If yo...

This week, Joe and David take the DozenValues political test and discuss the very meanings of the questions. This is part 1, in which the first half of the test is completed. See the quiz for yourself: https://quark88.github.io/dozenvalues/index.html -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fa...

We are generally anti-war on this show, but this week we decided to entertain the question of when war is truly warranted. Essentially: when would a libertarian declare war? -- If you have suggestions for future show topics or just want to let us know what you think, you can reach us via the following methods: - Email: fauxlosophers@gmail.com - Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fauxl...