Fitness in Philosophy

In this episode, which is part 3 of a 3 part series, James and Robby revisit the question that started it all: What is fitness? They discuss and debate the 7 main theses about fitness listed below Thesis 1: Defining fitness in the abstract is not that difficult. The real or the major question relates to how we implement fitness today Thesis 2: Fitness is not just solely a means to an end (like mon...

In this episode, which is part 2 of a 3 part series, James and Robby revisit the question that started it all: What is fitness? They discuss and debate the 7 main theses about fitness listed below Thesis 1: Defining fitness in the abstract is not that difficult. The real or the major question relates to how we implement fitness today Thesis 2: Fitness is not just solely a means to an end (like mon...

In this episode, which is part 1 of a 3 part series, James and Robby revisit the question that started it all: What is fitness? They discuss and debate the 7 main theses about fitness listed below Thesis 1: Defining fitness in the abstract is not that difficult. The real or the major question relates to how we implement fitness today Thesis 2: Fitness is not just solely a means to an end (like mon...

In this episode, James and Robby dive deep into the connection between fitness and inspiration. Inspiration is defined as the excitement of the mind or emotions, driving individuals from apathy to possibility and awakening new opportunities. It transcends ordinary experiences and fuels creativity, intrinsic motivation, and a deeper sense of purpose. The discussion focuses on three core characteris...

In this episode, we dive into the complex relationship between needs and wants , especially in the context of fitness and health. By exploring various philosophical perspectives, we examine how "need" can mean different things—from survival necessities to living an optimal life. Drawing from Kantian ethics, we pose the thought-provoking idea that a life focused only on needs is empty, while a life...

In this Part 2, James and Robby continue their discussion about the connection between equality and fitness. They discuss issues and questions like the following: -Biology is inherently unfair and unequal. For example: · A biological man could have a child at age 60 or 70 (not ideal but possible) should he choose where the that is not a possibility for biological women · A biological male cannot g...

In this episode James and Robby discuss the connection between equality and fitness. They discuss issues and questions like the following: -Biology is inherently unfair and unequal. For example: · A biological man could have a child at age 60 or 70 (not ideal but possible) should he choose where the that is not a possibility for biological women · A biological male cannot get pregnant or give birt...

In this episode James and Robby discuss the connection between the concept of tolerance and fitness. At base level, tolerance is defined as: showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behaviors that one does not necessarily agree with So, how does this relate to fitness/health? There are so many fitness and nutrition fads, cleanses and programs that are money making-schemes, false o...

In this episode, James and Robby continue their discussion regarding the connection between ignorance and fitness. In philosophy there is a very antagonistic relationship to ignorance. Philosophy (and science) are attempts in many ways eradicate as much ignorance as possible for as many people as possible Different philosophical takes on ignorance include -The unexamined life is not worth living (...

In this episode James and Robby explore the connection between humility and fitness. Humility is an admission of one's own limitations. Fitness, by its very nature involves encountering one's own limitations in the physical world. For example if someone can't do a pull-up or run 3 miles continuously that typically involves them eating a slice of humble-pie, in a good way. In this episode they ask...

In this episode James and Robby discuss the connection between ignorance and fitness. In philosophy there is a very antagonistic relationship to ignorance. Philosophy (and science) are attempts in many ways eradicate as much ignorance as possible for as many people as possible Different philosophical takes on ignorance include -The unexamined life is not worth living (Socrates) -Neither is the exa...

How should the fact that we all die at some point inform our fitness journey? That is the central question of this episode. There's almost a paradox when think of fitness and it's relation to death On the one hand, ·for many who engage in health and fitness activities it involves a deep acknowledgement of the fundamental reality of the inevitability of death. And yet, on the other hand, ·engaging...

In this episode James and Robby discuss the question, "what do we owe the future?" and how does this relate to health and fitness? When it comes to general life we want to leave people in the future with: -a better overall world than the one we had -a habitable planet -an easier life (to a certain extent) But when it comes to fitness and health unique questions arise when we ask "what do we owe th...

There's a very real possibility that in the next 100 years what it means to be human will fundamentally change because of AI and robotics. Yes, what it means to be human has changed throughout history but in terms of our basic biology it's been essentially the same for 10s of thousands of years. Now it is poised to change significantly in the coming couple of centuries. Biology is central to our h...

As Alasdair MacIntyre famously said, human beings are dependent rational animals. The "dependent" part is significant. We often fail to see how dependent we are on basic things like food, water, oxygen, social structure, etc. We often crave independence from certain things, but the truth is that at a very deep and fundamental humans are dependent beings. In this episode, where we focus on independ...

As Alasdair MacIntyre famously said, human beings are dependent rational animals. The "dependent" part is significant. We often fail to see how dependent we are on basic things like food, water, oxygen, social structure, etc. We often crave independence from certain things, but the truth is that at a very deep and fundamental humans are dependent beings. In this episode James and Robby discuss the...

In this episode, James and Robby explore the connection between the philosophy of Alasdair MacIntyre, and more specifically his book "After Virtue", and its connection with fitness. In his book "After Virtue" MacIntyre asks us to imagine there was some sort of catastrophe by which all of our scientific knowledge came to be destroyed. Eventually enlightened people try to restore that knowledge but...

Most people would agree that things like rocks, tables, chairs, the sun, and oceans are all real. By real here, we mean something like: these things would exist even if humans didn't exist. But what about social reality? What about things that depend on humanity for their existence and yet have real power and influence? Here are some examples -Money -The presidency of the United States -Laws -The...

Reality is one of the central concepts in philosophy. In fact, one of the most fundamental questions in philosophy is, "What is real?". Philosophers are very frequently trying to distinguish appearance from reality. Fitness provides one of the most direct forms of access to the external world/reality in terms of directly sensing the world around us. Fitness can also provide a direct "reality-check...

Habits are central to both philosophy and fitness. As far back as the Ancient Greeks, Aristotle famously said "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle in this particular case is talking about virtue, but the point applies equally well to other parts of life, especially health and fitness. One could argue that habits are the central determining fact...

Most of our life, technology, and progress is centered around the idea of making life easier. Think about things like Door Dash, sleeping pills, and self-driving cars. But a central question that comes up is: Is an easier life necessarily a better life? It seems that as humans we're hard-wired to need some difficulty, challenge, or struggle to live a full and meaningful life. In this episode James...

Beauty in philosophy is considered one of the ultimately values like justice, truth, knowledge, and goodness. One of the central goals of most people in engaging in fitness is to look better, or to cultivate physical beauty. In this episode James and Robby ask and give their answer the following questions What makes beauty worth pursuing? Is beauty just "appearance" that hides a deeper "reality" I...

What is a legacy? At the most basic level it's what we leave to future generations of people. When it comes to a legacy with regard to fitness, the question becomes: What do we owe the future when it comes to the world of fitness and health that we give to future generations? In this podcast, James and Robby ask and attempt to answer the following questions. -Is all we should be doing in fitness a...

Since the release of ChapterGPT in late 2022, interest and discussion around Artificial Intelligence has exploded. Why? There are so many societal and ethical implications around the development of AI such as: -Will it lead to the end of all work? -How can we tell appearance from reality when AI is getting so good at mimicking reality? -Is AI essentially stealing the work of genuine creatives with...

Since the release of ChapterGPT in late 2022, interest and discussion around Artificial Intelligence has exploded. Why? There are so many societal and ethical implications around the development of AI such as: -Will it lead to the end of all work? -How can we tell appearance from reality when AI is getting so good at mimicking reality? -Is AI essentially stealing the work of genuine creatives with...