Insert Philosophy Here

I am no longer updating this podcast. I will continue with two new podcasts at my Substack account, "Douglas Giles, PhD w/o BS/" Please join me there: https://substack.com/@dgilesphd

Hello Listeners. I'm transitioning away from this podcast to two new podcasts that will be hosted in my Substack account: https://substack.com/@dgilesphd. One podcast will cover philosophy and the other will cover political analysis. Thank you for listening, and please join me there.

I've moved to a new podcast: https://dgilesphd.substack.com/podcast The real tragedy is that what Trump does is normal in the context of US history. Today, I will talk about Trump’s return to the US’s normal foreign policy doctrine for Latin America. Text version on my Substack: https://imnotyourechochamber.substack.com/p/theres-nothing-new-in-trump-foreign Links to more reading: “The Banana Wars:...

I've moved to a new podcast: https://dgilesphd.substack.com/podcast For years I had kept one foot in academia; I’ve now taken that foot out and can walk freely

Many people feel that philosophy is not relevant to their lives. That feeling is completely mistaken, but it’s understandable how someone could come to feel that way. Philosophy isn’t dead, but most philosophers are — not just those people writing papers for academic journals but also those teaching philosophy courses. My Philosophy Textbook Showing Philosophy As Very Much Alive

I've moved to a new podcast: https://dgilesphd.substack.com/podcast Failing Our Students. Part 1: The two cursed cohorts have reached college and they are struggling and the system is failing them. Part 2: Corporatization is diluting higher education. Link mentioned in the episode. Rethinking the Generations

Right-wing politicians, including Donald Trump this week at the United Nations, stoke fear and hate against immigrants. Let’s replace black and white thinking with the many colors of reality. #Immigration #HumanRights

And you may ask, “How could you say that Charlie Kirk is a coward? Didn’t he frequently speak in public?” Good question. Charlie Kirk wasn’t a coward for speaking in public; Charlie Kirk was a coward because of why he was speaking in public. Links mentioned in the episode. Kirk didn’t agree that no one should die from gun violence. The description of a reactionary, from my book , perfectly fits Ch...

What precedes hate is fear and the psychological inability to cope with fear. Hate is a symptom of giving in to the fear of those who are different and choosing to hide behind false views of other people rather than face the reality of how others actually are. Understanding hatred in this way gives clarity to many things.

Let’s go beyond the schadenfreude of watching MAGA having a conniption over Pam Bondi covering up the Epstein files. Instead of having a watch party hoping to see some kind of anti-Trump revolt, and breathlessly keeping score of every statement made by people about Epstein, Bondi, and Trump like its some kind of sick sports game, let’s dig a little deeper. What Lurks Behind Conspiracy Theories Why...

I spent most of May and June traveling through the United States. I grew up there, but I've lived in Europe since 2012. This trip was my longest stint returning to America. These are my thoughts and observations.

I've moved to a new podcast: https://dgilesphd.substack.com/podcast Bergson was once the most famous philosopher in the world; today, his still applicable insights are now unfairly neglected. #philosophy #science #experience #time

Good, evil, quality, exploitation, beauty, depravity — it’s all here. A philosopher looks at the dark and bright side of alcohol. Obviously, one does not need to drink alcohol to have a good time, but the connection between alcohol and social occasions is one of the strongest elements of human society. Mentioned: The History of Beer and Brewing in Chicago .

Our education system is still dominated by a model developed over 180 years ago. Until we break out of that model, we will not be a society that can be everything that it can be because our educational system is not everything it should be. #HigherEducation #Pedagogy

. . . is the reality of our existence. Many arguments are pointless. Is the Earth round or flat? Pointless argument — the answer is clear and has been clear for millennia. Do human beings have free will or are they determined? Also a pointless argument — the answer is clear and has been clear for millennia.

There are some people and channels who offer nothing but outrage porn, They are part of the Fake Left: people who offer not positive principles but opposition to the Right. The Fake Left and its outrage porn help the right wing in its takeover of the US. #Politics #Philosophy #Project2025 #Trump #maga

Deconstructing a source of prejudice. Though a useful concept in its proper context, toxic masculinity is best understood as an expression of an underlying sense of identity clung to by some males. It is this juvenile, testosterone-fueled identity that is at the base of so much man-child behavior. To describe that identity, I will adopt a term that most people will have heard, but that is underuti...

We are now 20 minutes into the future, next Sunday AD. MST3K article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Science_Theater_3000 Why Trump" Book: https://dgilesauthor.com/why-trump/

I’m giving neither a prediction nor a hope, but this is an issue we do well to contemplate. Eschewing platitudes and cliches, let’s look at what would happen if Trump dies tomorrow. Referenced: Why Trump?

Trigger Warning! Sacred cows are toppled in this podcast!!! Jordan Peterson, Slavoj Žižek, and Noam Chomsky--Three Pied Pipers of doom and gloom. This is a breed of philosophers who, when reading their works, I understand what they are saying, but I see no point in what they are saying. I’ve become convinced that the intention of this breed of philosophers is not to make a point, but merely to fli...

The recent rapid turn of events in Syria has created more questions than answers. This is the time of both opportunity and danger for Syria. What happens in the near future in Syria will be a lesson for the world about either how to or how not to act politically.

The media is talking a lot about how influential podcasts are, including suggesting podcasts influenced the recent US election. I insert some philosophy into the interesting anachronism of podcasts, the three basic types of podcasts, and what they say about society.

This isn’t an “I told you so.” This is an “all right, let’s talk about where we go from here” post-election. #politics #philosophy

The concept of “Christian” nationalism has been in the news lately. That’s understandable given how often and how much certain groups are pushing the belief that America is a Christian nation and even that it should be an exclusively Christian nation. At least, that’s what they say on their external packaging.

Both Hitler and Trump are pathetic and delusional. Both are far right authoritarians. But their movements have different motivations and goals. Calling Trump a fascist may seem like a convenient shorthand description, but it masks the depth of the real movement behind Trump. The truth is difficult but important to understand.