Introduction to Philosophy

What is the "tyrannical impulse" of philosophy according to Nietzsche? How does Nietzsche characterize the "free spirit"? Why does Nietzsche find the idea of a "God amongst men" problematic? Friedrich Nietzsche's challenges traditional moral values explores the nature of knowledge, truth, and morality. Nietzsche criticizes philosophers for focusing on the search for truth and argues that "truth" i...

Spinoza's text on Ethics is heavily focused on God. Ultimately, Spinoza suggests that the highest human endeavor is to attain knowledge of God through reason, a process that leads to intellectual love and a sense of peace.

What is Aristotle's definition of moral virtue? What are the two supreme forms of goodness of intellect, and how are they distinct? How does habituation contribute to the development of virtue? Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics , explores the concept of happiness (eudaimonia) as the ultimate goal of human life. Aristotle views happiness as rooted in human action and virtue, and that the state is ess...

From Aristotle to Whitehead, how do these metaphysical ideas compare?

Flipping previous metaphysicians on their heads Whitehead suggests a process metaphysics. What distinguishes an 'enduring object' from an ordinary physical object in Whitehead's process philosophy? How does Whitehead describe the 'satisfaction' of an actual entity? What is the role of eternal objects in defining a society in Whitehead's philosophy? What are the three stages involved in the process...

What is the difference between analytic and synthetic judgments? What is Kant's distinction between appearances and things in themselves? What is the role of the categories in Kant's epistemology?

According to Leibniz, what distinguishes God's will from his understanding? How does Leibniz address the argument that God's creation is not utterly perfect? What is the distinction between "ordinary" and "extraordinary" events in Leibniz's view? How does Leibniz differentiate between God's actions and the actions of created beings? What is the principle of "inesse," and how does it apply to the n...

Thomas Aquinas was a great Catholic theologian and philosopher. His metaphysics is a response to Aristotle. What are the two senses of "being" that Aquinas distinguishes? Why does Aquinas argue that the essence of a composite substance cannot be just its form Why does Aquinas believe that intelligences (angels) do not have matter? What does Aquinas mean when he says that the existence of an intell...

This season will tackle the philosophical enquiry into being and becoming, metaphysics. We will start with Aristotle's text Metaphysics . Why is the study of being considered the most divine and honorable science? Why does Aristotle reject the idea of unity or being as a single, highest genus? What is Aristotle's concept of "actuality." How does it differ from "potentiality"?

In the season finale on an introduction to political thought a discussion of the six different theorists and how their ideas relate and differ.

In this episode take a look into Rousseau's slightly more optimistic take on the state of nature. What is the natural state of man? What does Rousseau mean when he claims that sovereignty is "inalienable" and "indivisible"? Can the general will be wrong? What makes a decree a law?

How does Locke define political power? What is its primary purpose? What is the state of nature? How does one come to possess property in the state of nature?

Travel back to who these theorists were responding to starting with Thomas Hobbes and his Leviathan. How does Hobbes define the "Right of Nature" (Jus Naturale)? According to Hobbes, what is the difference between "Right" and "Law"? What distinguishes a "Contract" from a "Free-gift" in Hobbesian thought? How does Hobbes define "Reason" and its role in human understanding?

What does Nussbaum identify as the central question asked by the capabilities approach? How does this question differ from those asked by traditional resource-based or utility-based approaches to development? What are "missing women" as described by Amartya Sen. What are the implications of this concept for understanding gender inequality in development? Why does Nussbaum argue that capability, ra...

In stark contrast with Rawls theory dive into Nozicks libertarian theory. How does Nozick argue that a minimal state can arise without violating anyone's rights? What are the two crucial necessary conditions for an organization to be considered a state, according to Nozick What is the difference between a "minimal state" and an "ultraminimal state"? Why does Nozick argue that individuals have a ri...

The first season of this podcast is on political theory starting off with John Rawls A Theory of Justice. What is the "original position," and why does Rawls believe it is a suitable starting point for deriving principles of justice? What are primary goods, and how do they differ from other conceptions of goods in moral philosophy? How does Rawls’ conception of justice differ from utilitarianism?...