Political Philosophy Podcast

The first world war and economic crisis explode into the world in the 3rd part of our series on the ideologies of libertarianism and progressive liberalism. How do ideologies deal with huge system shocks like these? What is the role of elites in ideological creation and consumption?

In the second part of my series on the history of libertarianism I look at how the competition between libertarianism and progressive liberalism escalated to competition over scientific metaphors. The origin, and ideological weaponization of, the phrase “survival of the fittest”, and the introduction to the ideological fight of Newtonian mechanics.

In the second part of my conversation with Rupert Read we cover private language, essential contestability and political ideologies. We also discuss if it is possible to escape political ideologies or the use of power: Can we carve out true friendships separate from the forms of oppression that surround us?

Dr. Rupert Read returns to the podcast to provide an introduction to Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language. We cover Wittgenstein’s life, his approach to philosophy, his value to us, and the metaphors of family resemblances, word games, and money. https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalPhilosophyPodcast

By audience selection, I cover the intellectual and ideological history of libertarianism. What were its origins and what was is reacting against? I also attempt to place these developments in their historical context and discuss how they affected the world, our current institutions, and even how we think now.

In the second part of our conversation, Shadi Hamid and I get into a conversation about the contradictions of liberal universality. Should we want Islamists to become liberals for instance? Shadi argues for a liberalism that can appeal to the most possible people and I argue that, given we can never escape contestable premises, a liberalism based on progress best makes sense of these contradiction...

Shadi Hamid discusses the different types of Islamism and their beliefs about government, democracy, and Islamic law. We also cover perceptions of Islam and its relationship with liberalism.

Christian Miller joins the podcast to discuss his book The Character Gap. What does it mean to have good character? What are, if any, the meta ethical foundations of this? Why should we develop character, and what are the factors that determines if people exhibit positive character traits in any given situation?

In the second part of our conversation Philip Pettit gives his answer to the challenge of the first; creating a reconstructive account of morality that explains its nature, the origins of desirability and responsibility, and why we should be moral. As mentioned in the intro I’ve decided not to accept offers for paid advertisements for the podcast and will be attempting to fund it solely through li...

Philip Pettit returns to the podcast to discuss his latest work The Birth of Ethics. We set of the challenge of resolving the seeming paradox of ethical truth in a naturalistic universe:  In a world explained by science with 'nothing spooky' going on, how, and why, would morality emerge?

I Answer listener questions on a range of topics then give extended answers defending my views on free will (and how they relate to my views on religion and social justice and explaining my I think the arguments that race and IQ are linked are both flawed and dangerous.

What role should race play in how we think of ourselves as Americans? I discuss the race debate with Professor Glenn Loury. We cover the role of culture, the wealth gap, high levels of inner city-violence, the case for reparations, and police killings.

In the second part of my conversation with Brian Earp we discuss replicability, pre-registration, pseudoscience, science in popular culture, and the limits of scientific knowledge. We also apply this epistemically cautious empiricism to the difficult cases of implicit bias, affirmative action, and workplace diversity quotas. Website: https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com Support on Patreon: h...

The replication crisis has rocked the world of academic physiology but how far do its implications go?  In this episode, I cover the incentive structures, institutional patterns, and faulty ways of thinking about statistics and evidence that lead to this with Brian Earp.

In the final episode of my conversation with Corey, we discussed the role of discrimination in our society. I also gvae a relpy to concerns raised by Jorden Peterson fans.

In this episode, I discuss the 'Intelectual Dark Web' with Existential Comic's Corey Mohler.  We cover Sam Harris, Jordan Peterson, and Steven Pinker, arguing that for supposed free thinkers, they often just seem to want to maintain the world of their youth.

In this episode, I talk with Corey Mohler, author of the popular philosophy webcomic existential comics. We discuss the role of jokes in philosophy and politics, why he hates George Carlin, the state of the Democratic party in the US, and more.

In this episode, I talk with Matt Teichman, host of the elucidations podcast. We debate if there is such a thing as a universal morality that's common to all cultures, and what we learn from the diversity of moral and political thought in history.

We continue our discussion of transitional justice with Colleen Murphy, comparing the end of apartheid in South Africa with the civil rights movement in the US.  From this contrast, we explore the idea of reparations for lynching and redlining in the form of truth and reconciliation commissions and financial payments. Website: https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com Patreon: https://www.patreon...

In this episode professor Colleen Murphy discusses justice in countries attempting to transition to democracy following conflict or repression.  Professor Murphy argues that the demands of transitional justice are distinct from other forms of justice such as retributive, corrective, or distributive.

CIVIL RIGHTS FROM NIXON TO OBAMA A Conversation With Mary Frances Berry by Toby Buckle

ROME, CHRIST, AND THE WESTERN MIND A Conversation With Orlando Patterson (3) by Toby Buckle

In the second part of the series Orlando Patterson to discuss the emergence of the value of freedom in Ancient Greece and its relation to slave society.  We argue that Athens was unique in developing this value and western history was forever shaped by this, however uncomfortable we are with the seeming triumphalism of this narrative.

The first part of a three part series: I'm joined by the great historical sociologist Orlando Patterson to discuss the nature and history of slavery and how this lead to the creation of the "strange and un-innocent" value of freedom. In the first part we discuss Professor Patterson's background, his account of slavery and the history of slavery in the earliest peoples.

THE POINT OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY A Conversation With Tamler Sommers (2) by Toby Buckle