The Philosophers Stoned

In philosophy, zombies are beings that are exactly like human beings in every single way except one. A philosophical zombie might talk about how great the coffee is, they might drive to work and answer the phone, they might go home and walk the dog. However, philosophical zombies lack one thing: consciousness. If it is possible that a being could be physically identical to a conscious human and ye...

In this episode, we discuss Immanuel Kant's famous "Categorical Imperative." An imperative is a command- you ought to do such and such. Kant argues there are two kinds of Imperatives: Hypothetical imperatives and Categorical imperatives. A hypothetical imperative is something you should do if you have a particular goal in mind: for example, if you want to lose weight, you should exercise and eat h...

In this perplexing episode, we discuss why there is something rather than nothing. Quantum physics says that there is something rather than nothing because the quantum energy field naturally fluctuates from potentiality to actuality. But philosophers-of-nothing persist: why is there is a quantum energy field at all? This question seems like an impossible riddle. However, as Ludwig Wittgenstein arg...

In this episode we respond to questions from listeners about a variety of topics. We couldn't answer every question this week, but we will get through them all eventually. If you want your question read on the podcast, email TPSpodcast420@gmail.com.

In this episode, we discuss philosophical Anarchism. Anarchy means the absence of government authority. Anarchists come in many forms, but Anarchy does not necessarily mean moral nihilism and chaos. As Alan Moore writes in V for Vendetta : "Anarchy means 'without leaders,' not 'without order.'" The essence of anarchy as a political ideal is that human beings can be sufficiently rational and autono...

Social Contract Theory is a theory that the State's legitimate and justified authority over the individual is based on a mutual agreement between the individual and the State. In theory, we agree to give up certain rights (e.g. the right to steal your neighbor's cows) and in exchange, the State protects our other rights (e.g. the right to private property). Thomas Hobbes was one of the earliest pr...

The question of "Nurture vs Nature" to explain human behaviour has long interested psychologists and philosophers. Behaviourists believed the answer was definitely "Nurture"- everything about our behaviour can explained in terms of our environment. The most radical behaviourists believed that everything about human behaviour could be explained by studying rats in mazes. Today, however, behaviouris...

In this episode, we take a break from philosophy and discuss recent events from stand-up comedy. Tony Hinchcliffe is a stand-up comedian who has hosted the live show/podcast Kill Tony for many years. Kill Tony is a lottery show where anyone can put their name in a hat for a chance to perform 60 seconds of material in front of a live audience. After the set, Tony and a guest offer critiques. The gu...

In this episode we discuss a range of topics, from the Mayan Ball Game, to the essential characteristics of sports, to the controversial topic of transgender athletes. Sports have traditionally been segregated based on sex: men's leagues and women's leagues. However, transgender athletes have challenged the efficacy of sex segregation. Is it time for a new way to form sports leagues, perhaps based...

In this episode, we discuss the work of Domincan-born philosopher Dan-el Padilla Peralta, currently Associate Professor of Classics at Princeton University. "Classics" is the study of ancient Greece and Rome, including their languages and philosophy. Peralta argues that the future of classics is in jeopardy, because these ancient societies fully embraced slavery. Philosophers like Plato and Aristo...

Many animals appear to have the capacity for moral behavior- altruism and kinship exists in many species, not just humans. This suggests that much of our moral behavior was selected for by evolutionary processes. Some biologists have concluded that ethics is now in the province of evolutionary biology, not philosophy. Are moral philosophers out of a job? Are the Philosophers Stoned on EI? Find out...

In this episode, we philosophically review the 2020 horror film, "The Empty Man." There will be spoilers, so we recommend that you watch the movie first, then listen to the review. The Empty Man is an alien entity that promotes a philosophy of murderous nihilism, and is the very epitome of Nietzsche's infamous warning, "If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." Thi...

In this episode, we discuss a paper by Canadian philosopher and fantasy novelist R. Scott Bakker. In his paper, "On Alien Philosophy," Bakker argues that the evolutionary forces that caused Earth species to develop intelligence and philosophy could likely cause alien species to develop their own intelligence and philosophy. And, like us, their philosophers, "Martian Socrates" or "Little Green Niet...

In this episode, we join the hosts of the Bible Beaters Podcast , Caleb Campbell and Kyle Vestner, for a stimulating menage a quatre to compare and contrast three revolutionary thinkers: Did you know Jesus, Socrates, and Buddha all wore the same brand of sandals (Adidas)? And none of them ever had a real job? Did you know Jesus and Socrates were both so annoying they were sentenced to death? And t...

This week we struggle to comprehend the ancient Chinese philosophy of Daoism. Daoism is believed to have originated with the mystical sage Laozi, or "Old Philosopher." Dao means, "way" or "path." The way you do everything- the philosophy you live by. your morning routine, the way you walk down the street- is your dao. Dao is for humans as water is for fish- Zhuangzi . Even the act of choosing betw...

In this episode we examine the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. The Stoics denounced all passions and were terrible guests at orgies. We delve deep into the Stoic's theory about the origins of the universe, which involves divine sperm and an endless cycle of Conflagrations, and we also examine their theory of knowledge, ethics, and emotion. Finally, we respond to an email about whether Jordan is ac...

In this episode we begin responding to a listener question about Epicurus, Stoics, and Taoists. Epicurus was a philosopher from Ancient Greece who developed a unified theory of particle physics, consciousness, human social evolution, language and psychology. He was also a flat-Earther but we'll forgive it just this once ;) Please send your questions, comments, hate-mail, death threats, LSD and CA$...

In this episode, we discuss the concepts of speciesism and the moral consideration of animals under utilitarianism and the philosophy of animal rights. Shoutout to Matt Pusch for his heroic editing of this trainwreck of an episode.

In this episode, Sam and Jordan follow their tradition of discussing some random nonsense and then digging into a deep philosophical topic. This week it's possible worlds. Some philosophers, like some physicists, believe in a multiverse of "parallel universes" or "possible worlds." But philosopher David Lewis didn't need any fancy telescopes to develop his theory; all he had to do was sit in a com...

In this episode, we respond to a listener question about the Sophists of Ancient Greece. Gorgias (AKA Lil Gorgeous) claimed that he did not teach the art of living well, but rather the art of persuasion. Persuasion is value-neutral- the artful persuader can lead people to a life of virtue and knowledge, but they could also lead people into vice and ignorance. How should we deal with weaponized per...

In this episode, Sam and Jordan discuss Agent Smith's theory about humans from "The Matrix." and the moral dilemmas that arise when considering whether to colonize other worlds or make a sustainable home on Earth. Also, an interesting listener email about Rhetoric and the Sophists of Ancient Greece.

Jordan discusses the trials and tribulations of working at a Willy-Wonka-esque brewery. Then, the boys dig deep into the mailbag to answer your questions, including a question on Toxic Masculinity. Disclaimer: This episode is fraught with technical difficulties. Please consider this an "optional" episode.

In this episode, we discuss the philosophy and ethical justification of civil disobedience, radical protest, and revolution. Whereas civil disobedience involves peacefully breaking the law, radical protest and revolution involve violence, terror, and militant action. Sometimes radical protest is justified; other times, it is not. We discuss Ghandi's peaceful revolution in India, Mohammed Ali and R...

We kick off the New Year with a response to a listener email! We discuss utilitarian and egalitarian approaches to vaccine distribution, and the ethics of allocating scarce medical resources at both the international and national levels. Neither a pure cost-benefit analysis nor a pure egalitarian approach is satisfactory, so the debate focuses on carving out a middle ground that is both ethically...

In this episode, Sam and Jordan discuss the concept of evil. Throughout history, "evil" has been used to describe people, events, and practices that seem beyond merely "bad." Sometimes, however, the punishment of "evil" is used to justify atrocities, like the Salem witch trials. Is "evil" really a useful concept for understanding human nature?