James Renner

The Philosophy of Crime

Society EN ↓ 39 episodes

Unravel the complexities of true crime through the insightful lens of "The Philosophy of Crime," an annual podcast series expertly hosted by James Renner, a distinguished journalist and acclaimed author renowned for his deep dives into the enigmatic world of unsolved mysteries. This podcast stands at the crossroads of classical philosophy and the compelling questions that fuel our fascination with true crime. Across six thought-provoking episodes released once a year, James explores the fundamental inquiries haunting the human psyche: What drives our obsession with true crime stories? Are lie...

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Author

James Renner

Episodes

302: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Or Is It? 16.04.2020 26:09

Learn about the "Mean World Syndrome" and how the world is actually safer than you think. Topics: Mean World Syndrome, George Gerbner, Logical Fallacies, Aristotle, Serial Killer's Apprentice Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mean_world_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gerbner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-0E4qHqZ5o https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallacy https://www.th...

301: Why Do Some Crimes Have a Statute of Limitations? 15.04.2020 39:53

When a crime is committed, a clock begins to tick. If you're not charged before time runs out, you can never be prosecuted. But why? Topics Covered: Ted Conrad, Demosthenes, Statute of Limitations, Phormion, Bill Cosby, Andrea Constand, John Demjanjuk, Amnesty, Thirty Tyrants, Critias, Emmanuel Levinas, Hannah Arendt, Charles Griswold, Amy Mihaljevic Further Reading: https://digitalcommons.law.scu...

206: The Ethics of Familial DNA 15.04.2019 55:28

The world has changed. A new tool has been created to solve the coldest cases. And if we're not careful, it'll be taken away from us in a heartbeat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

205: Psychics and Crime 15.04.2019 32:24

On the record, police rarely admit to using psychics to solve crimes. But a surprising number of detectives often consult with soothsayers to discover new leads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

204: Why Do We Still Have the Death Penalty? 15.04.2019 39:48

In the United States, we still execute prisoners for a variety of crimes. We are one of the last civilized societies to do so. Why is capital punishment so popular, here? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

203: Does Psychological Profiling Really Work? 15.04.2019 35:20

FBI profilers are the mystical heroes of law enforcement, with the ability to look at a crime and imagine the suspect. But is it science or just wishful thinking? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

202: How Do Psychopaths Convince Others to Kill? 15.04.2019 37:14

Charles Manson never killed anybody. He tricked his friends into doing it for him. But how? And could any one of us be tricked into doing evil deeds? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

201: Are Lie Detectors Reliable? 15.04.2019 32:56

We've all heard the saying, "Lie detectors can't be used in a court of law." But is that really true? And can a machine ever really know the mind of a man? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

106: Effect & Cause 01.05.2018 20:40

We want so desperately to go back in time and stop a crime from happening. But we can't change the past. Or can we? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

105: Does Everyone Have the Capacity to Kill? 01.05.2018 24:24

You're not a murderer, right? You wouldn't even hurt a fly, would you? Don't be so sure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

104: How Should the Media Cover Crime? 01.05.2018 34:16

A brief history of crime reporting and how we screwed it up in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

103: What is Occam's Razor? 01.05.2018 25:50

One of the most important tools to detectives is a heuristic known as Occam's Razor. But you must wield it carefully or you end up hurting the wrong people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

102: Are Killers Born Bad or Are They Made That Way? 01.05.2018 30:29

Nature or nurture? What makes a man evil? Is it genetics or is it their environment? And is there even such a thing as free will? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

101: Why Is True Crime So Popular? 26.04.2018 25:14

Where does our fascination with true crime come from? When did this obsession begin? Renner traces it all back to the "true crime singularity." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.