The Uncommon Wisdom Podcast

In this episode, Robin and I discuss the fact that we don’t know our own minds nearly as well as we think, how practices like laughter and charity are often more about impressing others, the inefficacy of healthcare spending on outcomes, and much more besides. Robin Hanson is associate professor of economics at George Mason University, and research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of...

In this episode, Antony and I discuss inflation and shortages, monetary and fiscal policy, and whether, in the long term, the bankruptcy of the Federal government would be something positive. Antony Davies is Associate Professor of Economics at the Palumbo Donahue School of Business at Duquesne University. His research interests include econometrics, public policy, and consumer behavior. Davies ha...

In this episode, Donald and I discuss the best arguments for and against gun control, the implications of gun control, and how gun control relates to regulating alcohol. Donald Bruckner is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Penn State University, and the author of many research articles on gun control and veganism. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Dan and I discuss the ethics of eating meat, and why vegetarianism and veganism aren’t as morally straightforward as many people think. Dan Shahar is a Professor of Philosophy at University of New Orleans, and the author of, among other books, Why It’s OK to Eat Meat . Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Emrys and I discuss the virtuous aspects of vices such as gossip and disrespecting the views and beliefs of others, the value of frugality, and much more. Professor Emrys Westacott is a professor of Philosophy at Alfred University in New York, where he has taught since 1996. He is the author of, among other books, The Virtues of Our Vices and The Wisdom of Frugality . Get full acc...

In this episode, Kevin and I discuss the issue of free will, the evidential problem of evil, the nature of character traits, the contours of agency, and much more. Kevin Timpe is the William H. Jellema Chair in Christian Philosophy at Calvin University. His primary research interests range across the metaphysics of free will, philosophy of disability, virtue theory, and philosophical theology Get...

In this episode, Tom and I discuss monetary policy, why inflation is bad and unlikely to abate in the near term, how cheap money erodes prosperity, crypto-currencies, and much more. Thomas Hoenig is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, served as Vice Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from 2012 until 2018, and was President and Chief E...

In this episode, Larry M and I discuss his journey from alcoholism to recovery, insights and tools he gained in recovery like acceptance and gratitude, the role of a higher power in the process of recovery, and much more. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Phil and I discuss the 1619 Project, its virtues and vices, the New History of Capitalism, apply Public Choice theory to slavery, and more besides. Phil W. Magness is an economic historian whose work explores the intersection of history and political economy, including the 19th century as well as trends in the macroeconomy such as taxation, trade, and economic inequality. He works...

In this episode, Michael and I discuss the ethics of price gouging, the tendency of democratic capitalist societies toward cronyism, the platform economy, the distinction between directionalism and destinationism in politics, and much more. Michael C. Munger Professor of Political Science, and Director of the PPE Certificate Program. His primary research focus is on the functioning of markets, reg...

In this episode, I moderate a discussion between Robin Hanson (economist, George Mason University) and Agnes Callard (philosopher, The University of Chicago) and focused on the nature of asceticism on their podcast Minds Almost Meeting . Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Tomas and I discuss whether the mind is just matter or something more, the contingency of religious belief, and many things philosophy besides. Tomas Bogardus is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Pepperdine University. He works mainly in metaphysics and epistemology, and is most interested in the mind-body problem and the rationality of religious belief. Get full access to U...

In this episode, Prof. Michael Beckley and I discuss China’s financial and military strength relative to the United States, why China’s rise looks exaggerated and misunderstood, and why a weaker-than-expected China may be more dangerous than a dominant China. Michael Beckley is an associate professor of political science at Tufts University and a Jeane Kirkpatrick Visiting Scholar at the American...

On the Eve of the Anniversary of Pearl Harbor in the United States of America, I interviewed the historian Victor Davis Hanson . In this brief interview, we discuss some myths and misconceptions about World War II, largely revolving around the fact that the Axis powers were likely to lose the war from the start. The interview centers on Prof. Hanson's wonderful book, The Second World Wars: How the...

In this episode, Liz and I discuss the rationality of faith, reasons and evidence for the existence of God, whether Pascal’s Wager is a bad bet, and many other interesting topics. Liz Jackson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Ryerson University. Her main philosophical interests are in epistemology and philosophy of religion. She received her Ph. D. from the Department of...

In this episode, Bryan and I discuss why voters are largely uninformed and irrational, the signaling theory of higher education, the case for open borders, and the role and value of failure in life. Bryan Caplan is Professor of Economics at George Mason University, and bestselling author of The Myth of the Rational Voter, The Case Against Education, and Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immi...

In this episode, Chris and I discuss labor markets as markets , profit and wage motives, labor shortages, the plausibility of Universal Basic Income (UBI), and many other labor related topics. This is an especially relevant episode given the current economic climate. Chris M. Kaiser is a research assistant working on labor issues at a thinktank in Washington D.C. If you enjoyed this, please SUBSCR...

Prof. Freiman and I discuss the importance of elections, whether one can complain if they didn’t vote, the (dis)value of political participation, free-riding in a democracy, the fact that so many voters are poorly informed, and much more. Prof. Christopher Freiman is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the College of William & Mary. He is the author, most recently, of Why It’s OK to Ignore Pol...

Prof. Boettke and I discussed Austrian economics, the nature of incentives and why they matter, what philosophers and economists can learn from each other, whether free markets can hold as the West loses faith in them, and a whole lot more. Peter Boettke is a University Professor of Economics and Philosophy at George Mason University, the BB&T Professor for the Study of Capitalism, and the Directo...

Prof. Cowen and I had an interview on topics ranging from economic growth as a moral imperative, the nature of UFOs, whether rent seeking is a drain on the economy, and whether Plato, pumpkin spice, and the Founding Fathers are overrated, why we should (or shouldn’t) care about chess, and how to think about failure, among other topics. Tyler Cowen is the Holbert L. Harris chair in economics at Geo...

Prof. Westra and I discuss his decision to become a philosopher, why gut feelings can be a better approach to decision-making than weighing pros and cons, why people are bad at predicting what they will want in the future, the nature of social mind reading, the reliability of moral character attributions to friends and loved ones, and many much. Evan Westra is a postdoctoral fellow at York Univers...

In this episode, Prof. Jaworski and I discuss the relationship between business and ethics, the ethical scope of the marketplace, and various objections to the practice of paying people for blood plasma—a market that undoubtedly saves numerous lives. Peter Jaworski is an Associate Teaching Professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He specializes in business and medica...

In this episode, Dr. Bhattacharya and I discuss various aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic: the differences between the Alpha and Delta strains, whether vaccine policy is more about paternalism than public health, the efficacy of both mask wearing and the vaccines, the vulnerability of (especially young) children to the virus, and much more. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is Professor of Medicine at Stanford...

In this episode, Prof. Miller and I discuss the value of good character, the empirical evidence showing that most of us are morally mediocre (not too good; not too bad), what steps we can take to develop better character, whether developing it bumps us against diminishing marginal returns, and to what extent, if any, religious folks tend to have better character than secular folks. Most of the dis...

In this inaugural podcast episode, Prof. Timmerman and I discuss how he became a professional philosopher, the work of the most famous living philosopher Peter Singer, effective altruism, the ethics of sweatshops, and whether heaven would be boring, among other fascinating topics. Prof. Travis Timmerman is a Philosophy Professor at Seton Hall University. He specializes in normative and applied eth...