Episode #087 - Sartre and Camus Pt. 2
Episode #087 - Sartre and Camus Pt. 2
On this episode, we take a look at the great post WW2 debate between Sartre and Camus.
Further Reading:
Albert Camus: A Very Short Introduction – Oliver Gloag (2020)
Introducing Camus: A Graphic Guide – David Zane Mairowitz and Alain Korkos (1998)
The Myth of Sisyphus – Albert Camus (1942)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #086 - Sartre and Camus Pt. 1 - Freedom
Episode #086 - Sartre and Camus Pt. 1 - Freedom
On this episode, we take a look at Sartre and his thoughts on the concept of freedom.
Further Reading:
Sartre For Beginners – Donald D. Palmer (2007)
Sartre Explained: From Bad Faith to Authenticity – David Detmer (2008)
Existentialism For Beginners – David Cogswell (2008)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #085 - Peter Singer on Effective Altruism
Episode #085 - Peter Singer on Effective Altruism
Peter Singer argues that people who have enough resources should do more to help others, not just avoid doing harm. He highlights how people readily help in direct emergencies but often ignore distant ones. He encourages using reason to give in ways that help the most people.
Further Reading:
The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically by Peter Singer (2015)
Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference by William MacAskill (2015)
Practical Ethics by Peter Singer (3rd Edition, 2011)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #084 - William James on Truth
Episode #084 - William James on Truth
This episode outlines William James’s view that truth is not objective but a human experience, defined by the practical usefulness of beliefs rather than their alignment with external reality.
Further Reading:
Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking by William James (1907)
Philosophical Writings of Peirce by Charles Sanders Peirce, edited by Justus Buchler (1940)
Reconstruction in Philosophy by John Dewey (1920)
See the full transcript here.
Episode #083 - Henry David Thoreau
Episode #083 - Henry David Thoreau
On this episode, we take a look at Henry David Thoreau's views on the individual, society and civil disobedience.
Further Reading:
Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau (Signet Classics, 1999)
The Portable Thoreau edited by Jeffrey S. Cramer (Penguin Classics, 2004)
The Journal of Henry David Thoreau edited by Damion Searls (New York Review Books, 2009)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #082 - Austrians and Marx
Episode #082 - Austrians and Marx
On this episode, we take ideas from several different thinkers of the Austrian School of Economics and try to understand the counterpoints to Marx's critiques of capitalism.
Further Reading:
"Economics in One Lesson" by Henry Hazlitt (1946)
"Principles of Economics" by Carl Menger (1871)
"Marx's Labor Theory of Value: A Defense" by Hayashi Hiroyoshi (2005)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #081 - Capitalism vs. Communism
Episode #081 - Capitalism vs. Communism
The episode explores Karl Marx’s view that capitalism exploits workers, creates inequality, and leads to instability, arguing that examining its flaws remains essential despite criticisms of Marx’s ideas.
Further Reading:
Marx for Beginners by Rius (1976)
An Introduction to the Three Volumes of Karl Marx's Capital by Michael Heinrich (2012)
Marx's 'Das Kapital' For Beginners by Michael Wayne and Sungyoon Choi (2012)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #080 - Feuerbach on Religion
Episode #080 - Feuerbach on Religion
This episode presents Feuerbach’s view that religion mirrors human ideals, not divine reality, and that love is the highest expression of our self-conscious nature.
Further Reading:
Heaven Wasn't His Destination: The Philosophy of Ludwig Feuerbach by Van A. Harvey (1941)
Feuerbach by Marx W. Wartofsky (1977)
Feuerbach and the Interpretation of Religion by Van A. Harvey (1995)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #078 - Marx and Kierkegaard on Religion Pt. 2
Episode #078 - Marx and Kierkegaard on Religion Pt. 2
The episode contrasts Marx’s focus on collective change with Kierkegaard’s emphasis on personal commitment. Marx saw morality as shaped by society, while Kierkegaard argued that true individuality requires decisive action and a leap of faith into a chosen way of life.
Further Reading:
The Essential Kierkegaard by Søren Kierkegaard, edited by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong (2000)
Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard (1986)
Marx: A Beginner's Guide by Andrew Collier (2008)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #077 - Marx and Kierkegaard on Religion Pt. 1
Episode #077 - Marx and Kierkegaard on Religion Pt. 1
This episode traces how Karl Marx saw history as a cycle of class struggle, with religion used to pacify the exploited by justifying economic inequality. It shows how religious structures mirrored the ruling systems of their time and introduces a contrast with Kierkegaard’s opposing view, to be explored next episode.
Further Reading:
Marx for Beginners by Rius (1976)
Marx: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer (2000)
Understanding Marxism by Richard D. Wolff (2019)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #076 - Hegel's God
Episode #076 - Hegel's God
The episode asks listeners to forget what they think they know about God and consider Hegel’s view: God as the infinite process of self-determination, not a being. It critiques rigid divides between religion and science, and encourages openness to faith as a shared human leap, not blind belief.
Further Reading:
Hegel: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer (2001)
An Introduction to Hegel: Freedom, Truth and History by Stephen Houlgate (2005)
An Introduction to Hegel: The Stages of Modern Philosophy by Howard P. Kainz (1996)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #075 - How To Win An Argument Pt. 2
Episode #075 - How To Win An Argument Pt. 2
This episode explores why logical fallacies matter, even in a world where emotional arguments often win. It argues that recognizing fallacies strengthens both persuasion and critical thinking, and breaks down common ones like red herrings, appeals to authority, circular reasoning, false dilemmas, and hasty generalizations.
Further Reading:
Mastering Logical Fallacies: The Definitive Guide to Flawless Rhetoric and Bulletproof Logic by Michael Withey and Henry Zhang (2021)
Being Right: A Beginner's Guide to Logical Fallacies and Deductive Reasoning by Stephen Pape (2019)
Informal Logical Fallacies: A Brief Guide by Jacob Van Vleet (2010)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #074 - Hegel Returns!
Episode #074 - Hegel Returns!
The episode returns to Hegel, exploring his idea that true freedom comes from understanding how our beliefs and values are shaped by culture, time, and constant change. Through the dialectic—thesis, antithesis, synthesis—Hegel shows that self-awareness, not impulse, is the path to real freedom.
Further Reading:
An Introduction to Hegel: Freedom, Truth and History
Stephen Houlgate (2005)
Hegel: The Philosopher of Freedom
Klaus Vieweg (2023)An Introduction to Hegel: The Stages of Modern Philosophy
Howard P. Kainz (1996)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #073 - How To Win An Argument Pt. 1
Episode #073 - How To Win An Argument Pt. 1
On today's episode, we take a look at several common logical fallacies. We analyze what they mean and how they are used in the context of an argument, and then we provide tons of examples that illustrate how to spot the fallacies. The goal here is to give you more confidence in your ability to practically use the raw information that we talk about on the show every week, and to have an episode you can return back to and refresh your memory if you ever forget them.
Further Reading:
An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments by Ali Almossawi (2013)
Mastering Logical Fallacies: The Definitive Guide to Flawless Rhetoric and Bulletproof Logic by Michael Withey (2021)
Being Right: A Beginner's Guide to Logical Fallacies and Deductive Reasoning by Stephen Pape (2019)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #072 - On Insecurity
Episode #072 - On Insecurity
On today's episode, we take a close look at insecurity from multiple angles. We look at it as a stand-alone method of influencing human behavior and consider how it compares with other methods of influencing human behavior. Ultimately the goal is to understand a little more about why we think and act the way we do. If you want some additional reading, check out the links below on Kant's moral law; there is a strong connection to what we've been talking about in the last few episodes, including this one.
Further Reading:
The Psychology of Insecurity by Joseph P. Forgas, William D. Crano, and Klaus Fiedler (2023)
Psychology of Human Behavior: A Beginner's Guide to Learn How to Influence People, Reading Body Language and Improve Your Social Skills and Relationship. Includes NLP Techniques, Hypnosis and CBT by David Cooper (2021)
An Introduction to Kant's Moral Philosophy by Jennifer K. Uleman (2010)
See the full transcript here.
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #064 - Hermeneutics: Interpreting Interpretations
Hermeneutics - Interpreting Interpretations
On this episode of the podcast, we discuss Hermeneutics, or "the art of avoiding misunderstanding." First, we meet Johnny -- a disgruntled Philosophize This! listener who is bored and frustrated by episodes about philosophers who make unverifiable speculations about metaphysics.
Further Reading:
Kant: A Very Short Introduction by Roger Scruton (1981)
Understanding Hermeneutics by Lawrence K. Schmidt (2006)
Reading Philosophy: Selected Texts with a Method for Beginners by Samuel Guttenplan, Jennifer Hornsby, and Christopher Janaway (2002)
See the full transcript here
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #063 - Kant Pt. 8 - Limitations of Knowledge
Kant Part 8: Limitations of Knowledge
On this episode of the podcast, we discuss Kant's views on the limits of human knowledge. First, we ask ourselves why we seek knowledge at all and whether there will ever be an endpoint to our search for it.
Further Reading:
Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant (1781)
Knowledge and Its Limits by Timothy Williamson (2000)
What We Cannot Know by Marcus du Sautoy (2016)
See the full transcript here
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #062 - Kant Pt. 7 - Suicide
Kant Part 7: Suicide
On this episode of the podcast, we discuss the morality of suicide. We begin by questioning our own biases and assumptions about suicide and where they come from. Next, we examine suicide from a Christian perspective by considering the arguments posed by St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.
Further Reading:
Suicide: The Philosophical Dimensions by Michael Cholbi (2011)
The Ethics of Suicide: Historical Sources edited by Margaret Pabst Battin (2015)
How Not to Kill Yourself: A Portrait of the Suicidal Mind by Clancy Martin (2023)
See the full transcript here
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #061 - Kant Pt. 6 - What is Enlightenment?
Kant Part 6: What is enlightenment?
On this episode of the podcast, we discuss Kant's answer to the question "What is enlightenment?" We begin by recounting the story of how Kant came to answer this question in the first place and why this was an important question to consider at the time.
Further Reading:
The Dream of Enlightenment: The Rise of Modern Philosophy by Anthony Gottlieb (2016)
The Enlightenment: And Why It Still Matters by Anthony Pagden (2013)
The Enlightenment: A Very Short Introduction by John Robertson (2015)
See the full transcript here
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)
Episode #060 - Kant Pt. 5 - The Sublime
Kant Part 5: The Sublime
On this episode of the podcast, we attempt to tackle the elusive concept of the sublime. We begin by clarifying everything the sublime is NOT, and then attempt to pin it down by considering a common motif that has been associated with the sublime throughout history.
Further Reading:
The Intellectual Life of Edmund Burke: From the Sublime and Beautiful to American Independence by David Bromwich (2014)
Kant's Aesthetics and Teleology by Paul Guyer (2003)
Lyotard: Philosophy, Politics and the Sublime by Hugh J. Silverman (2016)
See the full transcript here
Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast a possibility in the future.
I could never do this without your support! :)