Episode #069 - An Appeal To Reason
Episode #069 - An Appeal To Reason
The episode explores how belief is often shaped by comfort, not truth, and urges listeners to stop outsourcing their thinking. Drawing on Kant, it argues that real maturity means daring to think for yourself, even when it’s hard.
Further Reading:
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan (1995)
Kant: A Very Short Introduction by Roger Scruton (1981)
Thinking from A to Z by Nigel Warburton (2000)
See the full transcript here.
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Episode #068 - On Moodiness
Episode #068 - On Moodiness
The episode explores moodiness as a universal trait tied to emotional self-regulation. It questions whether people have a moral responsibility to manage their moods, especially when those moods affect others, setting the stage for upcoming discussions on Kant, Hegel, and Schleiermacher.
Further Reading:
Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals: An Introduction by Sally Sedgwick (2008)
Hegel: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer (2001)
Schleiermacher: Lectures on Philosophical Ethics by Friedrich Schleiermacher, translated by Robert B. Louden and Louise Adey Huish (2002)
See the full transcript here.
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Episode #067 - What Hegel Was Saying!
Episode #067 - What Hegel Was Saying!
The episode explains how Hegel challenges Kant’s view that we can’t access reality, arguing that perception itself is reality. He rejects the idea that knowledge comes from fixed truths or raw senses, instead seeing it as shaped by changing relationships and consciousness. This lays the foundation for his broader ideas about history and freedom.
Further Reading:
An Introduction to Hegel: Freedom, Truth and History by Stephen Houlgate (2005)
Hegel: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer (2001)
Practical Philosophy from Kant to Hegel: Freedom, Right, and Revolution edited by James A. Clarke and Gabriel Gottlieb (2021)
See the full transcript here.
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Episode #066 - Hegel Pt. 1 - Introduction
Episode #066 - Hegel Pt. 1 - Introduction
The episode explores two views of freedom: one focused on acting on choices, the other on understanding their roots. It also introduces Hegel’s idea that everything—even consciousness—evolves through a process called the dialectic.
Further Reading:
The Accessible Hegel by Michael Allen Fox (2005)
An Introduction to Hegel: Freedom, Truth and History by Stephen Houlgate (2005, 2nd ed.)
Hegel, Marx, and the Necessity and Freedom Dialectic by Russell Rockwell (2018)
See the full transcript here.
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Episode #065 - Mary Wollstonecraft
Episode #065 - Mary Wollstonecraft
This episode traces Mary Wollstonecraft’s fight against the social conditioning of women, highlighting how she challenged Enlightenment hypocrisy and argued for true equality through education.
Further Reading:
Mary Wollstonecraft: A Revolutionary Life by Janet Todd (2000)
Vindication: A Life of Mary Wollstonecraft by Lyndall Gordon (2005)
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft (1792)
See the full transcript here.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Episode #059 - Kant Pt. 4 - Categorical Trolley Cars
Kant Part 4: Categorical Trolley Cars
On this episode of the podcast, we analyze the infamous Trolley Car Problem and think about it in relation to Kant's categorical imperative. First, we discuss the value of thought experiments and call into question the concept of "common sense".
Further Reading:
Ethics: A Very Short Introduction by Simon Blackburn (2009)
The Elements of Moral Philosophy by James Rachels and Stuart Rachels (10th Edition, 2023)
The Fundamentals of Ethics by Russ Shafer-Landau (2009)
See the full transcript here
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Episode #058 - Kant pt. 3 - Deontology vs. Consequentialism
Kant Part 3: Deontology vs. Consequentialism
On this episode of the podcast, we continue our discussion of Kant, this time focusing on ethics. We begin with a thought experiment that calls into question whether or not lying is morally justifiable if it results in preserving human life.
Further Reading:
The Elements of Moral Philosophy by James Rachels and Stuart Rachels (10th Edition, 2023)
Being Good: A Short Introduction to Ethics by Simon Blackburn (2003)
How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Michael Schur (2022)
See the full transcript here
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Episode #057 - Kant Pt. 2 - The Introduction
Kant Part 2: The Introduction
On this episode of the podcast we continue our discussion of Kant, this time focusing on his contributions to the debate between rationalism and empiricism. We begin by reviewing the major point of contention between the rationalists and empiricists regarding how we arrive at knowledge. Next, we learn about Kant's "eureka!"
Further Reading:
Knowledge, Reason, and Taste: Kant’s Response to Hume – Paul Guyer (2013)
Bacon to Kant: An Introduction to Modern Philosophy – Garrett Thomson (2023)
The Worlds of Hume and Kant – James B. Allen & James W. Wilbur (1982)
See the full transcript here.
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Episode #056 - Kant Pt. 1 - An Introduction to the Introduction
Kant Part 1: An Introduction to the Introduction
On this episode of the podcast, we begin our discussion of Immanuel Kant. We first examine the historical context Kant was born into and consider the challenges philosophy was faced with, thanks to David Hume. We also discuss the change in the way humans were beginning to look at the universe during Kant's time.
Further Reading:
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume, edited by Tom L. Beauchamp (2000)
Immanuel Kant (Key Concepts) by Will Dudley (2010)
The Worlds of Hume and Kant edited by James B. Wilbur and H. J. Allen (1982)
See the full transcript here
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Episode #055 - Interview on Hume with Massimo Pigliucci
Interview on Hume with Massimo Pigliucci
On this episode of the podcast, Massimo Pigliucci calls in to help tie together some loose ends in our overview of David Hume. Massimo is a professor of philosophy at City University of New York. He is the author of the best sellers Philosophy of Pseudoscience and Answers For Aristotle, and is currently working on a book called How To Be A Stoic.
Further Reading:
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume (1748)
Hume: A Very Short Introduction by James A. Harris (2021)
Starting with Hume by Charlotte R. Brown (2008)
See the full transcript here.
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Episode #054 - David Hume Pt. 4 - Art
David Hume Part 4 - Art
On this episode of the podcast, we discuss Hume’s views on taste and find out whether or not all of our opinions about art are equally valid. First, we compare the poetry of Shakespeare and Shel Silverstein, the music of Beethoven and Skrillex, and throw in the profound prose of Spongebob Squarepants just for good measure. Next, we examine some of the biases that influence our ability to judge art, and Stephen correctly guesses your favorite song of all time by throwing a dart at the Top 40 chart from your senior year of high school. Finally, we learn how to be better art critics by employing the five qualities Hume sets out as pre-requisites for Art Appreciation 101. All this and more on the latest episode of Philosophize This!
Further Reading:
Of the Standard of Taste and Other Essays by David Hume (1965)
Hume's Aesthetic Theory: Taste and Sentiment by Timothy M. Costelloe (2007)
Reading David Hume’s “Of the Standard of Taste” edited by Babette Babich (2019)
See the full transcript here.
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Episode #053 - David Hume Pt. 3
David Hume Part 3 - Custom
This episode examines David Hume’s deep skepticism about the soul, the self, and how we claim to know anything at all. Rather than denying the soul outright, Hume challenges the assumptions people attach to it—like immortality or identity—arguing that these ideas rest on shaky ground. He extends this skepticism to the concept of a fixed self, echoing ideas found in Buddhism. Ultimately, Hume calls for humility in our thinking, urging us to rely not on certainty but on repeated experience—what he calls “custom”—as the most reliable guide to understanding the world.
Further Reading:
Hume: A Very Short Introduction by A. J. Ayer (2000)
The Philosophy of David Hume by Norman Kemp Smith (2005)
The Pursuits of Philosophy: An Introduction to the Life and Thought of David Hume by Annette C. Baier (2011)
See the full transcript here.
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Episode #052 - David Hume Pt. 2
David Hume Part 2 - Design
On this episode of the podcast, we continue our discussion of David Hume. This time, we focus on Hume's response to the Teleological Argument, which goes a little something like this: “Look at how perfectly everything works! All of this must have been designed by God.” We also learn about Hume’s view on miracles, and find out how unimpressed he is that Bruce Willis was the sole survivor of that train accident. All this and more on the latest episode of Philosophize This!
Further Reading:
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume (1748)
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion by David Hume (1779)
Hume: A Very Short Introduction by James A. Harris (2021)
See the full transcript here.
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Episode #051 -David Hume Pt. 1
David Hume Part 1
On this episode of the podcast, we talk about David Hume! First, we learn about Hume’s ‘is’ versus ‘ought’ distinction and how not being mindful of this pitfall can lead us down a dangerous path. Next, we discuss the limitations of science and learn what Hume thought should fill in the gaps it leaves (spoiler alert: it’s not religion). Finally, we discuss Hume’s thoughts on causality and ensure that you’ll never think about playing pool the same way again. All this and more on the latest episode of Philosophize This!
Further Reading:
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume (1748)
How to Read Hume by Simon Blackburn (2008)
Hume: A Very Short Introduction by James A. Harris (2021)
See the full transcript here.
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Episode #050 - Are You Left Or Right?
Are You Left Or Right?
On this episode of the podcast, we discuss the contrasting political philosophies of Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine. First, we find out the origin of the terms “left” and “right” in relation to politics, and find out that the meanings of these terms are not as simple as they may first seem. Next, we discuss the opposing viewpoints of Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine on how society should progress and implement change. Finally, we think about how their ideas relate to modern issues and consider whether or not their positions are mutually exclusive. All this and more on the latest episode of Philosophize This!
Further Reading:
The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of Right and Left – Yuval Levin (2013)
Reflections on the Revolution in France – Edmund Burke (1790)
Rights of Man – Thomas Paine (1791)
See the full transcript here.
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