Twitter: @JasonWerbeloff
Site: anchor.fm/braininavat
199 episodes
2020 to present
Average episode: 57 minutes
Open in Apple Podcasts • RSS
Categories: Interview-Style • Two Hosts
Podcaster's summary: Thought experiments and conversations with philosophers. Hosted by Dr Jason Werbeloff and Mark Oppenheimer.
| Episodes |
| 2024-Apr-21 • 77 minutes Paediatric Gender Medicine | Moti Gorin and Holly Lawford-Smith We begin by imagining a world where children are separated by sex at birth and raised without exposure to traditional gender norms. We debate whether gender incongruence is a result of nature or social conditioning. We discuss gender affirming care for children, highlighting the complexity of diagnosing gender dysphoria amidst co-occurring psychiatric conditions and the potential influence of social contagion. Key insights include questioning the lack of robust evidence for the efficacy of puberty blockers ... |
| 2024-Apr-14 • 65 minutes Peter Singer on Animal Liberation Now Peter Singer delves into difficult ethical | questions regarding animal rights, the morality of factory farming, and | difficult human-related ethical dilemmas. | Singer discusses his views as a | consequentialist, examining the impact of our choices on animal suffering, the | ethical considerations around organ donation from anencephalic children, and | the broader implications of such decisions. | What are the moral implications of eating | meat from factory farms versus ethically raised animals, and cann... |
| 2024-Apr-07 • 52 minutes We Should Want Immortality | John Martin Fischer John Martin Fischer argues that life | constantly offers new experiences and perspectives that prevent it from | becoming monotonous. | He delves into the idea of living a | significantly extended life without aging and the implications it has on | personal identity and society at large. Fischer distinguishes between true | immortality and radical life extension, favoring the latter for its exit | strategy options. | The conversation covers the value of life | experiences, the philosophical questions around... |
| 2024-Mar-31 • 56 minutes Against Immortality | Stephen Cave Stephen Cave unpacks the ethical and practical problems of living forever. He highlights ongoing research in anti-aging and the potential societal and ecological catastrophes that could follow if humans were to achieve immortality. | Stephen weighs the individual’s desire for immortality against social implications, and the potential exacerbation of social injustices. The discussion also addresses technological possibilities like consciousness uploading and the philosophical implications of personal identit... |
| 2024-Mar-24 • 68 minutes Immigration and Borders | Stephen Kershnar Featuring Stephen Kershnar, we discuss the complexities of immigration ethics, the rights to immigrate, and the morality of borders, keeping in mind debates around wealth, exclusion, and property rights. | Stephen considers consequentialist and deontological perspectives in immigration policies, the notion of collective versus individual rights, and the philosophical implications on national identity and personal liberty. | | 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome | 00:16 Discussion on Immigration | 01:05 ... |
| 2024-Mar-17 • 55 minutes Cascading Catastrophic Risks | Trond Undheim Trond Undheim delves into catastrophic risks facing humanity, including climate change, governance breakdown, and technological threats. | | Through discussions of risk perception, effective planning versus worry, and the complexities of managing existential threats, Trond emphasizes the importance of preparing and adapting for uncertain futures. | | How should we think about potential future crises, the role of technology in exacerbating or mitigating risks, and the moral obligations of contemporary so... |
| 2024-Mar-10 • 57 minutes The Ethics of Political Commemoration | Hans Gutbrod In this episode of 'Brain In A Vat', Hans Gutbrod addresses the gap in philosophy in understanding the ethics around statues, street names, and museums.By drawing parallels to just war theory, Gutbrod proposes a framework to navigate the complexities of commemorating historical figures and events. The discussion also touches upon the potential for altering commemorative symbols to preserve memory while adapting their messages.This episode probes the moral and aesthetic considerations of how societies rememb... |
| 2024-Mar-03 • 61 minutes Facial Distortions and Prosopometamorphopsia | Brad Duchaine In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, Brad Duchaine from the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at Dartmouth discusses prosopometamorphopsia (PMO) – a condition where individuals see distorted faces. | The episode explores various manifestations of PMO, including seeing demonic features, dragons, or entirely different faces, and distinguishes it from prosopagnosia (face blindness). It delves into the neurological basis of PMO, touching upon structural and functional differences in the brains o... |
| 2024-Feb-25 • 73 minutes Pornography and Free Speech | Nadine Strossen and Holly Lawford-Smith We welcome back Nadine Strossen for a comprehensive discussion about pornography and free speech. She highlights points from her re-released book 'Defending Pornography', explaining why she supports the freedom of sexual expression. Her thought experiment is about a respected academic who makes adult videos, raising questions about personal freedom, professional reputability, and potential harm to his university. She also explores the complex relationship between pornography, liberty, and equality, emphasiz... |
| 2024-Feb-18 • 60 minutes Unravelling “White Privilege” | Spencer Case Can the definition of privilege be nuanced enough to address the broad range of individual experiences and historical contexts? Does recognizing and discussing privilege lead to meaningful social change? Or does talk of privilege oversimplify complex issues? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2024-Feb-11 • 61 minutes The Privacy Paradox | David Boonin Is observing people in a public space from the privacy of your home an infringement of their rights? Can the widespread use of CCTV cameras be justified, or does it violate their privacy? And how do technological developments affect the delicate balance between safety and privacy? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2024-Feb-04 • 62 minutes Dissecting Morality: Error Theory | Matt Lutz What if our understanding of morality is fundamentally flawed? Should the absence of objective moral facts alter the way we live and interact? Is the structure of our society dependent on moral beliefs, or are these just a result of individual desires and social evolution? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2024-Jan-28 • 58 minutes The Morality Maze | Spencer Case Is morality real, a social construct, or non-existent? Can we rely on our moral intuitions? And are moral truths inaccessible to us? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2024-Jan-21 • 52 minutes Why Israel's Response to Hamas Was Justified | Natasha Hausdorff | What is a proportional response to a terrorist attack? What does genocide involve? And is South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice justified? | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen and Porter Kaufman | | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/m... |
| 2024-Jan-14 • 58 minutes The Trouble with Gender | Alex Byrne Does the biology you were born with trump self-identity when determining your sex or gender? Is gender innate, or can it change? And what can real-life cases of children being reassigned their sex at birth teach us? | Alex's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Gender-Sex-Facts-Fictions/dp/1509560017/... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2024-Jan-07 • 57 minutes John Rawls: Justice as Fairness | Paul Weithman (Rebroadcast) John Rawls is widely regarded as the greatest modern liberal philosopher. Does his theory of justice lead to a fair society? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Dec-31 • 65 minutes Near-Death Experiences | John Martin Fischer (Rebroadcast) Is there life after death? Are near-death experiences meaningful? Are they similar to other altered states like meditation and drug-induced hallucinations? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Dec-24 • 57 minutes How To End Global Poverty | Andy Kuper (Rebroadcast) Andy Kuper, the founder and CEO of LeapFrog Investments, tells us how his PHD in philosophy led him to marry profit with purpose, by creating investment funds with deep impact on the lives of 200 million low-income people worldwide, while generating strong returns for its investors and the companies in which it invests. | https://leapfroginvest.com | Andy's Book Democracy Beyond Borders: https://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Beyond-Borders-Representation-Institutions-eboo... | | --- | | Send in a voice messag... |
| 2023-Dec-17 • 54 minutes Evolutionary Psychology | Justin Garson (Rebroadcast) Is evolution the root cause of racism, rape, and disgust? Are differences between men and women a result of both nature and nurture? Are some forms of scientific inquiry too dangerous to allow? | Justin's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Biological-Mind-Philosophical-Introduction/dp/0367466317... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Dec-10 • 74 minutes Trans women in sport: Is it fair? | Stephen Kershnar (Rebroadcast) Lia Thomas, a trans woman, has sparked controversy by competing in and winning women’s collegiate swimming events. Should Thomas and other trans athletes be allowed to compete in the gendered competition of their choice? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Dec-03 • 63 minutes David Chalmers on Virtual Reality and The Simulation Argument (Rebroadcast) Could you be a brain in a vat, or be living in a simulated or virtual reality? Could you live a meaningful, valuable existence even if you were? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Nov-26 • 94 minutes Freedom | Ernst Roets and Martin Van Staaden Does the State protect or curtail freedom? Are communities more important than individuals? Should freedom be constrained by virtue? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Nov-19 • 54 minutes The Philosophy of Black Mirror's White Bear | Rebecca Tuvel Black Mirror's episode, White Bear, is full of interesting philosophical problems. Are you still responsible for a crime you committed even if you've lost your memory of that crime? Do you persist through time despite amnesia? And what are the limits of justified punishment for horrendous crimes? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Nov-12 • 58 minutes Why you should stop eating meat | Mylan Engel Do your current moral values require you to stop eating meat? Will going vegan actually prevent animal cruelty? Is the vegan movement a force for good? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Nov-06 • 59 minutes David Benatar on the Israel Palestine Conflict Are Jews entitled to their own homeland? Is the Israeli response to the massacre of civilians perpetrated by Hammas on October 7th justified? Should there be a ceasefire? | David's Article in Quillette: https://quillette.com/2023/10/21/its-not-the-occupation/... | | | Raja Halwani wrote to us about Jason's exposition of his view at 38:50. Here is Raja's clarification: | **I wanted to clarify a point that Jason made during the interview with David Benatar. Jason asked Benatar what he thought of the view... |
| 2023-Oct-29 • 58 minutes The Ethics of Killing in War | Jeff McMahan (Rebroadcast) This older conversation about war sheds light on the current conflict in Israel and Gaza. Are soldiers fighting for the wrong side ever justified in killing? Should we punish these soldiers even if they were coerced by their State to fight? And is it ever justified to kill civilians? Read Jeff's book here: amazon.com/Killing-War-Uehiro-Practical-... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Oct-23 • 63 minutes Pornography and Exploitation | Holly Lawford-Smith Are women generally exploited in pornography? Even in cases where women report that their pornography career is empowering, have they nevertheless been degraded? And if heterosexual pornography undermines women’s dignity, is this true of gay male pornography too? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Oct-15 • 74 minutes Organ Markets | James Stacey Taylor Should we be allowed to sell our organs on the open market? Would the poor be exploited under such a system? And does organ donation impose an unfair burden on the relatives of those that need a transplant? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Oct-08 • 57 minutes Is Monogamy Wrong? | Harry Chalmers Is the restriction on having additional sexual or romantic partners similar to the restriction on having additional friends? Should you allow your partner to be free to pursue other partners? And are we able to overcome the jealousy associated with non-monogamy? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Oct-01 • 58 minutes The Philosophy of Infinity Pool | Travis Timmerman Does the clone of a murderer deserve to be punished? Is the clone with the murderer’s memories and dispositions guilty of the murder? And has justice been served if the clone is punished, even if the original murderer goes free? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Sep-24 • 56 minutes Oppenheimers on Barbenheimer | Was dropping the bomb on Hiroshima justified? Is Ken the real star of Barbie? Three Oppenheimers weigh in on the film event of the year. | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen and Porter Kaufman | | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podc... |
| 2023-Sep-17 • 52 minutes Stephen Kershnar on Cultural Appropriation Is it permissible for members of one group to appropriate the cultural practices of another? Is there anything wrong with cultural appropriation at all, or are there benefits to cultural appropriation? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Sep-10 • 59 minutes Sex work or prostitution? | Lori Watson Is sex work actually work? Is prostitution always a form of exploitation? And show we legalize or decriminalize prostitution? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Sep-03 • 67 minutes The Islam-Atheism Debate: Behind the Curtain Recently, Eron Fasser and Mark Oppenheimer debated Hamza Tzortzis and Mohammed Hijab on whether Atheism or is Islam more rational. This episode discusses the arguments made and strategies employed by both sides. Were Hamza and Mohammed arguing in good faith? Or were they trying to derail a debate they were clearly losing? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Aug-27 • 57 minutes Death | Travis Timmerman Would it be better to live forever than to die? Is the goodness or badness of death dependent on the future quality of our lives? Is death so bad that it would be better never to have been born? | Travis' Book: Exploring the Philosophy of Death and Dying https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Philosophy-Death-Dying-Contemporary/dp/11383935... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Aug-20 • 58 minutes Luck and Knowledge | Mylan Engel What is knowledge? Does a justified true belief count as knowledge? And is our knowledge lucky? | | | | | | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Aug-13 • 55 minutes Who was Derek Parfit? | David Edmonds Parfit altered the landscape of the philosophy of identity. We speak to David Edmonds about his recently released biography on this influential philosopher, and ask: what made Parfit the man he was? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Aug-06 • 128 minutes Is Islam more rational than Atheism? | Eron Fasser, Mohammed Hijab, Mark Oppenheimer, Hamza Tzortzis A debate held at the University of Johannesburg. Does God Exist? How can something come from nothing? Are God's commands moral? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Jul-30 • 56 minutes Imagine There’s No Gender | Holly Lawford-Smith (with Raja Halwani) Would the world be better if we didn’t recognize genders? | | In such a world, there would be males and females, but nothing associated with what it means to be male or female other than biological facts. Men and women would be equally likely to be social leaders. And there would be no stereotypically male or female behavior. | | In this world, there’d be true sex equality, and, it seems, no need for trans activists. Should we fight for such a world? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcast... |
| 2023-Jul-23 • 37 minutes Hate Speech | Mark Oppenheimer (Live at St Andrews) Mark Oppenheimer presents a live seminar at St Andrews. The talk features footage from a prominent hate speech trial that Mark appeared in as a lawyer. What is hate speech? What is the value of free speech? Do some groups deserve special protection against hate speech? | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen and Porter Kaufman | | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAm... |
| 2023-Jul-16 • 62 minutes What is a woman? | Alex Byrne | Oxford University Press refused to publish Alex Byrne's book on gender. We discuss whether women are adult human females and whether sex is the same as gender. | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen and Porter Kaufman | | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat... |
| 2023-Jul-09 • 51 minutes Is Grieving Good for You? | Michael Cholbi Experiencing grief at the death of a person we love or who matters to us―as universal as it is painful―is central to the human condition. In Grief, Michael Cholbi presents a groundbreaking philosophical exploration of this complex emotional event, offering valuable new insights about what grief is, whom we grieve, and how grief can ultimately lead us to a richer self-understanding and a fuller realization of our humanity. | Michael's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Grief-Philosophical-Guide-Michael-Cholbi/dp/0... |
| 2023-Jul-02 • 63 minutes The Supreme Court Ban on Affirmative Action | David Benatar | Should we implement affirmative action when determining which students are admitted to universities? Should affirmative action be based on race or socio-economic status? Is diversity important when deciding on university admissions? And should we think about race and gender in the same way when considering affirmative action? | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen and Porter Kaufman | | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | ... |
| 2023-Jun-25 • 63 minutes Self-driving Cars and the Apocalypse | Ryan Jenkins (with Stephen Kershnar) As technology improves, ethical problems deepen too. Flying cars and ChatGPT are convenient, but may benefit some at the cost of harming others. Is the future convenient and full of promise, or should we fear a dystopian apocalypse? | | | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Jun-18 • 49 minutes Animal Ethics | Thad Metz Do we have ethical obligations to all animals or only cute and majestic ones? Is factory farming worse than hunting? We answered these questions and more at a live event hosted by The Inside Out Center for the Arts. https://insideoutcentreforthearts.com/ | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Jun-11 • 51 minutes Will there be peace in the middle east? | Raja Halwani Is a two state solution desirable to resolve the Arab Israeli conflict? Does Israel have the right to be a Jewish state? Do other states have an obligation to help resolve the conflict? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Jun-04 • 66 minutes Friendship is Magic | Samuel Kimbriel Are human beings social creatures? Do social groups have an important role to play in political life? Can hermits lead meaningful lives? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-May-28 • 53 minutes Anonymous Publishing | Ivar Hardman Are some ideas too controversial to publish in your own name? Is it cowardly to use a pseudonym? Does the journal for controversial ideas ghettoize important topics? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-May-21 • 75 minutes Thought Experiments | Spencer Case | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen and Porter Kaufman | | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-May-14 • 57 minutes Conserving Monuments | Dan Demetriou Should we preserve monuments, even if they offend us? Do we have a right to call for monuments to be removed in other countries? Does Ghengis Khan deserve a monument? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-May-07 • 59 minutes Why Americans Don't Owe Veterans Gratitude | Stephen Kershnar (with Spencer Case) Traditionally, we celebrate American soldiers with strong displays of gratitude, including national holidays and monuments. But is this gratitude warranted? Stephen Kershnar thinks not: we should be no more grateful to veterans than to farmers or loggers. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Apr-30 • 63 minutes Procreative Ethics | Rivka Weinberg Is it wrong to bring new life into the world? Is adopting a child a moral obligation? Is parenting meaningful? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Apr-23 • 64 minutes Anti-Semitism | Mark Oppenheimer What do anti-semites and ultra orthodox Jews have in common? How did the ivy league discriminate against Jews? Is America still a safe haven for Jews? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Apr-16 • 51 minutes Ultimate Meaning | Rivka Weinberg | Is it possible for us to lead meaningful lives? Is there an ultimate point to our existence? Can we enrich our lives with the pursuit of love, knowledge and friendship? | | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Apr-09 • 61 minutes Dystopian Technology | Ryan Jenkins, guest host Stephen Kershnar | Will technology improve or worsen our lives? And should social media and AI be used to prevent hurtful speech? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Apr-02 • 63 minutes Dark humor and censorship | Connor Kianpour, guest host Stephen Kershnar Why do we laugh at some jokes but not at others? Is dark humor always funnier? Should some comedians be censored? | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Mar-26 • 63 minutes David Benatar on Affirmative Action Should we implement affirmative action when determining which students are admitted to universities? Should affirmative action be based on race or socio-economic status? Is diversity important when deciding on university admissions? And should we think about race and gender in the same way when considering affirmative action? | | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Mar-19 • 52 minutes Holocaust Responsibility | Spencer Case Were indoctrinated or brainwashed Nazi soldiers morally responsible for their actions? Were they responsible for their repugnant beliefs? And were Nazi soldiers obligated to be conscientious objectors even if that meant they would be killed as a result? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Mar-12 • 62 minutes Parental Licensing | Connor Kianpour Should you be required to get a parental license from the State before you can raise your own children? Do the wishes of parents matter at all – or should we only care about the best interests of their children? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Mar-05 • 55 minutes Amnesia and Split Identity | Jacob Derin Should you fear future pain even if your future self will not remember who you are now? If an identical copy of you is created, would you survive through that copy? And is it possible to survive gaps in your existence? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Feb-26 • 47 minutes Is AI art unfair to artists? | James Helps In a world where machines can seemingly generate art instantly, and often better than humans can, should we feel sorry for artists? But is AI really generating art - or is it something else? And if it is art, who is the artist - the AI or the prompter? | James's covers for sale: https://www.goonwrite.com/ | Conversations about Philosophy books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0... | Jason's most popular sci-fi novel: https://www.amazon.com/Defra... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: http... |
| 2023-Feb-19 • 57 minutes The Ethics of Pet Ownership | Cheryl Abbate How do we weigh the needs of cats to roam freely, with the millions of birds they kill each year? What duties do we owe our pets? And are some animals more valuable than others? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Feb-12 • 24 minutes Conversations about Philosophy | Brain in a Vat Buy the books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B... | What are your favorite episodes of Brain in a Vat? We've taken ours and made them into books. With special forewords from leading philosophers and exclusive debates between guests, these books bring you the best content we have in an easily digestible format. | Buy your books now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2023-Feb-05 • 55 minutes Stephen Kershnar on the Impossibility of Responsibility Kershnar presents a dilemma: we’re responsible for our decisions because they’re caused by our psychology. But do we choose our psychology? If we do, then it seems that choice couldn’t have been a morally responsible choice, since our psychology didn’t choose it. But if we didn’t choose our psychology, then we can’t be responsible for the choices that come from our psychology. | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message:... |
| 2022-Dec-18 • 49 minutes End of the Year Special: A Look Back Mark and Jason join their producer in this retrospective season finale. | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Dec-11 • 64 minutes David Benatar: The Meaning of Life [Remastered] What does it all mean? If we live on a pail blue dot in a vast and uncaring universe can our lives have cosmic meaning? Is it better never to have been born? | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Dec-04 • 59 minutes The Right to Sex | Raja Halwani Do we have a right to sex, and is there an obligation to sexually fulfill the disabled? Should sex work be not only legal, but obligatory? | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Nov-27 • 58 minutes Lionel Shriver on Abominations Should we remove offensive monuments at the cost of erasing history? Is there an unacceptable cost to open borders? And what would a just tax system look like? | Hosts: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Nov-20 • 43 minutes We Should Be More Pragmatic about Ethics | Andrew Sepielli Are moral facts baked into reality, the way facts about socks or rocks are? Or should we think about morality in a more pragmatic way: that it doesn’t matter whether ethics are ‘in the world’ – only that ethics guide our actions effectively? | Andrew’s Book, ‘Pragmatist Quietism’: https://www.andrewsepielli.com/book-pragmatist-quietism... | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/Br... |
| 2022-Nov-13 • 61 minutes Do the guilty deserve punishment? | John Martin Fischer Why should we punish the guilty? Is it because they’ve done something wrong, to remove them from society, or to dissuade others from wrongdoing? | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Nov-06 • 59 minutes African Ethics: A Superior Moral Framework? | Thaddeus Metz Utilitarians and Kantians struggle to account for the care we should provide loved ones over strangers. | Can Ubuntu, or African Ethics, provide a framework that resolves this problem? | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Oct-30 • 56 minutes Putnam on the Brain in a Vat | David Macarthur Could we be systematically mistaken about the world around us? Would we be wrong about everything if we turned out to be a brain in a vat, a mind manipulated by an evil demon, or born into a virtual simulation? | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Oct-23 • 45 minutes Hillary Putnam on Morality | Mario de Caro Is lying ever justified? Is it permissible to kill one innocent person to save many others? Learn more about the views of one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th Century. | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | Philosophy as Dialogue: https://www.amazon.com/Ph... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Oct-16 • 74 minutes Using AI to Fight Crime | David Boonin Is racial profiling always wrong, even if used by an AI to decrease crime? Should we use AI to judge criminal cases, recommend sentences for the guilty, or decide parole for prisoners? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Oct-09 • 50 minutes Freedom of the Press | Toby Young Do reporters have special moral obligations? Is it ever justified for governments to shut down newspapers? Should private companies like Paypal be allowed to deplatform journalists? | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Oct-02 • 53 minutes Why it's okay to eat meat - or is it? | Dan Shahar Dan Shahar defends the view that eating meat is permissible, even though meat farming is not. Is this a coherent position? | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Sep-26 • 51 minutes Is Your Gender Up to You? | Shaun Stanley Is gender a social construct? Is gender distinct from sex? And can you be wrong in your beliefs about your own gender? | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Sep-18 • 52 minutes The Supreme Court and Abortion | Brian Leiter Should Judges decide if and when women are entitled to abort their pregnancies? Should this choice be left up to congress? If abortion is immoral, should it be illegal? | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | www.markoppenheimer.co.za | | --- ... |
| 2022-Sep-11 • 58 minutes Martha Nussbaum on Disgust What exactly makes us feel disgusted? Is disgust for a person or group ever justified? And is disgust useful, or should we try to eliminate it? | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Sep-04 • 51 minutes Should we silence defectors? | Connor Kianpour Do defectors generally do something wrong when they contradict their group's values or beliefs? And is it permissible for the group to silence them, especially if it's a minority group? | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Aug-28 • 64 minutes Trans Sports | Jon Pike Are transathletes a minority group that warrant special protection?&nb... Is the purpose of sport to be inclusive or fair? Should the Olympics exclude the best athletes because they are professionals? | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Aug-21 • 61 minutes The Problem with Democracy | Jason Brennan If most voters are misinformed, is democracy legitimate? What sort of voting system should we have in its place? And should some votes count more than others? | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Aug-14 • 60 minutes Immortality | John Martin Fischer Is immortality a blessing or a curse? Would eternal life be boring, meaningless, and amoral? | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Aug-07 • 64 minutes Is Hate Speech Free Speech? | Nadine Strossen Why is free speech valuable? Should there be any limits on what we are allowed to say? Should we tolerate words that are hateful? | | Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Produced and Edited by James Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Jul-31 • 50 minutes Science and The Big Questions | Alexander Arnold How do scientists and philosophers work together to make progress on the nature of the cosmos, the meaning of life, and what it means to flourish? The John Templeton Foundation funds work on the intersection of philosophy and science in some of the most important questions of our time. | | Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Edited and Produced by James Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Jul-24 • 51 minutes Music and Philosophy | Mark Linsenmayer Can music be objectively good (or bad)? How should we understand fundamental disagreement about preferences and values? And should philosophical discussion be theory driven or should we use another methodology? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Jul-17 • 57 minutes Effective Altruism | Theron Pummer Are we obligated to save strangers? Does it matter whether those strangers are in different countries or our in own? And even if we are not obligated, have we done something wrong if we help but not in the most efficient way possible? | Theron's book: https://global.oup.com/academ... | Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbleoff | Produced by Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Jul-10 • 57 minutes The Philosophy of Apology | Jeff Helmreich What makes a good apology? Are we ever obligated to apologize even though we did nothing wrong? And how should we deal with apologies in this highly politicized landscape? | Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Edited and produced by James Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Jul-03 • 52 minutes The Philosophy of Everything Everywhere All at Once | Taylor Cyr Everything Everywhere All at Once is a magnificent mess. The film raises questions around the meaning of life, the nature of the multiverse, and how we should understand free will in a world filled with counterfactuals. | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https:/... |
| 2022-Jun-26 • 56 minutes Lionel Shriver on Should We Stay or Should We Go When is death preferable to living? Are there fates worse than death? And what sort of future society should we build? | Lionel Shriver discusses her latest novel, Should We Stay or Should We Go | | Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Edited and Produced by James Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Jun-19 • 61 minutes The Philosophy of Severance | Travis Timmerman Ben Stiller's superb series, Severance, raises fascinating questions about the nature of personal identity. Are we minds or brains? Is it possible for two persons to inhabit the same body? And can a person survive gaps in their existence? | | Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Edited and Produced by James Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Jun-12 • 58 minutes The Ethics of Killing in War | Jeff McMahan As Russia wages an unjust war against Ukraine, questions around the ethics of war abound. Are soldiers fighting for the wrong side ever justified in killing? Should we punish these soldiers even if they were coerced by their State to fight? And is it ever justified to kill civilians? | Read Jeff's book here: amazon.com/Killing-War-Uehiro... | | Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Edited and Produced by James Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod... |
| 2022-Jun-05 • 58 minutes Eureka! Why epiphanies matter | Sophie Grace Chappell What is an "Aha" moment, and why does it matter for our lives? Sophie Grace Chappel argues that our ethics and value system should be formed around our epiphanies. | | Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Edited and Produced by James Mullen | | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | Podcast: https://anchor.fm/braininavat | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | | --- ... |
| 2022-May-29 • 63 minutes David Chalmers on Virtual Reality and The Simulation Argument Could you be a brain in a vat, or be living in a simulated or virtual reality? Could you live a meaningful, valuable existence even if you were? | | Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff | Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-May-22 • 69 minutes The Value of Truth | Simon Blackburn Why is the truth important? Who decides what the truth is? Is there such a thing as objective, eternal truth, or is truth simply a matter of perspective, of linguistic or cultural vantage point? | Simon's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Simon-Blackburn/dp/0190867213... | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop ... | Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice messa... |
| 2022-May-15 • 45 minutes The Creative Life | Theresa Hardman What is creativity and how does it work? Is all creativity valuable? What are the pre-conditions for creativity, and how should Jason overcome his writer's block? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-May-09 • 65 minutes The Kalam Cosmological Argument | Majesty of Reason If everything was created by a cause, is God the creator of the Universe? Is God an uncaused cause? Could God have abandoned his creation? | Majesty of Reason: https://www.youtube.com/c/MajestyofReason... | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-May-01 • 74 minutes Trans women in sport: Is it fair? | Stephen Kershnar Lia Thomas, a trans woman, has sparked controversy by competing in and winning women’s collegiate swimming events. Should Thomas and other trans athletes be allowed to compete in the gendered competition of their choice? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Apr-24 • 54 minutes Evolutionary Psychology | Justin Garson Is evolution the root cause of racism, rape, and disgust? Are differences between men and women a result of both nature and nurture? Are some forms of scientific inquiry too dangerous to allow? | Justin's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Biological-Mind-Philosophical-Introduction/dp/0367466317&... | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/... |
| 2022-Apr-17 • 48 minutes The Philosophy of Dune | Adam Taylor Dune contains a sophisticated moral dilemma - should Paul Atreides sacrifice billions of lives to avoid humanity's extinction? The answer echoes through the way we should deal with global climate change today. | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop ... | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/me... |
| 2022-Apr-10 • 47 minutes How to discover TRUTH | Galen Barry Some of the world's greatest discoveries were made by those on the fringe. Should scientists be encouraged to explore crazy ideas? Does the search for truth depend more on geniuses or a social butterflies? | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop ... | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brain... |
| 2022-Apr-03 • 60 minutes Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation | Raja Halwani Is your sexual orientation determined by the sex or the gender of the person you’re attracted to? How does gender fluidity impact sexual orientation? Are there other sexual orientations like demisexuality, sapiosexuality and more? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Mar-20 • 43 minutes Hidden Motives| Elena Garadja Are Jean Jacques Rousseau's confessions trustworthy? Can we consciously decide to forget our sins? Should we be held accountable for all of our actions, including the ones we don't intend? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Mar-20 • 64 minutes Dignity and Society | Colin Bird How important is it to treat people with dignity, or respect? Do institutions and groups, rather than individuals, owe us dignity? And if we have to choose, should we strive for a society that is dignified or a society that is happy? | Colin’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Human-Dignity-Political-Criticism-Colin/dp/1108832024... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Mar-13 • 54 minutes Gun Control | Eric Sampson Should citizens have the right to bear arms? Are guns necessary to defend yourself from criminals, invading militants, and your own government? Should guns be banned because of school shootings, suicides, and accidental deaths? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Mar-06 • 58 minutes Should we save animals? | Jeffrey Sebo Should we sacrifice our time and convenience to save animals? Jeff Sebo argues we must, but more than that, it's in our self-interest to do so. | Jeff's book: https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Animals-Ourselves-Pandemics-Catastrophes-ebook/dp/... | | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Feb-27 • 65 minutes Near-Death Experiences | John Martin Fischer Is there life after death? Are near-death experiences meaningful? Are they similar to other altered states like meditation and drug induced hallucinations? | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Feb-20 • 57 minutes The Philosophy of Squid Game | Travis Timmerman Travis Timmerman shows us what can we learn about morality, democracy, and exploitation from Squid Game. | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Feb-13 • 54 minutes Free Will and Moral Responsibility | John Fischer Is it possible to be morally responsible for a choice even if you could not have chosen otherwise? Can you have free will even if God knows ahead of time what you are about to choose? John Fischer argues the answer is yes. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Feb-06 • 59 minutes Abortion | Stephen Kershnar Does a fetus have a right to its mother's womb? Are we obligated to have as many children as possible? And must pro-lifers assassinate abortion doctors? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Feb-03 • 7 minutes The Kershnar Controversy | Brain in a Vat We recently aired an episode with Stephen Kershnar on sexual taboos. A clip from that episode has been viewed over a million times on Twitter, and on many news channels. We address the controversy surrounding Stephen's position. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Jan-30 • 58 minutes Sexual Taboos | Stephen Kershnar Should there be an age of consent? Is it wrong to fantasize about someone against their will? Is it wrong to lust after someone because of their race? | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Jan-25 • 59 minutes Parfit's view of personal identity | Jeff McMahan What makes the 'you' of yesterday the same 'you' today? Should we care about future people who don't yet exist, and should we prevent climate change if it means preventing people from coming into existence? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2022-Jan-16 • 57 minutes Do you have a character? | Iskra Fileva Is there a core to who we are that is unchanging or unique? Do people have characters, personalities, or neither? | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop | Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Dec-13 • 7 minutes End of Year Surprise In our final episode for 2021, we reveal a surprise we've been working on all year, and tell you about the exciting episodes planned for 2022. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Dec-05 • 54 minutes The Fall of UCT | David Benatar Destructive forces have been eroding the University of Cape Town, Africa’s leading university. David Benatar tells the sad, true tale of what has been transpiring. It is a saga of lunacy, criminality, pandering, and identity politics. The mad and the bad – the deranged, deluded, the depraved – have been granted endless latitude in bullying and abusing others. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Nov-28 • 52 minutes The Possible Worlds of David Lewis | Barry Lam What are possible worlds? Could you have been born to different parents, and could the laws of physics be different? Barry Lam explains how David Lewis’s views on possible worlds can help us understand everything from the nature of time to free will. | Listen to more of Barry’s episodes on David Lewis on Hi-Phi nation here: https://hiphination.org/season-5/ | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Nov-21 • 38 minutes Can Hope Save Your Life? | Jack Kwong Is it possible to hope for something good, but feel despair that it won't happen? Is it virtuous to feel hopeful? Can hoping make you act recklessly? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Nov-14 • 54 minutes Moral Disagreement | Eric Sampson In a world where we disagree about pretty much everything - about borders and abortion, marriage and monogamy, wars and meat-eating - how do you maintain confidence in your own moral position? And can you convince the moral nihilist you're right? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Nov-07 • 61 minutes Ballenesque | Roger Ballen Marginalized people, animals, found objects, wires and childlike drawings inhabit the unlocatable worlds presented in Ballen's artworks. Ballen describes his works as existential psychodramas that touch the subconscious mind and evoke the underbelly of the human condition. They aim to break through the repressed thoughts and feelings by engaging him in themes of chaos and order, madness or unruly states of being, the human relationship to the animal world, life and death, universal archetypes of the psyche ... |
| 2021-Oct-31 • 75 minutes Pandemic Ethics | Peter Singer Rebecca Tuvel, Dan Cullen and Eric Samson interview Peter Singer about pandemic ethics. Are lockdowns and mandatory vaccines morally justified? What should governments have done differently? Why were there calls to cancel this lecture? | https://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2021/09/peter-singer-invited-to-give-a-zo... | https://dailynous.com/2021/09/28/faculty-at-rhodes-college-urge-cancellation-of-... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/messa... |
| 2021-Oct-24 • 52 minutes Michael Huemer on Disobeying the Law Should you disobey the law, at least some of the time? If justice isn’t simply enforcing the law, then what is it? And what sorts of laws would we have in a just society? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Oct-17 • 53 minutes Is Nuclear War Ever Justified? | Eron Fasser Should certain weapons be banned from use in war? Are there limits on the amount of force countries should use to protect their citizens? Is it ever justified to kill innocent civilians to end a war? | ICJ Advisory Opinion: https://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/95 | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Oct-10 • 50 minutes Plato’s problem with Democracy | Clif Mark Is Democracy the best political system? Plato thought not. But what is the best alternative? Clif Mark, from the podcast Good in Theory, joins us this week to discuss Plato’s Republic. | https://goodintheorypod.com/ | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Oct-03 • 59 minutes Is it wrong to enjoy good films made by bad people? | Travis Timmerman Is the art separate from the artist? Can a moral defect in a film undermine its aesthetic quality? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Sep-26 • 53 minutes The Power of Imagination | Amy Kind What would a world without imagination be like? Why do we feel sympathy, fear or excitement for fictional characters? And can imaginary actions be morally wrong? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Sep-19 • 56 minutes Where is my mind? | Shaun Stanley Are human being merely sophisticated robots? Do we have mental states or can we be understood only through our behavior? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Sep-12 • 57 minutes Should You Trust Experts? | Oliver Traldi There's a growing trend to distrust scientists. Sometimes they get the facts wrong, or align with a political party. What should we do in the face of conflicting expertise? Who should we trust? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Sep-05 • 57 minutes How To End Global Poverty | Andy Kuper Andy Kuper, the founder and CEO of LeapFrog Investments, tells us how his PHD in philosophy led him to marry profit with purpose, by creating investment funds with deep impact on the lives of 200 million low-income people worldwide, while generating strong returns for its investors and the companies in which it invests. | https://leapfroginvest.com | Andy's Book Democracy Beyond Borders: https://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Beyond-Borders-Representation-Institutions-eboo... | Contact us: Mark.Oppe... |
| 2021-Aug-29 • 46 minutes Cryonics: who wants to live forever? | Francesca Minerva Is cryonics a viable route to immortality? Is immortality desirable, or would it present us with endless boredom and meaninglessness? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Aug-22 • 65 minutes Addiction | Daniel Hochman Is being addicted to love or chocolate the same as being addicted to cocaine? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Aug-15 • 57 minutes Death | Travis Timmerman Would it be better to live forever than to die? Is the goodness or badness of death dependent on the future quality of our lives? Is death so bad that it would be better never to have been born? | Travis' Book: Exploring the Philosophy of Death and Dying https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Philosophy-Death-Dying-Contemporary/dp/11383935... | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/me... |
| 2021-Aug-08 • 64 minutes When should you forgive? | Brandon Warmke What is forgiveness, and when is it appropriate? What does it mean to apologize to a group of people, and for that group to forgive? Is forgiveness ever obligatory, or is forgiveness irrational or even immoral? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Aug-01 • 57 minutes John Rawls: Justice as Fairness | Paul Weithman John Rawls is widely regarded as the greatest modern liberal philosopher. Does his theory of justice lead to a fair society? | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jul-25 • 80 minutes Do the ends justify the means? | Alastair Norcross Should you sacrifice one innocent person to save many? Can you justify killing one annoying politician to save millions of people from suffering a minor headache? And is morality a matter of degree rather than a clear distinction between right and wrong? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jul-18 • 53 minutes What Is Madness? | Justin Garson Is 'mental disorder' purely a dysfunction, or are there important advantages to being psychologically different? Do depression and anxiety serve a vital role in healing and bettering one's life? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jul-11 • 56 minutes Is it okay to be a slacker? | Alison Suen What makes Hollywood slackers like The Dude so enchanting? Are slackers the unsung heroes of the pandemic, or a bunch of useless bums? | Read Alison's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Its-OK-Be-Slacker/dp/0367338181... | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jul-04 • 52 minutes What Offends You? | Mark Oppenheimer Should we ban offensive speech? Should we tolerate racism and transphobia? Should everything that is immoral also be illegal? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jun-27 • 48 minutes Is evil real? | Spencer Case Is murder wrong? Can evolution fully explain why we think certain actions are immoral? And can we believe moral truths with even greater certainty than truths about the physical world? | Spencer Case offers objections to Shaun Stanley, a moral anti-realist who appeared previously on our show. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jun-20 • 54 minutes What if? | Peg Tittle What if you navigated the world through echo location instead of sight? What if cats could gain all of the traits of humans? What if you were a brain in a vat trying to solve a difficult moral problem. | To learn more about Peg's work check out: https://www.pegtittle.com https://www.jassrichards.com | Special offer to podcast listeners: For any title with an on-site purchase option, Peg is happy to send a complimentary copy (epub or pdf). No strings attached. Plea... |
| 2021-Jun-13 • 59 minutes What Is Happiness? | Shane Gronholz What makes your life go well? Can you be wrong about whether you are happy? And can happiness be bad for you? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jun-06 • 66 minutes Trans, Sex, and Gender | Kathleen Stock Is sex only a matter of biology? Are there conflicts between trans rights, women's rights, and gay rights? Is it possible to change genders? | Buy Kathleen's Book: Material Girls https://www.amazon.com/Material-Girls-Reality-Matters-Feminism-ebook/dp/B08LK8TY... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-May-30 • 66 minutes Do Social Groups Exist? | Jason Werbeloff What transforms a collection of individuals into a social group? Jason Werbeloff argues the answer is: nothing. There are no social groups. No countries, political parties, marriages, or sports clubs. There are only individuals. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-May-23 • 29 minutes 12 Mind Blowing Thought Experiments What can a runaway train, a patient wrapped head to toe in bandages, and man condemned by the gods to roll a rock for eternity teach us about leading a good life? If you enjoy stories that tickle your brain, this episode is for you. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-May-16 • 46 minutes The Dangers of Thought Experiments | Roy Sorensen Are thought experiments useful for telling us about the nature of reality? What are the limitations of thought experiments, and should we trust them in discussions of morality and science? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-May-09 • 64 minutes Is Morality Real? | Shaun Stanley Should we care whether we cause others suffering? Do we have duties or obligations to others? Shaun Stanley thinks there are no moral reasons for action. Do you think morality is real? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-May-02 • 55 minutes The Danger of Wokeness | Helen Zille Many believe Woke ideology to be a source of positive change in society. Helen Zille thinks otherwise. Could Wokeness be dangerous? | You can find Helen's book, #StayWoke: Go Broke, on Amazon and Takealot. | Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/StayWoke-Africa-survive-Americas-culture-ebook/dp/B091BB1... | Takealot: https://www.takealot.com/staywoke-go-broke/PLID72165371... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Apr-25 • 61 minutes The Second Sexism | David Benatar Are there some areas of life where men are worse off than women? Are these disadvantages always the product of sexism? If we recognize a second sexism against men, what effect would this have on women? | Prof Benatar's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Sexism-Discrimination-Against-Boys-ebook-dp-B007VJ... | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Apr-18 • 44 minutes Wittgenstein's Poker | David Edmonds David Edmonds of Philosophy Bites fame regales us with a fiery story about Ludwig Wittgenstein's only meeting with Karl Popper. David also gives us a behind the scenes tour of the world's best loved philosophy show. | David's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Wittgensteins-Poker-Ten-Minute-Argument-Philosophers/dp/0... | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Apr-11 • 61 minutes Hate Speech and Pornography | Mari Mikkola What is hate speech, and what are the limits of free speech? Should pornography be censored in the same way we censor speech? | Mari's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Pornography-Philosophical-Introduction-Mari-Mikkola-ebook... | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Apr-04 • 55 minutes Animal Welfare | Bob Fischer Are some animals more equal than others? Do zoos protect animals or are they solely designed for our amusement? Should we test medicines on animals? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Mar-28 • 54 minutes Who should you believe? | Chris Ranalli In a polarized world where everyone is certain, who should you believe? Are certain beliefs immoral? And how seriously should we take conspiracy theories? | Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Mar-21 • 63 minutes Can God Right Past Wrongs? | Sam Lebens Would a just God allow us to suffer? Could God rewrite history to remove the bad bits? | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Mar-14 • 62 minutes Anarchy & Socialism | Mark Lance Can we construct a society free of state coercion and inequality? Is there a place for Capitalism in that society? | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Mar-07 • 49 minutes What is the Value of Philosophy? | Justin Weinberg Are there certain questions that should never be asked? Is Philosophy useful? And have philosophers made any progress in answering the BIG questions? Justin's Daily Nous blog: https://dailynous.com/ Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Feb-28 • 62 minutes So You've Been Publicly Shamed | Rebecca Tuvel What can we learn about public shaming from the Black Mirror episodes Hated in the Nation and Nosedive? Are there ever cases where someone deserves to be shamed? When should someone be forgiven for doing something shameful? | Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Feb-21 • 52 minutes Nietzsche: Morality is Dead | Brian Leiter If God is dead, did morality die with him? Are artists, writers and lovers more valuable than the rest of us mere mortals? Find out what Friedrich Nietzsche thought in our new series on great philosophers. | Brian's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Moral-Psychology-Nietzsche-Brian-Leiter-ebook-dp-B07QD6V9... | Contact Us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Feb-14 • 54 minutes Stephen King and Philosophy | Jacob Held What is horror, and why do some of us willingly terrify ourselves by watching or reading the genre? Is horror poor quality fiction, or can it offer us a unique opportunity for empathy and moral growth? | Jacob's book: https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-King-Philosophy-Great-Authors/dp/1442253843... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Feb-07 • 47 minutes Is Academic Freedom Under Threat? | Spencer Case Are universities a safe space for dangerous ideas? Does a right to academic freedom guarantee a culture that tolerates controversial views? Should universities limit the research fields of professors? | Micro Digressions Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/956725 | Spencer's Blog: https://www.spencercasephilosophy.com/ | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jan-31 • 64 minutes Which God Should You Believe in? | Eron Fasser Are all Gods created equal? Are certain divine attributes less likely to be real given that multiples faiths exist? Are religions like different paths leading to the same destination? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jan-24 • 52 minutes Is Abortion Immoral? | Nathan Nobis Does a fetus have a right to life? Should there be any limitations on the choices that a woman makes over her own body? | Nathan's book: https://www.abortionarguments.com/p/this-book-introduces-readers-to-many.html&nb... | Thomson's violinist: https://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/Phil160,Fall02/thomson.htm... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jan-17 • 66 minutes The Argument for Anarchism Anarchism, or the view that we should not have a government, seems impractical. But Michael Huemer believes there is a way to understand Anarchism that not only resolves these impracticalities - it may provide a better society than the one we have now. Michael Huemer's book, 'The Problem of Political Authority': https://www.amazon.com/Problem-Political-Authority-Examination-Coerce/dp/1137281... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jan-10 • 67 minutes Face Blindness with Jeff Waters What's it like to be unable to recognize faces? 2% of the population have a neurological condition called prosopagnosia, or face blindness - including this week's guest, and one of our hosts. Listen to Jeff's Face Blind podcast here: https://faceblindpodcast.com/ | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2021-Jan-03 • 51 minutes Tenet Explained Christopher Nolan's Tenet is a visual feast, but does it make any sense? Eron Fasser explains if you can you time travel to change the past and if Neil and Protagonist have free will? Brain in a Vat Book: www.smarturl.it/lockdownbook | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Dec-07 • 17 minutes The Future of Brain in a Vat A round up of our favorite episodes and some insight into how we make the show. We will be on a hiatus until January. Let us know in the YouTube comments who you want to see us interview in the coming year. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Nov-29 • 66 minutes Brian Leiter: The Supreme Court Is the Supreme Court merely a political body made up of warring liberals and conservatives? Should Judges apply laws that are unjust? Will the Supreme Court declare Trump the winner of the election? | Leiter Report: https://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/ | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Nov-22 • 57 minutes Thad Metz: Meaning in Life What makes life worth living? How valuable are truth, beauty and morality? If life is ultimately meaningless from the perspective of the universe is none the less better to have been born? Thad on the Meaning of Life :https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Nov-15 • 49 minutes Do You Have Free Will? With Mark Leon Is it possible for your actions to be free, even if they are determined? And would an indeterministic universe make us any freer? If we don't have free will, should we be held accountable for our actions? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Nov-05 • 61 minutes Does Your Vote Count? With Jacob Bauer If your vote has only a tiny chance of influencing the outcome of an election, is it irrational to vote? Does voting grant legitimacy to repugnant candidates? Is voting always an obligation, or are there situations that require you not to vote? | Philosopher Games on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PhilosopherGames/... | Philosopher Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilosopherGames... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Nov-01 • 64 minutes Black Mirror, Virtual Sex and Trans with Rebecca Tuvel Is virtual sex outside of a relationship cheating? How should we determine a person's gender? Should the same rules apply to race? Rebecca's article: In Defense of Transracialism https://cryptome.org/2017/05/in-defense-of-transracialism.pdf... Hypatia transracialism controversy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypatia_transracialism_controversy... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Oct-25 • 36 minutes #2000andlate in 2020 Hindsight We have a philosophical conversation with an artist about her latest exhibition. Dom's paintings explore the social and sexual mores of the last twenty years through the lens of our current values. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Oct-18 • 48 minutes Do You Have a Soul? With Tyron Goldschmidt Are you just a physical body? If you have a brain transplant do you stay with your original body or move with your brain? Could the existence of an immaterial soul solve the mind body problem? | Tyron's Books: The Puzzle of Existence: Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing? Idealism: New Essays in Metaphysics | Thumbnail Art: Lateralus Album Cover by Alex Grey | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Oct-11 • 70 minutes Should Robots Have Rights? With Rob Sparrow Is it wrong to destroy an AI if it can have a conversation with a human being? If a robot expresses suffering is it wrong to torture it? Should we mourn the death of a robot lover? | Sparrow, R. 2004. The Turing triage test. Ethics and Information Technology 6(4): 203-213. | Sparrow, R. 2007. Killer robots. Journal of Applied Philosophy 24(1): 62-77, March. | Sparrow, R. 2020. Virtue and vice in our relationships with robots: Is there an asymmetry and how might it be explained... |
| 2020-Oct-04 • 54 minutes Should We Save The Polar Bears? With Yolandi Coetzee Are some animals more equal than others? Are game reserves a part of nature if they are man made? Is global warming universally bad or does it benefit some species? | Brain in a Vat Store: smarturl.it/Lockdownbook | Thumbnail Art: Peace by Lynn Bywaters | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Sep-27 • 63 minutes Mark Oppenheimer²: The Limits Of Free Speech? Is cancel culture destroying our institutions? Should Holocaust deniers have the right to speak? What is hate speech, and should it be illegal? | Brain in a Vat Store: smarturl.it/Lockdownbook | Harpers Letter: https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/... | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Sep-27 • 8 minutes [Bonus] Mark Oppenheimer² Atom bombs, diamond billionaires, and hate mail have a special role to play in this bonus episode. Brain in a Vat Store: smarturl.it/Lockdownbook | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Sep-20 • 59 minutes Let's Talk About Sex With Raja Halwani Is it wrong to only have a sexual preference for certain races? Can you have sex without being objectified? Is there a moral limit on our sexual fantasies? | Store: http://smarturl.it/LockdownBook | Thumbnail Art: The Yoshiwara Prostitute by Kikugawa Eizan | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Sep-13 • 64 minutes David Benatar: The Meaning of Life What does it all mean? If we live on a pail blue dot in a vast and uncaring universe can our lives have cosmic meaning? Is it better never to have been born? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Sep-06 • 52 minutes Should You Volunteer To Get Covid? With Dustin Crummett Could purposely infecting volunteers with the Coronavirus help us reach herd immunity or develop a vaccine more rapidly? Is it wrong to expose people to the risk of death, even if they consent? Thumbnail Art: Hold Your Breath Paulina Siniatkina | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Sep-02 • 68 minutes Gorgeous or Grotesque? With Amanda Ballen Can you be revolted and attracted to the same person? Can concepts be beautiful? Does art need to create sensations to be enjoyed? IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ Thumbnail Art: A Grotesque Old Woman by Quentin Matsys | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Aug-23 • 64 minutes Crime and Punishment With Doug Husak Who deserves to be punished? Should the State kill killers and rape rapists? Should we abolish the police and the prison system? | Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat... IMDB: | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Aug-16 • 50 minutes Is Cultural Relativism Racist? With Justin Kalef Culturals groups have different beliefs about what is morally right and wrong. Does a tolerant outlook mean that we should accept these different beliefs as correct? What if those beliefs are discriminatory? | Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat ... | IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ ... | Thumbnail Art: The Dinner Party by Sam Walsh | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Aug-09 • 65 minutes What is Love? With Raja Halwani Is love everlasting? Can we love more than one person at the same time? | Do we choose our lovers for the wrong reasons? | http://rajasmusingsconfusings.blogspot.com/ ... | Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat ... | IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ ... | Thumbnail Art: The Lovers by Rene Magritte | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Aug-02 • 58 minutes Are You Evil? Is it wrong to root for the bad guy in a horror movie? Is evil a matter of who you are or what you do? What makes an action supremely evil? | Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat ... | IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ ... | Thumbnail Art: The number of the beast is 666 by William Blake | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Jul-26 • 63 minutes What's Wrong with Moral Grandstanding? With Brandon Warmke What do Greta Thunberg, #BLM and #Metoo have in common? Are these moralising quests to end climate change, racism and sexism motivated by the will to do good, or merely the will to look good? | Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk https://www.amazon.com/Grandstanding-Use-Abuse-Moral-Talk-ebook/dp/B0851PR3DB/... | Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat ... | IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ ... | Thumbnail Art: J. C. Leyendecker The Pol... |
| 2020-Jul-19 • 79 minutes Is it wrong to eat meat? With Dustin Crummet Were you outraged when Cecil the lion was killed by a hunter? Are you against rhino poaching? Do you order extra bacon with your cheese burger? Are some animals more equal than others? | Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat ... | IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ ... | Thumbnail Art: Jeff Lemire from Sweet Tooth | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Jul-12 • 76 minutes Graham Oppy: Does God Exist? Can God exist if the world is filled with suffering? And are there compelling arguments for or against God's existence? Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat... IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ Thumbnail... Art: Terry Gilliam from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Jul-05 • 56 minutes Should Offensive Art be Banned? With Elisa Galgut What is art? Why is art valuable? If enough people feel hurt by a piece of art or public monument, should we hide or destroy the work? | Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat ... | IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ | Thumbnail Art: Octavia Roodt http://www.octaviaroodt.com/ | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Jun-28 • 66 minutes Peter Boghossian: How to Have Impossible Conversations "Defund the police. Violent protests are justified. Anyone against Black Lives Matter is a Nazi." How would you engage with these views? We ask Peter Boghossian how to have impossible conversations. | Peter's Book: http://bit.ly/ConversationsBook | New Discourses: https://newdiscourses.com/translations-from-the-wokish/... | Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat ... | IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12490350/ Animation by Laurynne Gouws: https://w... |
| 2020-Jun-21 • 58 minutes Do You Live in a Simulation? With Kenny Pearce Do you live in a simulation? And if you do, could you live a valuable life? We talk with Kenny Pearce this week to find out. | Read Kenny's Berkeley book here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/language-and-the-structure-of-berkeleys-... | And his book about Idealism here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/idealism-9780198746973... | Podcast: https://anchor.fm/braininavat | Facebook Discussion Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat ... | Ani... |
| 2020-Jun-14 • 59 minutes Does Race Exist? With Shaun Stanley Does the colour of your skin, the texture of your hair, or the shape of your nose make you part of a racial group? Is race a social construct based on collective perception? Do the members of a race share beliefs, cultures and attitudes? | Facebook Discussion Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/braininavat ... | Thumbnail art: By Amazing Ameziane from Muhammad Ali Graphic Novel | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Jun-07 • 60 minutes Does Tuvix Deserve to Die? When Tuvok and Neelix accidentally merge into a single man in a transporter accident, Captain Janeway has to make a tough decision: Should she kill Tuvix to restore Tuvok and Neelix? We discuss the philosophy of Star Trek, transporters, and personal identity. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-May-31 • 56 minutes Is the Lockdown Lawful? With Martin van Staden Are lockdown regulations lawful? Do we have a duty to obey the law? What if the law is immoral, contradictory or unknowable? The famous philosopher Lon Fuller wrote a thought experiment about King Rex who failed to make law in eight different ways. 1) A failure to achieve rules at, all so that every issue must be decided on an ad hoc basis. 2)A failure to publicize, or at least make available to the affected party, the rules he is expected to observe. 3)The abuse of retrospective legislation, which not o... |
| 2020-May-24 • 63 minutes Time Travel and The Grandfather Paradox with Helen Robertson Imagine you build a time machine. Is it possible for you to travel back in time, meet your grandfather before he produces any children, and kill him? Time travel is a sci-fi staple. Is Back to the Future philosophically accurate? Did J.K Rowling crack the secret of time travel in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban? As a bonus we explain why Rick and Morty's The Vat of Acid Episode isn't about time travel. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat... |
| 2020-May-17 • 61 minutes Belief, Faith, and Hope with Liz Jackson Your brother has been missing for months and there is mounting evidence that he is dead. Is it rational to hope that he is alive and keep searching for him? | Is it rational to have faith in the existence of God because, if he turns out to exist, your faith may let you into heaven while a lack of faith could condemn you to hell? | Liz Jackson's public interviews: http://liz-jackson.com/public-philosophy/ ... | Her paper on Belief, Faith and Hope: https://philpapers.org/archive/JACBFA.pdf.... |
| 2020-May-10 • 57 minutes Lost in Translation with Shaun Stanley Language is ambiguous at the best of times, think about how much gets lost in translation. Imagine hearing a tribesman in a remote land utter the word "gavagai" upon seeing a rabbit. A speaker of English could do what seems natural and translate this as "Lo, a rabbit." But other translations would be compatible with all the evidence she has: "Lo, food"; "Let's go hunting"; "There will be a storm tonight" (he may be superstitious). | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotif... |
| 2020-May-03 • 61 minutes The Value of Human Life with Eron Fasser What can eating Marilyn Monroe's thigh and the pain of teenage heartbreak tell us about the value of human life? We discuss what makes life worth living and ending. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Apr-26 • 59 minutes The Veil of Ignorance and Justice in a Lockdown John Rawls thought we needed to wear a veil of ignorance to remove our biases before deciding on the rules of a just society. Are his ideas useful in a world where the elderly and the vulnerable are exposed to higher risks? Should the healthy and the well off accept limits on their freedom? | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braininavat/message... |
| 2020-Apr-22 • 61 minutes Lockdown: A Trolley Problem An out-of-control trolley is rumbling toward five innocent people trapped on a track. You can divert the trolley onto another track by pulling a switch, but the other track has one person on it. Do you pull the switch? Governments around the world have used lockdowns to save lives, but this choice has had severe economic consequences. Did they pull the right switch? Hosted by Dr Jason Werbeloff and Mark Oppenheimer. | | --- | | Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/braini... |