Here’s a list of podcasts, their links, and transcripts.
Episode 1. Philosophy for the Real World. Introduction.
This podcast identifies the main areas of philosophy we’ll be applying: logic, ethics, knowledge, living with others in community.
Click here for podcast.
Click here for transcript.
For a general introduction to philosophy, see my Discovering Philosophy (Hackett Publishing Company). Click here for information.
Episode 2. Why “do the right thing”?
“Doing the right thing” is often difficult because it means putting other people’s interests ahead of our own. The ancient Greek thinker Socrates has an interesting–and surprising–perspective because he argues that “vice harms the doer.” The selfish thing, then, is to avoid that harm by doing what’s right.
Click here for podcast.
Click here for transcript.
For more detailed discussions of Socrates’ idea that “vice harms the doer,” see Chapter 6 (“Doing right. Why bother?”) in my Right and Wrong: A Practical Introduction to Ethics (Wiley Blackwell; click here for information) and Chapter 6 (“Why be ethical?”) in my Discovering Philosophy (Hackett; click here).
Episode 3. How well do you know what Americans think? Or, we’re all being played.
Think of this as a test. Sorry about the cryptic episode title, but saying too much will be a spoiler.
Click here for the podcast.
Click here for the transcript.
Episode 4. Logical fallacy. Unwarranted generalization and stereotyping.
This is the first episode dedicated to examining logical mistakes. This episode looks at the “informal fallacy” of “unwarranted generalization and stereotyping”–one of the most common examples of logical mistakes in political rhetoric.
Click here for the podcast.
Click here for the transcript.
For an introduction to logic, see Chapter 2 (“Thinking like a philosopher”) in my Discovering Philosophy (Hackett Publishing Company). Click here for information.
Episode 5. Vice contains its own punishment. Saint Augustine.
Episode 2 described the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates’ idea that “vice harms the doer.” This episode describes the remarkably similar idea advanced by the fourth century Christian thinker Saint Augustine that vice contains its own punishment.
Click here for the podcast.
Click here for the transcript.
Episode 6. Our problem isn’t voter fraud, it’s voter ignorance and incompetence.
This is the first episode to look at a practical question related to social and political philosophy. We look at “social contract theory” and an interesting question it raises about who should be entitled to vote.
Click here for the podcast.
Click here for the transcript.
Episode 7. A biological basis to ethics. Flourishing.
One of the simplest, most practical, and objective approaches to ethics is actually based in biology–the concept of flourishing. This episode looks at Martha Nussbaum’s explanation of the concept.
Click here for the podcast.
Click here for the transcript.
Episode 8. Absorbing a distorted view of history without noticing it.
Can simple, ordinary objects in our environment be giving us a distorted view of history? Are there any practical, negative impacts?
Click here for the podcast.
Click here for the transcript.