Political Philosophy Podcast

What are we ultimately disputing when we disagree politically? Is progress across moral and political divides possible, and if so when? I get into a spontaneous lively conversion with Robert Talise on the epistemic foundations of political pluralism.

THOMAS HOBBES With Arash Abizadeh by Toby Buckle

RIGHTS & NEO - LIBERALISM With Samuel Moyn by Toby Buckle

How did issues of rape and sexual violence emerge as central concerns for second-wave feminists? I discuss the intellectual history fo feminism, the role of art in that history, & its legacy today, with PEN award-winning author Nancy Princenthal.

Should democrats be considering potentialy disruptive ideas like court packing, adding states, or abolishing the filibuster? Would doing so be justified, and can we win if we dont?

I develop an original account of internal party divides. Using the 2016 primary, the 2019 UK election, and the Tea Party movement as case studies I try to offer a fresh take on many of the most contentious disagreements we have on the left.

Can politics move beyond a state of institutionalized aggression? Should liberalism be justified by appeals to a conception of the good or by public reason?

I'm joined by the historian David Farber to discuss the social and political history of the crack epidemic. We discuss the drug's history, the panic surrounding it, the political response to it, and how that informed our current politics. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalPhilosophyPodcast Buy 'Crack: Rock Cocaine, Street Capitalism, and Decade of Greed': https://www.amazon.com/Crack-Cocaine-Street-Capitalism-Decade/dp/1108425275

I'm joined by congressional candidate Chris Armitage. We discuss his run, criminal justice reform, the progressive movement, Bernie's candidacy, the Bernie or bust phenomenon, and optimism for the future. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalPhilosophyPodcast Armitage for Congress: https://armitageforcongress.com Donate to Chris's campaign: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/armitage-for-congress-1?refcode=web-donate-box

Should academia be political? Does social-justice have a place on Campus? Does anti-foundationalism imply a particular view of these culture war issues? Stanley Fish and I discuss.

Is free speech a coherent idea? is there a neutral standard to decide if something is hate speech? How should we conceptualize liberalism, and how should we argue for it in the age of Trump? Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalPhilosophyPodcast Buy The First https://www.amazon.com/First-Speech-Campus-Religious-Post-Truth/dp/1982115246

Has the Senate been a barrier to progressive reform in America? Is it an institution at odds with our current political culture? I discuss this as well as impeachment, partisanship, and post 2020 with the senior senator from Ohio, Sherrod Brown. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalPhilosophyPodcast Desk 88: https://www.amazon.com/Desk-88-Progressive-Senators-Changed/dp/0374138214

Do we have special obligations towards fellow citizens? Is self-determination valuable? Can national identity be threatened by large scale immigration? I'm joined by David Miller to discuss these, and other, issues.

I take on a range of audience questions and comments from my economic inequality episode: Diminishing marginal returns, poverty vs inequality, long run growth, and the morality of capitalism.

I develop an original account how how different political cultures, & different ways of conceptualizing politics, have developed in the US and UK. How they have recently become inversions of each other. And argue that the current chaos is the shape fo things to come.

Is the current distribution of ecumenic resources in the US morally defensible? How should a mature moral or political theory think about this? I give my personal views.

I field listener questions including: language, ideology, booking guests, volunteering, and am I an anti-white racist?

What is ‘Positivism’ and why was it so important so Adorno to label Popper as one? Popper’s response, and what can we learn from this failure to communicate?

I revisit an acrimonious exchange between two very different public intellectuals. The first part sets the stage with the intellectual history.

Should we justify liberalism from appeals to political precepts or normative understandings of human nature? I consider two ways of thinking about liberalism's philosophical foundations.