Political Philosophy Podcast

IDEOLOGY & BREXIT A conversation with Helen Thompson by Toby Buckle

I’m joined by Brenden Weber, host of the Philosophy Guy podcast. We chat about the current state of public philosophy from the podcasting community to the intellectual dark web. We then go into depth on his analysis of the moral philosophy of Harry Potter: Is death part of life - and accepting it a part of a moral life – or is it a problem to be solved? You can check out his podcast at: https://thephilosophyguy.fireside.fm/hosts/brendenweber

I take questions from Facebook and twitter on Ancient Stoic Philosophers, J S Mill, randomization in democracy, ethical consumerism, futuristic concerns about body modification and if fascism is left wing or right wing.

In the finale I continue the story of liberalism vs libertarianism into the middle of the twentieth century. We explore the Keynes vs Hayek debate, the formulation of the modern welfare state and the 1945 general election. The finale also covers the different battlegrounds of ideological competition and ends by arguing for a particular understanding of what political change is and how it is possible.

What does Brexit mean for peace in Ireland, Parliamentary democracy, and the British constitution? How should we think about the motivations and actions of all involved? Is there any way forward from here? Cathy Barry joins the podcast to help me make sense of it all. Cathy is editor of the Irish philosophy blog www.irishphilosophy.com You can follow her on twitter @cathyby and @irishphilosophy You can support this podcast at: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalPhilosophyPodcast

Without free will or agency is morality possible? What could we ever really say we know about morality, is such knowledge possible and how would we go about knowing it? I go deep in my second part with Aaron from the Embrace The Void podcast. https://voidpod.com https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalPhilosophyPodcast

MORAL LUCK A Conversation With ETV's Aaron Rabinowitz by Toby Buckle

What was the sexuality of the historical Jesus? Did he have romantic partners? What did Jesus and Paul teach about teach about the desirability or permissibility of sex, what where their views on the family, and how should all of that impact how we live today?

Dale Martin returns to the podcast! We cover Paul’s ideas about resurrection, the gender of the resurrected dead, the gender spectrum in the ancient world, the modern invention of the male/ female dichotomy, and postmodernism.

The first world war and economic crisis explode into the world in the 3rd part of our series on the ideologies of libertarianism and progressive liberalism. How do ideologies deal with huge system shocks like these? What is the role of elites in ideological creation and consumption?

In the second part of my series on the history of libertarianism I look at how the competition between libertarianism and progressive liberalism escalated to competition over scientific metaphors. The origin, and ideological weaponization of, the phrase “survival of the fittest”, and the introduction to the ideological fight of Newtonian mechanics.

In the second part of my conversation with Rupert Read we cover private language, essential contestability and political ideologies. We also discuss if it is possible to escape political ideologies or the use of power: Can we carve out true friendships separate from the forms of oppression that surround us?

Dr. Rupert Read returns to the podcast to provide an introduction to Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language. We cover Wittgenstein’s life, his approach to philosophy, his value to us, and the metaphors of family resemblances, word games, and money. https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalPhilosophyPodcast

By audience selection, I cover the intellectual and ideological history of libertarianism. What were its origins and what was is reacting against? I also attempt to place these developments in their historical context and discuss how they affected the world, our current institutions, and even how we think now.

In the second part of our conversation, Shadi Hamid and I get into a conversation about the contradictions of liberal universality. Should we want Islamists to become liberals for instance? Shadi argues for a liberalism that can appeal to the most possible people and I argue that, given we can never escape contestable premises, a liberalism based on progress best makes sense of these contradictions. Sponsor the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalPhilosophyPodcast

Shadi Hamid discusses the different types of Islamism and their beliefs about government, democracy, and Islamic law. We also cover perceptions of Islam and its relationship with liberalism.

Christian Miller joins the podcast to discuss his book The Character Gap. What does it mean to have good character? What are, if any, the meta ethical foundations of this? Why should we develop character, and what are the factors that determines if people exhibit positive character traits in any given situation?

In the second part of our conversation Philip Pettit gives his answer to the challenge of the first; creating a reconstructive account of morality that explains its nature, the origins of desirability and responsibility, and why we should be moral. As mentioned in the intro I’ve decided not to accept offers for paid advertisements for the podcast and will be attempting to fund it solely through listener support. You can sponsor us for any amount through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalPhilosophyPodcast

Philip Pettit returns to the podcast to discuss his latest work The Birth of Ethics. We set of the challenge of resolving the seeming paradox of ethical truth in a naturalistic universe:  In a world explained by science with 'nothing spooky' going on, how, and why, would morality emerge?

I Answer listener questions on a range of topics then give extended answers defending my views on free will (and how they relate to my views on religion and social justice and explaining my I think the arguments that race and IQ are linked are both flawed and dangerous.