January 2016
January 2016
Religion and the Art of Living
John Perry
28
Jan 2016
Religion offers us a comforting and inspiring vision of human existence. In the Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Islam and Christianity, a just but loving and merciful God created the universe. He’s in charge. And he’s got a plan -- not just for the universe as a whole, but for each of us. Seems like it would be nice to wake up in the morning as a part of all that.
Read moreNations and Borders
Laura Maguire
22
Jan 2016
What gives nations the right to control who can cross their borders? That’s the question we’re addressing in this week’s show. After all, in some sense we’re all citizens of this planet with an equal right to its bounty, so shouldn’t we all be able to live and work wherever we want?
Read moreThe Divine Shape Shifter
Neil Van Leeuwen
14
Jan 2016
I just listened to the Philosophy Talk episode with Father Andrew Pinsent, Good, Evil, and the Divine Plan. In that show, John and Ken push Father Andrew on the Problem of Evil. What are the implications of the existence of evil for the question of God’s existence?
Read moreSartre's Existentialism
John Perry
13
Jan 2016
Jean-Paul Sartre was one of my favorites when I was an undergraduate. I enjoyed his novels and plays, and his great essay “Existentialism as Humanism. “ And I once even read a good bit of "Being and Nothingness," his 700 page magnum opus. So what did Sartre mean by saying that we are radically free, and that we are condemned to be free? And what is existentialism?
Read moreLife and Death in Prison
Laura Maguire
07
Jan 2016
Because of some very harsh mandatory minimum sentencing laws, the U.S. incarcerates a huge number of people, many of whom are serving life without the possibility of parole. This country now has about one quarter of the world’s prison population, which is remarkable, if you consider that we’re not even 5% of the total world population. And our prison population is also rapidly aging, which means that it’s a population with more and more health issues.
Read moreThe Politics of Illusion: From Socrates and Psychoanalysis to Donald Trump
David Livingstone Smith
03
Jan 2016
Perhaps the most remarkable (and, for many, alarming) political event in 2015 has been the rise of Donald Trump. At first, many people thought of Trump as an amusing sideshow. Over the months, mass-media talking heads (and also lots of my philosopher friends) kept repeating that there’s “no chance” of Trump getting the republican nomination, and therefore that there’s “no chance” of his becoming president of the United States. After each of his inflammatory statements, they declared that this time Trump has “gone too far” and predicted his downfall.
Read moreThe Examined Year: 2015 - Uncut
Devon Strolovitch
02
Jan 2016
Happy new year from your friendly neighborhood producer. With John and Ken taking a well-deserved break, I thought I’d offer a look behind the scenes at some of what it takes – radio-wise – to examine the year that was.
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