Brain in a Vat

Latest Episodes:

Cultural Appropriation | Stephen Kershnar (Rebroadcast) Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

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?

Aztec Philosophy: What the Aztecs Knew About Life | Sebastian Purcell Sep 22, 2025

Show notes

How did the Aztecs understand life, morality, and human purpose? What can Aztec philosophy teach us about living well?

Sebastian Purcell guides us through Aztec thought, beginning with a thought experiment from Homer’s Odyssey and moving into the core ideas of Aztec wisdom.

Along the way, he contrasts Aztec ethics with Western traditions and applies them to modern debates on morality, from sex and meat consumption to life’s ultimate purpose. The conversation also takes on difficult topics like human sacrifice and sexual norms, showing how Aztec thought continues to challenge and enrich philosophy today.

Chapters:

[00:32] Odysseus and the Genie: A Thought Experiment

[04:40] The Concept of Rootedness

[08:17] Aztec Obligations and the Good Life

[19:12] Shared Agency and Virtue

[27:51] The Challenge of Community Bubbles

[28:58] Aztec Views on Community and Travel

[32:44] Human Sacrifice: Myth or Reality?

[48:51] Aztec Moral Framework and Applied Ethics

[53:03] Sexual Ethics in Aztec Society

[57:06] Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Assassination of Charlie Kirk Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, Mark and Jasondiscuss the tragic assassination of political commentator, Charlie Kirk. The episode discusses Kirk's commitment to open dialogue and civil discourse, particularly on college campuses, and critique the societal implications of hisdeath.

The episode delves into themes of free speech, academicfreedom, and the dangerous conflation of words and violence. Jason and Mark also address arguments attempting to justify or minimize Kirk's assassination,advocating instead for a return to civility and the importance of open, reasoned debate.

00:00 Introduction and Tribute to Charlie Kirk

01:22 The Importance of Civil Discourse

03:47 The Dangers of Conflating Words and Violence

05:00 Free Speech and Academic Freedom

10:04 Philosophical Perspectives on Assassination

15:01 The Impact on Society and Free Speech

16:14 Addressing Arguments Justifying the Assassination

27:04 Reflecting on Empathy and Society's Response

29:18 Conclusion: A Call for Civility

Using AI to Fight Crime | David Boonin (Rebroadcast) Sep 07, 2025

Show notes

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?

Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction to AI in Crime Fighting

[00:12] Thought Experiment: The Looting Scenario

[06:32] Predictive Policing and AI

[10:13] Debating the Ethics of AI in Law Enforcement

[23:26] Affirmative Action and Racial Profiling

[37:51] Balancing Crime Reduction and Social Engineering

[39:00] AI in Sentencing: Benefits and Challenges

[40:08] Algorithmic Transparency and Legal Implications

[43:15] The Opaque Jury Argument

[47:44] Fairness vs. Accuracy in Legal Decisions

[57:25] Philosophical Implications of Opaque Decision-Making

Are We Free at Work? Marx on Capitalism Today | Brian Leiter Aug 31, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Brain in a Vat, we’re joined by Brian Leiter, co-author (with Jamie Edwards) of a new book on Marx. We explore whether workers in contemporary capitalism are truly free—or trapped in a form of “wage slavery.” Leiter uses thought experiments to probe the limits of workplace freedom. He also examines Marx’s labor theory of value—its strengths and flaws—and shows how modern capitalism both confirms and diverges from Marx’s predictions.

The conversation then turns to labor, technological change, human nature, and artificial intelligence—culminating in a pressing question: what futures of work await us under capitalism?

Read "Marx (The Routledge Philosophers)" by Brian Leiter and Jaime Edwards here: https://www.amazon.com/Marx-Routledge-Philosophers-Brian-Leiter/dp/1138938505

Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction and Guest Welcome

[00:18] Thought Experiment: Are You a Wage Slave?

[02:10] Free Labor vs. Unfree Labor

[05:11] Historical Context and Modern Implications

[16:07] Capitalism's Role in Technological Progress

[20:22] Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work

[32:05] The Essential Nature of Human Beings

[38:59] Critiques of Marx's Naivety

[46:25] Technological Innovation and Labor

[51:33] Marx's Labor Theory of Value

[58:18] Fetishism of Commodities

[01:00:59] Future of Capitalism and Human Nature

[01:10:14] Concluding Thoughts on Marx and Capitalism

The Possible Worlds of David Lewis | Barry Lam (Rebroadcast) Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

What are possible worlds? Could you have been born to different parents, and could an object be both completely green and completely red? Barry Lam explains how David Lewis’s views on possible worlds can help us understand everything from time travel to the nature of who we are.

Procreative Ethics | Rivka Weinberg (Rebroadcast) Aug 17, 2025

Show notes

Is it wrong to bring new life into the world? Is adopting a child a moral obligation? Is parenting meaningful?

Imagine There’s No Gender | Holly Lawford-Smith [with Raja Halwani] (Rebroadcast) Aug 10, 2025

Show notes

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?

The Moral Lives of Spies | Cécile Fabre Aug 03, 2025

Show notes

What does a spy owe — to their country, their conscience, or their cause? In this episode, Cécile Fabre investigates the moral lives of Cold War operatives like Kim Philby and Oleg Gordievsky. With Fabre, we probe the strange morality of spies and the ethical paradoxes they inhabit.

Is it ever right to betray your country? Can deception be a moral duty? These questions come to life through real stories of espionage. Competing ethical frameworks — such as utilitarian, deontological, and virtue-based — offer different judgments on such acts. We also confront the role of ideology, the weight of consequences, and the question of whether loyalty to the state should override personal conscience.

From secrets and double agents to the philosophy of trust and betrayal, this conversation delves into what it really means to be a “moral” spy.

Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction to Espionage

[00:30] Case Study: Kim Philby

[02:48] Case Study: Oleg Gordievsky

[05:32] Ethical Dilemmas in Espionage

[09:55] Philosophical Perspectives on Treason

[30:48] Role Morality and Consequentialism

[43:52] Virtue Ethics and the Spy's Conduct

[58:21] The Duty to Betray

[01:01:24] Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Right to Sex | Raja Halwani (Rebroadcast) Jul 27, 2025

Show notes

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?

[00:00] Introduction and Guest Welcome

[00:16] Exploring the Right to Sex: Thought Experiment

[03:43] Negative vs. Positive Rights to Sex

[09:50] State-Sponsored Sex Work and Ethical Considerations

[11:52] Sexual Obligations and Imperfect Duties

[23:51] Rights to Sex in Relationships and Marriage

[30:43] Philosophical Grounds and Parallel Cases

[31:29] Moral Implications of Ending Sexual Activity

[34:17] Third-Party Interference in Sexual Rights

[37:39] Sexual Rights in Mental Institutions

[49:24] Social Justice and the Right to Sex

[53:51] Challenges to Social Justice Arguments

[58:14] Concluding Thoughts on Sexual Rights and Justice

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