Converging Dialogues

Latest Episodes:

#31- Crisis! The Current State of the Social Sciences: A Dialogue with Lee Jussim Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lee Jussim about stereotypes, bias, and the current state of the social sciences. They talk about the scientific data on stereotypes, good and bad stereotypes, and how one understands stereotypes. They discuss some of the history of studies in social psychology and how that has changed currently. They discuss social perception and bias and give a detail description on how there is no general or universal definition of implicit bias. They talk about the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and some of the implications of this test. They also discuss some of the research on self-fulfilling prophecies along with Lee's current work in advocating for healthy viewpoint diversity within academia.

Lee Jussim is a social psychologist and the Chair of Psychology at Rutgers University. He continues to run the Social Perception lab at Rutgers and is extremely well published over the past 30 years on social perception, stereotypes, and bias. You can find many of his scholarly papers here. You can also find his popular writing here. Twitter: @psychrabble

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#30 - The Hidden Source of Consciousness: A Dialogue with Mark Solms Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Mark Solms about consciousness, emotions, and how we understand the human psyche. They begin by discussing how Mark become involved in neuropsychology and psychoanalysis and how he combines these two worlds. They also discuss how he became involved with the late great Jaak Panksepp and their work on brainstem arousal and affect. They discuss Panksepp's seven affective states and make a distinction between drives, instincts, affect, emotions, and feelings. They talked about Mark's own work in understanding emotions in humans and locating some of the origins of consciousness in the reticular activating system and the periaqueductal gray (PAG). They discuss how consciousness could be in other animals and give some discussion on free will. They talk about the importance of bodily homeostasis and how it's a key feature for consciousness. They also provide some analysis and critique of the work done on emotions by Lisa Feldman-Barrett and also talk about some of the overemphasis on cognitive science.

Mark Solms is a neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst. He holds the chair of neuropsychology at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and is also the research chair for the International Psychoanalytic Association. He has written eight books with his most recent, The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness, which can be found here. You can find a list of his scholarly publications here. Twitter: @mark_solms

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#29 - Video Games, Madness, and Our Society: A Dialogue with Christopher Ferguson Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Christopher Ferguson about violence in mass media such as video games, madness with historical and political figures, and the implications for our society. They discuss the standard view of violent mass media and the idea that they influence behaviors in society. They talk about how reward-based video games are less common and do not translate to behavior within society. They discuss the current literature on violence in mass media and social behavior. They also mention some practical elements of kids playing video games.

The second half of the conversation centered around Chris' new book and some of the motivations for writing the book. They talk about the importance of understanding the psychological profiles of historical and political leaders and why that matters. They parse out the differences between insanity, madness, and mental illness. They dialogue about some of the history of institutionalization and de-institutionalization. They also discuss challenges with diagnostic criteria, delineations between psychopathy and sociopathy, and the progressive changes within society.

Christopher Ferguson is a clinical psychologist, professor, and writer. He teaches psychology at Stetson University and continues to conduct research on mass media violence. He is the author of two non-fiction books. His first book, Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong and his most recent book, How Madness Shaped History: An Eccentric Array of Maniacal Rulers, Raving Narcissists, and psychotic Visionaries are both available here. You can find many links to his various publications and articles at his website. Twitter: @cjferguson1111

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#28 - Genetics, Race, and Populations: A Dialogue with Razib Khan Mar 08, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Razib Khan about genetics, how to understand populations and racial categories through genetics, and some of the social implications. They start by discussing the basics of genetics, the differences between DNA and genes, and how genes work over time. They talk about the different groups of humans as a species and understanding humans as a type of "super species." They discuss modern-day humans and how they spread around the world. They dialogue about the origins of Western Hemisphere Indigenous tribes and some of the genetic significance of Genghis Khan. They also mention some of the population structures of India. They also discuss how to understand genetics with race and some of the differences between race and ethnicity.

Razib Khan is a geneticist, writer, and podcaster. He has written for many scholarly journals on genetics. He has also written many pieces for mainstream outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and National Review. You can find all of his work, including his substack page here. Twitter: @razibkhan

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#27 - Mixed Race Identity and Pragmatic Conservatism: A Dialogue with John Wood Jr. Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with John Wood Jr. about race, ethnicity, and conservatism. They discuss John's background both publicly and personally and the Braver Angels Organization. They dialogue about how biracial/multiracial people view race differently from people that are not biracial. They talk about the individual as a starting line for understanding people and then moving outward towards their group identity. They also talked about conservatism and how he identifies with black conservatism. They also talk about how he reconciles Burkean conservatism with modern-day conservatism and many other topics.

John Wood Jr. is a writer, speaker, and National leader for Braver Angels. He is a former nominee for congress, former Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County. He is also a musical artist. You can find his page with his articles here. Twitter: @johnrwoodjr

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#26 - Getting Personal with Nietzsche and Heidegger: A Dialogue with David Hoinski Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Hoinski about the personal implications of philosophy and some of the major works of Nietzsche and Heidegger. They discuss how philosophical ideas are connected with each philosopher's life and give a broad overview of both continental and analytic philosophy. They talk about how philosophy works through time and seeing philosophy as a type of hyperlinking ideas. They provide a background of Nietzsche and discuss his main concepts of will to power, eternal recurrence of the same, Zarathustra, and religion. They also discuss the personal life and philosophical ideas of Heidegger. They question whether philosophers should be morally good along with some of the pragmatic elements of philosophy in society.

David Hoinski is a philosopher and writer. He is an Assistant Professor of philosophy at West Virginia University where he emphasizes ancient philosophy, modern German philosophy, and ethical/political philosophy. David is an esteemed bibliophile and speaks German and Ancient Greek. Twitter: @davidfahoinski

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#25 - Postmodernism, Phenomenology, and Lived Experiences: A Dialogue with Bret Alderman Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Bret Alderman concerning postmodernism, phenomenology, and lived experiences. They provide an overview of postmodernism and deconstructionism along with explaining why language is central for this perspective. They talk about Saussure's structuralism of language as juxtaposed with a postmodern view of language. They discuss the problems with postmodernism/deconstructionism and talk about the concepts of the other, power, and oppression. They provide a detailed analysis of lived experiences and the original intent of Husserl's thinking behind coining this term. They also discuss some of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology and many other topics.

Bret Alderman has a PhD in depth psychology and is also a life coach. Outside of his clinical work and life coach capacity, he has taught courses in human behavior, neuroscience, biopsychology, and intercultural communication. He is the author of Symptom, Symbol, and the Other of Language: A Jungian Interpretation of the Linguistic Turn. You can find his work at his website. Twitter: @drbretalderman

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#24 - Deserts: Free Will and Moral Responsibility: A Dialogue with Gregg Caruso Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Gregg Caruso about free will, moral responsibility, and retributive justice. They begin with discussing the motivation and process for writing his new book with Daniel Dennett. They provide a definition of free will and the term, desert. They talk about the interaction of free will with retributive justice and punishment. They also discuss the notion of luck and the three layers associated with this concept. They talk about the role of moral and social emotions with free will and the various ways of doing preventive and rehabilitative justice. They also discuss the social determinants involved with criminal behavior and many other topics.

Gregg Caruso is a philosopher, professor, author, and speaker. He is currently a professor of philosophy at SUNY Corning and Honorary Professor of philosophy at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Just Deserts: Debating Free Will (Co-authored with Daniel Dennett) and Rejecting Retributivism: Free Will, Punishment, and Criminal justice are his two most recent books published this year. You can find his work at his website. Twitter: @greggdcaruso

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#23 - The Underrated Magnum Opus of George Washington: A Dialogue with Lindsay Chervinsky Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lindsay M. Chervinsky about George Washington's creation of the cabinet. They discuss how Washington created the cabinet and constructed the framework for future presidents. They talk about the initial makeup of the cabinet and some of the individuals within the cabinet. They discuss the four major principles that Washington used as general and then transferred to his creation of the cabinet. They explore the use of "homework" that Washington gave for his cabinet members. They describe how Washington set the tone for future administrations and how his administrative genius was similar to Grant and Eisenhower presidencies. They also mention some of the other presidential cabinets such as FDR and Lincoln and their own imprint on the institution. They also talk about the current Biden cabinet and many other topics.

Lindsay M. Chervinsky is a historian, author, and speaker. She obtained her PhD in history from the University of California, Davis and is a scholar at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies. She is also a professor at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. You can find her work at her website. Twitter: @lmchervinsky

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#22 - Statistical Value of Personality: A Dialogue with Allie Choate Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Allie Choate about the statistical aspects of measuring personality. They start the conversation by giving a general definition of psychopathology and p-factor. They discuss some internalizing and externalizing factors of p-factor and how it operates laterally with the g-factor of intelligence. They talk about which disorders the p-factor correlates most and how it is implicated. They provide a larger discussion around personality disorders along with the co-morbidity of personality disorders with other clinical disorders. Allie shares findings from her research with borderline personality disorder and psychopathy and the surrounding literature on these topics. They discuss the bifactor model/factor analyses that are used to understanding psychopathology research and many other topics.

Allie Choate is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology with her research focused on personality pathology and quantitative methods to understand psychological phenomena. Twitter: @alliemchoate

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