Patterson in Pursuit

Latest Episodes:

Logic is Not a Convention Aug 24, 2016

Show notes

Is logic just a Western convention? Do other cultures have other logics?

No and no. Logic is the inescapable rules of existence, and those rules do not depend on our conception or understanding of them.

They are presupposed by every thought and every proposition. I didn't invent the laws of logic, but I've discovered them, along with many other philosophers throughout history.

Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 19 - Three Basic Concepts in Economics | Dr. Donald Boudreaux Aug 22, 2016

Show notes

An increasing amount of "experts" do not seem to understand the basics of their field. Economics is no exception.

To understand the world, I am convinced one must understand economics - and you have to start with the basic concepts. If the basics are wrong, your analysis will be foundationally flawed.

I'm joined by Dr. Donald Boudreaux, who writes a lot about the basics, and we cover some of the important ideas that have to be understood before analyzing anything more complex.

Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Hiding Behind Abstractions Aug 22, 2016

Show notes

When two people disagree, their ideas are not automatically equally plausible. Some ideas are superior than others.

Proposition X is not equally reasonable as proposition Y simply because they are both propositions. I call this an "abstraction error", and you see it everywhere in the world of ideas.

Cultures, ideas, political theories, epistemologies - we cannot evaluate them in the abstract. We have to dive into the concrete.

Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 18 - Democracy, More or Less | Dr. Bruce Cain Aug 14, 2016

Show notes

Democracy is almost universally seen as a good thing, but it has serious drawbacks.

Is there any alternative to democracy? Are there any constraints on democracy? Is there any recourse a minority has when a majority wants to oppress them?

What makes democracy - and government in general - legitimate?

To help me answer these questions in political theory, I'm joined by Dr. Bruce Cain of Stanford University.

Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Faith and Reason Aug 10, 2016

Show notes

"You've just got to have faith!"

I heard that a million times growing up, and it never sat well with me. Once I understood the methodological error of faith, the world of rational analysis opened up for me. If you value the truth, there is no room for beliefs without reason.

Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Physicalism and Spirituality Aug 03, 2016

Show notes

Physicalism does not escape from absurd conclusions.

Indeed, many physicalists have found a new kind of spirituality by understanding the implications of hard-determinism. If humans are essentially part of the universe, and humans are becoming aware of the universe, then - in a very real sense - the universe is in the process of becoming aware of itself.

Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 17 - Oxford Analysis | Interview Breakdown Jul 31, 2016

Show notes

What is logic? Can something be true and false at the same time? Can we ever have perfect certainty? Those are some of the epistemological questions I asked the philosopher Dr. Timothy Williamson of Oxford University.

We also dove into the metaphysics of concepts and mathematics - and here we had the greatest disagreement. Do concepts have any existence outside of our conception of them? He says yes, I say no, and the consequences are very large.

Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Tautologies Must Not Be Dismissed Jul 28, 2016

Show notes

"Trivial, dogmatic, and useless" - that's the professional reputation of tautologies.

I don't think tautologies deserve their reputation. In fact, I think they are profound and foundational to any critical worldview.

Here are three reasons why the orthodox philosophic position regarding tautologies is mistaken.

Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 16 - What is Logic? | Dr. Timothy Williamson Jul 24, 2016

Show notes

Logic has been called many things - "the rules of language", "the rules of reasoning", "the rules of existence", and so on. I want to know what logic is, so I spoke with Dr. Timothy Williamson of Oxford University to help me find out.

We cover a ton of great topics - the nature of logic, language, paradoxes, and the metaphysics of concepts and numbers.

Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

The Paradox of Buridan's Ass Jul 19, 2016

Show notes

Imagine a hungry donkey standing exactly between two identical bales of hay. Could it choose between them?

The paradox of Buridan's ass is an old, famous paradox going back thousands of years. I think it contains a mistaken premise, but if we're careful, we can formulate it in a way to paralyze our donkey.

The example helps us think clearly about what it means to be "identical" and "different."

Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe