Patterson in Pursuit

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 15 - Anarchist Intuition | Libertarian Political Philosophy Jul 17, 2016

Show notes

Anarchism is a scary word, but it's a sensible political philosophy. Over the last several years, I've been persuaded by libertarian anarchism, and I think it's important to cover the basic ways of thinking about political issues as an anarchist.

In this episode, I want to give you the groundwork for an anarchist's intuition.

Note: by "anarchism", I am referring to "market anarchism", not "socialist/communist anarchism." There's a big difference between the two.

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Resolving the Liar's Paradox Jul 14, 2016

Show notes

This sentence is false. Is that sentence true or false? If it's true, it's false. If it's false, it's true. This is the liar's paradox, and philosophers have been debating it for thousands of years.

From what I can tell, it's tricky, but it can be resolved with a little inspection. We don't need to throw out classical logic.

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Ep. 14 - Understanding Quantum Physics | Dr. Simon Saunders Jul 11, 2016

Show notes

A great deal has been written about how "weird" quantum physics is. Many wild and radical ideas are drawn from the field. However, few people seem to understand the basic concepts.

Before we evaluate the different theories in quantum physics, we need to grasp the fundamentals - the theories, data, and philosophy surrounding quantum events.

I am joined by Dr. Simon Saunders of Oxford University, who is a professor of the philosophy of physics, and he lays out the basic ideas.

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Everything is Grounded in Logic Jul 06, 2016

Show notes

Logic is the secret to all critical thinking. It is the root of every philosophical tree. When you understand what "necessity" means, you'll start grasping the most fundamental principle in the universe.

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Ep. 13 - Austrian Economics: Deduction, Logic, and Theory | Dr. Peter Boettke Jul 03, 2016

Show notes

The Austrian School of economics is outside the mainstream, but I find their arguments compelling. Specifically, their claims about the epistemological status of economic theory - the philosophy of economics.

My guest is Dr. Peter Boettke from George Mason University. He is an Austrian School proponent, and we dive into some of the deeper questions surrounding the nature of pure logic in economic theory.

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Can You Judge Intelligence by Beliefs? Jun 29, 2016

Show notes

Can you judge somebody's intelligence by their beliefs? The polite answer is "No! Of course not!" But my own experiences make me think otherwise.

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Ep. 12 - Brexit! Jun 26, 2016

Show notes

Coming to you from London, England. Was the Brexit a good idea? As a libertarian, the situation is mixed. On the one hand, decentralizing power is a good thing. On the other hand, a Brexit might lead towards higher tariffs and protectionism.

On the whole, I think the pro's outweigh the con's. The principle of self-governance is more important than short-term economic gains.

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

From Conservative to Anarchist Jun 22, 2016

Show notes

I used to be a conservative, and then I was introduced to the libertarian political philosophy, which slowly turned me into an anarchist.

It sounds like a radical conclusion, but it comes from basic principles in economics and ethics. This article covers my personal intellectual journey.

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

Ep. 11 - Contradictions at Columbia | Interview Breakdown Jun 19, 2016

Show notes

This week is another breakdown episode, where I focus primarily on the interview about logical contradictions at Columbia. Dr. Justin Clarke-Doane was arguing that logical contradictions can be understood and incorporated into our worldview. I couldn't more strongly disagree, and I wasn't too impressed with his argument. This is why.

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The Logic of Nothing Jun 15, 2016

Show notes

When people talk about nothing, what are they really talking about? How can you talk about nothing - unless nothing is actually something?

Many Eastern philosophies (Buddhism, in particular) believe that nothing is something, and a few Western philosophies do as well. But they are mistaken.

If we value a rational and logically consistent worldview, we have to understand exactly what nothing is - or more precisely, what it isn't.

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