Patterson in Pursuit

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 10 - Christian Beliefs, Experiences | Dr. Bob Murphy Jun 12, 2016

Show notes

Religion is too quickly dismissed by modern intellectuals. Religious or spiritual experience is a relatively universal phenomenon, and it deserves the same level of rational analysis as the rest of our worldview.

My guest today is Dr. Bob Murphy, who is a professional economist, author, and a self-described "born-again Christian". We talk about his beliefs, justification, and personal experiences with the faith.

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Assume Everybody is Wrong Jun 08, 2016

Show notes

Everybody is wrong about everything all the time. That's my life motto.

You can't simply believe something because somebody told you so. You have to doubt. The deeper you dive into philosophy, the more you realize how important the fundamentals are, and the more you realize how few people understand the fundamentals.

Therefore, it's better to simply assume people are wrong about everything from the start.

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Ep. 9 - Logic, Contradictions, and Dialetheism | Dr. Justin Clarke-Doane Jun 05, 2016

Show notes

Can something be true at false at the same time? Some philosophers think so. I don't, but my guest does. Questions of logic and epistemology are at the foundation for everyone's philosophy, and the stakes couldn't be higher.

If contradictions are possible, that's a big deal.

If contradictions aren't possible, that's also a big deal.

You have to decide for yourself.

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Does the Mind Have Access to Objective Truth? Jun 01, 2016

Show notes

Do our minds have access to objective reality, or are we stuck inside our own heads? Do we need to "get outside our minds" to verify whether our claims about the world are true?

These questions have enormous implications for our entire philosophy. They are about the fundamental relationship between the mind and the world.

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Ep. 8 - Completed Infinities: Possible or Not? | Dr. Gary McGuire May 29, 2016

Show notes

"Completed infinities" are at the center of modern mathematics. Their existence is taken as a foundational axiom. I must admit: I think this is an error - a logical mistake. Infinity, by definition, cannot be completed, right?

I am joined by Dr. Gary McGuire, the head of Mathematics and Statistics at the University College Dublin. To my surprise, Gary also expresses skepticism about completed infinities.

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Against "Doing the Right Thing" May 25, 2016

Show notes

Most ethical questions are framed incorrectly. Morality isn't about actions and consequences. It is about intention. Thinking this way avoids a number of popular ethical dilemmas, like the infamous trolley problems.

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Ep. 7 - Egoism, Religion, Ayn Rand | Michael Malice May 22, 2016

Show notes

Selfish or simply honest? Egoist philosophy doesn't win popularity contents, but it does claim to be intellectually consistent. The self, they claim, is at the center of all moral values.

I am joined by Michael Malice, who is a best-selling author and self-described egoist. We talk about the philosophy, his thoughts on atheism, and some problems with Ayn Rand's Objectivism.

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Chairs Do Not Exist May 18, 2016

Show notes

The physical world is made up of particles, not objects. Objects are abstractions - they are conceptual boundaries we put around clumps of matter. Without the mind, those boundaries wouldn't exist.

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Ep. 6 - Interview Breakdown: Pragmatism, Objective Truth, and Anarchism May 15, 2016

Show notes

My analysis of the philosophies presented so far - covering pragmatism, anarchist legal systems, objective truth, the philosophy of mind, and autodidacticism.

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Democracy Fail: Trump versus Sanders May 11, 2016

Show notes

It's taboo to criticize democracy. However, if we want to have clear political philosophies, we need to look at both the theory and the practice of democracy. Voters in New Hampshire freely chose a self-described socialist and a thinly-veiled fascist as their #1 picks. That should trouble us.

With a little effort, we might be able to construct a superior political system that doesn't allow foolish politicians to enact foolish policies.

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