Patterson in Pursuit

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 5 - American Pragmatism | Dr. John Stuhr May 08, 2016

Show notes

American Pragmatism is a philosophy that's been around for more
than a century. It's recently seen a renaissance in the last few
decades, and I'm talking this week with Dr. John Stuhr, who has
written several books on the topic.

We cover pragmatism from the basics to more advanced concepts,
and I get to ask Dr. Stuhr a ton of questions in my own pursuit of
understanding the philosophy.

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The Sliding Scale of Certainty May 04, 2016

Show notes

A central question in philosophy is "Can we know anything with perfect certainty?" Either way you answer - yes or no - has big implications. Here's my answer in five minutes.

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Ep. 4 - Irrational Voters, Law without Government, and the Case Against Education | Dr. Bryan Caplan May 01, 2016

Show notes

Do democracies really make the best decisions? Should we
encourage everyone to vote, even if they don't understand the
issues?

I am joined today by Dr. Bryan Caplan, who is a professor of
economics at George Mason University. He's also the author of "The
Myth of the Rational Voter" (http://amzn.to/1Wn9xi4), which takes a
skeptical look at the reliability of voting.

We also discuss the educational establishment, from K-12 to
Higher Ed, and Dr. Caplan proposes what he calls the "signaling
model" of education.

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

The Death of Skepticism Apr 26, 2016

Show notes

Skepticism used to be a way of thinking, but nowadays, it's turned into a fashionable clique. Calling yourself a "skeptic" today means you identify with three core ideas - atheism, physicalism, and empiricism. The "skeptics movement" has crowded out people who dissent, and in the process, they've become more dogmatic than those they criticize.

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Ep. 3 - Consciousness and Subjectivity | Dr. Emrys Westacott Apr 21, 2016

Show notes

Consciousness remains a metaphysical mystery. Scientists don't understand it, philosophers don't understand it, and neither does anybody else. Is everything in the universe fundamentally physical, or is there something more? Is the physicalist worldview incomplete? Why should first-person experience exist in the first place?

Dr. Emrys Westacott is a professor of philosophy at Alfred University. You can read his great introductory book here: http://amzn.to/242NO1B

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Ep. 2 - Is There Objective Truth? | Dr. Emrys Westacott Apr 21, 2016

Show notes

Is there objective truth, or is everything ultimately subjective? Can we know with certainty? These questions are central in philosophy, and it's where we begin the series.

Dr. Emrys Westacott is a professor of philosophy at Alfred University. You can get his excellent introductory book Thinking Through Philosophy here: http://amzn.to/242NO1B

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

Ep. 1 - Introduction Apr 20, 2016

Show notes

Introduction to the show. Who I am and what the show is about. Philosophy and interviews across the world. Talking with intellectuals and professors about big ideas. Covering philosophy, science, religion, politics, economics, mathematics, libertarian theory, and much more.

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

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