WHY? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life

Getting Good Out of The Bad Feb 09, 2025

In this episode of the WHY Podcast, Jack sits down with Krista Thomason, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Swarthmore College, to explore the intriguing idea of finding value in negative emotions. Krista, author of Dancing with the Devil: Why Bad Feelings Make Life Good, delves into how emotions like shame, guilt, and anger can, paradoxically, lead to personal growth and a deeper moral life. Drawing from her expertise in philosophy of emotion and moral philosophy, Krista offers thought-provoking insights on how negative feelings can be an essential part of a meaningful life. Tune in for a conversation that challenges conventional views and reimagines the role of uncomfortable emotions in our pursuit of well-being.

When Is Life Good Enough Jan 12, 2025

In this episode of the WHY Podcast, Jack sits down with Avram Alpert, author of The Good-Enough Life, to explore the philosophical question: "When is life good enough?" Alpert, a writer, teacher, and Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Art and Theory Program in NYC, discusses the themes of the book, which challenges the notion of perfectionism and advocates for a more realistic, fulfilling approach to life. Drawing from experience, history, and his academic background, Alpert offers insights on how we can live well without striving for unattainable ideals.

Touch: Our Most Vital Sense Nov 10, 2024

In this episode of WHY: Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life, host Jack Russell Weinstein speaks with Richard Kearney, a distinguished philosopher and author of Touch: Recovering Our Most Vital Sense.

What is Dignity? Oct 14, 2024

Host Jack Russell Weinstein interviews Michael Rosen, a distinguished professor of Ethics and Politics at Harvard University and author of Dignity: Its History and Meaning. Their conversation explores the multifaceted nature of dignity, tracing its historical evolution and examining its significance in contemporary discourse. Rosen, who specializes in political theory and the history of ideas, shares his insights on how dignity shapes our understanding of ethics, rights, and social justice. Throughout the discussion, Jack and Michael engage with various philosophical traditions, emphasizing the importance of dignity in both individual lives and collective society.

“Is Plato Still Relevant?” Sep 08, 2024

Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Marina McCoy, professor of philosophy at Boston College. She is the author of the books Plato on the Rhetoric of Philosophers and Sophists (Cambridge University Press, 2007) , Wounded Heroes: Vulnerability as a Virtue in Ancient Greek Literature and Philosophy (Oxford U Press, 2013), and Image and Argument in Plato’s Republic (SUNY, 2020). Her interests range from ancient philosophy to ethics and the philosophy of mass incarceration and environmental ethics.

“Can You Be an Ethical Spy?” Aug 11, 2024

Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Cecile Fabre, political philosopher, and Senior Research Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. She is also Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Oxford, and affiliated with the Faculty of Philosophy, the Department of Politics and International Relations, and Nuffield College, Oxford. Her research interests are in theories of distributive justice; the philosophy of democracy; just war theory; the ethics of foreign policy, with particular focus on the ethics of economic statecraft and the ethics of espionage.

“What is Love?” Jul 14, 2024

Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Simon Philip Walter May, visiting professor of philosophy at King's College, London, and at Birkbeck College, University of London. May is the author of "Love: A History," published by Yale University Press, 2011.

ALERT ... refresh for "Is America's Democracy Failing" Jun 10, 2024

If you haven't already listened to the June episode, you may need to refresh your download to get the long version. The shorter broadcast version was initially posted.

“Is America’s Democracy Failing?” Jun 09, 2024

Jack visits with Adam Lovett, the author of "Democratic Failures and the Ethics of Democracy." (University of Pennsylvania Press) Lovett is a lecturer at Australian Catholic University in the School of Philosophy.

Am I Right to Be Offended? May 14, 2024

Emily McTernan, author of On Taking Offence, talks about the role of being offended in modern life.

“Police and the Ethics of Lying” Apr 14, 2024

Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Luke William Hunt. Hunt is a former FBI agent, and currently an associate professor at University of Alabama, Department of Philosophy. His most recent book is "Police Deception and Dishonesty – The Logic of Lying."

“How Does Luck Determine Our Lives?” Mar 10, 2024

Jack visits with Mark Robert Rank, author of the forthcoming book, The Random Factor: How Chance and Luck Profoundly Shape Our Lives and the World Around Us."What shapes our economic fortunes? Perhaps what immediately comes to mind are attributes such as education, skills or labour-market experience. Demographics such as age and your parents’ socioeconomic status might also be considered."Yet surprisingly, according to a wide range of social scientists, these factors are only able to explain about 35 per cent of the variance in earnings. In other words, 65 per cent of the differences in individual income defy our standard assumptions."— Quote from an essay by Dr. Rank.

Should Prisons Be Abolished Feb 11, 2024

“Should we abolish prisons?” Host Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein discusses that with Tommie Shelby, Caldwell Titcomb Professor of African and African American Studies and of Philosophy at Harvard University.

"A Philosophy of Gaming" Jan 14, 2024

Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Frank Lantz, the director of the New York University Game Center. For over 12 years, Lantz taught game design at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program. "His writings on games, technology, and culture have appeared in a variety of publications. In 2012, The New York Times referred to Lantz as a "reigning genius of the mysteries of games" following his design of iPhone puzzle game Drop7." (Wikipedia)

Our November Podcast Mistake Nov 29, 2023

We initially sent out the wrong audio! If you downloaded the mistake, please delete that, refresh your feed, and try again. That should give you the correct conversation as Jack visits with David Livingston Smith in an episode titled: "Why do we dehumanize people?" You can also find that audio HERE.

"Why do we dehumanize people?" Nov 12, 2023

Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with David Livingston Smith, professor of philosophy at the University of New England, author of "On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It" from Oxford University Press.

The Ethics of Cryptocurrency Oct 09, 2023

Catherine Flick is a Reader in Computing and Social Responsibility in the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility at De Montfort University. She also currently has a visiting fellowship at Staffordshire University.

“How to Give Sex Advice” with Dan Savage Sep 10, 2023

Host Jack Russell Weinstein is joined by author and podcast host Dan Savage to discuss "How to Give Sex Advice."

“The Myths of Whiteness” Aug 13, 2023

Jack Russell Weinstein visits with David Mura, the author of “The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives.”

“Who is Responsible for War Crimes?” Jul 09, 2023

In an encore presentation from 2018, host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Matthew Talbert and Jessica Wolfendale, co-authors of the book, War Crimes: Causes, Excuses, and Blame.

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