Brain in a Vat

229 Episodes

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Dark humor and censorship | Connor Kianpour, guest host Stephen Kershnar

2023-04-0201:02:57

Why do we laugh at some jokes but not at others? Is dark humor always funnier? Should some comedians be censored?

David Benatar on Affirmative Action

2023-03-2601:03:151

Should we implement affirmative action when determining which students are admitted to universities? Should affirmative action be based on race or socio-economic status? Is diversity important when deciding on university admissions? And should we think about race and gender in the same way when considering affirmative action?

Holocaust Responsibility | Spencer Case

2023-03-1951:39

Were indoctrinated or brainwashed Nazi soldiers morally responsible for their actions? Were they responsible for their repugnant beliefs? And were Nazi soldiers obligated to be conscientious objectors even if that meant they would be killed as a result?

Parental Licensing | Connor Kianpour

2023-03-1201:02:07

Should you be required to get a parental license from the State before you can raise your own children? Do the wishes of parents matter at all – or should we only care about the best interests of their children?

Amnesia and Split Identity | Jacob Derin

2023-03-0554:43

Should you fear future pain even if your future self will not remember who you are now? If an identical copy of you is created, would you survive through that copy? And is it possible to survive gaps in your existence?

Is AI art unfair to artists? | James Helps

2023-02-2646:59

In a world where machines can seemingly generate art instantly, and often better than humans can, should we feel sorry for artists? But is AI really generating art - or is it something else? And if it is art, who is the artist - the AI or the prompter? James's covers for sale: https://www.goonwrite.com/ Conversations about Philosophy books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0987XX8M2 Jason's most popular sci-fi novel: https://www.amazon.com/Defragmenting-Daniel-Organ-Scrubber-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01H5RE6LY

The Ethics of Pet Ownership | Cheryl Abbate

2023-02-1956:58

How do we weigh the needs of cats to roam freely, with the millions of birds they kill each year? What duties do we owe our pets? And are some animals more valuable than others?

Conversations about Philosophy | Brain in a Vat

2023-02-1224:19

Buy the books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0987XX8M2 What are your favorite episodes of Brain in a Vat? We've taken ours and made them into books. With special forewords from leading philosophers and exclusive debates between guests, these books bring you the best content we have in an easily digestible format. Buy your books now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0987XX8M2

Stephen Kershnar on the Impossibility of Responsibility

2023-02-0555:10

Kershnar presents a dilemma: we’re responsible for our decisions because they’re caused by our psychology. But do we choose our psychology? If we do, then it seems that choice couldn’t have been a morally responsible choice, since our psychology didn’t choose it. But if we didn’t choose our psychology, then we can’t be responsible for the choices that come from our psychology. Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen

The Right to Sex | Raja Halwani

2022-12-0459:01

Do we have a right to sex, and is there an obligation to sexually fulfill the disabled? Should sex work be not only legal, but obligatory? Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen

Lionel Shriver on Abominations

2022-11-2757:35

Should we remove offensive monuments at the cost of erasing history? Is there an unacceptable cost to open borders? And what would a just tax system look like? Hosts: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Producer: Jimmy Mullen

Why it's okay to eat meat - or is it? | Dan Shahar

2022-10-0253:10

Dan Shahar defends the view that eating meat is permissible, even though meat farming is not. Is this a coherent position? Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen

Martha Nussbaum on Disgust

2022-09-1158:06

What exactly makes us feel disgusted? Is disgust for a person or group ever justified? And is disgust useful, or should we try to eliminate it? Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen

Trans Sports | Jon Pike

2022-08-2801:04:29

Are transathletes a minority group that warrant special protection? Is the purpose of sport to be inclusive or fair? Should the Olympics exclude the best athletes because they are professionals? Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen

Is Hate Speech Free Speech? | Nadine Strossen

2022-08-0701:03:42

Why is free speech valuable? Should there be any limits on what we are allowed to say? Should we tolerate words that are hateful? Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Produced and Edited by James Mullen

David Benatar: The Meaning of Life [Remastered]

2022-12-1101:04:12

What does it all mean? If we live on a pail blue dot in a vast and uncaring universe can our lives have cosmic meaning? Is it better never to have been born? Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop

We Should Be More Pragmatic about Ethics | Andrew Sepielli

2022-11-2042:32

Are moral facts baked into reality, the way facts about socks or rocks are? Or should we think about morality in a more pragmatic way: that it doesn’t matter whether ethics are ‘in the world’ – only that ethics guide our actions effectively? Andrew’s Book, ‘Pragmatist Quietism’: https://www.andrewsepielli.com/book-pragmatist-quietism Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop

The Supreme Court and Abortion | Brian Leiter

2022-09-1851:55

Should Judges decide if and when women are entitled to abort their pregnancies? Should this choice be left up to congress? If abortion is immoral, should it be illegal? Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail www.markoppenheimer.co.za

Science and The Big Questions | Alexander Arnold

2022-07-3150:26

How do scientists and philosophers work together to make progress on the nature of the cosmos, the meaning of life, and what it means to flourish? The John Templeton Foundation funds work on the intersection of philosophy and science in some of the most important questions of our time. Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Edited and Produced by James Mullen

Effective Altruism | Theron Pummer

2022-07-1756:39

Are we obligated to save strangers? Does it matter whether those strangers are in different countries or our in own? And even if we are not obligated, have we done something wrong if we help but not in the most efficient way possible? Theron's book: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-rules-of-rescue-9780190884147?q=pummer&lang=en&cc=us Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbleoff Produced by Jimmy Mullen

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