Veridical

A cultural and philosophical podcast where influential voices will speak on relevant topics from philosophy, politics, culture, and religion.

EP42: What Matters? Speaking With an Epicurean (Jonny Thomson)

In this episode, I speak with Jonny Thomson, a former Oxford philosophy professor who now hosts PhilosophyMinis on social media and writes for BigThinkers. Jonny is a philosopher interested in an array of topics, particularly Epicureanism. We speak on a variety of topics but morality and meaning in particular. Follow Jonny here: https://bigthink.com/people/jonnythomson/

09-19
42:54

EP41: UnFu*king America with Zee Cohen-Sanchez

In this episode, I speak with Zee Cohen-Sanchez about politics, organizations, mobilization, Trump, and more. Support the UnFuck America tour: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/unfuckamericatour?refcode=webFollow Zee and Sole Strategies: https://www.sole-strategies.com/team/zee-cohen-sanchez

08-17
01:13:28

EP40: Minor Spats(1) w/ Drew Mills fighting about Christian Ethics and Politics

I begin a new series, Minor Spats, where I engage with individuals on their beliefs that I find repugnant, undemocratic, or blatantly immoral. In this episode, I speak with Drew Mills, a former political campaign worker and now ideological opponent. 

07-27
04:35:39

EP39: Fixing the Message w/ Notsoerudite politics, rhetoric, philosophy, and more

In this episode, I speak with political streamer Notsoerudite (Kyla Turner). We discuss the state of the two parties, the effective or ineffective messaging of both parties, the issue of male loneliness, and conspiracy theories. Follow Kyla on her platforms here: https://linktr.ee/notsoeruditeMy Substack: https://substack.com/@jacksezer

07-23
01:44:44

EP38: Inventing the Suicide Pod: Dr. Nitschke and Voluntary Euthanasia

In this episode I speak with Dr. Philip Nitschke about his work at Exit International, the Sarco Pod, and the philosophical arguments around voluntary euthanasia. You can support and learn more about Exit International here: https://www.exitinternational.net/Subscribe to my Substack for Free: https://substack.com/@jacksezer

06-18
57:47

EP37: Philosophy and Abortion with Luke Roelofs

In this episode I speak with Dr. Luke Roelofs about abortion, identity, continuity, ethics, and politics. Support Luke and his work: https://www.lukeroelofs.com/Subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@jacksezer

05-19
01:31:33

EP36: Alec MacGillis: Private Schools, Vouchers, Taxpayer Dollars, and Chaos

I speak with Alec MacGillis regarding his recent writing at ProPublica. We discuss private schools, taxpayer dollars, private vouchers, the education system, and more. Support Alec MacGillis' writing here: https://www.propublica.org/people/alec-macgillis

05-16
01:00:43

EP35: Tim Whitaker: What the Heck is Going On With Christian Nationalism

In this episode I speak with Tim Whitaker from The New Evangelicals. We talk about the current state of U.S. politics, the rise of Christian Nationalism, Donald Trump, and other topics. Support Tim and TNE below. Website: https://www.thenewevangelicals.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenewevangelicals/?hl=enThis episode was recorded before the GRACE investigations. Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Tim demonstrated valuable knowledge and a critical perspective on the topics at hand. Recording this podcast does not bear any connection to the matters of investigation. 

03-17
01:08:32

EP34: Ukrainian Ana: The Ukrainian War and the Information Battlefield

In this belated episode, I speak with Ukrainian Ana regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, the role of the United States on the world stage, the personalities of Putin and Trump, and how we should view democracy in the context of war. Ana's X account: https://x.com/UkrainianAnaAna on Piers Morgan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ5pYYve_HY&t=1571sMy Essay: https://jacksezer.substack.com/p/my-thoughts-so-far-on-russia-and?r=27zkbv

02-17
02:08:37

EP33: Anthony Graves: 18 Years on Death Row

In this episode I speak with Anthony Graves, who was on death row for 18 years before being found innocent. We explore the ideas behind the death penalty, his experience, and the road ahead. Anthony's Page: https://www.aclu.org/bio/anthony-gravesPeer Navigator: https://peernavigatorproject.org/My Capital Punishment Lecture (password is SZ@rNEI8): https://www.philosophersforum.org/Archives.htmlMy Substack Article on the Death Penalty: https://jacksezer.substack.com/p/on-the-death-penalty?r=27zkbv

01-30
01:27:19

EP32: Richard Rothstein- How we can fight current de facto racism: Redlining, taxes, and community

In this episode I speak with Richard Rothstein, author of Color of Law and Just Action. We speak about redlining, the history of de facto and de jure racism, and the current effects of institutionalized racism. Richard Rothstein: https://www.justactionbook.org/My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/

01-13
50:57

EP31: End of Year Debrief: The Middle East, Donald Trump, and You!

I look back at some of the major touch points of this year and the optics of 2025. I discuss normative ethics, applied ethics, just war theory, and Donald Trump. I also discuss Trumpism as an ideology and how to combat it. My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/

12-31
50:14

EP30: Post Election Debrief with Dr. Michael Lundie

In this episode I discuss the results of the 2024 election with Dr. Michael Lundie, the first return guest. We remark on Trump's campaign, the effect it had on others, the political discourse today, and looking forward.My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/publish/home?utm_source=menuKeep up with Michael Lundie: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Lundie

12-11
02:37:15

EP29: Brian Becker: Martin Heidegger, phenomenology, and religion

In this episode I speak with Dr. Brian Becker. We explore Martin Heidegger's Being and Time, his goals and philosophy, and more. We explore Descartes and the self as well as religion. Becker has a youtube channel approaching 10,000 subscribers and we would love to help him reach that goal so click the link and subscribe. Brian's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SingularityasSublimity

10-28
01:33:07

EP28: Robin Maher: The Death Penalty

In this episode I speak with Robin Maher, the director for the Death Penalty Information Center. We explore the history, ongoing practices, and legal theory behind the death penalty. Support DPI and stay up to date on relevant death penalty information. Robin's page: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/about/staff-and-board-of-directors/robin-m-maher-executive-directorDPI: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/publish/home?utm_source=menu

10-05
01:14:20

EP27: Derek Maus: Postmodernism, Philosophy of Literature, Fiction, History, and Politics

In this episode I speak with Dr. Derek Maus about Postmodernism, philosophies regarding various aspects of literature, how we read literature, poetic aspects of our political landscape, and other topics. Derek's page: https://www.potsdam.edu/about/directory/faculty/mausdcMy Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/publish/home?utm_source=menu

09-16
02:51:39

EP26: Oobah Butler: The Great Amazon Heist, Comedy, and New Journalism

In this episode I speak with Oobah Butler. Oobah has made waves on the internet with his unique and daring ideas. From turning his shed into the number one restaurant on trip advisor to infiltrating the business conglomerate Amazon to expose its terrible working conditions. Oobah is a fascinating man who is navigating his unique space exceptionally well. This is a nice break from the typical conversations held on this podcast and is a welcomed comedic relief. Oobah's Website: https://www.oobahbutler.com/Oobah's X: https://x.com/Oobahs

09-02
01:22:49

EP25: Connor Murray: A Sanity Check On Nuclear War

I speak with Connor Murray on the current state of nuclear-political affairs in the world. Connor reveals the political process of nuclear de-proliferation and efforts towards peace. We speak about the nature of nuclear war and how political affairs can heighten that risk. Connor's Council For A Livable World Page: https://livableworld.org/about/meet-the-staff/connor-murray/Music by Chillmore from Pixabay

08-21
01:29:30

EP24: Donald Trump the Martyr

I share some thoughts regarding the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump, and what this means for the future of our political-sociological landscape. My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/Music by Chillmore from Pixabay

07-17
21:45

EP 23: David Kipping: Cool Worlds, Fermi paradox, aliens, NASA, and astrophysics

I speak with David Kipping, the host of the very successful Youtube channel, Cool Worlds. We speak on various topics regarding astronomy, aliens, and physics, with an important conversation on the political and economic ramifications on space exploration. Forgive me for my shaky audio in this episode. Intro/Outro music by Oleg Fedak from Pixabay

06-10
01:34:58

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