Moral Mayhem

Is Libertarian Paternalism an Oxymoron?

In this episode, we discuss Cass Sunstein’s “Why Nudge?” and his defense of “libertarian paternalism,” the idea that the state should steer people toward better choices and can do so without violating the tenets of classical liberalism. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe [https://moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Debunking Creedal Beliefs: Abortion, Vaccines and Daryl Cooper

In this episode, we discuss philosopher Hrishikesh Joshi's paper "Debunking Creedal Beliefs." A creedal belief is one where: (1) there's little personal cost to being wrong, (2) the belief is policed by your social circle, and (3) it's not trivial to verify. Joshi argues you should hold these beliefs with less confidence—not because they're false, but because you'd hold them regardless of whether they're true. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe [https://moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Self-Interest and the Good Life with Greg Salmieri

In this episode, we sit down with Greg Salmieri [https://www.google.com/search?q=greg+salmieri&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8], senior scholar of philosophy at the Salem Center at UT Austin, to discuss ethical egoism—the theory that central to what makes an action good, what makes it right, what makes it moral—is that it benefits the person taking it. Salmieri argues that unlike other living creatures who follow biological algorithms, humans must consciously compose their lives through reason. We dive deep into why this leads to a specific form of rational egoism, one grounded in understanding human life as a creative, self-sustaining system. Salmieri explains why values only make sense from the standpoint of a living agent, why productive work is both an economic and psychological necessity, and why the choice to focus your mind forms the foundation of free will and individual ethics. Along the way, we touch on how this perspective interacts with other issues and social movements of our times: the problems with traditionalism, objections to utilitarianism and Effective Altruism, enforcing, social norms, the pronatalist movement and more. LInks to Greg's media presence and work: A Companion To Ayn Rand [https://www.amazon.com/Companion-Rand-Blackwell-Companions-Philosophy/dp/1405186844] Talks & Lectures [https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=greg+salmieri+lectures] Follow Greg on X [https://x.com/gsalmieri?lang=en] Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe [https://moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

From Peterson's Lobsters to Trump's Fine People: Matt Teichman on Conversational Implicature

In this episode, philosopher and host of the Elucidations [https://open.spotify.com/show/6wRdo8zLz0iQghwDLGLCkg] podcast, Matt Teichman, joins us to explore conversational implicature & the hidden rules that help us understand what people mean beyond their literal words. We dive into Paul Grice's cooperative principle and discuss a few real-world examples where communication famously broken down, like the infamous Kathy Newman/Jordan Peterson interview and Trump's "very fine people" comment. We also discuss implicatures in the corporate world and dating etiquette. Matt helps us unpack why some conversations go catastrophically wrong, how different communities develop their own communication norms, and why sometimes saying things indirectly is both more efficient and more fun. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe [https://moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Gender Grievances and Feminism with Bryan Caplan

In this episode, we talk with Bryan Caplan about his letter to his daughter on feminism. We cover whether women have been historically disadvantaged, how male and female experiences stack up today, the problems with viewing identity groups through a justice lens, arranged marriages, the gender pay-gap or lack thereof, and more. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe [https://moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]