#154 Happiness: Epicurus' Ancient Guide - Jonny Thomson

#158 Could Consciousness Be an Illusion?

Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC [https://ground.news/AlexOC] - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com [https://www.alexoconnor.com]. Keith Frankish is a British philosopher specialising in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, and philosophy of cognitive science. Read Keith's essay, "Illusionism as a theory of consciousness" (2016) [https://keithfrankish.github.io/articles/Frankish_Illusionism%20as%20a%20theory%20of%20consciousness_eprint.pdf]. Find Keith's website here [https://keithfrankish.com/]. Keith Frankish and Philip Goff co-host a channel 'Mind Chat', where they debate panpsychism versus illusionism, and explore cutting-edge thought on consciousness:  / @mindchat   [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1AxUq1hSacfkzyvDepJRaw] TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Is Consciousness An Illusion? 4:02 - Do We Have a Private World? 10:00 - The Nature of Visual Experience 20:13 - Is Awareness Behavioural? 28:17 - Isn’t Introspection Itself a Private Experience? 33:04 - Philosophical Zombies 43:05 - What Motivates Illusionism? 50:02 - Psychedelics and the Dissolution of the Self 59:23 - Why Are Philosophers Always Categorising? 1:10:31 - Does Alex’s Triangle Exist? 1:21:40 - Is Pain Just a Reaction to Stimulus? 1:49:05 - Is Pain an Emergent Phenomenon? 1:55:52 - What Illusion Is Actually Happening? 1:59:07 - Can AI Be Conscious? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com [https://www.alexoconnor.com] SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic [http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic] Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic [http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic] Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic [http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic [https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic] CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

#157 How a Blind Man Sees the World - Tommy Edison

Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. To donate to my PayPal (thank you): http://www.paypal.me/cosmicskeptic. @TommyEdisonXP [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCld5SlwHrXgAYRE83WJOPCw] is a blind YouTuber and radio presenter. He got his start online as the “Blind Film Critic”, reviewing movies despite being unable to see them, and thereby offering a unique angle on their storytelling. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Being a Blind YouTuber 2:03 - How Do You Understand Blindness If You Are Blind From Birth? 4:26 - Being Blind in School 7:20 - Tommy’s Early Life 12:11 - Has Life Become More Accessible For the Blind? 19:35 - How Vision is Embedded in Our Language 21:35 - How Does A Blind Person Watch A Movie? 25:40 - What Does Tommy Know About Colour? 27:51 - Mary’s Room32:16 - Can A Blind Person Play Video Games? 35:39 - The Questions People Are Too Afraid to Ask 41:42 - How Does A Blind Person Understand Attractiveness? 44:27 - What Can We Make More Accessible? 48:24 - Why Electric Cars Aren’t Best For Everyone 51:33 - Is Offering Help Patronising? 54:35 - What Can Tommy Do That People Think He Can’t? 58:32 - Why Tommy Chooses Joy - CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: @CosmicSkeptic - CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

#156 Mysticism: The Heretics Who Got Too Close to God - Simon Critchley

Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.Simon Critchley is a British philosopher, author and professor at The New School in New York. He is best known for his work on existentialism, mysticism, ethics and continental philosophy, and is the author of books including The Book of Dead Philosophers, Faith of the Faithless and Mysticism.Get Simon's book Mysticism here [https://amzn.to/4uzstPa].TIMESTAMPS:0:00 - Is Mysticism Always Religious?7:52 - What is Mysticism?18:58 - Unification With the Divine29:58 - Mysticism and the Self40:38 - Why Are So Many Mystics Women?48:41 - The Limits of Language59:54 - Was Pascal a Mystic?01:03:21 - Where Does Simon Stand on Mysticism?01:11:22 - Where Should We Start With Learning About Mysticism?01:15:36 - Imagery in Simon’s Book - CONNECTMy Website: https://www.alexoconnor.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskepticFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskepticInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: @CosmicSkeptic - CONTACTBusiness email: contact@alexoconnor.comBrand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

#155 AI Music is Not Music - Adam Neely

Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at www.huel.com/alexoconnor [https://huel.com/alexoconnor](Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack [https://www.alexoconnor.com].Adam Neely [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCnkp4xDOwqqJD7sSM3xdUiQ] is an American bassist, YouTuber, and jazz musician based in New York City. His YouTube content includes Q&A videos, vlogs about performing music, and video essays about online music culture. As a musician, he performs with groups including the electro-jazz duo Sungazer and the instrumental band Aberdeen.Watch Adam's video on Suno here [https://youtu.be/U8dcFhF0Dlk?si=IuAgqV5TFmAXMMhO].TIMESTAMPS:0:00 - Music and Philosophy5:17 - Can You Cheat in Music?9:07 - What is Suno?25:20 - Can You Use AI Musically?32:21 - Is AI Just the New Sampling?38:40 - AI and Inclusivity46:21 - Is Music Becoming Narcissistic?57:26 - Does Great Art Require Ego?01:07:04 - Are AI Music Tools Inevitable?01:22:55 - How Would Adam Improve Suno?01:35:44 - Are We Removing the Humanity From Music?01:44:18 - Is Jazz the Blueprint? - CONNECTMy Website: https://www.alexoconnor.comSOCIAL LINKS:Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskepticFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskepticInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: @CosmicSkeptic - CONTACTBusiness email: contact@alexoconnor.comBrand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

#154 Happiness: Epicurus' Ancient Guide - Jonny Thomson

Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.Jonny Thomson is a philosopher and the founder of PhilosophyMinis  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCD2eYNCY8wWVpR0ps6O22aA]. He is on the Executive Board for the British Philosophy Association and is a staff writer at Big Think.Get Jonny's upcoming book, The Art of Enough: The Ancient Epicurean Philosophy of Finding – and Keeping – Happiness [https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/477995/the-art-of-enough-by-thomson-jonny/9781847929297.]TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Are Epicureans Selfish?05:30 - Why Epicureanism?10:31 - Who Was Epicurus?16:42 - Godless But Not Atheistic23:21 - Epicurus’ Metaphysics27:24 - Why Focus on Pleasure?35:29 - Epicureanism vs Utilitarianism48:59 - What About Immoral Pleasures?53:02 - Could AI be Epicurean?01:00:50 - The Experience Machine01:10:59 - Why Epicurus Didn’t Like Sex01:16:21 - Are Influencers Watering Down Ancient Philosophy?01:20:06 - Are You In Control of Your Happiness?01:26:33 - Epicureanism vs Stoicism01:32:36 - Epicurus on Death01:36:42 - Do We Have a Happiness Crisis? - CONNECTMy Website: https://www.alexoconnor.comSOCIAL LINKS:Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskepticFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskepticInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: @CosmicSkepticThe Within Reason Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/within-reason/id1458675168 - CONTACTBusiness email: contact@alexoconnor.comBrand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co