PHILOSOPHY FOR THE REAL WORLD

Episode 7. A biological basis to ethics: flourishing.

One of the simplest, most practical, and objective approaches to ethics is actually based in biology–the concept of flourishing. This episode looks at Martha Nussbaum’s explanation of the concept.

Episode 6. Our problem isn't voter fraud, it's voter ignorance and incompetence.

This is the first episode to look at a practical question related to social and political philosophy. We look at “social contract theory” and an interesting question it raises about who should be entitled to vote.

Episode 5. Saint Augustine. Vice contains its own punishment.

Episode 2 described the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates’ idea that “vice harms the doer.” This episode describes the remarkably similar idea advanced by the fourth century Christian thinker Saint Augustine that vice contains its own punishment.

EPISODE 4. LOGICAL FALLACY: UNWARRANTED GENERALIZATION AND STEREOTYPING

This is the first episode dedicated to examining logical mistakes. This episode looks at the “informal fallacy” of “unwarranted generalization and stereotyping”–one of the most common examples of logical mistakes in political rhetoric.

Episode 3: How well do you know what Americans think? Or, we're all being played.

Think of this as a test. Sorry about the cryptic episode title, but saying too much will be a spoiler.