Conversations with Peter Boghossian "Pluribus" Review w/ Brett Hall
Dec 2, 2025
Brett Hall, a keen commentator and philosophical thinker, joins the discussion to dissect the Apple TV show Pluribus. They find it rich with unpredictable science and philosophical themes, drawing intriguing parallels to other shows like Severance. Topics range from the implications of a shared collective consciousness to the nature of individuality, and the ethics of enforced happiness. The hosts also explore how such a collective impacts personal relationships, privacy, and knowledge, all while questioning what true autonomy looks like in a utopian society.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Personhood Versus The Collective
- Pluribus explores personal identity by pitting individual creativity against a homogenizing collective mind.
- The hosts note Apple TV shows repeatedly probe what it means to be a person and how minds interrelate.
Global Spread And Loss Of Privacy
- Infection spreads globally and instantly, creating a literal collective consciousness that erases privacy and individual agency.
- The hosts theorize airborne delivery or coordinated release explains universal contagion in the plot.
Carol As The Radical Individual
- Carol represents radical individualism resisting the collective's seductive bliss and epistemic control.
- The group contrasts her autonomy and creativity with the collective's apparent lack of genuine innovation.
