Very Bad Wizards Episode 76: Cha-Cha-changes
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Oct 26, 2015 David and Tamler dive into their evolving views on key philosophical concepts and debates. They tackle the hot dog versus sandwich controversy, spurred by John Hodgman's take. David shares his shift from belief in the power of reason to skepticism about people's consistency in thought. Tamler reflects on the positive contributions of experimental philosophy while questioning its boundaries. They also touch on defining empathy and ponder the future of artificial intelligence. Plus, a sprinkle of listener shout-outs adds to the fun!
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Hot Dog Vs. Sandwich Debate
- Tamler Sommers and David Pizarro debate whether a hot dog counts as a sandwich and mock John Hodgman's opinion.
- The exchange playfully illustrates how conceptual analysis debates can be trivial yet emotionally charged.
Listener Email Sparks A Later Discussion
- David Pizarro reads an email from Julia Vekanova about ethical questions of sex with animals and people with disabilities.
- The hosts admit they used the idea later, illustrating how listener emails shape episode content.
Limits Of Experimental Philosophy
- David Pizarro says experimental philosophy initially promised big gains but now often reinforces the conceptual-analysis methods he dislikes.
- He values experimental work that studies how concepts connect to psychology but worries X-Phi can just perpetuate old philosophical frameworks.
