Our brand new Executive Editor, Santiago Ramos, joins Shadi and Damir to discuss his first-ever essay for Wisdom of Crowds, “Empathy for the Devil.” The essay is about the need for cognitive empathy in politics. But Damir wants to discuss something slightly different: Whether “the Good,” as a category, is something real, out in the world, or whether it is completely contingent on tribal allegiances. Santiago comes to the Good’s defense, and Shadi joins him in a good cop/also good cop situation.

Required Reading & Listening:

* Shadi’s big announcement

* Santiago’s writing

* Santiago’s debut Wisdom of Crowds essay, “Empathy for the Devil”

* Robert Wright’s Nonzero Newsletter

* The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil”

* Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and the Margarita

* Maurice Blondel, in the International Encyclopedia of Philosophy

* Amy Winehouse, “You Know I’m No Good”

Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!