Parker's Pensées

Dr. Kevin Vallier, author of All the Kingdoms of the World, joins the podcast to discuss political philosophy, religious alternatives to liberalism, and the historical relationship between religion and politics. They also explore the concepts of liberalism, post-liberalism, and anti-liberalism, the history of Catholicism in America, the challenges of integralism in a pluralistic society, and the power dynamics between church and state throughout history.

Dr. Joshua Farris, an expert on souls and the mind, dives deep into the philosophy of substance dualism and the complexities surrounding personal identity. He explores the relationship between the soul and mind, discussing their definitions and roles in understanding reality. Farris weaves in humor and insightful anecdotes while examining the impact of Cartesian thought on contemporary philosophy and theology. The conversation also touches on the implications of divine creation, near-death experiences, and how these ideas relate to artificial intelligence and personhood.

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Taylor Cyr, a contributor to the Free Will Show, unpacks the philosophical intricacies of free will and moral responsibility. He critiques 'flickers of freedom' theories and their connection to Frankfurt cases, exploring how coercive influences shape our understanding of blame and agency. Cyr highlights the tension between determinism and alternative possibilities, while also diving into the implications of philosophical perspectives like divine determinism and Molinism. It's a thought-provoking journey into the heart of moral agency!

Dr. Selmer Bringjord, a leading figure in the philosophy of artificial intelligence and director of an AI lab, dives into fascinating intersections of AI and consciousness. He critiques physicalism while presenting a theory-first approach to understanding reality. The conversation touches on the philosophical debates around machine intelligence and implications for creativity in AI. Most intriguingly, he proposes an argument for the existence of God through the lens of artificial intelligence, raising profound questions about human cognition and divine creativity.

Dr. Aaron Preston, a philosopher passionate about human flourishing, returns to share insights on how philosophy can enhance our lives. He explores the interplay between speculative philosophy and everyday existence, discussing the importance of personal philosophical identities. The conversation dives into the connection between philosophy and AI, advocating for a balance between theoretical exploration and practical wisdom. Preston also critiques modern philosophical specialization and highlights the need for accessible wisdom to navigate contemporary challenges.

In episode 242 of the Parker's Pensées Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Jared Henderson  @_jared  to discuss the nature of philosophy, both academic and public. Jared is a rising star in the YouTube philosophy sphere, did his PhD on formal theories of truth, and works as an ontologist in the tech world. Check the time stamps for the specifics of what we got into in this conversation. Check out Jared's fantastic YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UC2Kyj04yISmHr1V-UlJz4eg Join my channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA/join Join the Facebook group, Parker's Pensées Penseurs, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/960471494536285/ If you like this podcast, then support it on Patreon for $3, $5 or more a month. Any amount helps, and for $5 you get a Parker's Pensées sticker and instant access to all the episode as I record them instead of waiting for their release date. Check it out here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parkers_pensees If you want to give a one-time gift, you can give at my Paypal: https://paypal.me/ParkersPensees?locale.x=en_US Check out my merchandise at my Teespring store: https://teespring.com/stores/parkers-penses-merch Come talk with the Pensées community on Discord: dsc.gg/parkerspensees Sub to my Substack to read my thoughts on my episodes: https://parknotes.substack.com/ Check out my blog posts: https://parkersettecase.com/ Check out my Parker's Pensées YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA Check out my other YouTube channel on my frogs and turtles: https://www.youtube.com/c/ParkerSettecase Check me out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/trendsettercase Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkerspensees/0:00 - Jared Henderson's Academic Work 13:27 - Why Jared Henderson Left Academia 17:16 - What is Jared Henderson's Day Job? 19:09 - Jared Henderson's Wife is a Philosopher Too 20:45 - What is Philosophy? 23:36 - the Virtues of Continental Philosophy and Analytic Philosophy 30:35 - Luring People Into Philosophy 35:37 - How to start learning philosophy 45:00 - Public and Public-facing philosophy 53:22 - Self-Help, Self-Improvement, and Philosophy as a way of life 1:45:00 - Sci-fi authors present philosophical ideas better than philosophers?

Dr. Matthew Benton, a philosopher with a focus on honesty and communication, joins for a fascinating discussion. They explore whether dogs can communicate and display honesty, diving into the philosophical implications of their interactions. Topics include the nature of pain versus suffering in sentient beings, the role of honesty in human relationships, and the complexities of non-verbal communication. The conversation weaves together ethical considerations with lighthearted examples, offering listeners a unique perspective on honesty in both human and animal worlds.

Dr. Michael Tremblay joins the podcast to discuss the ancient philosophy of Stoicism, modern Stoic movements, and the comparison between Stoic and Christian doctrines. They explore various topics such as the unified worldview of Stoicism, Stoicism's relationship with Judaism, Stoicism versus Epicureanism, the connection between philosophy and martial arts, stoicism as a way to live a good life, the authenticity of Marcus Aurelius as a Stoic, different types of modern Stoicism, the importance of metaphysics in Stoicism, the craft of writing, the concept of divinity in traditional stoicism, the interplay between Stoicism and Christianity, and the ethical considerations of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Josh Rasmussen discusses philosophical constraints on building artificial intelligence, highlighting the challenges of creating consciousness. Topics include patternist and computational theories of the mind, the importance of understanding the material from which consciousness emerges, differences between having consciousness and being conscious in AI, hardware vs. software views in AI development, and the implications of 3D printed consciousness.

Dr. Philip Goff and Dr. Jonathan Schaffer join the podcast to discuss the nature of the mind. They explore topics such as cosmopsychism, functionalism, the nature of pain, the evolution of consciousness, and the role of parsimony and definable concepts in theoretical frameworks. They also delve into mind-making and grounding principles, touching on the distinctions between subjective phenomenal properties and third-person physical facts.