Hotel Bar Sessions

Is public philosophy just academic outreach in a new outfit, or is it something else entirely? In this episode, we're joined by Kate Manne (Cornell University) to  ask what happens when philosophers leave their usual habitats and try to meet people where they actually live. We talk about the push to be legible outside the profession, the risk of being dismissed inside it, and the slippery politics of trying to do both at once. What’s the value of work that doesn’t look like philosophy but still feels like it? And who gets to decide when philosophy has gone too far—or not far enough?  Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/public-philosophy-with-kate-manne-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What do we mean when we talk about silence? Is it the absence of sound—or something more complicated? In this episode, we dig into the many meanings of silence: as a weapon and as a refuge, as an imposed condition and a chosen strategy. We consider the roles silence plays in protest, punishment, pedagogy, intimacy, and oppression, and ask whether some kinds of silence can speak louder than words. We dig into political gag orders, awkward classroom silences, and the long pauses that say more than words ever could, asking what’s at stake when speech is withheld, delayed, or denied. Can silence be a form of resistance? Or is it always complicit? Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/silence-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

 This week, we're unpacking the Trump administration’s war on so-called “radical ideology”—a campaign targeting what it calls “gender ideology” and “equity ideology.” We explore what these terms are meant to signal, what work they do rhetorically and politically, and how they function to delegitimize trans and BIPOC lives. Drawing from Marxist accounts of ideology, we examine how ideology obscures injustice by presenting hierarchies as natural and dissent as dangerous. We also discuss the increasingly viral framing of ideology as something one can “catch,” especially in classrooms, and what’s really at stake when education, protest, and critical thought are labeled as threats. This episode asks: What counts as ideology? Who gets to decide? And what can philosophy offer when reality itself is under assault? Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/the-war-on-radical-ideology-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Who or what rules the world today? And by what right?In this episode, your favorite philosophers-on-tap—Talia Bettcher, Rick Lee, and Leigh M. Johnson—pull back the curtain on one of political theory’s most enduring (and most elusive) concepts: sovereignty. From dusty monarchs and divine right to corporations, constitutions, and contested rights, they explore how sovereignty continues to shape the world we live in—often in ways we no longer recognize. What is sovereign power? Can it be shared? Is the individual sovereign over themselves—or is that just a liberal fantasy? And in an age of global crises—climate catastrophe, AI proliferation, corporate overreach—does the nation-state still make sense at all?Drawing on thinkers like Jean Bodin, Hobbes, Rousseau, Agamben, and Judith Butler, this lively and rigorous conversation confronts the paradoxes at the heart of sovereignty, including the terrifying possibility that we’ve inherited concepts that no longer serve us… if they ever did.Grab a drink and settle in for a provocative, globe-spanning conversation on what it means to rule, obey, resist—and live together.Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/sovereignty-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The hosts dive into the philosophical depths of interpretation, challenging whether it underpins every communication. Talia argues for the significance of ethical authority in expressing emotions, while Leigh suggests that even basic clarifications are interpretive acts. They explore the playful complexities of language, the nuances of emotional understanding, and how context can shift meaning dramatically. Expect spirited debates and personal anecdotes, all over a relaxed atmosphere—perfect for pondering life's big questions.

Ira Allen, an Associate Professor at Northern Arizona University and author of 'Panic Now', joins the bar to discuss the necessity of panic in times of crisis. He reframes panic from a sign of weakness to a vital response to challenges like climate change and late capitalism. The conversation touches on concepts such as the 'CaCaCo assemblage' and how panic can foster collective action and emotional engagement. With humor and depth, they explore panic's transformative potential, urging listeners to embrace it wisely.

How can we talk, or think, about "private parts" in a philosophical way?In this provocative and unexpectedly tender episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, co-hosts Leigh M. Johnson, Rick Lee, and Talia Mae Bettcher unpack the philosophical complexities of “private parts.” What starts as a playful premise quickly becomes a deep exploration of bodily privacy, modesty, and the moral and social codes that govern our most intimate physical boundaries. Drawing from cultural history, personal anecdotes, and ethical theory, the hosts ask why some body parts are marked as “private,” what makes them morally charged, and why euphemisms often stand in for anatomical accuracy in public discourse.The conversation traverses the gendered policing of exposure, the politics of public breastfeeding, the different textures of shame and vulnerability, and the legal and ideological battles over trans access to public bathrooms. Talia introduces a key distinction between boundary transgression and boundary traversal—highlighting how intimacy requires consented crossings of private lines, while violations mark moral failure. Leigh and Rick connect these questions to broader cultural scripts of modesty and the performance of decency, noting how certain bodies—especially trans, fat, Black, and disabled bodies—are denied privacy altogether.As the episode unfolds, the hosts reflect on how “private parts” are not just physical zones, but sites of personal storytelling, social construction, and erotic creativity. Drawing on insights from queer and trans subcultures, the trio explores the ways that intimacy, vulnerability, and even pleasure are shaped by the boundaries we erect and the ones we dare to cross. What makes a body part private, they ask, and what possibilities for connection—ethical, emotional, political—open up when we reimagine the limits of privacy itself?Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/private-parts-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Can the University be saved? Should it be saved? In this sobering and timely episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, co-hosts Leigh M. Johnson, Rick Lee, and Talia Mae Bettcher tackle the existential crisis facing higher education in the U.S. and beyond. Nothing is off limits in this conversation!  From the increasing defunding of universities to their alignment with neoliberal capitalism, we're looking at the deeper values and societal roles that universities are meant to serve—and how far many institutions have strayed from that mission.  The metastasis of administrative bloat. The erosion of shared governance. The complicity of universities in sketchy politics and business. It's all on the table. Talia laments the pressure to sell philosophy as a vocational asset;  Rick draws a poignant line from medieval liberal arts education to today’s hyper-quantified outcomes-based models;  Leigh reminds us that universities are increasingly inaccessible, both financially and ideologically, especially for those who have been sold college as the “next step” with little clarity on its value or purpose. All three of our hosts are also here for a critique of recent state interventions in University operations, of course, particularly those tied to the elimination of DEI programs and the suppression of student protest. In a climate where both the left and right are disillusioned with Higher Ed, we're asking the hard questions: Is the university still worth saving? And if so, what would it take to rebuild it from the inside out? From indictments of NCAA excess to calls for renewed commitment to general education and moral formation, this episode dares to imagine what universities should be—and who they're really for.Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/the-future-of-the-university-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The hosts tackle the squirmy realm of cringe, discussing everything from disastrous wedding speeches to awkward icebreakers. They explore how these moments reveal societal norms and power dynamics, blending humor with discomfort. Delving into philosophy, they unpack cringe as a critique of authenticity and social performance. The conversation highlights how laughter can serve as a coping mechanism, and challenges the audience to consider who defines cringe. Ultimately, it's a playful yet profound reflection on our shared cringe-worthy experiences.

Sean Kirkland unpacks living on the edge of "was" and "not yet."What if time isn’t just something we move through—but something that shapes us, wounds us, and makes us who we are? In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Leigh and Rick sit down with philosopher Sean D. Kirkland (DePaul University), author of Aristotle and Tragic Temporality, to talk about what Aristotle can teach us about the tragic structure of human life. Together, they explore how ancient philosophy—and especially tragedy—reveals the limits of control, the inevitability of error, and the complicated beauty of living in a time that’s never fully ours.Expect reflections on fate, failure, and final causes, plus spirited detours into protest songs, pandemic philosophy students, and why Aristotle might be more existential than you think. If you’ve ever felt the weight of trying to do the right thing while knowing you might be wrong, this one’s for you.Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/tragic-temporality-with-sean-kirkland-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★