Dive into a fascinating discussion on the nature of beauty, exploring whether preferences in art can ever be objective. The conversation ponders if progress in aesthetics is an endless journey for humanity. They unravel the evolutionary ties between music and social bonds, questioning if video games can be high art. The interplay between flowers and bees reveals the evolution of beauty in nature, while critical rationalism prompts a deeper look at how we validate theories. Ultimately, they challenge the subjective versus objective interpretations of beauty across cultures.

We take a deep dive into Karl Popper’s philosophical ideas about music that he outlines in four chapters in this intellectual autobiography Unended Quest: “Music,” Speculations about the Rise of Polyphonic Music,” “Two Kinds of Music,” and “Progressivism in Art, Especially in Music.”  We are joined by Peter’s brother, Chris Johansen, who is a straight-ahead jazz tenor saxophonist living in NYC.  We discuss how Popper’s ideas on classical music intersect with Chris’s ideas on jazz, as well as the role of conservatism in music. We examine how Popper’s thinking on music influenced his concept of the 3 worlds and his ideas on such concepts as dogmatism, essentialism, and historicism.  Plus, you get Bruce's rant about the importance of constraints in music, science, criticism, and Popper's epistemology. Bruce argues that absent at least the attempt to outline epistemological conventions (i.e. constraints) you can't error correct Popper's epistemology and you lose what makes it special. You can listen to more of Chris’s music here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/four-strands/support

Kenneth Stanley, an AI researcher renowned for his innovative concepts in novelty search, argues that pursuing what is interesting trumps rigid objectives in fostering creativity and innovation. He dives into the dangers of objective-driven research, emphasizing how these measures can stifle discovery. Stanley discusses the fascinating idea of 'interestingness' as a guide for exploration, leveraging insights from AI and real-world examples like SpaceX. He critiques conventional wisdom in goal-setting, advocating for a more fluid and curious approach to knowledge creation.

This time we invited some of the coolest and smartest people we know to have a freewheeling discussion on morality loosely centered on Jonathan Haidt's “rider and the elephant” metaphor. We take a deep dive into this idea that moral reasoning is a slave to our passions. Guests: • Lulie Tanett (https://open.spotify.com/show/6OPFnEt6uTOTGeSpnZ1YDp?si=4exIQOUfQzOg4TIU2hZ5hA) • Vaden Masrani (https://open.spotify.com/show/1gKKSP5HKT4Nk3i0y4UseB?si=Iu1WkwJMR1GHlm3OLrUwNA) • Ivan Phillips (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VGCFVJB?ref=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_33ZJEY7V0RP00CG7566Z&ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_33ZJEY7V0RP00CG7566Z&social_share=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_33ZJEY7V0RP00CG7566Z&language=en_US) • Ray Scott Percival (https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Closed-Mind-Understanding-Rational-ebook/dp/B007ED2YOG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=18OW1OJ7SHU0F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JSCCp7cMzHYl926ph94huzUH8e6nS5VFbeyXnBuWHk_8xfeA3aYMNGdbPKf51RTbatD5MJ6psFT9Md-wcXMohLMIVZMTtZYFZPkdvMPLieZem163A_H5xch8hiTt28hByPAtMm3xFqIUtQ9GLpkOI_5Pr7TzJ8Fw7bfiYqt36gnx4yeJSb8a4eOSff3p5QJ04oLY9PUNBdGPtxcILt_ung.cTeFXFI-PZaMPhyBZtFcJ7mIY2k4Kkq1fTEIafAEsxs&dib_tag=se&keywords=ray+scott+percival&qid=1728763752&sprefix=ray+scott+percival+%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-1⁠; https://open.spotify.com/artist/3B1Bh10uUljUX9iNmPOYZo?si=NWnRyuv1T7aHRGWZIXZYzA) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/four-strands/support

This episode we interview Professor of Philosophy Stephen Hicks. In his excellent books Explaining Postmodernism and Nietzsche and the Nazis it becomes clear that the history of bad and good ideas—which he sees through the lens of Enlightenment and counter-Enlightenment philosophers—is more than an academic issue but something with monumental importance for human life and prosperity. Rather than focus on this aspect of his work, which is widely known, we thought we’d ask him questions on epistemology, focusing on contrasting critical rationalism and objectivism. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/four-strands/support

Can philosophical theories be refuted? What is a bad explanation? Can all theories be made more empirical? In search of an answer to these questions, Bruce takes a deep dive into what he believes is the correct way to apply “Popper’s ratchet” to metaphysical or philosophical theories. Along the way, Bruce puts forward a generalization of testability he calls “checkability” and explains why “vague-maning” our theories is “worse than dogmatism.” --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/four-strands/support

Continuing from episode 91, we continue our deep dive into Popper's Conjectures and Refutations Chapter 8 where Popper explains how to use his epistemology on philosophical theories that (by definition) can't be 'refuted'. Despite agreeing with most of Popper's specific arguments, we offer some considerable criticisms to Popper's approach to criticizing philosophical theories -- particularly to Popper's criticisms of the theory of Determinism which is a 'best theory' by any fair standard but Popper (incorrectly) thought was false. Bruce argues that Popper's approach in C&R Ch. 8 is problematic because it opens the 'Crit Rat Loophole', which is a common way CritRats interpret Popper that allows any preferred theory to be declare a 'best theory' based on the scantest of criticisms. Bruce argues that Chapter 8 of C&R fails in this important regard because it doesn't give a good answer to the question "How does one tell the difference between a good philosophical explanation and a bad explanation?" --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/four-strands/support

The discussion centers around Popper's critical analysis of induction, framing it as nonexistent. It delves into the philosophical debates contrasting good and bad explanations, featuring the intersection of Popper's ideas and modern machine learning. The speakers highlight the importance of empirical testability and explore the relevance of induction in scientific reasoning. Themes of creativity in AI and the complexities of hypothesis formation also emerge, showcasing the interplay between critical rationalism and contemporary practices.

Ivan Phillips, a Bayesian epistemologist passionate about Karl Popper's ideas, delves into the nuances of Bayesianism and its critiques from critical rationalists. He discusses how Bayesian reasoning updates beliefs, shedding light on its applicability in ethical frameworks and scientific theories. The conversation touches on the historical roots of Bayes' theorem and challenges traditional views of the scientific method. Phillips also critiques Popper's understanding of probability, making a strong case for the relevance of Bayesian thought in today's reasoning.

This week we discuss the book Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton (1908), perhaps the most famous defense of the Christian tradition. We contrast this with Karl Popper’s talk, “Towards a Rational Theory of Tradition” (1948), from his collection of essays, Conjectures and Refutations. We consider: What is the role of tradition in science and knowledge? Is there a relationship between liberalism and Christianity? Is Chesterton actually a rationalist? What are the paradoxes of Christianity? Is there a link between madness and rationality? Follow us on Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/bnielson01⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/four-strands/support