Brain in a Vat

Exploring the debate on cultural appropriation, discussing ownership of abstract universals, the role of insult in cultural appropriation, the benefits of cultural exchange, concerns surrounding sacred symbols, and the argument against cultural appropriation from a consequentialist perspective.

Lori Watson discusses the debate around legitimizing and decriminalizing sex work, exploring the factors driving individuals into prostitution, the policy on prostitution, coercion and inequality in sex work, the permissibility of choosing clients, perspectives on denying service, and the regulation of sex work and its blurred line with pornography.

Recently, Eron Fasser and Mark Oppenheimer debated Hamza Tzortzis and Mohammed Hijab on whether Atheism or is Islam more rational. This episode discusses the arguments made and strategies employed by both sides. Were Hamza and Mohammed arguing in good faith? Or were they trying to derail a debate they were clearly losing?

Travis Timmerman, author of Exploring the Philosophy of Death and Dying, discusses the concept of death and whether it is good or bad. The podcast explores the metaphysics of death and the existential trade-offs in life decisions. It also delves into assessing well-being from objective and subjective perspectives, and explores the moral reasons for and against procreation.

Exploring the connection between luck and knowledge, using examples such as lucky guesses and mistaken identifications. Discusses challenges of determining truth in a polarized world and importance of media literacy. Explores real-world consequences and consistency in defining knowledge through legal cases. Examines attempts to eliminate knowledge-destroying veritic luck.

Explore the life and philosophy of influential philosopher Derek Parfit, with a focus on his rejection of an unchanging essence or soul and his emphasis on psychological continuity. Delve into thought experiments challenging personal identity and the connection to survival after death. Examine Parfit's views on the non-identity problem and the moral saintliness of his dedication to philosophical issues. Hear about the process of writing a comprehensive book on Parfit, including intriguing anecdotes and interviews with over 200 people.

A debate held at the University of Johannesburg. Does God Exist? How can something come from nothing? Are God's commands moral?

Would the world be better if we didn’t recognize genders? In such a world, there would be males and females, but nothing associated with what it means to be male or female other than biological facts. Men and women would be equally likely to be social leaders. And there would be no stereotypically male or female behavior. In this world, there’d be true sex equality, and, it seems, no need for trans activists. Should we fight for such a world?

Mark Oppenheimer presents a live seminar at St Andrews. The talk features footage from a prominent hate speech trial that Mark appeared in as a lawyer. What is hate speech? What is the value of free speech? Do some groups deserve special protection against hate speech? Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen and Porter Kaufman Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail

Oxford University Press refused to publish Alex Byrne's book on gender. We discuss whether women are adult human females and whether sex is the same as gender. Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen and Porter Kaufman Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop