Brain in a Vat
Brain in a Vat
Thought experiments and conversations with philosophers. Hosted by Dr Jason Werbeloff and Mark Oppenheimer.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 17, 2021 • 53min
Is Nuclear War Ever Justified? | Eron Fasser
Should certain weapons be banned from use in war? Are there limits on the amount of force countries should use to protect their citizens? Is it ever justified to kill innocent civilians to end a war?
ICJ Advisory Opinion: https://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/95
Oct 10, 2021 • 50min
Plato’s problem with Democracy | Clif Mark
Is Democracy the best political system? Plato thought not. But what is the best alternative? Clif Mark, from the podcast Good in Theory, joins us this week to discuss Plato’s Republic.
https://goodintheorypod.com/
Oct 3, 2021 • 59min
Is it wrong to enjoy good films made by bad people? | Travis Timmerman
Is the art separate from the artist? Can a moral defect in a film undermine its aesthetic quality?
Sep 26, 2021 • 53min
The Power of Imagination | Amy Kind
What would a world without imagination be like? Why do we feel sympathy, fear or excitement for fictional characters? And can imaginary actions be morally wrong?
Sep 19, 2021 • 56min
Where is my mind? | Shaun Stanley
Are human being merely sophisticated robots? Do we have mental states or can we be understood only through our behavior?
Sep 12, 2021 • 57min
Should You Trust Experts? | Oliver Traldi
There's a growing trend to distrust scientists. Sometimes they get the facts wrong, or align with a political party. What should we do in the face of conflicting expertise? Who should we trust?
Sep 5, 2021 • 57min
How To End Global Poverty | Andy Kuper
Andy Kuper, the founder and CEO of LeapFrog Investments, tells us how his PHD in philosophy led him to marry profit with purpose, by creating investment funds with deep impact on the lives of 200 million low-income people worldwide, while generating strong returns for its investors and the companies in which it invests.
https://leapfroginvest.com
Andy's Book Democracy Beyond Borders: https://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Beyond-Borders-Representation-Institutions-ebook-dp-B000WNHG48/dp/B000WNHG48/
Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail
Aug 29, 2021 • 46min
Cryonics: who wants to live forever? | Francesca Minerva
Is cryonics a viable route to immortality? Is immortality desirable, or would it present us with endless boredom and meaninglessness?
Aug 22, 2021 • 1h 5min
Addiction | Daniel Hochman
Is being addicted to love or chocolate the same as being addicted to cocaine?
Aug 15, 2021 • 57min
Death | Travis Timmerman
Would it be better to live forever than to die? Is the goodness or badness of death dependent on the future quality of our lives? Is death so bad that it would be better never to have been born?
Travis' Book: Exploring the Philosophy of Death and Dying https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Philosophy-Death-Dying-Contemporary/dp/1138393584/
Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail
