The Uncommon Wisdom Podcast

Please like, share, comment, and subscribe. It helps grow the newsletter and podcast without a financial contribution on your part. Anything is very much appreciated. And thank you, as always, for reading and listening.In this episode of the Uncommon Wisdom Podcast, host Jimmy Licon talks with professor, theologian, and author Joshua Ryan Farris about the nature of the soul and consciousness. They examine the debate between materialism, which sees mental states as purely physical, and dualism, which holds that there is more to the mind than the brain. Farris critiques materialist arguments, highlighting the gap between brain states and subjective experiences (qualia), and drawing on thought experiments like Frank Jackson’s “Mary.” We also discusses near-death experiences as possible evidence for dualism and responds to common materialist appeals to neuroscience, causal closure, and simplicity, offering listeners a rich, accessible overview of this philosophical divide. Do not miss out!Please like, share, comment, and subscribe. It helps grow the newsletter and podcast without a financial contribution on your part. Anything is very much appreciated. And thank you, as always, for reading and listening. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

Please like, share, comment, and subscribe. It grows the newsletter and podcast without a financial contribution on your part. Anything is very much appreciated. And thank you, as always, for reading and listening!This is an AI-generated podcast discussing an article of mine on the issue of personal identity. Who are you? What makes you who you are? These are central questions in the philosophy of personal identity. My article adds to the debate by arguing that the simple fact that we can see ourselves in the mirror is well-explained by, and so evidence for, the metaphysical theory that we are merely biological organisms—or, ‘human animals’ according to the philosophical terminology. The article can be found online HERE. Or, to get around the paywall, visit HERE.I checked the audio for accuracy, but the level of rigor ain't great. In any case, if you would prefer to listen to audiobots — that sound like NPR hosts — discussing my work in an easy to digest format, then enjoy!Uncommon Wisdom is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

Please like, share, comment, and subscribe. It helps grow the newsletter and podcast without a financial contribution on your part. Anything is very much appreciated. And thank you, as always, for reading and listening.Many people believe that free speech is dead (or on life support) in higher education. My guest for this episode—Assistant Professor of Business, Matt Burgess—disagrees, arguing instead that not only is one’s speech freer in higher education than many other places, but that freedom may strengthen as political polarization burns itself out. Matt and I also discuss why higher education would be advised to reform itself and how integrity and principled stances remain good signals of integrity and sincere engagement. Our conversation in this episode is based on Matt’s wonderful article of the same title.Matthew Burgess is Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Wyoming. He works on issues related to economic growth futures and their implications for the environment and society, political polarization of environmental issues, and mathematical modeling of human-environment systems, especially as it relates to natural resource management and conservation. He runs the Substack newsletter Guided Civic Revival and podcast Grounded, Not Divided.Uncommon Wisdom is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

Two AI podcast hosts discuss a recent article of mine—the invisible hand of partisan irrationality—where I argue that a little acknowledged benefit of political irrationality is that people are forced to act consistent with their virtue signaling and rationalizations or be credibly charged with hypocrisy. The full paper can be found HERE.I checked the audio for accuracy, but the level of rigor ain't great. In any case, if you would prefer to listen to audiobots discussing my work in an easy to understand format, then enjoy!Uncommon Wisdom is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

China is shrinking demographically and economically (relative to the United States). Some cheer this development, thinking it lowers the chance of military conflict with the United States and her allies. Professor of Political Science at Tufts University, Michael Beckley, the author of the recent and excellent book, Danger Zone, argues that the opposite is true: for the next five to ten years, a fading China will likely be even more dangerous. The United States and the West would do well to keep that in mind. So, for the next few years especially, the United States is in the danger zone.Uncommon Wisdom is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

Shawn Klein, an Associate Teaching Professor at Arizona State University and expert in the ethics and philosophy of sport, dives deep into why sports matter. He explores the ethical dilemmas of contact sports and the responsibilities of fans. Klein discusses how fandom shapes our identities and communities while addressing the emotional highs and lows of being a supporter. He also examines sports as a unique form of human expression, balancing risk with the joy of competition, and challenges common misconceptions about the nature of sports.

Become a paid subscriber. This Substack is a labor of love, but the coffee it takes to write the Substack ain't free. Did I mention I'm a poor professor? Thanks! ☕In a world in which only the present moment exists, travel to the past would be impossible, no? And perhaps even suicidal since time travel in such a universe would be leaving the whole of reality? Steven and I begin the episode by debating these questions. (You can find Steven's original article here, my reply here, Steven’s counter here, and my final reply here). Our conversation then turns to the question of abortion and father's rights, why luck is a myth, and the disastrous effects of AI on teaching in higher education. And just like myself, Steven likes to work on topics that come from left field—the baseball examples help too!Steven Hales is Professor of Philosophy at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. He also is the author of, account other books, The Myth of Luck: Philosophy, Fate, and Fortune. Uncommon Wisdom is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

Become a paid subscriber. This Substack is a labor of love, but the coffee ☕ it takes to write the Substack ain't free. Did I mention I'm a poor professor? Thanks! 🙏In a fun and freewheeling conversation, philosopher Andrew M. Bailey and I discuss his current book Resistance Money: A Philosophical Case for Bitcoin about the power of Bitcoin as a resistance money, the basics of how bitcoin works, and why you as an ordinary consumer should consider Bitcoin as a form of currency. Bitcoin is for anyone who values autonomy and privacy — more and more so into the future!Andrew M. Bailey is a former philosophy professor at Yale-NUS in Singapore, and soon to be an Associate Professor of Philosophy at University of Wyoming and a senior fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute.Uncommon Wisdom is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

Become a paid 💰 subscriber. This Substack is a labor of love, but the coffee ☕ it takes to write the Substack ain't free. Did I mention I'm only a poor professor? Thanks! 🙏This post is experimental. It is an AI-generated podcast with two ‘hosts’ discussing a published article on mine—which I no longer endorse, but which is fun to discuss regardless—arguing that procreation (having children) is wrong most, if not all, the time. You can find a copy of the published article HERE. It was also the subject of a reddit thread a few years ago HERE.I checked the audio for accuracy, but the level of rigor ain't great. In any case, if you would prefer to listen to audiobots — that sound like NPR hosts — discussing my work in an easy to understand and digest format, then listen away!If subscribers like this feature, then I will add it as a regular on Uncommon Wisdom. If so, then let me know in the comments. Enjoy!Uncommon Wisdom is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe

Become a paid 💰 subscriber. This Substack is a labor of love, but the coffee ☕ it takes to write the Substack ain't free. Did I mention I'm only a poor professor? Thanks! 🙏This post is experimental. It is an AI-generated podcast with two ‘hosts’ discussing a published article on mine on the dark sides of political and legislative transparency. Sunlight ain't all good folks! There's a reason that the Founders wrote and debated the Constitution behind closed doors. This podcast is based on an article that can be found HERE. I checked the audio for accuracy, but the level of rigor ain't great. In any case, if you would prefer to listen to audiobots — that sound like NPR hosts — discussing my work in an easy to understand and digest format, then listen away!If subscribers like this feature, then I will add it as a regular on Uncommon Wisdom. If so, then let me know in the comments. Enjoy!Uncommon Wisdom is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Uncommon Wisdom at jimmyalfonsolicon.substack.com/subscribe