Converging Dialogues

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Iona Italia about her personal memoirs, mixed-race identity, and current social issues. Iona discusses her various experiences around the world and how they have shaped her identity. Specifically, she mentions her time in Argentina, India, and Great Britain. She also discusses her background in English literature and the impact that had on her development. They talk about race and ethnicity and some of the distinctions for individuals who are mixed races. They also discuss the differences between individualism and group identity and many other topics. Iona Italia is a writer, editor, translator, and podcaster. She has a PhD in English from Cambridge University and currently serves as the copy editor at Areo Magazine. She is fluent in four languages and also enjoys Tango dancing. You can find her at her website. Twitter: @ionaitalia  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this special episode, Xavier Bonilla moderates a dialogue between Bo Winegard and Nicholas Wolfinger about the similarities and differences between conservatism and liberalism. They discuss immigration and the varying narratives on mass migrations along with conservative nationalism's perspective on immigration. They discuss the current conservative party and whether they can or cannot distance themselves from insurrection and sedition. They talk about the focus on criticizing some groups and not others. They also engage on the importance of studying differences in human variation. They discuss where to draw lines and distinctions on some political issues and how each party can combat extremism from within each party. Both Bo and Nick discuss the current state of academia and how certain topics are taboo within academia. They engage about the need for viewpoint diversity within academia and how to resist double standards. Finally, they end the conversation giving some different perspectives on major court decisions. Bo Winegard is a former Assistant Professor of Psychology. He holds a Ph.D. in social psychology with an emphasis on Evolutionary psychology. Currently, he writes on conservatism, human nature, group behavior, and socially conservative thought in society. His articles can be found here and here. Twitter: @epoe187 Nicholas Wolfinger has a Ph.D. in Sociology from UCLA and is professor of family and consumer studies as well as sociology at the University of Utah. He is the author of four books on marriage, family, and divorce. Currently, he is writing a new book on single motherhood. He is widely published and cited within academia and has written for The Atlantic, National Review, Huffington Post, and other outlets. You can find all links to his articles and books at his website. Twitter: @nickwolfinger Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nicholas Wolfinger about marriage, divorce, and single motherhood. They start the conversation with an overview of sociology today and some of the differences between quantitative and qualitative methods. They discuss the history of marriage in American Society in the 20th century and some of the societal norms and changes in the 1960's. Nicholas provides an overview of the current data on marriage and the family unit along with data on divorce, both historically and currently. They discuss the positive impact of religion on marriage and some of the reasons for divorce. They also dialogue about the legal aspects of divorce and the data on remarriage. Nicholas also discusses the data on single motherhood and many other topics. Nicholas Wolfinger has a Ph.D. in Sociology from UCLA and is professor of family and consumer studies as well as sociology at the University of Utah. He is the author of four books on marriage, family, and divorce. Currently, he is writing a new book on single motherhood. He is widely published and cited within academia and has written for The Atlantic, National Review, Huffington Post, and other outlets. You can find all links to his articles and books at his website. Twitter: @nickwolfinger Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a in-depth dialogue with Tyler VanOstrand on his recently finished thesis discussing the divergence between the ideas of Nietzsche and Freud. At the start of this dialogue, Tyler provides a summary of the juxtaposition of Nietzsche and Freud's ideas. There is a discussion about Nietzsche's main concept of will to power and how this is an active idea along with the dimensions and extensions of this concept. They also talk about will to power as sitting within a super structure/hierarchy and some of the directionality that it encompasses. There is also a discussion about will to power as observational and descriptive but also some of its prescriptive elements. Freud's formulation of life and death through tension reduction is also discussed. There is a discussion on the death instinct as a primary way of returning to the inanimate primordial origins. There is also a discussion about the role of sex as tension reduction and how this corresponds with the expenditure of power. Throughout this dialogue there is a discussion about how Nietzsche's ideas and Freud's ideas intersect and then diverge. There is a discussion about the misreading of Nietzsche by Deleuze and Derrida, specifically on difference. There is also a discussion about pleasure and pain within the instincts for both Nietzsche and Freud. Finally, there is a discussion about Nietzsche's complex concept of the eternal recurrence of the same and some of the nuances within this concept. Tyler VanOstrand is a former seminarian and has a Master of Arts in New Testament. He also has a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and a Master of Arts in Philosophy, with a minor in psychoanalysis. He is currently pursuing studies towards a Ph.D. in Philosophy analyzing Nietzsche's thought.  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Sanjana Rajagopal about her experience in philosophy, the ideas of Martin Heidegger and Hannah Arendt, and philosophy in general. Sanjana talks about what led her into studying philosophy as a woman and as a Hindu and the roles they play in her life and studying philosophy. They discuss the general differences between continental and analytic philosophy. There is a discussion around the major tenets of Heidegger's concepts, namely: death and idle talk, Dasein and being, thrownness and worldhood, spatiality- de-severance and directionality.They also discuss Hannah Arendt and her ideas on labor, work, and action, the vita activa and vita contemplative, along with her work on Kant's judgment and her political theory. They also discuss Arendt's idea of the banality of evil and her complicated relationship with Heidegger. Sanjana Rajagopal is a PhD student in philosophy and has been primarily studying the work of Hannah Arendt along with Martin Heidegger.  She also writes poetry. You can find her work here. Twitter: @sanjanawrites Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Simona Efanov about the neurophysiology of stress, clinical psychology, and the dangers of self-help psychology. They discuss the various definitions of stress and talk about the aspects of positive stressors. They provide a review of neuroanatomy and discuss the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and the cycle of stress. They define emotions in general and then explain the impact of chronic stress. There is also a discussion on the differences between chronic stress and trauma and how trauma can impact development and attachment. In the second half of this dialogue, there is a broad discussion of what clinical psychology is and some of its functions and efficacy. Specifically, there is a description of the development and creation of statistical methods and psychological assessment. They discuss the differences between PhD's and PsyD's along with talking about some of the current challenges in the field of Psychology. They talk about the importance of explaining psychological science and research concretely to the general public. They offer a critique of self-help and pop psychology with a specific case example and critique of Brene Brown along with other topics. Simona Efanov is a licensed clinical psychologist who has done research on stress and currently does clinical work in a private practice. She also is involved with clinical training and is a professor of neuropsychology and other clinical courses.   Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Stephen Clouse about political theory, philosophy, and Aristotelian concepts in general and for current day application. They talk about the differences between political philosophy and political science and also the ways in which they intersect. They have a discussion about political theory using various examples. They talk about the importance of etymology and also about primordial concepts underlying the American political system. They also give a brief history of 20th century philosophy and discuss some of the challenges with postmodern/deconstructionist philosophy.They provide a background and history of Greek philosophy and talk about the importance of Aristotelian philosophy for modern times. More specifically, they talk about Aristotle's concept of purpose and how this interacts with leisure. They also talk about his concept of tragedy and pity and many other topics. Stephen Clouse is a political science PhD candidate with his primary focus on ancient Greek philosophy, specifically Aristotelian philosophy, along with early American political thought. You can find his writing here and here. You can also follow him on Twitter: @sclouse2 Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Angel Eduardo about the need to focus on ideas and also about viewpoint diversity with the Latino community.  They discuss the distinctions between words and ideas and the value of intentions along with context. They also talk about revisionist history with society and how individuals should be patient and more sanguine in their reactions.They also discuss Latino diversity by starting with some background from their own Latin roots. They parse out the differences between the terms Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish. They discuss the complex nuances within the Caribbean and the regional differences within the United States for Latinos. They discuss the underlying and encompassing themes of Latin culture and how these themes disperse with acculturation among Latinos in the United States. Angel Eduardo is a writer, musician, photographer, and designer based in New York City. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from CUNY and is a staff writer at Idealist. You can find his piece on ideas here and his more recent piece on selfishness here. Find him at his website and on twitter: @strangeledweird   Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Ashley King about the various components of psychotherapy and some of its challenges currently. They provide an overview of the major therapies and talk about the practice of "circling." The practice of circling is discussed in terms of its application for individual and group therapies. There is a discussion about the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of existential-humanistic therapy/treatment along with depth/insight-oriented therapy. They both talk about the various aspects of manualized/directive treatments and why theoretical conceptualizations are important. They discuss the differences between therapy and being a life coach. They also talk about Ashley's work as a somatic therapist and what that means. Finally, they discuss the limits and boundaries of personal ideology in therapy and current trends with self-help, "thought leaders," and motivational speakers.Ashley King has two Masters of Education and is a Licensed Professional Counselor where she works in her private practice in the Philadelphia area. She has numerous trainings with various methods that incorporate a wholistic lens on psychotherapy. You can find her work at her website. Twitter: @AKpsychoalchemy Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Cory Clark about bias within the social sciences, the replication crisis, and the concepts of free will and determinism. They start by defining the social sciences and discussing the challenges and problems with the social sciences. There is a discussion about publication and research bias. An example of unconscious/ implicit bias and the controversy surrounding the Implicit Association Test (IAT)is used. They discuss the replication crisis and, more specifically, the challenges with some quantitative and qualitative studies replicating. They also talk about the value of meta-analyses for replication studies and discuss pragmatic solutions for improving research within the social sciences to truncate the replication crisis. Finally, they discuss free will and its correlation with moral retribution/punishment. They talk about the differences between free will and determinism and how one can maintain personal responsibility. Cory Clark is a social psychologist and current visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania where she continues to do research on morals, political polarization, and bias. You can find her scholarly and popular publications on her website. Twitter: @Iamhardcory  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe