Wisdom of Crowds

Welcome to summer, dear crowd! This week, we have a live episode for you — live from the Aspen Ideas Festival. Sam Kimbriel recorded this episode with Tamar Gendler, a Dean and Philosophy professor at Yale University, and Erin McFee, a Future Leaders Fellow at the Latin America and Caribbean Centre in the London School of Economics.The subject, very broadly, is forgiveness. Is it good or bad? Do we know what it means? Can one forgive wrongly? And could forgiving foreclose the possibility of achieving justice in this world? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveOn July 1, the Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump, as President of the United States, enjoys “absolute” immunity for “his core constitutional powers,” but that he “enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does if official.” The ruling has an obvious immediate impact on the upcoming presidential elections. But it also suggests far-reaching questions about political sovereignty, and our system of government.In this episode, Sam and Damir get together to hash out the theoretical implications of the Court’s ruling. Joining them is Yale Law professor and friend of the pod Samuel Moyn. Moyn argues that the Court’s decision was as much a product of “comparative risk assessment” of our current and near-future political situation, as it was a theoretical statement about our political system. Damir pushes on the question of the meaning of sovereignty, and what immunity implies in terms of the limits of presidential power. Sam sums up the decision as having reached “the limits of business as usual.”In the bonus section for paid subscribers, the discussion strikes a philosophical note. Sam describes his views about the “Platonic” and “prophetic” sources of law, Damir asks whether Thomas Hobbes is still relevant, and Moyn explains his idea of “collective self-creation.” Law, politics, philosophy, and prophecy — this episode is packed with the drama of our time.Required Reading* Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court Immunity Ruling (supremecourt.gov).* Richard Tuck, The Sleeping Sovereign: The Invention of Modern Democracy (Cambridge). * Eric Nelson, The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding (Harvard).* “Broad Reflections on Trump v. United States,” by Jack Goldsmith (Lawfare).* Plato, Euthyphro (Internet Classics Archive).* Summary of the Kelsen-Schmitt debate (YouTube).This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Governance and Markets.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWhat happened on Thursday night was a debacle for Joe Biden and an embarrassment for the nation. About this, our three hosts — Christine, Damir and Shadi — all agree. And they are all angry about it. But who is to blame? Biden himself? The DNC? The media? Trump? All of us?Shadi, Damir, and Christine work through their post-debate anguish and anger — and try to figure out who is responsible for the predicament that the country finds itself in today. “We are gripped by an inability to call balls and strikes anymore,” says Damir. In this episode, they try anyway. Required Reading:* Derek Hudson, “We Need to Talk about Biden” (Wisdom of Crowds).Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveYou might have noticed that Wisdom of Crowds got a facelift this week. We touched up our homepage and added two new features: CrowdSource and Provocations (read more about both here). In this spirit of renewal and relaunch, on the podcast we are getting back to our bread and butter with a classic Shadi and Damir episode. This week’s episode deals with the virtues of resignation. Is giving up ever the right choice to make, either in politics or in one’s personal life? Shadi has been reading a book about “settling” — On Giving Up by Adam Phillips — and he muses on the topic in latest piece in Wisdom of Crowds: “Giving Up is Good for You.” Damir worries that giving up means resignation, a rejection of life, a denial of adventure. He considers Shadi’s mention of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Does Shadi understand the full implications of Nietzsche’s philosophy? Damir wonders. In the bonus section for paid subscribers, the talk turns toward war and geopolitics, where Shadi discusses how wars end in" “settlements” — a form of giving up. Finally, the conversation wraps up with a reevaluation of Damir’s personal philosophy, and a look back at last week’s podcast episode with Phil Klay.Required Reading:* “Giving Up is Good for You” by Shadi (Wisdom of Crowds).* Adam Phillips, On Giving Up.* Friedrich Nietzsche (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).* Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra.* Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals.* Friedrich Nietzsche, The Joyful Science.* Adyashanti official page (YouTube).* Podcast episode with Phil Klay (Wisdom of Crowds). Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

Morality and war. Two words that seem to have nothing to do with each other. Yet as recent events have shown, our conscience pricks us every time we hear news of an atrocity, smarts at every war and rumor of war. Can a war ever be just? Does talk about morality in the conduct of war make any sense?Joining Shadi and Damir to discuss this heady topic is Phil Klay, a novelist and essayist whose first book, the short story collection Redeployment, won the National Book Award in 2014. An Iraq War veteran, his work has focused on themes concerning war, citizenship, and the postwar life of veterans. His latest book is titled Uncertain Ground: Citizens in an Age of Endless, Invisible War. This episode does not have the usual verbal sparring and back-and-forth. The tone is meditative and the questions are profound. Shadi opens the conversation with a direct question: What does morality have to do with war? Phil responds with a description of the Medieval practice of imposing penances on soldiers, even those who fought in just wars. Damir presses Phil with the nagging question of where the “shoulds” and “oughts” come from in Phil’s recent article about the war in Gaza. Phil develops a clear standard for sending citizens of a democracy to war. It is a fruitful idea, which Shadi and Damir chew on for the remainder of the episode. You won’t want to miss this one!Required Reading:* Redeployment by Phil Klay.* Missionaries by Phil Klay.* Uncertain Ground: Citizenship in an Age of Endless, Invisible War by Phil Klay.* “U.S. Support for Israel’s War Has Become Indefensible,” by Phil Klay (The Atlantic).* Phil’s interview with the New York Times.* “What Do I Owe the Dead of My Generation’s Mismanaged Wars?” by Phil Klay (New York Times).* Wisdom of Crowds episode with Samuel Moyn.* Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War by Samuel Moyn.* “Uncomfortably Numb” by Damir Marusic (“the Bucha essay”).This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Governance and Markets.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week, Wisdom of Crowds hosts a fluid discussion about violence and sex in movies, where the “shoulds” of life come from, and whether liberal values can be based on something other than religion. The discussion is more meditative than contentious, an exploration prompted by recent pop culture hits and a probing comment from the Crowd.Violence is entertaining. That’s the conclusion that Damir draws after watching the movie, Civil War, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Christine questions Damir about his taste for violent movies, and wonders whether we are slowly becoming numb to violence, just as we are — as recent studies suggest — becoming numb to sex in film. The discussion moves toward the question of values and where they come from, drawing from a recent reader comment that prompted some soul-searching in the Wisdom of Crowds masthead.In the bonus section for paid subscribers, Damir asks Christine how she can overcome Nietzsche’s critique of Christianity and its values, while he launches into a defense of liberalism based on what he calls “mystery.” Finally, Damir explains why he believes that most moral truth claims “end up in tears.”Required Reading (and Viewing):* Civil War trailer (YouTube).* Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga trailer (YouTube).* The Mad Max movie franchise.* “UCLA Study: Gen Z Wants Less Sex Onscreen, Prefers Platonic Relationships Depicted to Romantic Rollercoasters,” (IndieWire).* The Hays Code.* Lauren Bacall movie line (YouTube).* The Big Lebowski: “Fight a stranger in the alps” (YouTube).* “Why Give a Damn?” by Samuel Kimbriel (Wisdom of Crowds).* Reader comment (Wisdom of Crowds).* Rethinking Sex by Christine Emba.* Friedrich Nietzsche (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Governance and Markets.

Philosopher Alexandre Lefebvre discusses how liberalism is not a neutral political system, but a way of life with its own values. Topics include liberalism's grounding of preferences, defense of human dignity, and the role of personal freedom. The conversation also explores how religious individuals fit into liberalism, and how liberalism leads to playfulness and redemption.

Exploring Israeli opinions on the war in Gaza, including priorities like hostage return and total victory. Debate on the divisions within Israeli politics and the complexities of a post-war settlement. Discussion on moralism in war, legitimacy of Hamas, and potential ceasefire negotiations. Critiques on Israeli perspectives, military strategies, and global pressure amidst ongoing conflicts.

What does justice mean for animals? Is justice for animals the same as justice for human beings? Why should we care more about the rights of animals when the rights of humans are so often neglected? Martha Nussbaum teaches philosophy, ethics, and law at the University of Chicago, and is one of the most influential and cited philosophers of our time. She’s written dozens of books on Greek philosophy, the importance of emotions in politics, justice, feminism, and many other topics. She joins the podcast to discuss her new book, Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility. Shadi begins the conversation by inquiring about the moral motivations behind Professor Nussbaum’s advocacy for animal rights. He also wonders how human beings can, given their finite resources and time, focus on animal rights over other issues, like war or poverty. Nussbaum pushes back, arguing that animal rights is only one part of a web of issues, like overpopulation and climate change, that have to be addressed holistically. Sam provides some philosophical background, placing Nussbaum’s thought within the context of her work as a whole, which is focused on justice, freedom, and human flourishing.It’s an energetic episode, where three sharp minds constantly challenge each other to clarify their thoughts. Ultimately, the question of the meaning of life—both for animals and humans—emerges, as Nussbaum asks whether death should be perceived as something negative, and Shadi considers the significance of belief in the afterlife. Required Reading:* Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility by Martha Nussbaum.* “Mortal Immortals: Lucretius on Death and the Voice of Nature,” by Martha Nussbaum (Philosophy and Phenomenological Research).* “The Dilemmas of Living in a Post-Religious World,” by Shadi (Washington Post).* 1966 Animal Welfare Act. * 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act.* R. M. Hare (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).* Epicurus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).* Lucretius (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

Policy guru and Ur-Blogger Matt Yglesias discusses the intersection of identity politics and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Topics include the demands of pro-Palestine protestors, conditioning aid to Israel, global justice claims, personal religious identities, and the influence of American moment. The conversation delves into the evolving dynamics within the Democratic Party, pro-Palestine activism, empathy in wokeness discourse, Israeli-Palestinian conflict complexities, group tensions within political coalitions, and leadership styles in the Democratic Party.