
Patterson in Pursuit
Philosophy in the real world. Interviewing intellectuals across the globe. Grappling with the biggest ideas. stevepatterson.substack.com
Latest episodes

Apr 29, 2018 • 1h 32min
Ep. 88 - Watch Out for Bitcoin Cash | Ryan X. Charles
I am joined again by Ryan Charles to discuss the current state of the Bitcoin Cash network. After the failure of the Segwit2x proposal to scale Bitcoin, a significant percentage of early adopters have moved onto the Bitcoin Cash network, and progress is happening fast. In fact, as of this interview, I've decided to only support Bitcoin Cash addresses for my work, and I've decided to write my next book on Bitcoin, called "The First Fork: From Bitcoin to Bitcoin Cash." Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Apr 26, 2018 • 7min
How Progressives Can Fix the Economy
This is a narrated article from the 2016 campaign season. I was inspired by the rhetoric of Bernie Sanders to create some satire... Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Apr 22, 2018 • 2h 1min
Ep. 87 - Race and Colorblindness: Part II | T.K. Coleman
Imagine it's the late evening in Atlanta, and a small white woman is walking to her car in a parking lot. A black man she didn't see before walks up behind her. She gets nervous and feels like she might be in danger. She holds onto her purse a little more tightly. Is this a clear case of racism? Is it simply rational behavior? If it's racism, is it a moral problem? TK Coleman joins me to discuss these types of situations in Part Two of our conversation on race and colorblindness. Is it really possible to be colorblind, or is that naive to think? Are race relations improving or getting worse in America? We cover these questions, and many more, in this episode. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Apr 19, 2018 • 14min
Gay Marriage and the Absurdity of Courts
This is a narration of an article I wrote when the US Supreme Court made their famous ruling on gay marriage. When you step back and view the big picture, the whole situation is bizarre. Humans, themselves, are bizarre, as are their political structures. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Apr 16, 2018 • 1h 46min
Ep. 86 - Race and Colorblindness: Part I | TK Coleman
TK Coleman joins me for another excellent conversation about race. This week, we focus on the concept of "colorblindness." Is it possible to be colorblind, or is that naive? Can we recognize differences among groups, while still judging every individual according to their own character? Is white supremacism a fundamental feature of white people's minds - so much, that they cannot spot it within themselves? Is the reason that so many people deny being racist is because of a lack of self-awareness? We cover these questions - and many more - in the next two episodes. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Apr 8, 2018 • 14min
The Profundity of Poker
Poker can teach us something profound about philosophy. Specifically, it can teach us about the relationship between theory and data, knowledge and experience, and the ancient debate between rationalists and empiricists. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Apr 2, 2018 • 59min
Ep. 85 - College Isn't for Education | Dr. Bryan Caplan
This week I’m joined by Dr. Bryan Caplan to discuss his new book, “The Case Against Education.” We cover the signaling model of education, whether college is always a good idea, and we got into an interesting conversation about doing interdisciplinary work - something very relevant to my own project. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Mar 25, 2018 • 28min
Ep. 84 - When Logic Met Math | Dr. Graham Priest
This is Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Graham Priest. We talk about the history of logic and the great revisions that took place around the turn of the 20th century. When logic met math, both disciplines changed, for better or worse. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Mar 18, 2018 • 1h 23min
Ep. 83 - Logic, Contradictions, and the Liar Paradox | Dr. Graham Priest
My conversation with Dr. Graham Priest, who is best known for his defense of dialetheism - the idea that some contradictions are true. We talk about logic, metaphysics, the relationship between the two, and focus on the liar's paradox in particular. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Mar 11, 2018 • 30min
Ep. 82 - Do Entities Exist? | Breakdown of Chalmers Interview
This is my breakdown of David Chalmers' interview on the Closer to Truth Series - about metaphysics and ontology. Are there entities in the world, or is there just stuff? Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0QPWQR5f9Q Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe