Walden Pod

Today we begin our series on panpsychism.  Panpsychism [Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]  Galen Strawson - Panpsychism [YouTube] Galen Strawson - Does the Soul Exist? [YouTube]  Annaka Harris - Conscious [YouTube]

In this clip, we discuss natural teleology. Subscribe at patreon.com/waldenpod for the patron feed, where you can hear the full version of this episode and others.

In 1948, Bertrand Russell gave a name to something all propagandists are familiar with: different words and phrases can be factual synonyms, but emotional antonyms. Words can be technically synonymous, but have very different emotional connotations. This can be used to manipulate entirely different responses to the same underlying reality.  “Firmness” is behaviorally identical to “stubbornness,” yet they evoke different emotional connotations. “Death tax” and “estate tax” are two descriptions of the same policy, but support for one is greater than the other. “Socialized medicine” and “Medicare for all” are the same thing, but one polls nearly 25% higher than the other.  This is most consequential in the realm of media, public relations, journalism, politics, and so on, but Russell Conjugations are at work in all of language. Their use isn’t limited to those with a platform, but extends to all human beings -- how we think of each other and ourselves, how we communicate with others, and how we navigate the social landscape.  Russell Conjugation [Edge] 

For nerd rage, subscribe at Patreon.com/waldenpod to hear the full episode explaining why Ari Aster’s Hereditary was one of the most overrated horror movies of the decade.

Is western civilization a product of Judeo-Christian values? Religious believers assert that Judeo-Christian values influenced the thinkers of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment so greatly that their religion deserves credit as the foundation of western values. Even if Judeo-Christian beliefs are entirely untrue, could the mythology be a useful fiction that created the west as we know it? Rationality Rules - Western Civilization is Based on Judeo-Christian Values [YouTube] Nonstampcollector - Ten Commandments [YouTube]  The Basis of Western Civilization - Jordan Peterson [YouTube]  Western Civilization - Ben Shapiro [YouTube]  Richard Dawkins - Militant Atheism [YouTube] Ben Shaprio - Ten Commandments [YouTube] Sam Harris - Ten Commandments [YouTube]  Hitchens on Morality [YouTube]  Stephen Fry on Ten Commandments [YouTube] Yaron Brook on Judeo-Christian Values [YouTube]  Sam Harris vs. Ben Shapiro [YouTube]  Ben Shapiro vs. Sam Harris — TMM [YouTube]  TMM on Ben Shapiro [YouTube] Bible Verses on Obeying Governments [KnowingJesus] The Myth of the Jewish Origins of the Renaissance [PDF]  Bertrand Russell — Why I Am Not a Christian [Amazon] . . . . .  Support on patreon.com/waldenpod  Contact me at emersongreen@protonmail.com or on Facebook Check out our sister podcast, Counter Apologetics [iTunes] 

Is there any value to philosophy in the modern age? Why does there seem to be a conflict between science and philosophy?  There is no reason for science to be at odds with philosophy, and for the vast majority of western history, the two were not at odds. In fact, science wasn’t considered something separate from philosophy until the past couple centuries. Recently, scientists and philosophers have taken shots at each other publicly. However, both are extremely valuable, and share the same essential purpose: to pursue truth. We use Stephen Hawking’s infamous remark, “Philosophy is dead,” as a jumping off point for discussing this conflict.  I generalize quite a bit in this episode (e.g. “Scientists’ disdain of philosophy,”) but I recognize that there is a wide spectrum of opinion among scientists and philosophers; I’m only criticizing the segment of scientists and philosophers who see a conflict between science and philosophy. I spoke loosely for the sake of time and boredom of listeners, who would otherwise be listening to a caveat-laden episode.  Existential Comics on The Panpsycast [Panpsycast]  Stephen Hawking - The Grand Design [Amazon] Massimo Pigliucci - Science vs Scientism [YouTube] . . . . . Support on patreon.com/waldenpod  Contact me at emersongreen@protonmail.com or on Facebook Check out our sister podcast, Counter Apologetics [iTunes]