The Socratic Sessions
The Socratic Sessions explores humanity’s biggest questions—delving into philosophy, theology, history, science, and the enduring mysteries of religion.
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Mar 23, 2025 • 18min
My Story of Loss and Faith 🍂🦁
✍️ Substack: If you'd rather read than listen, you can do so over on Substack!
🔍 Overview: Today, I want to tell you a story. It’s a true story and honestly very hard to tell, so I’ve cloaked it in metaphor and imagery.
It’s a story about loss, further rejection, and decreed ostracisation. It haunts me because it IS me; it’s a story I will carry to my grave and has imprinted itself onto every fibre of my body and soul.
This is a story about events that utterly ruined me, and it has to be told.
It’s a story I call ‘The Burning Orange Autumn Leaves’, this is my story…
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#faith #loss #god #christianity #theism #atheism #story
Mar 21, 2025 • 1h 32min
Atheism’s Problem of Evil: Expectation Mismatch | Yujin Nagasawa | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #30
🔍 Overview: Join Yujin Nagasawa and me as we explore atheism’s Problem of Evil, the concept of systemic evil, and whether suffering poses a more significant challenge to atheism than to theism.🤝 Support The Show 🤘LocalsPayPalBitcoin🤦♂️Correction:Two times I say 'hydrogen and two oxygen' when talking about water (43:46) & (46:11); I have no idea why; I meant to say 'two hydrogen and one oxygen' 😅🗣️Highlights[Highlight 1]: How Do Lewis, Hume, and Russell Challenge Each Other on God and Reason?[Highlight 2]: Can The Problem of Evil Ever Be Reconciled with Faith?[Highlight 3]: Are Miracles Possible, or Does Hume’s Argument Destroy Their Credibility?📚 Episode Resources (affiliate links where possible - thanks!)The Problem of Evil for Atheists (Amazon) by Yujin NagasawaThe Problem of Evil for Atheists (Open Access) by Yujin NagasawaYujin'sWebsite🌐ConnectLinktreeSubstackTwitterFacebook PageInstagramGoodreadsBlueskyThreadsLinkedIn Page📺 Subscribe - Video PlatformsYouTubeRumble📷Gear (affiliate links - thanks!)Camera (Sony A6400)Lens (Sigma 16mm)Audio Interface (Focusrite Scarlett 4i4)Microphone Amplifier (Cloudlifter CL-1)Mic (RØDE PodMic)Lights (Elgato Key Light Air)Colour Back Lighting (Govee LED Floor Lamp)Recording Software (Riverside.FM)👍 Support: Like, subscribe, and share to fuel the quest for understanding.🔔 Stay Tuned: Tap the bell for instant notifications.📣 Join the Talk: Share your thoughts using #TheSocraticSessions.🚀 Thanks for Tuning In! Let's keep the conversation going.#evil #atheism #theism #ontology #mismatch #evolution #psychology #philosophy
Mar 18, 2025 • 12min
Logical Loops: Are Theists Stuck on the Problem of Evil? w/ Yujin Nagasawa
🔍 Overview: In this clip, Yujin Nagasawa and Sam explore the scope and legitimacy of the ontological tools theists use to address the problem of evil.🤝 Support The Show 🤘LocalsPayPalBitcoin📚 Episode Resources (affiliate links where possible - thanks!)The Problem of Evil for Atheists (Amazon) by Yujin NagasawaThe Problem of Evil for Atheists (Open Access) by Yujin NagasawaYujin'sWebsite🌐ConnectLinktreeSubstackTwitterFacebook PageInstagramGoodreadsBlueskyThreadsLinkedIn Page📺 Subscribe - Video PlatformsYouTubeRumble📷Gear (affiliate links - thanks!)Camera (Sony A6400)Lens (Sigma 16mm)Audio Interface (Focusrite Scarlett 4i4)Microphone Amplifier (Cloudlifter CL-1)Mic (RØDE PodMic)Lights (Elgato Key Light Air)Colour Back Lighting (Govee LED Floor Lamp)Recording Software (Riverside.FM)👍 Support: Like, subscribe, and share to fuel the quest for understanding.🔔 Stay Tuned: Tap the bell for instant notifications.📣 Join the Talk: Share your thoughts using #TheSocraticSessions.🚀 Thanks for Tuning In! Let's keep the conversation going.#evil #theism #ontology #theodicy #logic #reasoning #philosophy
Mar 14, 2025 • 7min
Atheism’s Problem of Evil Explained w/ Yujin Nagasawa
🔍 Overview: In this clip, Yujin Nagasawa explains how the problem of evil—arising from an axiological mismatch between ‘modest optimism’ and ‘systemic evil’—could apply even to atheists.🤝 Support The Show 🤘LocalsPayPalBitcoin📚 Episode Resources (affiliate links where possible - thanks!)The Problem of Evil for Atheists (Amazon) by Yujin NagasawaThe Problem of Evil for Atheists (Open Access) by Yujin NagasawaYujin'sWebsite🌐ConnectLinktreeSubstackTwitterFacebook PageInstagramGoodreadsBlueskyThreadsLinkedIn Page📺 Subscribe - Video PlatformsYouTubeRumble📷Gear (affiliate links - thanks!)Camera (Sony A6400)Lens (Sigma 16mm)Audio Interface (Focusrite Scarlett 4i4)Microphone Amplifier (Cloudlifter CL-1)Mic (RØDE PodMic)Lights (Elgato Key Light Air)Colour Back Lighting (Govee LED Floor Lamp)Recording Software (Riverside.FM)👍 Support: Like, subscribe, and share to fuel the quest for understanding.🔔 Stay Tuned: Tap the bell for instant notifications.📣 Join the Talk: Share your thoughts using #TheSocraticSessions.🚀 Thanks for Tuning In! Let's keep the conversation going.#evil #atheism #mismatch #optimism #philosophy
Mar 11, 2025 • 7min
Does Axiarchism Collapse Under Population Ethics? w/ Yujin Nagasawa
🔍 Overview: In this clip, Yujin Nagasawa unpacks Axiarchism, and we examine whether Parfit’s ‘Repugnant Conclusion’ poses a serious challenge to it.🤝 Support The Show 🤘LocalsPayPalBitcoin📚 Episode Resources (affiliate links where possible - thanks!)The Problem of Evil for Atheists (Amazon) by Yujin NagasawaThe Problem of Evil for Atheists (Open Access) by Yujin NagasawaYujin'sWebsite🌐ConnectLinktreeSubstackTwitterFacebook PageInstagramGoodreadsBlueskyThreadsLinkedIn Page📺 Subscribe - Video PlatformsYouTubeRumble📷Gear (affiliate links - thanks!)Camera (Sony A6400)Lens (Sigma 16mm)Audio Interface (Focusrite Scarlett 4i4)Microphone Amplifier (Cloudlifter CL-1)Mic (RØDE PodMic)Lights (Elgato Key Light Air)Colour Back Lighting (Govee LED Floor Lamp)Recording Software (Riverside.FM)👍 Support: Like, subscribe, and share to fuel the quest for understanding.🔔 Stay Tuned: Tap the bell for instant notifications.📣 Join the Talk: Share your thoughts using #TheSocraticSessions.🚀 Thanks for Tuning In! Let's keep the conversation going.#evil #axiarchism #ethics #parfit #population #philosophy
Mar 7, 2025 • 1h 44min
God and Reason: Lewis, Hume, and Russell | Erik Wielenberg | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #29
🔍 Overview: Join Erik Wielenberg and me as we explore the philosophical crossroads of C.S. Lewis, David Hume, and Bertrand Russell, unpacking their debates on God, reason, faith, evil, and miracles.🤝 Support The Show 🤘LocalsPayPalBitcoin🗣️ Highlights[Highlight 1]: How Do Lewis, Hume, and Russell Challenge Each Other on God and Reason?[Highlight 2]: Can The Problem of Evil Ever Be Reconciled with Faith?[Highlight 3]: Are Miracles Possible, or Does Hume’s Argument Destroy Their Credibility?📚 Episode Resources (affiliate links where possible - thanks!)God and the Reach of Reason: C. S. Lewis, David Hume, and Bertrand Russell by Erik WielenbergGodless Normative Realism | Erik Wielenberg | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #20Erik'sWebsiteValue and Virtue in a Godless Universe by Erik WielenbergA Debate on God and Morality: What is the Best Account of Objective Moral Values and Duties? by Erik Wielenberg & William Lane CraigDialogues Concerning Natural Religion by David HumeThe Problem of Pain by C. S. LewisMere Christianity by C. S. LewisMiracles: a Preliminary Study by C. S. LewisSurprised by Joy by C. S. LewisA Grief Observed by C. S. LewisHume: An Introduction | Benjamin Watkins | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #9Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God by Marilyn McCord AdamsWhy I am Not a Christian, and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects by Bertrand RussellThe Question of God by Armand Nicholi🌐 ConnectLinktreeSubstackTwitterFacebook PageInstagramGoodreadsBlueskyThreadsLinkedIn Page📺 Subscribe - Video PlatformsYouTubeRumble📷 Gear (affiliate links - thanks!)Camera (Sony A6400)Lens (Sigma 16mm)Audio Interface (Focusrite Scarlett 4i4)Microphone Amplifier (Cloudlifter CL-1)Mic (RØDE PodMic)Lights (Elgato Key Light Air)Colour Back Lighting (Govee LED Floor Lamp)Recording Software (Riverside.FM)👍 Support: Like, subscribe, and share to fuel the quest for understanding.🔔 Stay Tuned: Tap the bell for instant notifications.📣 Join the Talk: Share your thoughts using #TheSocraticSessions.🚀 Thanks for Tuning In! Let's keep the conversation going.#cslewis #davidhume #hume #bertrandrussell #russell #evil #miracles #lewis #theology #philosophy
Mar 4, 2025 • 6min
How Hume DEBUNKED Saint Paul the Apostle w/ Erik Wielenberg
🔍 Overview: In this clip, Erik Wielenberg explores how David Hume, nearly a century before Darwin, refuted Paul’s early version of the argument from design in Romans 1:18-20.🤝 Support The Show 🤘LocalsPayPalBitcoin📚 Episode Resources (affiliate links where possible - thanks!)God and the Reach of Reason: C. S. Lewis, David Hume, and Bertrand Russell by Erik WielenbergGodless Normative Realism | Erik Wielenberg | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #20Erik'sWebsiteValue and Virtue in a Godless Universe by Erik WielenbergA Debate on God and Morality: What is the Best Account of Objective Moral Values and Duties? by Erik Wielenberg & William Lane CraigDialogues Concerning Natural Religion by David HumeThe Problem of Pain by C. S. LewisMere Christianity by C. S. LewisMiracles: a Preliminary Study by C. S. LewisSurprised by Joy by C. S. LewisA Grief Observed by C. S. LewisHume: An Introduction | Benjamin Watkins | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #9Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God by Marilyn McCord AdamsWhy I am Not a Christian, and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects by Bertrand RussellThe Question of God by Armand Nicholi🌐 ConnectLinktreeSubstackTwitterFacebook PageInstagramGoodreadsBlueskyThreadsLinkedIn Page📺 Subscribe - Video PlatformsYouTubeRumble📷 Gear (affiliate links - thanks!)Camera (Sony A6400)Lens (Sigma 16mm)Audio Interface (Focusrite Scarlett 4i4)Microphone Amplifier (Cloudlifter CL-1)Mic (RØDE PodMic)Lights (Elgato Key Light Air)Colour Back Lighting (Govee LED Floor Lamp)Recording Software (Riverside.FM)👍 Support: Like, subscribe, and share to fuel the quest for understanding.🔔 Stay Tuned: Tap the bell for instant notifications.📣 Join the Talk: Share your thoughts using #TheSocraticSessions.🚀 Thanks for Tuning In! Let's keep the conversation going.#paul #davidhume #hume #darwin #design #theology #philosophy
Feb 28, 2025 • 8min
Hume DIDN'T Say Miracles Never Occur w/ Erik Wielenberg
🔍 Overview: In this clip, Erik Wielenberg clarifies that Hume’s argument against miracles isn’t about denying the miraculous but rejecting the unreliable religious testimony that supports traditions.🤝 Support The Show 🤘LocalsPayPalBitcoin📚 Episode Resources (affiliate links where possible - thanks!)God and the Reach of Reason: C. S. Lewis, David Hume, and Bertrand Russell by Erik WielenbergGodless Normative Realism | Erik Wielenberg | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #20Erik'sWebsiteValue and Virtue in a Godless Universe by Erik WielenbergA Debate on God and Morality: What is the Best Account of Objective Moral Values and Duties? by Erik Wielenberg & William Lane CraigDialogues Concerning Natural Religion by David HumeThe Problem of Pain by C. S. LewisMere Christianity by C. S. LewisMiracles: a Preliminary Study by C. S. LewisSurprised by Joy by C. S. LewisA Grief Observed by C. S. LewisHume: An Introduction | Benjamin Watkins | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #9Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God by Marilyn McCord AdamsWhy I am Not a Christian, and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects by Bertrand RussellThe Question of God by Armand Nicholi🌐 ConnectLinktreeSubstackTwitterFacebook PageInstagramGoodreadsBlueskyThreadsLinkedIn Page📺 Subscribe - Video PlatformsYouTubeRumble📷 Gear (affiliate links - thanks!)Camera (Sony A6400)Lens (Sigma 16mm)Audio Interface (Focusrite Scarlett 4i4)Microphone Amplifier (Cloudlifter CL-1)Mic (RØDE PodMic)Lights (Elgato Key Light Air)Colour Back Lighting (Govee LED Floor Lamp)Recording Software (Riverside.FM)👍 Support: Like, subscribe, and share to fuel the quest for understanding.🔔 Stay Tuned: Tap the bell for instant notifications.📣 Join the Talk: Share your thoughts using #TheSocraticSessions.🚀 Thanks for Tuning In! Let's keep the conversation going.#davidhume #hume #miracles #theology #philosophy
Feb 25, 2025 • 12min
Lewis's Argument from Desire and Why it FAILS w/ Erik Wielenberg
🔍 Overview: In this clip, Erik Wielenberg explains why evolutionary psychology better accounts for our innate desires than C.S. Lewis’s claim that unfulfilled desires point to a supernatural realm.🤝 Support The Show 🤘LocalsPayPalBitcoin📚 Episode Resources (affiliate links where possible - thanks!)God and the Reach of Reason: C. S. Lewis, David Hume, and Bertrand Russell by Erik WielenbergGodless Normative Realism | Erik Wielenberg | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #20Erik'sWebsiteValue and Virtue in a Godless Universe by Erik WielenbergA Debate on God and Morality: What is the Best Account of Objective Moral Values and Duties? by Erik Wielenberg & William Lane CraigDialogues Concerning Natural Religion by David HumeThe Problem of Pain by C. S. LewisMere Christianity by C. S. LewisMiracles: a Preliminary Study by C. S. LewisSurprised by Joy by C. S. LewisA Grief Observed by C. S. LewisHume: An Introduction | Benjamin Watkins | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #9Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God by Marilyn McCord AdamsWhy I am Not a Christian, and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects by Bertrand RussellThe Question of God by Armand Nicholi🌐 ConnectLinktreeSubstackTwitterFacebook PageInstagramGoodreadsBlueskyThreadsLinkedIn Page📺 Subscribe - Video PlatformsYouTubeRumble📷 Gear (affiliate links - thanks!)Camera (Sony A6400)Lens (Sigma 16mm)Audio Interface (Focusrite Scarlett 4i4)Microphone Amplifier (Cloudlifter CL-1)Mic (RØDE PodMic)Lights (Elgato Key Light Air)Colour Back Lighting (Govee LED Floor Lamp)Recording Software (Riverside.FM)👍 Support: Like, subscribe, and share to fuel the quest for understanding.🔔 Stay Tuned: Tap the bell for instant notifications.📣 Join the Talk: Share your thoughts using #TheSocraticSessions.🚀 Thanks for Tuning In! Let's keep the conversation going.#cslewis #davidhume #hume #desire #joy #psychology #miracles #lewis #theology #philosophy
Feb 21, 2025 • 1h 50min
Behavioural Genetics: DNA & Individual Differences | Robert Plomin | The Socratic Sessions | Ep #28
🔍 Overview: Join Robert Plomin and me as we dive deep into the fascinating world of behavioural genetics, exploring how our DNA shapes who we are, the power of environment, and whether we can rewrite our genetic destiny.🤝 Support The Show 🤘LocalsPayPalBitcoin🗣️ Highlights[Highlight 1]: How Does Genetics Shape Who We Are[Highlight 2]: What Role Does the Environment Truly Play in Defining Us?[Highlight 3]: Are We Hardwired by Our DNA, or Can We Rewrite Our Destiny?📚 Episode Resources (affiliate links where possible - thanks!)Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are by Robert PlominKing's College LondonCommon Disorders are Quantitative Traits by Robert PlominGattaca (1997)🌐 ConnectLinktreeSubstackTwitterFacebook PageInstagramGoodreadsBlueskyThreadsLinkedIn Page📺 Subscribe - Video PlatformsYouTubeRumble📷 Gear (affiliate links - thanks!)Camera (Sony A6400)Lens (Sigma 16mm)Audio Interface (Focusrite Scarlett 4i4)Microphone Amplifier (Cloudlifter CL-1)Mic (RØDE PodMic)Lights (Elgato Key Light Air)Colour Back Lighting (Govee LED Floor Lamp)Recording Software (Riverside.FM)👍 Support: Like, subscribe, and share to fuel the quest for understanding.🔔 Stay Tuned: Tap the bell for instant notifications.📣 Join the Talk: Share your thoughts using #TheSocraticSessions.🚀 Thanks for Tuning In! Let's keep the conversation going.#genetics #nature #nurture #dna #heritability #genome #biology #philosophy
