Philosophers In Space

This episode feels like a genuine culmination. After Wonkapiercer, I felt a little like Lindelof. Kind of lost, wondering if we could ever wrap something up in a fully satisfying way again. This feels pretty close. We've talked a lot of Watchmen on this show, and a lot of Thomas Nagel, and this week we bring it all together in one big blue climax. Nagel's Mortal Questions: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E3URB0K/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/  Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/  Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Editing by Brian Ziegenhagen, check out his pod: http://youarehere.libsyn.com/s02e02-rex-manning-day?fbclid=IwAR2L2_YIJvQpcw0nx6nTSfz0GmyJ1DtWsF--vvdI9W1ug3XW7IAtU6dQ36s Recent appearances: Aaron did a fun youtube video on moral Realism with Nathan Ormond. Hopefully going to do one soon on the Euyphro.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gw1jyFdgFc&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1CPxzAG-sfU8ika7iM57WmwajEYWuzX4U3TXCsEpGkaLinyNfN6iZ8vaI CONTENT PREVIEW: The Good Place finale and Contractualism 

I know it's a bit ironically absurd to act like this particular podcast episode really matters, but I still feel like it genuinely does. We're taking HBO's epic one season masterpiece, Watchmen, and combining it with Nagel's epic chapter on The Absurd from the masterpiece book Mortal Questions. I've been thinking about some version of this episode and the next one probably since we started Philosophers in Space, and the Watchmen show delivered the perfect vehicle. Hopefully you're like me and Thomas and Nagel and these questions seem profoundly important to you, and hopefully the episode helps with your understanding of the question, if not actually answering it. Nagel's The Absurd: https://philosophy.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/The%20Absurd%20-%20Thomas%20Nagel.pdf  Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/  Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/  Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Editing by Brian Ziegenhagen, check out his pod: http://youarehere.libsyn.com/s02e02-rex-manning-day?fbclid=IwAR2L2_YIJvQpcw0nx6nTSfz0GmyJ1DtWsF--vvdI9W1ug3XW7IAtU6dQ36s Recent appearances: Aaron did a fun youtube video on moral Realism with Nathan Ormond. Hopefully going to do one soon on the Euyphro.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gw1jyFdgFc&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1CPxzAG-sfU8ika7iM57WmwajEYWuzX4U3TXCsEpGkaLinyNfN6iZ8vaI CONTENT PREVIEW: Watchmen Season One (HBO) and Nagel's Subjective and Objective

::Totally out of place spur clinking noise:: Well, pardner, looks like it's just you and me. We can't both walk away from this cliche off and I've got a whole bag full of triple crosses so I can go all day. Wait...sorry, what was I saying? I got JJ Abrams brain for a second there. Here, let me just get back to something that makes any sense. We're discussing the Mandalorian and the philosophical and especially ethical questions surrounding the use of facial coverings. And the ethics of torturing Brian, which I guess counts as bonus content? Anyway, it's all way better than every part of the actual Mandalorian besides actual baby Yoda. Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/  Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/  Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Editing by Brian Ziegenhagen, check out his pod: http://youarehere.libsyn.com/s02e02-rex-manning-day?fbclid=IwAR2L2_YIJvQpcw0nx6nTSfz0GmyJ1DtWsF--vvdI9W1ug3XW7IAtU6dQ36s Recent appearances: Aaron did a fun youtube video on moral Realism with Nathan Ormond. Hopefully going to do one soon on the Euyphro. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gw1jyFdgFc&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1CPxzAG-sfU8ika7iM57WmwajEYWuzX4U3TXCsEpGkaLinyNfN6iZ8vaI CONTENT PREVIEW: Watchmen Season One (HBO) and Nagel's The Absurd

Young podawan, your training is incomplete! You must go back, to the natural state of episode one of the show and then listen back through, all while trying to retain the mind of a child. Definitely the only way to get trained, and also a great way to celebrate the new year! We're talking Empire Strikes back and how it's a great way to indoctrinate small children into Taoism.  Taoism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/  Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/  Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Editing by Brian Ziegenhagen, check out his pod: http://youarehere.libsyn.com/s02e02-rex-manning-day?fbclid=IwAR2L2_YIJvQpcw0nx6nTSfz0GmyJ1DtWsF--vvdI9W1ug3XW7IAtU6dQ36s Recent appearances: Nothing recent. Just floating out here in space ready and willing to throw off some mind spores. CONTENT PREVIEW: Listener Questions 11!

And so it was that a young man was born in the desert and grew up to liberate his people from an oppressive empire and absolve them of their past sins. No, not JC, or Paul Muad'dib, this time his name is Luke Foreshadowing (imagine if Jesus's last name was Crosswalker). Yes, we're celebrating the end of Star Wars by going back to the beginning. We're covering A New Hope and using its heavy handed morality tale to introduce just war theory.  Philosophy of War: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/war/ Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/  Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/  Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Editing by Brian Ziegenhagen, check out his pod: http://youarehere.libsyn.com/s02e02-rex-manning-day?fbclid=IwAR2L2_YIJvQpcw0nx6nTSfz0GmyJ1DtWsF--vvdI9W1ug3XW7IAtU6dQ36s Recent appearances: Nothing recent. Just floating out here in space ready and willing to throw off some mind spores. CONTENT PREVIEW: Star Wars: Empire Strikes back and Taoism

Hi all! Welcome to the 12th iteration of our Listener Thank You Q and As. Thank you all for supporting the show and if you like what you're hearing and have questions you want answered, you know what to do for next time. Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/  Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/  Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Editing by Brian Ziegenhagen, check out his pod: http://youarehere.libsyn.com/s02e02-rex-manning-day?fbclid=IwAR2L2_YIJvQpcw0nx6nTSfz0GmyJ1DtWsF--vvdI9W1ug3XW7IAtU6dQ36s Recent appearances: Nothing recent. Just floating out here in space ready and willing to throw off some mind spores. CONTENT PREVIEW: Mandalorian and face coverings

Hi all! Welcome to the 11th iteration of our Listener Thank You Q and As. Thank you all for supporting the show and if you like what you're hearing and have questions you want answered, you know what to do for next time. Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/  Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/  Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Editing by Brian Ziegenhagen, check out his pod: http://youarehere.libsyn.com/s02e02-rex-manning-day?fbclid=IwAR2L2_YIJvQpcw0nx6nTSfz0GmyJ1DtWsF--vvdI9W1ug3XW7IAtU6dQ36s Recent appearances: Nothing recent. Just floating out here in space ready and willing to throw off some mind spores. CONTENT PREVIEW: Listener Questions 12!

Another journey of epic proportions bringing us to a topic of epic proportions. Lurking in the back of Blindsight's narrative like a zombie space vampire robot are fundamental questions about who counts for moral consideration and whether morality even matters when dealing with beings like Rorschach. I feel like we're really getting to the heart of how screwed we are trying to answer these questions. Moral Realism primer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_realism The moral significance of non-persons: https://www.jstor.org/stable/30301713?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/  Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/  Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Editing by Brian Ziegenhagen, check out his pod: http://youarehere.libsyn.com/s02e02-rex-manning-day?fbclid=IwAR2L2_YIJvQpcw0nx6nTSfz0GmyJ1DtWsF--vvdI9W1ug3XW7IAtU6dQ36s Recent appearances: Nothing recent. Just floating out here in space ready and willing to throw off some mind spores. CONTENT PREVIEW: Star Wars: A New Hope and Just War Theory

Well, we're really in the philosophical soup of it now. Out here at the edge of the universe, doing B&Es on a Chinese Room filled with scramblers, not knowing if our sentience is the only thing worth saving our a sad joke that should be shuffled offstage in the gentlest way possible. Or maybe it already has been and we're too zombie to even notice. We're into the middle section of Blindsight, which does not get enough credit as a master work of science fiction philosophy in my opinion. We've moved from discussion of the possibility of philosophical zombies to discussion of the value of sentience/phenomenal experience. We wrestle with the limitations of several accounts of the value of consciousness. This sets us up for discussing the connections between sentience and moral realism in part 3, assuming our sentience lasts that long. The Function of Consciousness: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consciousness/#FunQueWhyDoeConExi Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/  Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/  Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Editing by Brian Ziegenhagen, check out his pod: http://youarehere.libsyn.com/s02e02-rex-manning-day?fbclid=IwAR2L2_YIJvQpcw0nx6nTSfz0GmyJ1DtWsF--vvdI9W1ug3XW7IAtU6dQ36s Recent appearances: Thomas was just on Cog Dis talking trash about me. You should go listen and then talk trash about everyone involved to defend my honor. CONTENT PREVIEW: Blindsight and Moral Realism

Okay, well, lets see if I can convey some information to you through this absurd thing we call sentience, using this even more absurd thing called language. I'll never know if any of this is getting through, or even if there is a through to get to. If you're a zombie (and there's no reason to assume you're not) this should still work out just as well as if you're conscious. So you'll respond with happiness to hear we're covering Peter Watt's Blindsight, a treasure trove of topics in the world of philosophy of mind. Seriously, this may be the single best sci-fi on the topic of phenomenal consciousness. We start off with a discussion of philosophical zombie, of which you may or may not be one. WARNING: AFTER DARK CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE BOOK AT THE VERY END OF THE SEGMENT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED Philosophical Zombies: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/zombies/ Metzinger's phenomenal self model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_model Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/  Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/  Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Editing by Brian Ziegenhagen, check out his pod: http://youarehere.libsyn.com/s02e02-rex-manning-day?fbclid=IwAR2L2_YIJvQpcw0nx6nTSfz0GmyJ1DtWsF--vvdI9W1ug3XW7IAtU6dQ36s Recent appearances: Thomas was just on Cog Dis talking trash about me. You should go listen and then talk trash about everyone involved to defend my honor. CONTENT PREVIEW: Blindsight and the Value of Sentience