Drunken Philosophy

The Harlem Renaissance was an explosion of culture, art, and philosophy in Black America. At the head of one of the many movements dominating the conversation during that time was a Jamaican-born, controversial figure named Marcus Garvey. This week, Connor and Dan dig into Garvey's particular brand of pan-Africanism and how he clashed with other black intellectuals of his time. They also talk about how Connor cried at Hamilton because that is always relevant.

As members of global capitalists societies, we're all well aware of what economic capital is and how it effects our lives. But did you know there are other kinds of capital? Pierre Bourdieu knew that, and he outlined them over the course of his sociological career. This week, Connor and Dan discuss the various forms and functions of Cultural Capital, Social Capital, Symbolic Capital, and Tom from MySpace.

This week, your two favorite narc-ass uncles decide to put aside the beers and vodka sodas so they can partake in a little something the kids are calling "Jazz Grass." That's right. In honor of having an episode that's vaguely in the vicinity of 4/20, Connor and Dan did a drug. They also discussed the 1857 book "The Hasheesh Eater" written by American essayist, poet, and explorer Fitz Hugh Ludlow. But they may or may not spend ten minutes discussing Star Wars first. Dan also changes the battery in his smoke detector!

Plato once pined for a day when philosopher kings would rule civilization. A handful of centuries later he sort of got his wish when devout Stoic Marcus Aurelius took the reins as Emperor of Rome. To see what that this thoughtful bearded hunk was all about, Connor and Dan read some excerpts from his personal diary, later known as Meditations. This is basically CrossFit for your soul, so get pumped.

You've heard of Anarchy in the U.K. But Anarchy in the U.S.A.??? That's right! This week, Connor and Dan don their liberty spikes and chuck their molotov cocktails as they travel back to 19th century America and examine the various flavors of anarchism taking shape in the flailing union. Do these Free Love abolitionists have any good ideas? Or are they just trying to avoid going to the post office? You be the judge!

This New England philosopher was famous for wearing a red and white stripped shirt and getting lost in large crowds. He had a girlfriend, a dog, an evil cousin, and a friend who was also a wizard. Today we remember and celebrate him by talking about that stuff for five minutes and then focusing on the actual philosophy in the essay "Self-Reliance." Sorry.

Hey guys, remember Hamilton? That famous rap-tap-tapping musical that swept the nation some years ago? Well, Connor and Dan finally got around to doing a podcast episode that's minimally and tangentially related to that. Sure, John Locke gets a lot of the credit for inspiring the Founding Fathers but your boy Montesquieu deserves a second look (with apologies to King Ralph).

Happy St. Paddy's Day to all the lads and lasses! To celebrate this holiest of high holidays, Connor and Dan take a look back at two very different Irish philosophers from the 17th century. George Berkeley's philosophical legacy is secure, though his ideas are a bit nonsense. John Toland is often forgotten, though his ideas were revolutionary. They were contemporaries, men of God, and Irishmen. But which do you prefer?

If you're tired of all your podcasts sounding the same, fitting into the same cookie-cutter shape, and convincing you to remain sedate and complacent, you might be confronting a little thing called the Culture Industry. German philosophy Theodor Adorno along with Max Horkheimer developed this Marxist critique of capitalist society before joining the highly influential Frankfurt Group in the wake of WWII. This week, Connor and Dan try to figure out what it's all about.

After struggling to succinctly summarize multiple suggested topics, Dan decides to pull the rip cord and dedicate an entire episode to his passion: Lord of the Rings. But it's not just pure fandom here. He and Connor discuss the philosophy at work in Tolkien's fantasy epic which was at least partially inspired by his experiences in WWI. Tolkien fever is spreading. Catch it!

The fact that Simone de Beauvoir is a straight-up genius is established canon on this podcast. But Connor and Dan have somehow made it over 250 episodes without ever discussing her second, incredibly influential essay, "The Ethics of Ambiguity." Get ready to get uncomfortable (not in a sexual way!). Also, there are some loud dogs near Dan's house and, baby, you can hear 'em!

No, he's not the Superman guy. But he does have a lot to do with the movies! This week, Connor and Dan discuss American philosopher Stanley Cavell, a pioneer in the realm of ordinary language philosophy and intellectual discussions of pop culture. He made dumb stuff sound smart! Kind of the opposite of this podcast!

Before Connor runs out the door to get to work, he and Dan manage to sit down for a brief, impassioned chat about the philosophy and culture of Japanese Samurai. Of course, a lot of their information comes from cool movies they like, but there is some concrete info in here from books like Bushido: The Soul of Japan and Hagekure. Hopefully this is interesting to someone besides Dan! Only time will tell!

This week the boys talk about a topic that was suggested by a great and wonderful and nice listener, 'Topher: Modern Stoicism! The updated millennial version! We also derail into a very funny topic that is not philosophy. You know the show! (I also did not listen to it before editing and posting, I can only assume we did that.) Enjoy!

Hello Sliders! This week, Connor from a nearby bubble universe talks with a Dan that never quit his job at Bevmo! about parallel universes. They also get pretty stoked about the upcoming MIB international movie. Enjoy!

Since they're always talking about Netflix, streaming television, and the internet in general, Connor and Dan figured it was time they checked out Marshall McLuhan and his whole "Medium is the Message" thing. Turns out Dan is pretty interested in media studies (or so he claims) and they both have some thoughts on Black Mirror's new choose your own adventure experiment. But first! They have a ten minute tangent about schoolyard games. Because this is a bad podcast! That should be more popular!

Trigger warning: Stuff gets aggressively horny in this episode! Based off a listener suggestion, Connor and Dan dive into the twisted world of French intellectual figure Georges Bataille who dabbled in everything from economics to mysticism to eroticism because that's just the kind of eclectic dude he was! We're talking transgressive art here, so you know Wikifeet is going to be referenced multiple times. It's gross! Enjoy!

It's the new year! Time to turn over a new leaf and then immediately think about how pointless it is to turn over a new leaf because we're all going to die someday. But, whether you're ushering in the end of humanity or not, this will be an informative (and depressing) look at the persistence of German pessimism throughout the years. Schopenhauer-heads, this one is for you!

Tis the season mother f-er's! That means it's time to talk about giving to charity and whether or not it's a good thing. Peter Singer and Larry Temkin stand in opposition (sort of) when it comes to how we should be doling out charitable efforts. Also, some kid keeps falling in a damn pond. Enjoy this holiday episode ya filthy animals!

Just in time for the Christmas Holidays (and Connor's spur of the moment trip to Vegas) the Drunken Philosophy boys are here to put a damper on everyone's hopes of becoming a millionaire. The American Dream says that we can achieve a better future for ourselves and our children if we work hard enough. But is it a lie? And what kind of bad shit have we done because we thought it was true?

Long before the Decepticons battled the Autobots, an English philosopher by the name of Jeremy Bentham came up with a building design called a Panopticon. What benevolent reason did he design these buildings for? Prisons of course! This week, Connor and Dan discuss the bizarre misguided attempt and utilitarian harmony Bentham made when he designed the Panopticon. They also talk about Transformers because why not?

In a special "ripped from the headlines" edition of Drunken Philosophy, Connor and Dan discuss the semi-recent establishment of a social scoring system in China that's straight out of an episode of Black Mirror. This autocratic, dystopian nightmare begs the question: What is society's role in the betterment of its people? Hopefully, the Alibaba surveillance network isn't listening in on this episode, because we may or may not say some disparaging things about oppressive capitalistic regimes!

Don't get your hopes up robot-heads. We're discussing gender theory on this episode. Donna Haraway's 1985 essay "A Cyborg Manifesto" used an extended, ironic metaphor to argue for a new approach to feminism, and here in 2018, Connor and Dan are nodding in agreement. We hope your gender fluids are primed and ready for this extra-postmodern episode.

A few years ago, Connor and Dan discussed the paradox of duplication that teleportation can cause. Now that Connor has taken a dip into the cool waters of Star Trek, Dan figures it's time to revisit this sci-fi heavy thought experiment. Together, they attempt to answer the question: Who is coming out of the transporter? Me? Or just a copy of me? And what if we both survive and continue to exist. Hopefully this episode won't cause you to lose your sense of identity, but maybe that wouldn't be the worst thing…

Sure, we know bad things happen and there are bad people in the world. But are people truly "evil?" And, if so, what do we even mean when we say "evil?" In this slightly loosey-goosey episode of Drunken Philosophy, Connor and Dan discuss the different philosophical approaches to the question of evil and try to outline a more helpful definition of this taboo word. Before you listen, they'd just like to clarify again that they're NOT justifying war crimes. At least, they don't think they are.

Y'all know what we mean when we say Dualism? Hopefully you will by the mid-way point of this episode because Connor and Dan go down some hippie dippy pathways this week to explore the non-traditional philosophy of Buddhist Dualism. Dip your mind back into the substrate consciousness for a minute and do some empirical research...baby!

Clanking chains! Creaking doors! Ghoooooost sounds! For this very special Halloween episode of Drunken Philosophy, Connor and Dan put on a brave face and explore the philosophy of horror. Specifically, they're talking about horror films and why audiences seem to enjoy them so much. American philosopher Noel Carroll has some thoughts, let's see if you agree!

After reading a recent paper from Professor of Philosophy at MIT Sally Haslanger, Dan decides to launch into a discussion about racism, ideology, and how progressive-minded people should go about enacting change in the world. Of course, because of recent news stories, the conversation turns from racism to sexism and ignorance of the patriarchy. But, don't worry, they manage to goof around somewhere in their too.

With Dan's move coming up and a dwindling backlog of episodes staring them in the face, Connor suggests doing an entire episode about the philosophy of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek. What could be high-minded discussion quickly devolves into a couple of fanboys talking about their favorite episodes. But whether you've seen the show or not, you'll be able to glean some fun info from this ep.

Our old pal Karl Marx stops by the studio to tell Connor and Dan about the not-so-sexy problem of commodity fetishism. What makes a bottle of Coke so special? Why do people go gaga over new Apple products? Why don't we ever think about the poor bastards in the factories making this stuff? All these questions will be pondered in this week's episode.

Strap in ladies and gentlemen because it's time for the most epic roast battle in philosophical history. In one corner, the neo-Darwinist himself, Richard Dawkins. In the other corner, weighing in at 99 years of age, it's Newcastle University's Mary Midgley. Who will survive with their dignity intact? Certainly not your hosts, Connor and Dan.

It's all about the process, baby! At least, it is this week on Drunken Philosophy where a very sleepy Connor and Dan discuss Alfred Whitehead's book 'Process and Reality' as well as the broader ideas behind process philosophy. Get out of here substance! We don't need ya anymore!

When did a fancy word for "equality" get hijacked by Men's Rights Activists and internet charlatans? This week, Dan goes off on one of his incredibly inelegant rants in an attempt to explain the true meaning of egalitarianism to young Connor (with a little help from American philosopher John Rawls). This episode is sponsored by the Committee To Eat Jeff Bezos and Steal All His Money.

Whoa dude. Let's get trippy. This week, Connor and Dan explore the possibility that, like, maybe we're all just one brain, man. Sort of. In reality, they discuss the thought experiment proposed by amateur philosopher David Yerle that questions what it means to have individuality and what effect technology can have on that meaning. Also, Connor drinks a dad beer!

Dan had big plans to do an episode all about different philosophers thoughts on police and how police should function in a well-run society. But he was dismayed to find that very few philosophers had even touched the subject over the centuries. So, instead, he and Connor delve into a wide-ranging discussion of why this might be the case, what a philosophy of policing might look like, and why it's so important that we have one.

Sure, you've heard of the Trolly Problem. But do you know anything about the woman who created it? This week, Connor and Dan explore the ethical philosophy of British philosopher Philippa Foot who stood apart from most 20th century philosophers by advocated for a return to virtue ethics. Also, Connor has a cat dilemma.

Exactly one year after promising to do a follow-up episode to their discussion of Gilles Deleuze, Dan finally delivers. Sort of. This week, he and Connor do their best to parse the incredibly dense, incredibly complex, incredibly intriguing philosophy of Deleuze and his longtime collaborate Guatarri. Fair warning, it is impossible to do this topic just in a single episode, but they tried.

They've talked Work. They've talked Post-Work. Now it's time to talk about a hip new thing that all the kids are raving about. It's called New Work and it's a philosophy developed my Austro-American philosopher Frithjof Bergmann. This week, Dan and Connor learn all about New Work and how it could one day save us from ourselves, if we want it to.

If you do one really bad thing, but a bunch of really good things, are you still a good person? How important is public perception to our individual ethical decisions? This week, Connor and Dan interrogate the idea of moral equilibrium in the case of corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff who reportedly gave millions to charity while swindling millions from a corrupt system. Towards the end their offer their solutions before (spoiler alert) giving up because they're tired and maybe drank too much. Enjoy!

How do you define something that defies definition? That's the question Connor and Dan face down on this week of Drunken Philosophy as they discuss the anti-philosophy, pseudoscience, art movement known as 'Pataphysics (the apostrophe is on purpose). Founded by French avant garde writer Alfred Jarry, 'Pataphysics has continued to live on in the numerous artists and thinkers interested in exploring the world "beyond metaphysics." Hopefully Connor and Dan don't get lost there.

Hope you're ready for the audio version of trust fall because this week Connor and Dan are discussing the philosopher Onora O'Neil and her thoughts on humanities relationship with trust. Unfortunately, it's up to these two podcast hosts to determine what news sources are competent, reliable, and honest. God help us, they're going to try their best.

What does it mean to live post-work? How will society function when not everyone needs a job? Essentially, how can Connor and Dan get paid to be unemployed podcasters? Some of these questions will be answered on this weeks Drunken Philosophy which covers Michael Cholbi's recent article "The Desire To Work As An Adaptive Preference." Also, we an announcement regarding our back catalog!

Inspired by the recent discussions about "civility" in political discourse, Connor and Dan dive head first into the sticky world of Karl Popper's Paradox of Tolerance. Is there a danger of being too tolerant? Do you have a responsibility to be intolerant to those expressing intolerant views? Where do you draw the line? Yes you! We're asking you! Seriously, we don't know. We need you to tell us.

Let's talk about death, baby. Let's talk about you and me (dying)!" That's right all you Salt n Pepa fans, this week on Drunken Philosophy Connor and Dan are talking death. Their spiritual guide on this journey is none other than Alan Watts, the rascal guru of the SF Bay Area. If you're afraid of dying and wish you could live forever, this may be the podcast you need to hear. Also, if you're into sex magic, we talk about that again...

Every so often on Drunken Philosophy, Dan decides to deliver a double whammy to Connor. This week, they discuss a topic Connor hates (Time) through the lens of something Dan barely understands (Quantum Physics). How will our two intrepid heroes fare on this rocky journey? Not well probably! But damnit, they're trying their best. And, at the end of the day, all the time you spent listening to the episode is just an illusion anyways. Enjoy!

Inspired by a random mention he made himself a few episodes ago, Dan decides to dedicate an entire episode to talking about the Church of John Coltrane and the spiritual, philosophical tradition of music. The resulting podcast is, admittedly, a bit light on the philosophical insights. But you're a straight up jazz-head (or an aspiring jazz-head) this is the ep for you! Also, you get to hear Connor admit what embarrassing concert he cried at.

In this extra special, semi-sloppy episode of Drunken Philosophy, Connor and Dan revisit an old nemesis, Australian utilitarian philosopher Peter Singer. They discuss the Melbourne-born man's thoughts on charity, animal rights, and infant euthanasia. Spoiler alert: they don't hate everything he has to say. But Singer certainly lives up to his title of "Controversial Philosopher In Residence." Handle this episode with care, it's a spicy one.

Remember the first Gulf War? No you don't! At least, not according to French postmodern philosopher Jean Baudrillard, who wrote a series of essays during and after the Gulf War explaining why it wasn't happening. At least, it wasn't happening the way we all thought it was. It has something to do with simulacra and hyperreality and a bunch words none of us understand, but Connor and Dan try their damnedest in this new ep of Drunken Philosophy! Enjoy!

Looking for someone to give you permission to be a little selfish? Look no further than ancient Chinese philosopher Yang Zhu. This week, Connor and Dan take a trip to the far east to learn all about this slightly obscure ancient thinker who was all about looking for Number One and never plucking your eyebrows (or something like that, it definitely has to do with hair). Also, if you're a history buff, this episode includes an incredibly truncated version of 2,000 years of Chinese history. Enjoy!

Is there a better way to learn about feminist philosophy than hearing two straight men drunkenly discuss it on a podcast? Probably. But this is how you've chosen to spend your day. This week, Connor and Dan revisit the philosophy Simone de Beauvoir—a philosopher and writer they haven't discussed in years—to see how well her most famous text, A Second Sex, holds up all these years later. Also discussed, Dan's celebrity sighting, the boys' advice on not getting dates in high school, and the return of Star Wars corner.