The Morality of Everyday Things: An Everyday Philosophy Podcast

Hi all, excuse the LONG pause - we've been heads down at Stasher.com and super busy. We did manage to get this episode together and decided that as Ant is appearing on a quiz show and this has likely brought some new people (hi, if that's you!), it'd be great to let people know that the next season is on it's way if very delayed. In this multi-parter, we discuss happinness and the dissonance of the human condition. The person who lives a meaningful but trying life is in some way happy (certainly they're admired and envied), but so to is the man who lives in his pleasant cottage and learns to appreciate the simple things...how can these 2 very distinct lives be called the same thing? This is what we explore in this series, what are the constituent parts of happiness and why is this term so fragmented anyway. We'll start from a biological and pyschological perspective (this episode) all the way up to a philosophical view in assessing how we should think about happiness and how we may incorporate these perspectives within our lives. We'll be back with more content soon! Support the show: Subscribe to ant's newsletter here. He posts about similar stuff to what we talk about + tech and startups and politics. Please leave us a review! Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The episode that started it all...Should billionaires exist? We explore classic perspectives from the likes of Nozick and Rawls and give some context on just how much a billion is! Old description: In this first episode, Jake and Ant explore the moral implications of extreme wealth inequality. Can billionaires co-exist with a population in poverty? When, if ever, is it right to takeaway someone's private property? Do we deserve the cash we inherit any less than the talents we inherit by birth? Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The season finale....we bring it back to films we love which are loaded with philosophical ideas and we dive into a little bit of Latin - Cogito Ergo Sum! We discuss the classic questions of, how do we know anything is real? Is there anything we CAN know is real? Does it even matter? We discuss Descartes and how he came to his famous "I think therefore I am" and what that exactly means, and we extend his skepticism to help explain the relationship with the classic movie The Matrix. This is the final episode for the season and the upcoming break may be a bit longer as we're busy focusing on Stasher's funding round - https://seedrs.com/stasher if you're interested. Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we use the recent nautical disaster of the imploding submarine to explore how we determine what makes the news, and what should make the news? We examine the model of "newsworthyness" as well as looking at the work of Baudrillard and Chomsky. Basically, is the news a filter that brings forward diamonds, or does the new have an agenda and weave narratives to guide our thinking, or distract us? P.s. we're thinking of a London live show! Let us know if you'd like to see us live :) Join the whatsapp and say hi. Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following our episode discussing his book and the concepts within, we speak with the author himself! Kieran is a professor in Philosophy from MIT and author of several books around philosophy and it's practical place within our lives. In this follow-on episode we focus more on the concept of justice and it's role in Kieran's conception of dealing with the hard parts of life - and a wider ranging conversation thereafter! Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Excuse posting this episode 1 day late. This week, following our episode discussing his book and the concepts within, we speak with the author himself! Kieran is a professor in Philosophy from MIT and author of several books around philosophy and it's practical place within our lives. We have a far ranging topic around why he wrote this book, whether philosophy is self-help and a breakdown of a synopsis of the book! Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of you may remember "The Pharma Bro" who raised the cost of medicine 1000%. He recently appeared on a podcast and it led us to consider the question. Should medicine be sacrasanct? Is it really that different ot other businesses and is being sanctimonious about it just going to get in the way of progress? We discuss whether Shkreli is fully morally developed, mid-term vs short-term moral optimization and the Heinz thought experiment (is it ok to steal medicine?). Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we discuss Kieran Setiya's book "life is hard" and discuss the place of philosophy in our everyday lives. Can philosophy be a guide to a life well lived, and actually educate us to live through suffering effectively? This one is a far-ranging open discussion around the topic of the book. Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A follow on to last episode where we discuss Basic Income with Guy Standing. Last episode we talked about the moral basis for Basic Income, this week we follow on with a moral practical approach. How will it be funded, what will the impact be, how/when are we likely to see this, etc. Guy is a fantastic and fun guest, so it's definitely worth listening to the follow up here. Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After having previously said over and over that we'll "do UBI properly at some point", the time has come, and what better way to approach this question than including the man who quite literally wrote the book on it, Guy Standing. A professor in Economics at SOAS, who spent many years at the Internatinoal Labour Organization and founded the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), this episode is really more about Guy than us - with us questioning him on what drives the moral imperative for everyone receiving basic income. Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've previously discussed footballers being overpaid...but where is that money coming from? With our beloved clubs being increasingly funded by authoritarian regimes with spotty human rights records, who are arguably intentionally using these investments as a means of improving their global image, what responsibility sits on the fans? Are newcastle fans required to take a stand against their saudi owners? Should we have boycotted the most recent world cup in Qatar? All this and more as we explore jakes favourite side-interest once again. Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, we use the lens of the film Everything Everywhere All At Once to examine the absurdist strand of the french existentialists. Specifically, we'll discuss Camus and his book The Myth Of Sisyphus, and how it may shape our view of the meaningless(?)ness of it all. On the way, we'll discuss how the stoics and Nietzsche shaped existentialism on its way to Camus, and ultimately wrap up by relating this to the film. Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What to expect this season, each wednesday. Support the show: Here's the link to our new community whatsapp. Please leave us a review! Spotify even let's you do it - see the little star icon? Go on, give it a click and leave a cheeky 5 stars. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. Also, click the bell icon to get notified of new episode releases! If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The final episode in our mid-season hiatus - which means season 3 will launch next week! This replay also relates to an upcoming episode in the new season....little teaser for you there. Old episode description In this episode Jake and Ant explore what it means to be overpaid - both from an economic and moral perspective. Particularly, footballers are considered in the context of essentially being entertainers. In it, you'll get a potted history of how footballers went from earning £1 a week to over £300k, an original take on the footballers v nurses debate and a look at what happened to the Gunnersaurus. If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt References from the episode: For more information about Treepoints, visit https://treepoints.green The Peter Crouch podcast's Roy Keane photos Seville's capture of the Gunnersaurus The Acquired Podcast The shareholders cartoon Support the show: Here's the link to our new community whatsapp. Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The third in 3 parts which will relate to the first episode in our next season - absurdism! Old Description: In this episode, we finish our series (of 3 episodes) exploring the intersection of 'God' and morality. You'll note the use of quotation marks, this is because we explore the moral implications of theism and organized religion in a way that is not limited to faith-based belief. This means both looking purely at the incentives around belief rather than basing belief on faith, but also weighing up the pros and cons of organized religion and their impact on society. Did it help to instill moral norms and unity, or more act as a basis for persecution, subjugation and undue docility. In this episode, we consider the source of moral authority when it comes to religion. Ultimately, if people say things like 'this is the correct way to interpret scripture', there must be some method they're leaning on to pick between alternative interpretations. If this is the case, is God's word not, in itself, the source of moral authority? Is God good at selecting what's good, or does he define it be choosing it? We talk through these problems and consider whether, in the context of morality, an appeal to authority is ever a compelling form of argument. Support the show: Here's the link to our new community whatsapp. Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second in 3 parts which will relate to the first episode in our next season - absurdism! Old Description: In this episode, we begin a series (of 3 episodes) exploring the intersection of 'God' and morality. You'll note the use of quotation marks, this is because we explore the moral implications of theism and organized religion in a way that is not limited to faith-based belief. This means both looking purely at the incentives around belief rather than basing belief on faith, but also weighing up the pros and cons of organized religion and their impact on society. Did it help to instill moral norms and unity, or more act as a basis for persecution, subjugation and undue docility. We begin by assessing some of the classic arguments for either believing or not believing in god, drawing inspiration all the way from the Ancient Greece to Dostoevsky. Next we'll consider whether religion (irrespective of god's existence) has been a net good for humanity, and finally what the moral basis for god's morality could be (an appeal to authority, the definition of what is moral or something else entirely). Support the show: Here's the link to our new community whatsapp. Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the audio explains, here's the link to our new community whatsapp, to discuss upcoming episodes and engage generally! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first in 3 parts which will relate to the first episode in our next season - absurdism! Old Description: In this episode, we begin a series (of 3 episodes) exploring the intersection of 'God' and morality. You'll note the use of quotation marks, this is because we explore the moral implications of theism and organized religion in a way that is not limited to faith-based belief. This means both looking purely at the incentives around belief rather than basing belief on faith, but also weighing up the pros and cons of organized religion and their impact on society. Did it help to instill moral norms and unity, or more act as a basis for persecution, subjugation and undue docility. We begin by assessing some of the classic arguments for either believing or not believing in god, drawing inspiration all the way from the Ancient Greece to Dostoevsky. Next we'll consider whether religion (irrespective of god's existence) has been a net good for humanity, and finally what the moral basis for god's morality could be (an appeal to authority, the definition of what is moral or something else entirely). Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Keep up to date with future episodes on our website here: https://moedt.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is an inter-season replay - enjoy! Old intro: Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are all the rage - at time of posting. Should we all be rushing to buy digital images of gorillas wearing sunglasses? Or are there better ways of supporting struggling artists? In this episode, Jake and Ant look at whether NFTs represent a bright future for helping artists monetize their work. They begin by discussing how NFTs work, what web3 is and why people are so excited about where this technology could lead us. Bill Gates famously warned that one of the early design flaws of the internet was that it would be hard for creators to monetise their content - and we've certainly seen the risks of this with the rise of platforms like Spotify - so does web3 hold the answers? Along the way, they look at what art is, what it means to own art and whether NFTs will actually fulfil all their promises. Is the current hype around NFT just the beginning, or is it a bubble? Or, worse, are NFTs a kind of ponzi scheme or pyramid scheme? Support the show: Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"...and it's live!" Welcome, everybody, to the morality of everyday things. This is a 1 minute intro to Ant and Jake and what this podcast is all about. We'll tackle everyday questions such as "Should billionaires exist?", "Is it immoral to eat meat?" and much more. We'll walk through how to approach these issues from an accessible philosophical perspective. We're here to make you think and sometimes chuckle. If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt To hear when new episodes are released, subscribe on our website: https://moedt.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices