Chapel Phil

In this episode of What Should You Do?, Brennan takes us through Groundhog Day, where every day repeats itself! Without long-term consequences, is theft still immoral? How about harming others? Listen in to hear what Philosophers think, and Brennan's quick witted responses.

Resources: 

All music featured in this episode is the property of Epidemic Sound 

For more on Camus and Absurdism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hJZEq61KeM&vl=en

More justices doesn't mean more justice. In this episode of Chapel Phil, Max Hazerjian tours the history of the US Supreme Court to examine when and how it can be expanded. After historical framing, Max argues that many other methods of court reform could be superior political and constitutional alternatives -- listen to find out why! 

Citations:

Berman, Russell. “Republicans Abandon the Filibuster to Save Neil Gorsuch.” The Atlantic, April 6, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/04/republicans-nuke-the-filibuster-tosave-neil-gorsuch/522156/. 

Buchanan, Mary Jo. “The Need for Supreme Court Term Limits.” Center for American Progress (blog), August 3, 2020. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/courts/reports/2020/08/03/488518/need-supreme-courtterm-limits/. 

Burns, James MacGregor. Packing the Court: The Rise of Judicial Power and the Coming Crisis of the Supreme Court. New York City, New York: The Penguin Press, 2009. 

Elving, Ron. “What Happened With Merrick Garland in 2016 and Why It Matters Now.” National Public Radio. June 29, 2018. https://www.npr.org/2018/06/29/624467256/what-happened-withmerrick-garland-in-2016-and-why-it-matters-now. 

Emery Jr., C. Eugene. “In Context: The ‘Biden Rule’ on Supreme Court Nominations in an Election Year.” PolitiFact. March 17, 2016. https://www.politifact.com/article/2016/mar/17/contextbiden-rule-supreme-court-nominations/. 

Hemel, Daniel. “Court-Packing Is a Dreadful Option. Biden Shouldn’t Rule It out.” Washington Post, October 12, 2020. http://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/10/12/court-packing-bidenthreat-supreme/. 

Hodge, Maria L. Review of The Feasibility of “Rotating” Supreme Court Justices, by Tim Zubizarreta. JURIST, July 1, 2019. https://www.jurist.org/commentary/2019/07/maria-hodgerotating-justices/. 

Sprunt, Barbara. “Biden Campaign Continues to Deflect on Court-Packing.” National Public Radio. October 11, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/10/11/922806310/biden-campaign-continues-todeflect-on-court-packing. 

Stephenson, Jr., D. Grier, ed. An Essential Safeguard: Essays on the United States Supreme Court and Its Justices. Contributions in Legal Studies 63. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1991. Ballotpedia. “United States Court Reorganization Legislation,” n.d. https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_court_reorganization_legislation#:~:text=The%20Eighth% 20and%20Ninth%20Circuits,new%20states%20to%20the%20Union.&text=This%20Act%20als o%20rearranged%20the,to%20support%20the%20circuit%20court.

How we move through the world depends upon how our identity interacts with the spaces around us. 

This episode features the multi-talented Clay Morris, who is an activist, journalist, and podcaster, among other things. Listen along as Clay guides us through how he navigates spaces that aren't always designed for him. 

The discussion covers spaces at UNC, spaces in general, and what the work to make spaces more inclusive looks like. 

To hear/read more from Clay, check out the resources below, or look up SegreGAYtion or Coulture'd wherever you get your podcasts! 

Resources/Citations: 

claybmorris.com

https://www.dailytarheel.com/staff/clay-morris

http://coulture.org/author/claymorris/

All music in this episode is the property of Epidemic Sound. 

What Should You Do?: Fake News brings back Brennan to talk about how we might interact with someone who promotes fake news.

References & Special Thanks:

Special thanks to the UNC Philosophy department for their anonymous contributions.

All rights to music from this episode belong to Epidemic Sound. 

If I intentionally commit one crime, but another worse crime results, can I be held accountable? How about those that aided me? 

In this episode, Anna dives into the efficacy and ethics of felony murder, touching on history in the common law and the American tradition. 

Citations: 

All music is the property of Epidemic Sound. 

People V. Aaron: https://law.justia.com/cases/michigan/supreme-court/1980/57376-0.html 

Lord Dacres & His Hunting Party: http://birdsongslaw.com/2008/06/25/read-a-history-of-the-felony-murder-rule/#:~:text=The%20common%20law%20felony%20murder,felony%2C%20the%20killing%20is%20murder.&text=it%20does%20not%20matter%20whether,life%20or%20criminally%20negligent%20behavior.

On the comment that Felony Murder is an ineffective deterrent: The American Felony Murder Rule: Purpose and Effect. (D. Ganz) Berklee.edu

In this episode, Noah critiques the decision of the University Administration to send some students back in person on February 8th, a seemingly arbitrary date. 

We, UNC students, have finally started adjusting to online learning. So, unless the university can justify why we must start sending students back now, this decision is not worth the emotional, logistical, and physical stress that it will cause. 

" In order to start holding our community accountable to ethical obligations, we must first ask "Why?" " 

Citations:

On mold being an acknowledged issue: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article236367948.html#:~:text=Mold%20is%20an%20issue%20for,dorms%20and%20privately%20managed%20Granville&text=Emili%20Potts%20first%20noticed%20the,her%20leaky%20air%20conditioning%20unit.&text=The%20doctor%20told%20her%20she,linked%20to%20the%20AC%20unit.

All rights to music featured in this podcast belong to Epidemic Sound. 

What Should You Do? is a new episode series on Chapel Phil, led by Brennan Maynard. 

Philosophers often say a lot about what other people should do, but what would they do in different tense situations?

Content Warning: Suicide. (Skip mins. 3-5 if you please)

In the inaugural episode, Brennan reviews how philosophers would act 1. in a zombie apocalypse, and 2. if they saw someone stealing some bread. 

We hope you enjoy the fast-paced dramatic reading!

Emily Rakes consults John Stuart Mill for advice on a concerning phenomenon: Anti-vaxxers endangering others in the name of "individualism".

Does anti-vaxxing align with Mill's thoughts on individualism? How is the phenomenon typical of the United States' traditional individualism?  These questions and more, explored on this episode of Chapel Phil!

As always, special thanks to Sid Sirdeshmukh & congrats on his new position at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Your beat-making skills will be of good use up there. 

Citations:

Alternative Medicine is a $34 Billion Industry, but Only One-Third of the Treatments have been Tested: Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alternative-medicine-is-a-34-billion-industry-but-only-one-third-of-the-treatments-have-been-tested-879411/ 

Big Analytics Data Shows How America's Individualism Complicated Coronavirus Response: Retrieved from https://news.virginia.edu/content/big-data-analytics-shows-how-americas-individualism-complicates-coronavirus-response

In this episode, Yueying debuts, referencing Nozick and Scruton's pieces on the concept of love. 

Forming a union and a meaningful relationship requires many changes to one's life. How does the concept depend on the formation of another entity -- a collective concept of "WE"?

Special Thanks once again to Sid Sirdeshmukh for providing the beats featured on this episode. 

Nozick, R., 1989, “Love’s Bond”, in The Examined Life: Philosophical Meditations, New York: Simon & Schuster, 68–86.

Scruton, R., 1986, Sexual Desire: A Moral Philosophy of the Erotic, New York: Free Press.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/love/#:~:text=Nozick%20(1989)%20offers%20a%20union,desire%20that%20your%20beloved%20reciprocates.

When musicians act immorally, should we still listen to their music? 

In this episode, Elise discusses 1. the extent to which listening is an endorsement of an artist's actions, 2. whether we can separate art from an artist, and 3. how celebrity complicates the circumstances of public judgment. 

Highlight quote: 

TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual assault. 

Citations: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/arts/sexual-harassment-art-hollywood.html 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/timeline-of-chris-browns-history-of-violence-towards-women-103402/ 

https://www.insider.com/demi-lovato-finsta-pictures-anti-selena-gomez-accusations-2020-4

*we did not include links to Boogie Allen's cat or Beyonce's mattress pricing* 

As always, opinions expressed on Chapel Phil in no way represent the stance of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the UNC Philosophy Department, the Parr Center for Ethics, or Chapel Phil as a whole.