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This is a series of podcasts by Professor Thomas White about the practical usefulness of philosophy--philosophy for the real world. We live in a culture that bombards us with messages about what we sh... more
FAQs about PHILOSOPHY FOR THE REAL WORLD:How many episodes does PHILOSOPHY FOR THE REAL WORLD have?The podcast currently has 8 episodes available.
May 26, 2026Episode 8. Absorbing a distorted view of history without noticing it.Can simple, ordinary objects in our environment be giving us a distorted view of history? Are there any practical, negative impacts?...more10minPlay
May 09, 2026Episode 7. A biological basis to ethics: flourishing.One of the simplest, most practical, and objective approaches to ethics is actually based in biology–the concept of flourishing. This episode looks at Martha Nussbaum’s explanation of the concept....more13minPlay
April 15, 2026Episode 6. Our problem isn't voter fraud, it's voter ignorance and incompetence.This is the first episode to look at a practical question related to social and political philosophy. We look at “social contract theory” and an interesting question it raises about who should be entitled to vote....more12minPlay
April 03, 2026Episode 5. Saint Augustine. Vice contains its own punishment.Episode 2 described the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates’ idea that “vice harms the doer.” This episode describes the remarkably similar idea advanced by the fourth century Christian thinker Saint Augustine that vice contains its own punishment....more14minPlay
March 17, 2026EPISODE 4. LOGICAL FALLACY: UNWARRANTED GENERALIZATION AND STEREOTYPINGThis is the first episode dedicated to examining logical mistakes. This episode looks at the “informal fallacy” of “unwarranted generalization and stereotyping”–one of the most common examples of logical mistakes in political rhetoric....more10minPlay
February 18, 2026Episode 3: How well do you know what Americans think? Or, we're all being played.Think of this as a test. Sorry about the cryptic episode title, but saying too much will be a spoiler....more14minPlay
February 16, 2026Episode 2: Why do the right thing?“Doing the right thing” is often difficult because it means putting other people’s interests ahead of our own. The ancient Greek thinker Socrates has an interesting–and surprising–perspective because he argues that “vice harms the doer.” The selfish thing, then, is to avoid that harm by doing what’s right....more15minPlay
February 16, 2026Episode 1: Philosophy for the Real World. Introduction.This is the first in a series of podcasts by Professor Thomas White about the practical usefulness of philosophy–philosophy for the real world. This episode identifies the main areas of philosophy we’ll be applying: logic, ethics, knowledge, living with others in community. For a general introduction to philosophy, see my Discovering Philosophy (Hackett). Click here for information....more12minPlay
FAQs about PHILOSOPHY FOR THE REAL WORLD:How many episodes does PHILOSOPHY FOR THE REAL WORLD have?The podcast currently has 8 episodes available.