Pop Philosophy!

Delve into all things philosophical and Pink Floyd-ical. Popular Culture and Philosophy series editor and super-genius George Reisch introduces the latest volume, Pink Floyd and Philosophy, explaining why this seminal psychedelic rock group belongs is the philosophical canon alongside Kant, Hume, and Nietzsche. Set the controls for the heart of philosophy, and listen in.

It's a situation familiar to us all: You're in love with an attractive sleazeball, and you can't tell if your paramour is evil to the core and to be feared, or basically a good person. Will love cloud your judgment? The authors argue that Hitchcock builds suspense with this scenario, and that his characters must be rational, astute, and committed to the truth in order to prevail. Happy Halloween!

Are you a flesh-and-blood person, or an electrical impulse on a circuit board somewhere? According to famous philosopher Nick Bostrom, there's a high probability that you and everyone you know are living in a matrix. Think it's farfetched? Listen as Bostrom's persuasive arguments paint a picture of a computer-simulated reality with citizens just like you.

The well-loved Grateful Dead tune "Lady with a Fan" presents the listener with a scenario: A beautiful lady throws a fan into a lion's den, and challenges two suitors to retrieve the fan in order to gain her affections. The solider refuses; the sailor takes the challenge and wins the lady's heart. Which made the right decision? Can Stephen Dillingham use Bayesian decision theory to tell us the answer? (Hint: happiness can be measured in units called roses.)

Here's cold, creamy treat for those of you waiting with baited breath for the upcoming Simpsons movie. When Mr. Burns croons "Excellent," is he really happy, or just chasing the next hollow goal? Although we all may think that happiness is made up of loosing hounds on unsuspecting Girl Scouts, Daniel Barwick proves that authentic happiness consists of more than merely instrumental goods. This essay will make you rub your hands together in glee.

Is meat-eating morally objectionable? If you say not, you might argue that human beings have a higher moral status than animals; that its intuitively obvious that humans have the right to eat meat; and that humans have eaten meat since time immemorial, so why stop now? Or, you might believe that meat is an essential part of human nutrition. Behold as David Detmer blows these arguments out of the water.

Life is poker. Poker is life. Or so philosophy professor Michael Ventimiglia would have you believe. But if you just think he's referring to the life of compulsive gambler, you'd be dead wrong! Imagine sitting on pocket Q's. The flop is harmless, no flush or straight possibilities after the turn. The river is a K. How hard do you press? When confronted with these experiences, Professor Ventimiglia argues that you ought to consult the wisdom of the ages.

In this podcast, Aeon Skoble looks at Hitchcock's famous thriller Rear Window and unearths a perplexing ethical scenario. Is protagonist Jeff in the wrong when he snoops on a neighbor, even though his snooping leads to the apprehension of a crazed murderer? Do the ends justify the means? Find out!

In this podcast, revered University of Chicago philosophy professor Ted Cohen is pretty sure he has found a contradiction in the rules of baseball centering around the belief that a tie goes to the runner. Professor Cohen embarks upon an epic quest to right this egregious wrong by mailing the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs. The response he gets will change his life forever.

In this podcast, Neal King identifies and elaborates upon fascist aspects of the Buffyverse. Are Buffy and her Scooby gang, with their incessant persecution and slayage of demonkind, more like the SS than a group of heroes? And is it right for us to cheer them on?