Robinson's Podcast

Luciano Floridi is the Oxford Internet Institute’s Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information at the University of Oxford, Distinguished Research Fellow of the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics of the Faculty of Philosophy, and Research Associate and Fellow in Information Policy of the Department of Computer Science. Beginning in the fall, he will be the Founding Director of the Digital Ethics Center and Professor of Cognitive Science at Yale University. For much of the past twenty-five years Luciano has been developing the philosophy of information as its own free-standing discipline within the philosophical world. In this episode he and Robinson delve into just one small corner of the subject. They talk about Luciano’s view of artificial intelligence as a novel form of agency before turning to some future applications of AI and the novel ethical considerations its use raises in the modern world.

Luciano’s Website: https://www.philosophyofinformation.net

Luciano’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Floridi

Information: A Very Short Introduction: https://a.co/d/5Jgq1wS

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

01:04 Introduction

04:58 Luciano’s Tetralogy

09:27 Artificial Intelligence as a New Form of Agency

26:49 Future Applications of AI

32:50 Ethics and Levels of Explanation

46:09 The Ethics of AI

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Nicholas Christakis is the Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University, where he is also Director of the Human Nature Lab and Co-Director of the Yale Institute for Network Science. Nicholas is both a sociologist and a physician; after completing his undergraduate at Yale in biology, he received an M.D. and M.P.H. from Harvard and then a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. Nicholas has written numerous books, including Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live (Little, Brown Spark, 2020) and Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society (Little, Brown Spark, 2019), and this latter book is the subject of this episode. Robinson and Nicholas first discuss the way that genetics manifest themselves in behavior before turning to the way that specific behaviors and tendencies have evolved in humans to promote the flourishing of societies. They then talk about some particular such behaviors and tendencies, like in-group bias and hierarchy, before turning to some implications of the view for how societies ought or ought not to be structured.

Nicholas’s Website: https://www.humannaturelab.net

Nicholas’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAChristakis

Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society: https://a.co/d/4BeJyS0

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

01:16 Introduction

04:28 The Motivation Behind Blueprint

23:02 The Genetic Basis of Human Societies

28:27 What Is Network Topology?

38:28 Trade-Complementarity

42:07 The Cultural Universality of Love

48:12 The Eight Cultural Universals

01:02:06 Is Hierarchy Natural?

01:07:13 Human In-Group Bias

01:12:23 Is There a Relationship Between Genes and Social Status?

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Brad Schoenfeld is Professor of Exercise Science in the Department of Heath Promotion and Nutrition Sciences at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York, where he serves as the graduate director the Human Performance and Fitness Program. Brad is one of the foremost—if not the foremost—authorities on human muscular development, and author of the textbook Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy. In this episode, Robinson and Brad talk first about the foundations of hypertrophy on a theoretical level (what makes muscles grow) before moving on to some applications of these principles in the gym.

Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy: https://a.co/d/fRoyKDb

Brad’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradSchoenfeld

Brad’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradschoenfeldphd/?hl=en

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

01:11 Introduction

07:31 Muscular Hypertrophy and Hyperplasia

15:24 Applicability of Animal Studies

17:42 Satellite Cells

24:10 Three Factors of Muscle Growth

33:39 The Most Important Gym Variables for Maximizing Muscle Growth

44:32 Muscle Stress

50:07 Muscle Action and Range of Motion

58:20 New Frontiers

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Stephen Wolfram is the founder and CEO of Wolfram Research, and the creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha, and the Wolfram Language. He received his PhD in theoretical physics from Caltech when he was twenty years old. In addition to his work at the helm of Wolfram Research, he writes and researches widely across computer science, physics, mathematics, and more. Most recently, Stephen is the author of What Is ChatGPT Doing…and Why Does It Work? (2023). Robinson and Stephen begin by discussing just this, before moving on to some more theoretical questions about intelligence in general and artificial intelligence in particular. Then, after a long digression on the philosophy of mathematics and the foundations of computation, they turn to the ways in which ChatGPT may impact research in STEM fields and beyond.

What Is ChatGPT Doing…and Why Does It Work?: https://a.co/d/aADrGGh

Stephen’s Website: https://www.stephenwolfram.com

Stephen’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephen_wolfram

Wolfram Research on YouTube: https://a.co/d/aADrGGh

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

00:29 Introduction

03:42 How Does ChatGPT Work?

11:58 Does ChatGPT Pass the Turing Test?

34:33 Will Philosophy Be a Growth Industry?

41:02 Will Mathematicians be Replaced by Computers?

49:26 What is the Ruliad? 

01:08:57 Philosophy of Mathematics?

01:32:54 LLMs and STEM

01:43:16 Returning to ChatGPT and AI

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Paul Bloom is Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University and Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto. He works quite broadly in psychology, and studies how children and adults make sense of the world, with special focus on pleasure, morality, religion, fiction, and art. Paul is the author of seven books, most recently Psych: The Story of the Human Mind, some of the topics of which constitute the subject of this episode. More particularly, Paul and Robinson discuss Freud’s legacy in contemporary psychology, mental illness, human rationality and irrationality, and the roots of motivation. Paul has also recently been producing a fantastic podcast with his friend and colleague David Pizarro—also called Psych—that covers many of the topics in introductory courses to psychology, and it comes highly recommended.

Psych (Book): https://a.co/d/eYNR4q7

Psych (Podcast): https://psych.fireside.fm

Paul’s Website: https://paulbloom.net

Paul’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulbloomatyale

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

01:10 Introduction

06:09 Writing Psych

08:30 What is Mental Illness?

23:40 Freud versus Contemporary Psychology

36:31 Psychoanalysis versus Contemporary Therapeutic Modalities

52:13 Is Man THE Rational Animal?

58:24 The Psychological Roots of Our Irrationality

01:17:46 The My-Side Bias and Political Gridlock

01:24:47 The Psychological Roots of Human Motivation

01:52:24 Susan Carey

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Steven Pinker is Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He is an experimental cognitive psychologist who writes on language, mind, and human nature. In this episode—the hundredth of Robinson’s Podcast (!)—Robinson and Steve talk about his recent book Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters (Penguin, 2022), which is linked below. More particularly, they discuss rationality’s evolutionary basis, how it is subverted by conspiratorial thinking and other dimensions of the “mythology mindset”, how it relates to enlightenment and human progress, and the state of free speech at Harvard and in the academic world at large.

Rationality: https://a.co/d/9N2uFyr

Steven’s Website: https://stevenpinker.com

Steven’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/sapinker

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

00:58 Introduction

06:31 The Importance of Rationality

10:16 The Connection Between Language and Rationality 

14:18 Rationality and Human Progress

20:09 The Evolution of Rationality and Irrationality

34:08 Conspiracy Theories and the Mythology Mindset

40:13 The Madness of Crowds

49:42 Free Speech, Enlightenment, and Rationality

55:55 Free Speech Versus Social Justice

01:03:03 Academic Freedom at Harvard

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Nancy Sherman is Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University. Before that, she taught at Yale and did her graduate work in ancient philosophy at Harvard University. Nancy has worked broadly across value theory and ancient philosophy, writing on such varied topics as military ethics, moral psychology, the emotions, and Stoicism. The occasion for this episode is Nancy’s recent book, Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience (Oxford, 2021), which is now available in paperback, and linked below. Nancy and Robinson discuss what contemporary takes on Stoicism get wrong—they miss the emphasis on connection and community—as well as the relationship between Stoicism and Aristotle, the military, and mental health.

Stoic Wisdom: https://a.co/d/7UAGj8i

Nancy’s Website: https://www.nancysherman.com

Nancy’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/drnancysherman

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode

00:44 Introduction

03:20 Nancy’s Interest in Stoicism and the Military

10:35 Stoicism and Life Hacks

21:00 Aristotelian and Stoic Ethics

30:05 Stoic Metaethics

34:33 Stoicism and War

45:19 Stoicism and Military Education

51:57 Nancy’s Mental Health Experience

59:43 Stoic Wisdom

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Dani S. Bassett is the J. Peter Skirkanich Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Perry Zurn is Provost Associate Professor of Philosophy at American University. Dani and Perry both do a great deal of interdisciplinary work within their fields, but Dani is best known for her work in systems neuroscience, while Perry’s research is primarily in political philosophy. The subject of this episode, however—though systems neuroscience and political philosophy both make their appearances—is Dani and Perry’s book, Curious Minds: The Power of Connection (MIT, 2022). While it wouldn’t be immediately apparent from their different fields of study, Dani and Perry are in fact identical twins, and they write that their book “represents the thought of one mind and two bodies” as they explore the nature of curiosity from both philosophical and neuroscientific perspectives, developing an account of curiosity that stresses the relationship between ideas and people. Robinson, Dani, and Perry discuss complex systems, how curiosity has been studied from a variety of different academic perspectives, the three curiosity-embodying archetypes they have identified, knowledge networks, large language models, and more.

Curious Minds: https://a.co/d/3MeVY7m

Dani’s Website: http://www.danisbassett.com

Perry’s Website: https://www.perryzurn.com

Dani’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaniSBassett

Perry’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/perryzurn

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

00:52 Introduction

03:42 Human Curiosity?

06:07 Complex Systems

07:22 Curiosity from a Psychological Perspective

13:09 A Network Account of Curiosity

18:40 Foucault and Great Lakes Philosophy

29:39 Building Knowledge Networks

43:08 Walks through Knowledge Networks

57:25 Curiosity, Large Language Models, and Education

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Brian Leiter is Karl N. Llewellyn Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Chicago Law School, founder and Director of Chicago’s Center for Law, Philosophy & Human Values, and is best known in the philosophical world for his work on Nietzsche and legal philosophy. He is the founding editor of the Routledge Philosophers book series, Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Law, and Philosophical Gourmet Report, which is the canonical—as well as extremely helpful and illuminating—ranking of philosophy departments and PhD programs in the English-speaking world. He also maintains the world’s most popular philosophy blog, Leiter Reports. In this episode, Robinson and Brian discuss Karl Marx and a current book he is co-writing with Jaime Edwards for the Routledge Philosophers book series. Among the topics they discuss are Historical Materialism, ideology, Marx’s critique of capitalism, and exploitation. Brian’s latest book is Moral Psychology with Nietzsche (Oxford, 2021).

Brian’s Website: https://www.brianleiter.net

Brian’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLeiter

Leiter Reports: https://leiterreports.typepad.com

Moral Psychology with Nietzsche: https://a.co/d/3dJZBeZ

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

00:50 Introduction

06:38 Brian’s Interest in Marx

13:22 Historical Materialism

33:06 Big Business and Diversity

40:16 Ideology

58:04 Is Historical Materialism True?

01:01:45 Exploitation

01:11:38 Is Brian a Marxist?

Jody Azzouni is Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University. While Jody is best known for his nominalist stance in the philosophy of mathematics, he is also an author of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. This is Jody’s third appearance on the show. On his first appearance, episode #45, he and Robinson spoke about the debate between nominalists and platonists in the philosophy of mathematics, Jody’s own deflationary stance, and some adjacent concerns about ontological commitment in both formal and informal languages. On his second appearance, episode #75, they spoke about logic, natural languages, and formal languages, and mathematics. And in this episode, they shift topics entirely, discussing Jody’s upcoming book, Challenging Knowledge, which develops an original account in epistemology that seeks to thwart skeptic challenges, and which also builds off of Jody’s most recent book, Attributing Knowledge: What it Means to Know Something (Oxford, 2020).

Jody’s Website: https://jodyazzouni.com

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

01:11 Introduction

04:31 Jody and Epistemology

09:17 Foundationalism, Coherentism, and Infinitism

17:37 Knowledge and Usage

30:37 Metaknowledge and Introspection

41:43 Sortability and Traceability

50:49 Starting Place Epistemology

59:06 Cartesian Skepticism

01:06:00 Pyrrhonic Skepticism

01:14:16 The Difficulty of Epistemology and Mathematics

01:18:32 Internalism and Externalism

01:22:47 Fallibility

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.