This is John and this is the show.

Is there an underlying philosophy to the Batman franchise?

In this episode, we explore the dynamics of the Batman, Bruce Wayne, and his enemies with particular emphasis on The Joker. We discuss whether he’s a utilitarian or deontologist, where he falls on the Dungeons & Dragons Alignment Chart, and who might be the real villain in the whole thing.

The Beer:

Snickerdoodle Ale – Community Beer Company

Pretty shit.

Okay, so aesthetics isn’t exactly just about pretty shit. It’s actually a whole branch of philosophy that this show hasn’t even touched on yet in the four years we’ve been running. So in this episode, we explore the philosophical concept that is aesthetics from a broad perspective in the hopes of laying the foundation for getting deeper into the crevices of this school of thought in future episodes. We’ll cover some of the differing opinions on what art is, and some of the main concepts of the genre.

The Beer…errr uh…:

Peach Wine – Texas Southwind Vineyard & Winery

By the power of Xenu

The word cult has evolved considerably since its original use to describe a religious following generally. In this episode, we’re considering it in the modern sense of a usually religious organization demanding unwavering loyalty from its members. We explore what it takes to be labeled a cult, the actions of some of the best known cults, some of the organizations that have avoided the label but maybe are, and what is perhaps the biggest cult of all.

The Beer:

Freaky Deaky – Oak Highlands Brewery

Dallas, Texas | ABV 10.0% | 46 IBU | Belgian Tripel

Should we really revere the Renaissance man?

We certainly seem to hold the Renaissance in high regard for it’s advances in the arts and sciences and the wealth of great thinkers and doers that came out of it. And that esteem seems to be transferred when we label someone as a Renaissance man/woman. However, is there something inherently better about knowing some amount about a number of things or being an expert on just one thing? Exploring that in this episode, we discuss Da Vinci’s life and his development into a polymath, the turn of phrase “a jack of all trades but a master of none, better than a master of one,” the changes it’s undergone, and what esteem there may be to be had for either the expert or the polymath.

And thanks to Ben K for the suggestion!

The Beer:

Coffee Porter – Real Ale Brewing Company

We’ve seen it before. Can it happen again? Is it already happening?

In this episode, we explore McCarthyism and the Red Scare of the early 20th century in the United States. Mike takes us through the history, from where it starts shortly after the fall of Russia in the 19-teens to the death of McCarthy, the potentially undeserving namesake for the phenomenon and then we wrap up the show with a bit of discussion about the situation, where it came from and why, and evaluate McCarthy’s actions from that perspective.

The Beer:

Necessary Evil – Manhattan Project Beer Co. – 2.5

Here we are…or were…again. New Year’s Eve, taking a look back on the year and forward to the next.

So, for the first time in 4 years, we missed an episode and it just had to be the first one of season number 5. Maybe that’s evidence we had too good a time. Lol. If you’re not sick of new year’s stuff by now, then join us for this episode looking back at 2018 and forward to 2019. Keep in mind, our predictions are always wrong. Also, we were live from Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in Garland, Texas and it was amazing!

The Beer:

Bunches of stuff

Was Mithra just a Roman god or Jesus by another name?

So there was another religion brewing around the same time that Jesus was purported to have been alive and there seem to be a lot of similarities. Some historians have found these connections between Christianity and Mithraism and drawn some interesting conclusions that we will be exploring in this episode. Is Jesus Mithra? Or is it just another instances of religions crossing over each other in an attempt to remain on or get to the top?

The Beer:

120 Minute IPA – Dogfish Head Brewery

In the season of giving, the Six Pack Team explores selflessness.

Many of our listeners may recall an episode of friends where Phoebe and Joey argue about whether an act can be truly selfless. As it turns out, this is an argument that’s been happening for quite some time so since we hadn’t yet taken a crack at it, we decided to do that in lieu of some played out “meaning of Christmas” bullshit. However, while we won’t be indulging in some sort of Christmas special, we do hope you and yours have a wonderful time celebrating whichever holiday you observe or simply existing if you don’t celebrate a holiday this time of year.

The Beer:

Christmas Ale – Saint Arnold Brewing Company

In a world without meaning, what is the point of living?

So we’ve explored existentialism and nihilism before and at least some of us have found it beautiful and fascinating. However, what we failed at the time to cover was absurdism as presented by Albert Camus, the French-Algerian author, that serves as somewhat of an outgrowth of existentialism if not an answer to it. You might look at this philosophy and think it was simply Camus’ excuse to enjoy the lifestyle he decided he wanted, and maybe it was, but even so it’s managed to morph into a being all its own.

The Beer:

Mr. Wiggles Double Dank IPA – Rahr & Sons Brewing Company