Sophia

Dan Kaufman and Kathleen Stock (Sussex) discuss Kathleen's new book, "Material Girls: Why Reality Matters for Feminism." Among other things, we talk the implications of switching our focus from Sex to Gender Identity, why Sex remains essential, and the impact of gender identity politics on the gay and lesbian community. 

4:02 - The current state of affairs, vis a vis sex and gender. Focus is on the UK.9:23 - On Material Girls’ overall aim.13:52 - The dramatic, recent increase in young people identifying as trans.20:14 - How we got here. Second Wave Feminism and Queer Theory.32:03 - Why Sex matters. Medicine. Athletics.41:59 - We discuss several different conceptions of gender identity.58:26 - A philosophical analysis of gender concepts.1:04:05 - Sex and Natural Kinds1:10:07 - Gay and Lesbian concerns

Robert Gressis (Cal State Northridge) and Kevin Currie-Knight (East Carolina University) talk about Kafkatraps. Kafkatrapping is a rhetorical technique where an objection to a particular charge will be used as evidence of that charge. (Are you a communist? If you say no, that just shows how sneaky a communist you are.) Rob and Kevin talk about how and why Kafkatraps work, their uses in cults, cospiracy theories, and other insular movements, and a few articles Kevin has written (for the Electric Agora) about Kafkatraps.

7:32 - When denials confirm the charge: what are Kafkatraps and how do they work? 16:31 - Kafkatrapping has a lengthy history23:15 - Why do people (even unintentionally) employ Kafkatraps? 40:38 - Plausible and implausible reasons to doubt/dismiss the testimony of others45:12 - Why cults often use Kafkatrapping techniques (and how Kevin almost became a scientologist)54:34 - Why cults have to be small to see themselves as special1:00:20 - How conspiracy theorists use Kafkatraps to dismiss naysayers

Stephen Davies (Institute of Economic Affairs) chats with Kevin about Stephen's new book A Street-wise Guide to the Devil. They talk about the (monotheistic) history of the Devil, why the Devil keeps hanging around, "his" role in contemporary moral panics, and more.

6:13 - Why/How the Devil Had to Come About Within Monotheistic Religion21:48 - A Reinterpretation of Milton Leads to the Devil Being Worshipped as a Rebel30:10 - Satanic Burials, Satan's Role in Free Will, and Whether Satan-Worshippers Misunderstand Satan40:46 - Why Does the Devil Keep Hanging Around in a Christian (or Post-Christian?) World? 49:58 - The Satanic Ritual Child Abuse Scandal(s) and The Devil's Starring Role59:58 - Why the Devil is Necessary in a World So Influenced by Christianity

Kevin talks with Chandran Kukathas (Singapore Management University) about his new book Immigration and Freedom, as well as his pluralistic approach to political philosophy. In the book, Kukathas argues that immigration restrictions not only problematically restrict the freedom of immigrants but also of citizens, and that many gains that immigration proponents/skeptics think they make by keeping immigrants away are illusory.

3:36 - Chandran's Unique Approach (Contra Rawls) to Political Philosophy 12:52 - Is Chandran a... Libertarian? Cultural Relativist? Agonist? 24:00 - Why Immigration Control Steals Freedom Both From Immigrants and Citizens 30:51 - Are There Differences Between Those Bothered by Cultural Change (and Immigration) and Those Who Aren't? 39:52 - Objection to Chandran's Immigration-Friendly Case: "The things you think you're gaining are not real gains." 50:05 - Does a Society or Nation Need a Common Culture to Survive and Thrive? 59:21 - Chandran and Kevin Discuss Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Case for Immigration Restrictions

Daniel Kaufman and Crispin Sartwell talk about Crispin’s article for the New York Times, “Humans are Animals: Let’s Get Over It” (2/23/2021). (https://www-nytimes-com.newsproxy.inf...​) Topics include: Humanism and its roots; Racism; Hume’s Naturalism; and Normativity. 

:00 Crispin and Dan catch up after a hiatus7:50 Crispin gives some background on his latest NYT article, “Humans are Animals: Let’s Get Over It”11:15 The main thesis of “Humans are Animals”: Philosophy’s excessive investment in the humans/animals distinction since Antiquity.20:20 Dan raises the question of Hume’s naturalism and its impact on Crispin’s thesis.30:30 The Question of Humanism / Is a Materialist Humanism Possible?36:40 Humanism and Racism41:45 Etiology of the Human/Animal Distinction1:00:25 The Human and the Normative

In this wide ranging discussion, Kevin talks with youtuber Lewis Waller, of the philosophy/history youtube channel Then and Now. They talk about youtube as a venue for intellectual content, how and why Lewis does what he does with his channel, how postmodern influences his (and Kevin's) intellectual approach, and more.

00:00:07 - Introductions and Elon Musk, Not Necessarily in That Order00:04:46 - How Lewis Got Started as a Youtuber with Then and Now00:12:40 - Youtube, "Democratized" Media and Changes in How Knowledge Circulates00:22:28 - The Economics (and Day-to-Day) of Being and Independent Content Creator00:34:12 - What Lewis is Working on Next: A (Postmodern?) History of the Enlightenment00:46:10 - The Weaponization of Postmodernism (Particularly on the Cultural Right)00:53:52 - Are We Living in Postmodern Times? Is This For the Good or the Bad... or Both? 01:00:26 - Lewis: Modernism and Postmodernism are Two Sides to the Same Coin, Kevin: Postmodernism is a Diagnosis, Not a Cause

In this dialogue, Robert Gressis (UCal Northridge) and Hugo Mercier ( French National Center for Scientific Research, Not Born Yesterday) discuss how human belief and manipulation work, and Hugo's research about why people aren't as manipulable as we sometimes think.

01:24 Hugo’s thesis: when it comes to communication, people are not easily manipulated, but hard to manipulate.07:19 If people aren’t easily manipulated, then how does Hugo explain the success of Hitler, Pol Pot, and Trump?16:07 Aren’t people easily manipulated by leaders who share their political orientation?21:00 Do people really believe the crazy things they espouse?28:36 What is the connection between belief and behavior? 35:45 Sperber and Mercier’s “interactionist” theory of reason41:00 Twitter as a counterexample to the interactionist theory of reason48:18 Are people good at arguing?53:13 Rational rioters and the extraordinary heterogeneity of crowds

Robert Gressis (California State Northridge) and Kevin Currie-Knight (East Carolina University) hae a wide-ranging conversation about the (fraught?) relationship between schooling, learning, and A-F grading. The discussion centers around an essay Currie-Knight wrote called Against the Grade Economy: https://theelectricagora.com/2020/12/26/against-the-grade-economy/

 

00:02:36 Rob and Kevin make small talk00:07:01 Kevin describes and laments the grade economy00:36:07 What's the relationship between grades and learning?00:57:19 Bryan Caplan's "The Case Against Education" and how it has traumatized Rob01:05:58 Unschooling01:21:35 If schools sucks so much, how did Rob and Kevin learn?

Kevin Currie-Knight (East Carolina University) and Andrew Jason Cohen (Georgia State University) are both philosophers who have experience providing foster homes to children. In this video, they talk about their experiences fostering and the philosophical elements of foster care.

0:11 Introduction, Andrew's Philosophical Work, and Teaching Online During COVID8:56 Why Kevin, Andrew, and Their Families Foster Children23:43 Being Attached to and Developing Bonds with Kids Who Aren't (Biologically or Legally) "Yours" 30:57 Should Reunification with Biological Parents Be the Overriding Goal? 47:27 Should Race be a Factor in Deciding Where to Place or Raise Foster Children? 57:58: Kevin: Fostering Has Taught Me More Empathy (for Struggling Biological Parents) 1:06:39 Jason and His (Foster-Care-Inspired) Argument that Parents Should be Licensed1:19:56 Similarities and Differences Between Drivers' Licensing and Parental Licensing

In the dialogue, David Ottlinger and Dan Kaufman discuss the ongoing effort to de-platform/cancel Professor Kathleen Stock for her writing and public statements on gender and sex related issues; an article and discussion on it in the Daily Nous; and issues regarding academic freedom and freedom of speech more generally.

0:00 Intro

02:32 The (latest) defenestration of Kathleen Stock

16:44 How sincere are pro-trans rights public intellectuals?

27:35 Justin Weinberg's essay on the Kathleen Stock incident

44:53 David: "It's the squishy middles that are gonna kill us"

59:34 Dan: deplatforming people on social media is effectively censorship

1:10:34 The death of public discourse and the rise of Trump 1:20:30 How consensus crumbles

1:28:10 David: we should get rid of the harm principle