The Jack Lawrence Podcast

In this episode I chat with philosopher Steve Fuller - the founder of a field called Social Epistemology. 

He - among other things - thinks that the Post-Truth era we're in has a lot of advantages. He thinks it's the natural progression of the democratisation of knowledge, and that the game has permanently changed.

This episode challenged a lot of my views on epistemology, and I think if you're someone at all concerned with post-truth/misinformation/knowledge generation, you'll get something out of it.

Specifically we talk about:

• The definition and scope of social epistemology as studying the social roots of knowledge
• The individualistic bias in traditional epistemology and its social extension
• How scientific consensus functions and its limitations in a post-truth landscape
• The conceptual framework of trust, delegation of risk, and accountability in expertise
• Challenges of verifying information in the era of social media and misinformation
• The impact of AI and technological change on the future of learning and knowledge production
• The role of the intellectual as a truth-teller and critic of groupthink
• The influence of conspiracy theories and meta-languages in shaping worldviews
• The importance of education, curation, and rhetorical skills in developing discernment
• The resilience of democratic systems and the need for checks, balances, and reversibility

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - I intro the episode

02:45 - Introduction to media, knowledge, and the social roots of epistemology

03:46 - What is social epistemology? Studying the social foundations of knowledge

05:14 - The individualistic bias in traditional epistemology and its limitations

06:29 - How social sciences contribute to understanding knowledge as a social process

08:31 - The received wisdom of scientific consensus and its limitations

09:30 - Trust as delegation of risk and accountability in expertise

09:59 - Risks and uncertainties in making knowledge-based decisions

10:57 - The role of expertise and the accountability of scientists and public health officials

12:23 - The delegation of risk in novel situations (e.g., COVID-19) and responsibility

13:50 - Post-truth: definitions, emotional judgment, and the demonization of alternative views

15:31 - The conspiracy mentality and cargo cult science in modern beliefs

16:29 - How meta-languages and different frames of reference influence perceptions of truth

18:02 - Living in a world of ambiguous meanings and incomplete evidence

19:24 - The plurality of meta-languages and the challenges for social coherence

20:22 - Education, informed skepticism, and the democratization of knowledge

21:13 - The resilience of systems like the US Constitution and democratic checks

22:12 - The shift from science as a unified truth to multiple, competing meta-languages

23:33 - Examples from social media: the Elon Musk saluting clip and the dress debate

24:59 - Language battles in cultural and political contexts, e.g., trans debates

26:25 - The limits of deliberation and slow democracy in a fast-paced digital world

27:35 - Democratization, leveling of credibility, and risks of populism

29:54 - Mechanisms like elections and reversibility as safeguards in democracy

30:54 - The importance of constitutional design and checks on power

32:38 - The influence of social media, misinformation, and the need for vigilance

34:03 - Decision-making in fields outside one's expertise and the role of skin-in-the-game

35:27 - Gambling and risk management as metaphors for epistemic correction

37:32 - Medical choices and the social dynamics of traditional versus alternative medicine

38:30 - Conspiracy theories: cargo cult science and the kernel of truth within them

41:01 - The limits of holistic conspiracy narratives and the importance of falsifiability

43:16 - The nature of information, power, and meta-languages in belief systems

46:34 - Cults, meta-languages, and framing in understanding across belief boundaries

48:37 - Recognizing the strategic communication of intellectuals and the role of truth

50:12 - The career of figures like Jordan Peterson: influence, controversy, and resilience

52:42 - Future of scientific revolutions, AI, and the changing landscape of knowledge

55:54 - The need for new metaphysics and the role of imagination in science

57:50 - Would Steve Fuller go to university if he were 18 today?

59:20 - The shape of knowledge: whole units, integrity, and the importance of curation

60:47 - The craft of writing, remixing ideas, and reflexivity in scholarship

62:50 - The importance of deliberate practice, observation, and self-assessment in intellectual work

65:52 - The evolution of media, from live broadcasts to AI and deepfakes

68:45 - The role of intellectuals as disruptors and truth-tellers in society

71:12 - The vulnerability, aspirations, and social responsibilities of intellectuals

73:07 - The charisma and influence of public intellectuals, exemplified by figures like Hitchens and Peterson

78:00 - The social function of provocative speech and challenging groupthink

79:54 - The debate culture: ethical concerns, meta-languages, and power plays

81:11 - Balancing the personal platform with responsibility and discernment in content creation

84:45 - Navigating knowledge in a world of AI, democratization, and future opportunities

89:22 - The potential of AI to generate new knowledge, the importance of asking better questions

93:20 - The enduring value of books, curated knowledge, and critical thinking

93:59 - Building mental maps, understanding the shape of knowledge, and the resonance of ideas

94:58 - Trust, fallibility, and the role of falsifiability in social risk management

96:38 - The art of writing, remixing, and shaping ideas over time

102:32 - How to start engaging with Fuller's work and the importance of critical engagement

More Steve Fuller

Twitter: https://x.com/ProfSteveFuller

His Warwick page

Books of his mentioned:

• Media and the Power of Knowledge
• A Player's Guide to the Post-Truth Condition: The Name of the Game
• The Intellectual: The Positive Power of Negative Thinking

Other things mentioned:

Jürgen Habermas

Feynman and Cargo Cults

Hello! In this episode the wonderful Godesulloh and I sit down and have a long chat about the Manosphere. We talk about our experiences being exposed to it, the rise and fall of Jordan Peterson, agency and morality under oppression and more! 

TIMESTAMPS:

• 1:03 We are outflanked in what we're up again
• 1:42 Jack nearly got sucked down the alt right pickup pipeline
• 8:42 Godesulloh's experience of it
• 16:22 Jordan Peterson, the final boss
• 21:32 Discussing Peterson's ideas seriously
• 30:12 Actually reading feminist literature
• 39:32 John Rawls's Veil of Ignorance
• 40:53 Jack's video on Misandry that got taken down
• 48:42 Agency and morality under oppression
• 56:07 "I gave up facts and logic years ago"
• 1:04:16 What will get us there, and dignity
• 1:12:21 the asymmetries of social media
• 1:18:07 The Brock Turner case
• 1:22:00 Liberation philosophies, raising everybody up
• 1:22:47 Sexual assault of men played for laughs
• 1:25:28 Devil's advocate
• 1:31:17 The world is more than this
• 1:34:39 Understanding that certain people have good reasons to be angry
• 1:37:37 The fallacy of the individual defining the group
• 1:38:12 Do you really want praise from these people?
• 1:39:26 It's easier to be a Great man than a Good man
• 1:46:51 Closing remarks

Godesulloh has all of his links through here: https://msha.ke/godesulloh
His youtube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/@vibesestvida

And my socials are:
https://www.instagram.com/jack.lawro/ for IG
https://www.tiktok.com/@jack.lawrofor TikTok
https://www.Jacklawrence.net for my website

In this episodeI interview Avisha Nessaiver aka Distilled Science following our back and forth over tiktok/Instagram on gen AI video.

I start out by interviewing him in general, then about an hour in we get into the AI stuff.

Timestamps below:

01:55 – The Science of Touch and Oxytocin

05:15 – Understanding Pain and Pleasure in Touch

08:09 – From Academia to Science Communication

11:08 – Innovations in Medical Technology

14:18 – Navigating the Challenges of Startups

17:12 – Misinformation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

20:04 – The Rise of TikTok as a Science Platform

22:59 – Debunking Misinformation in Science

26:07 – Reading and Understanding Scientific Literature

33:17 – The Importance of Context in Fitness Research

37:05 – Understanding Bone Density and Its Challenges

39:50 – Innovative Nutritional Experiments and Their Outcomes

49:36 – Optimizing Workouts and Sleep for Better Health

-------

58:10 – AI DEBATE STARTS HERE 

1:01:41 – The Power of AI in Creative Storytelling

1:03:40 – Humour and Its Mechanics

1:07:12 – The Role of AI in Education

1:09:25 – Cognitive Tools and Learning

1:12:23 – The Importance of Statistical Literacy

1:16:13 – Navigating Misinformation in Politics

1:20:39 – The Challenge of Engaging with Opposing Views

1:25:55 – The Battle Against Misinformation

1:26:44 – The Future of Information Consumption

More of Distilled Science:
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@distilledscience?
https://www.instagram.com/distilledscience/
https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@DistilledScience⁩  

More of me:
https://linktr.ee/Jacklawrence

This essay starts with a simple question: how do we know what is true? In answering this I examine the collapse of trust in society alongside the rise of ideology as a substitute for rationalism. I argue that rationalism only works if we have the time and resources to enable it, and that these criteria are no longer being met. I posit that much as the Enlightenment killed God, we are watching it happen again. Rationalism is dying - the framework of truth we had is now breaking under the weight of volume, complexity, mistrust and ideology.

What happens when rationalism fails? What happens when we kill God a second time?

If you'd like to read this piece, you can do so here: https://open.substack.com/pub/jacklawro/p/killing-god-a-second-time?r=k9z53&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web 

For more of me:
https://linktr.ee/Jacklawrence
https://substack.com/@jacklawro
https://www.instagram.com/jack.lawro/ 
https://www.tiktok.com/@jack.lawro

You only have feelings. This is the paradigm argued for by Nick Shackleton Jones. Nick is the author of the book How People Learn, which offers an entirely new model for learning and cognition which he thinks can massively improve performance, learning, and education.  

Nick is many things - he is an author, a speaker, a philosopher, a psychology lecturer, and has worked in both the academic and corporate worlds, including time at the BBC, Deloitte, PA consulting and others in positions centred around learning and innovation. He's a rare individual. I had so much fun talking to him. We talk about his ideas, philosophy, neuroscience, how best to learn, consciousness and AI, among many other things . There's a lovely mix of practical and intellectual stuff here, so I think there's something for everyone - please enjoy.  

You can also find a video version of this podcast here: https://youtu.be/UdD6sbBeer4

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Intro
01:22 You don't have thoughts, you only have feelings
04:36 The philosophical foundations
06:10 But what about maths?
10:16 What does "think rationally" really mean?
15:06 What is philosophy driven by?
17:49 Mandatory Stoicism dig
20:19 Nietzsche's point
21:44 Memory Champions
23:25 The Affective Context Model
26:59 Definitions of Memory and Learning
30:43 School doesn't help learning
37:33 Education reform
43:17 Why does everyone have to get along?
46:59 What's the difference using Nick's approach?
54:32 Making yourself care about what you need to learn about
57:37 We talk about World of Warcraft for a bit
01:03:42 Video games and Learning Design
01:06:37 Won't we just end up with Minecraft experts?
01:15:34 Advice for teachers
01:18:00 Should we rethink what intelligence is?
01:23:38 The problem of language
01:28:46 The AI question
01:33:29 What will technology be doing with us 10,000 years from now?
01:34:57 Does AI inevitably make us dumber?
01:40:39 How does Nick avoid nihilism??
01:44:29 Pessimistic Meta-Induction
01:47:22 A joke about behaviourism 
01:49:32 Does reality exist independently of our feelings?
01:54:58 What is Nick unsure of?
01:58:59 Why can't we create LLM's that have feelings?
02:03:34 Geniuses are affectation geniuses
02:05:49 Nietzsche's comedic life
02:12:08 What evidence could disprove Shackleton's paradigm?
02:18:09 Combating bad ideas online
02:25:28 Bad role models
02:30:15 The temptation of digital relationships for young men
02:32:09 The losing case for Reality
02:44:11 Where to find more of Nick's stuff

For more of Nick:
https://www.tiktok.com/@shackletonjones
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shackletonjones/ 

His book is called "How People Learn: A New Model of Learning and Cognition to Improve Performance and Education" and can be found on Amazon and other booksellers

For more of me:
https://linktr.ee/Jacklawrence
https://substack.com/@jacklawro
https://www.instagram.com/jack.lawro/ 
https://www.tiktok.com/@jack.lawro

In today's episode I interview Femi Oluwole! Femi is a British political activist and one of the most prominent voices in the anti-Brexit movement. He co-founded the group Our Future Our Choice (OFOC), which aimed to mobilize young people against Brexit, advocating for a second referendum on the UK's membership in the European Union. He's also a unique individual in that he straddles both traditional and social media in spreading awareness about Brexit, as well as conducting debates. I really enjoyed this interview and hope you will too! 


00:00:00 Intro
00:01:29 Podcast begins with me mumbling
00:01:39 How would Femi describe what he does?
00:01:59 Femi's journey to political activism
00:04:40 Femi's experience of the Brexit vote result
00:07:24 Our Future Our Choice
00:09:17 How has Brexit damaged the UK?
00:12:27 How to avoid echo chambers
00:16:29 Do the Tories believe their own rhetoric?
00:21:09 What informs Femi's values?
00:23:09 What defines 'Good' to Femi?
00:27:47 What forms of online activism are most effective?
00:30:49 How can the left combat outrage content?
00:36:29 What politicians do Femi like?
00:38:49 Alternative Voting Referendum
00:39:53 How do comment sections differ on different platforms?
00:47:16 How does Femi deal with online racism and vitriol?
00:49:04 Removing anger as TV prep
00:50:34 Is sunlight the best disinfectant?
00:52:33 How does one develop cool-headedness in debates?
00:55:31 What other changes would Femi like to see in UK politics?
00:58:37 What ways would Femi like people to engage with politics?
01:02:24 Is Just Stop Oil ineffective activism?
01:05:18 What is a message that Femi would like everyone to know?
01:07:29 What do those disenchanted with politics need to reengage?
01:12:09 How can one educate themselves in Politics?
01:15:37 A really good Reality TV idea
01:16:34 For some reason I start talking about edibles
01:20:29 How can people support Femi?
01:21:59 Closing thoughts on Buffy the Vampire Slayer


For all of Femi's stuff: 
https://www.instagram.com/femi_sorry/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/@Femi_Sorry
https://www.patreon.com/femi_Sorry
https://www.tiktok.com/@femi_sorry?lang=en
https://twitter.com/Femi_Sorry

For my stuff:
https://www.instagram.com/jack.lawro/ for IG
https://www.tiktok.com/@jack.lawrofor TikTok
https://www.Jacklawrence.net for my website

Godesulloh is a philosopher, teacher, podcaster, musician and lover of bubble tea. In this interview we discuss African Philosophy, Kierkegaard, Stoicism vs Broicism, Effective Altruism and much more

Timestamps:
01:15 Who is Godesulloh and why is he in my flat
02:38 Challenges making educational philosophy content on Tiktok
05:00 How would Godesulloh explain African Philosophy
09:40 Where African Philosophy sits in Academia
16:14 The African Logic Conversation
20:44 Why does Godesulloh like Kierkegaard so much
24:25 Reviewing some Kierkegaard quotes
27:35 Living to avoid regret
35:01 Does everything work out for the best?
39:15 Living in harmony with Nature is bad
43:10 Longtermism and its faults
47:09 Effective Altruism
50:25 Godesulloh on Longtermism
59:09 Effective Altruism issue
1:03:45 Mr Beast Philanthropy
1:06:33 Capitalism pros and cons
1:09:45 Do we want a FAIR or GOOD society?
1:13:38 Philosophy as self help
1:15:35 Stoicism vs Broicism
1:24:15 Where to find out more about Godesulloh

Godesulloh has all of his links through here: https://msha.ke/godesulloh
His youtube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/@vibesestvida

And my socials are:
https://www.instagram.com/jack.lawro/ for IG
https://www.tiktok.com/@jack.lawrofor TikTok
https://www.Jacklawrence.net for my website

Hello! WE'RE BACK
 
In this episode the wonderful Godesulloh J. Bawa (philosopher, podcaster, teacher, musician and all round cool guy) and I sit down and try and answer the top questions of all time from the subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/ 

We get side-tracked a bit talking about relationships and end it with a discussion on the morality of killing baby Hitler - good times! 

Timestamps:
02:15 Why is it so hard to think beyond Capitalism?
06:32 Why are there so many cringe Stoicism videos?
08:52 Why does suffering sometimes foster growth, and sometimes embitter or traumatize people?
15:55 Relationships on tiktok
31:36 Why isn't the field of philosophy more interested in communicating its ideas to the public?
36:48 How can you be confident in your beliefs if there is an infinite amount you don't know that might affect your beliefs?
44:03 How do you overcome philosophy paralyzing your ability to say anything?
48:52 Would you kill baby Hitler?


Godesulloh has all of his links through here: https://msha.ke/godesulloh
His youtube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/@vibesestvida

And my socials are:
https://www.instagram.com/jack.lawro/ for IG
https://www.tiktok.com/@jack.lawrofor TikTok
https://www.Jacklawrence.net for my website

"I always wanted to have this big impact, and to work on something that's changing the world"

My guest today is Adam Boro. Adam is a magnificent filmmaker, who currently has over half a million followers on TikTok. You may have seen some of his mega viral videos, which include taking a girl to the north pole for a first date, randomly travelling to a desert oasis or his adventures in Machu Picchu. 

Prior to his recent infamy, Adam studied aerospace engineering, interned at NASA, and was even involved with YES Theory. Adam is a fascinating character, who for me seems to embody a kind of carpe diem philosophy - hell bent on living life to the fullest, and improving the lives of others in the process. 

But he wasn't always this way, and in this interview he is remarkably open about his struggles with anxiety, the challenges of being an online creator, and the various road bumps he's encountered on the journey to getting to where he is today. And all of this is done knowing full well that he's in the very early stages of his creative life. We get into all of this and more in this wonderful conversation. 

If you're someone who is curious about getting started in filmmaking, creating videos online, or can even relate to the feeling of not quite  having found your crowd yet, I think you'll take something away from this conversation. Adam is awesome, I think he's someone to keep an eye on in the years to come.

Follow Adam on Instagram/TikTok: @adamboro
Follow me on Instagram/TikTok: @jack.lawro
Patreon: patreon.com/jacklawrence

"Time is the dimension by which consciousness experiences change"

My guest today is Ben Johnston Handy, 

You probably know Ben as the prolific TikTok creator @Benjhandy, who has over 1.1 million followers. He makes videos on futurism, science, and most recently, what to do in a dangerous/embarrassing situation. 

But Ben has done and does many other things, including writing, screenwriting, theatre, all of which we get into in this conversation. I've been a huge fan of Ben's videos for a while so it was super great to speak with him. 

We talk about a wide array of subjects in this podcast, including Movies, Writing, Theatre, DnD, AI, and the nature of time.  Ben is a humble, funny, spectacular explainer of ideas and I think you'll walk away with a lot from this conversation just as I did.  

Ben's tiktok: @benjhandy

My tiktok/insta: @jack.lawro
Patreon: patreon.com/jacklawrence