THUNK

The Enlightenment is often held up as a revolution to which all those who value the power of the human mind should pledge allegiance. But there’s a question many smart people fight over without realizing it: which Enlightenment?

Video: http://youtu.be/m3D50jUFZIY

Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/07/10/171.-Echoes-of-Analytic-and-Continental-Philosophy.html

Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) has attracted a lot of attention for its very intuitive explanation of where our gut reactions about morality come from, but grand claims about its implications might warrant a healthy dose of skepticism.

Video: http://youtu.be/4FJFZdUQIUs

Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/06/12/170.-Moral-Foundations-Theory.html

Is there such a thing as aesthetic obligation? Do we have duties that are explicitly aesthetic in character, or are they really just moral obligations? With great beauty comes great responsibility!

Video: http://youtu.be/G5_8BxYDxVU

Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/05/29/169.-Aesthetic-Obligation.html

How is it even possible to appreciate art that’s “so bad, it’s good?” What is it that makes hideously awful movies like “The Room” & “Plan 9 from Outer Space” enjoyable? Susan Sontag has a one-word answer: STYLE.

Video: http://youtu.be/JuaclFbpofE

Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/05/08/168.-Camp-So-Bad,-It's-Good.html

What does the Heisenberg uncertainty principle have to do with a quantum apocalypse that could unmake the universe at any moment?

Video: http://youtu.be/QDxiQF3CWKk

Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/04/25/167.-False-Vacuum.html

Asking good questions is just as important as finding answers, but we never really learn how to go about doing so. What is it that makes a question “good,” exactly?

Video: http://youtu.be/wnYi1drc_M8

Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/04/11/166.-How-to-Ask-Good-Questions.html