In Defense of Sam Harris. Politics are not the most important thing in my life; that spot is reserved for philosophy. Sam Harris found himself in a defensive political game for much of the past few years, which is really a shame as his academic work seems to me much more important a place for Sam to put his PhD brain to use. In this episode I argue that taking breaks from political life is important if you wish to not be entirely consumed by it.

Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠

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Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠

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Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠

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Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠

Sam Harris and Dave Rubin on the Rubin Report:

https://youtu.be/zQqxlzHJrU0

Sam Harris on Bill Maher with special guest Batman (Ben Affleck):

https://youtu.be/vln9D81eO60

Music credits:

Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3522-cold-funk

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - fade in/out

Sax, Rock, and Roll by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4324-sax-rock-and-roll

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - fade in/out

Love it or hate it, we are all here today because of capitalism. There are few if any global systems more well-developed than our markets and free trade. Listen to my personal philosophy, the general philosophy of capitalism, and its modern foundations in the writings of Adam Smith in this rather more controversial podcast episode.

Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠

PODCAST

Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠

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Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠

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Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠

Learn more about the topics discussed:

Biography of Adam Smith:

https://www.investopedia.com/updates/adam-smith-wealth-of-nations/

Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3300/3300-h/3300-h.htm

Locke’s Second Treatise on Government:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/7370/7370-h/7370-h.htm

Capitalism:

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/capitalism.asp

Global poverty statistics:

https://ourworldindata.org/extreme-poverty?

Music credits:

Peace of Mind by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4199-peace-of-mind

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Canon In D For Two Harps by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/6959-canon-in-d-for-two-harps

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

SCP-x5x (Outer Thoughts) by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/6735-scp-x5x-outer-thoughts-

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What does it mean to be a liberal? The grandfather of liberalism, John Locke, will tell you it boils down to three fundamental principles of human existence: the right to life, liberty, and property. It is no exaggeration to say that John Locke laid the foundations of freedom for the world to follow. Listen to my rundown of the more poignant points of his philosophy.

Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠

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Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠

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Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠

Learn more about the topics discussed-

Read Locke's Two Treatises of Civil Government:

https://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/john-locke-two-treatises-1689#lf0057_head_003

Sir Robert Filmer, Locke's ideological opponent:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Filmer

Marduk and Babylon: 

https://www.ancient.eu/Marduk/

Dr. Jordan Peterson's lecture encompassing Marduk:

https://youtu.be/R_GPAl_q2QQ

The Mandate of Heaven in Chinese culture:

https://www.ancient.eu/Mandate_of_Heaven/

Music credits:

Wholesome by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesome

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - music fade in/out

White by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4626-white

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - music fade in/out

Samba Isobel by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4316-samba-isobel

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - music fade in/out

Sad Trio by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4314-sad-trio

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - music fade in/out

**Not an actual sea monster. This monster is in fact one that we've created ourselves, and is composed of our own bodies. The societal contract that binds us together. Where does it come from? How has it persisted? Why do I always ask so many questions? Come with me into this little dive with Thomas Hobbes and the Leviathan.

Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠

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Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

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Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠

Learn more about the topics discussed:

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan-

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hobbes-moral/

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3207/3207-h/3207-h.htm

Article partly discussing Jane Goodall and the Gombe Chimp War:

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150811-do-animals-fight-wars

World War 2:

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history

The concentration camps of Nazi Germanys:

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/nazi-camps

Music credits:

"Sincerely" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - music fade in/out changes

"Angel Share" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - music fade in/out changes

"Perspectives" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - music fade in/out changes

Alternate title: In Defense of The Republic. Philosopher-King, Philosopher-King, who is fit to rule? Is mob justice true justice, or is it unjustly cruel? Call me Dr. Seuss, because my rhymes are fire. This episode covers a rather large range of topics, but the prevailing theme throughout is the concept of Tyranny of the Minority, AKA your standard dictatorship, vs. Tyranny of the Majority, AKA mob rule. It's a debate I find personally fascinating, and as I explain in the episode I think the United States of America does an exceptional job of balancing the two extremes of governance.

Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠

PODCAST

Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠

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Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

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Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠

Learn more about the topics discussed: 

Jean-Paul Sartre - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/sartre/ 

Greek democracy - https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/ancient-greece-democracy 

Plato's Apology - the trial of Socrates - http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html 

Plato's Republic - http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.html 

Vidkun Quisling - https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/vidkun-quisling 

The Constitution of the United States - https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution 

///// 

Music Credits: 

"Egmont Overture" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

 Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - music fade in/out changes

"Thunderbird" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

 Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - music fade in/out changes

"Stay the Course" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

 Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - music fade in/out changes

True Detective very much helped to popularize the view of pessimism as tenable philosophical ground to the national television-viewing audience. The story of Rust Cohle is one of bleak reality almost too real to bear. Thomas Ligotti, likewise, broadcast his own philosophical pessimism to horror-savvy readers with his book “The Conspiracy Against The Human Race”. In this episode I discuss both popular accounts of pessimism and my own experience and investigations into the abyss. It’s impossible to mention the philosophy of Ligotti without mentioning his predecessor, H.P. Lovecraft, and his incomprehensible creations like Cthulhu. Perhaps the reality of existence truly is too much. Then again, the philosophy of Buddhism accepts much the same premises as philosophical pessimism, but comes to radically different conclusions. Maybe the answer is to strive in the face of suffering per Dr. Jordan Peterson and Dr. Viktor Frankl. As always, I leave the answers up to you to figure out. Let me know what you come up with.

Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠

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Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠

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Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠

Learn more about the topics discussed:

True Detective's Rust Cohle and the philosophy of pessimism: https://youtu.be/9oX2xFo7JA4

David Benatar and Jordan Peterson debate: https://youtu.be/vsyZcKUP_-k

Man's Search for Meaning by Dr. Victor Frankl: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4069.Man_s_Search_for_Meaning

The Dhammapada: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.intro.budd.html

The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft: http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/cc.aspx

Thomas Ligotti: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/128466.Thomas_Ligotti

Background music thanks to Anchor.

The importance of philosophy to the development of society and civilization as we know it is impossible to overstate. So why does philosophy often have the feel of an old forgotten relic, passed by by so many today? And how might we restore philosophy to its central position in the cultivation of progress and reason? Education might be a cliché answer to that question, but I do believe it is true. Philosophy is fundamentally the love of wisdom, but it manifests in different ways and through different points of view. Let me know what your own point of view on the subject is.

Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠

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Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

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Learn more about the topics discussed:Aristotle, The History of Animals:http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/history_anim.4.iv.htmlNeil Degrasse Tyson's hot take on the subject of philosophy:https://www.huffpost.com/entry/neil-degrasse-tyson-and-the-value-of-philosophy_b_5330216Laozi's Dao De Jing:https://www.gutenberg.org/files/49965/49965-h/49965-h.htmConfucius and the Analects:http://classics.mit.edu/Confucius/analects.htmlBackground music thanks to Anchor.

When faced with a terrible unknown, sometimes the best place to look for guidance is in ancient wisdom. Death is one of these unknowns. Many of us humans living and dead profess faith in an afterlife. Why does death still feel so alien, even with our self-proclaimed beliefs? Socrates discussed death philosophically as he awaited his own by way of execution. Perhaps Socrates can help alleviate some angst about this great mystery. Perhaps not. Alan Watts too may serve helpful to some.

Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠

PODCAST

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Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

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Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠

Learn more about the topics discussed:

Plato's Phaedo, the last hours of Socrates:

http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/phaedo.html

Plato's Crito, the attempted jailbreak:

http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/crito.html

Death as philosophical inquiry:

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/death/

The painting, The Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David:

https://www.metmuseum.org/en/art/collection/search/436105

Background music thanks to Anchor.

"The unexamined life is not worth living."

Out of all historical figures democratically sentenced to death, Socrates is by far my favorite. Who was Socrates, you ask? Wonderful question. Read his apology to the men of Athens here:

http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html

Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠

PODCAST

Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠

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Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

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