Hello World!

I'm recording this as a fresh contender in the world of podcasting. There is much competition now for your attention, and I know as well as anyone the value of time. There are wiser people than I with their own podcasts. I know that I know nothing. But I believe every point of view is valuable in its own way, and I want to make my voice heard.

A necessary consequence of this is that I will get things wrong. Keep that in mind always. This project feels in a way like a continuation of a philosophy class. I'm putting my ideas out into the world and clashing with intellectual giants and their ideas. And what I most desire is for a challenger to come out and clash with me and my ideas.

Please, be that person. Give me criticism, feedback, anything to make me question and reevaluate what I think. And we can both move forward a little wiser together.

I'm Tony Remis, and this is Tony Talks Back.

Music:

"Slow Burn" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Ever wake up one morning and realize that no one actually knows anything about anything? That's what the consciousness debate is like. Presumably everyone already has intimate firsthand knowledge of their own consciousness...so why can't we agree on anything?  I'm throwing a few ideas out there with their own problems and challenges. What's your take on this greatest of mysteries? 

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

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Check out the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article on consciousness:

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

Neural correlates of consciousness, what my episode seeks to address:

http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Neural_correlates_of_consciousness

Also zombies:

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

Descartes and Princess Elisabeth. Name a more iconic duo. Is dualism of the mind and body the answer? Or is the mind-body problem insurmountable? Will physicists be able to tell us what consciousness is? I don't have answers, only more questions. Also, what is it like to be a bat? Just curious. 

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

PODCAST

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

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠

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Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

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Learn more about the topics discussed-

Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia:

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/elisabeth-bohemia/

René Descartes:

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

Thomas Nagel, What Is It Like to Be a Bat?:

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/study/ugmodules/humananimalstudies/lectures/32/nagel_bat.pdf

David Chalmers, Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness:

https://web.ics.purdue.edu/~drkelly/ChalmersHardProblem1995.pdf

Dan Dennett's TED page:

https://www.ted.com/speakers/dan_dennett

Background music thanks to Anchor.

With special mentions Descartes and Aristotle. Faith is a problem; so many of us believe or want to believe in something beyond ourselves, and yet the existentialist dilemma threatens the very idea of objective meaning central to many religious traditions. So what do we do with that? Kierkegaard may have the answer for those who seek faith in God. And for those who consider themselves "spiritual but not religious", Alan Watts is a remarkable teacher to go to for insight and clarity.

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

PODCAST

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

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠

Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

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

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠

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

Thanks to Anchor for background music. Learn more about the philosophers and topics discussed:

• Søren Kierkegaard: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kierkegaard/
• 
  
• Alan Watts: https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/american-literature-biographies/alan-watts
• 
  
• Aristotle's prime mover argument: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aristotle/The-unmoved-mover
• 
  
• Meditations on First Philosophy by René Descartes: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rene-Descartes/Meditations
• 
  
• The painting, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog: https://www.wikiart.org/en/caspar-david-friedrich/the-wanderer-above-the-sea-of-fog

Questions asked and never answered: what is consciousness, what are we all doing here, what is the meaning of life? Tony Remis tries to make sense of all of this nonsense with a quick introduction to existentialism and the types of problems the show will discuss. Music for the episode is courtesy of Anchor, and yours truly on the fiddle. Read more about Friedrich Nietzsche: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nietzsche/

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

PODCAST

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

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠

Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠

Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠

Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠

Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠

Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠

Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:

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

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠

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