Unlimited Opinions - Philosophy, Theology, Linguistics, & More

Did we accidentally start a cult of Judas Iscariot? Find out as we discuss the role of revelation in J.R.R. Tolkien's writings! We break down the difference between general revelation and special revelation, talk about the examples of divine influence within Middle-earth, and have a long discussion on whether it's possible for an ordinary person to be divinely inspired, and if Tolkien was divinely inspired himself!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Jesus must have told the best jokes! All these deep theological insights and more are contained in this episode of Unlimited Opinions! We break down Chapter 1 of Austin Freeman's Tolkien Dogmatics, discussing whether or not we can really know God, what God is, how Tolkien represents the Trinity in his works, and the names we give to God. We go deep into the forest of Tolkien lore in this episode, looking at Tolkien's discussion with C.S. Lewis on Addison's Walk, The Debate of Finrod and Andreth, Leaf by Niggle, and much more! We also talk about whether or not Joe Biden listens to our podcast!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Prolomenagana? Promenalega? Progomanalagomena? However you pronounce that fancy word, it means an introduction to a theological work! In this episode, we begin looking at Dr. Austin Freeman's new book: Tolkien Dogmatics: Theology through Mythology with the Maker of Middle-earth! We'll be reading this book all throughout Season 5 as we look at J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and much more, and how his religious ideas are reflected through his many writings. We discuss whether or not Tolkien's writings are truly Christian works, the various issues in finding the theological beliefs beneath the writings, the many mistakes others have made in interpreting Tolkien, and more! Be sure to catch every episode as they air every Monday night at 9pm CST so that you can hear us nerd out about Tolkien and go on many, many rants! Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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In this finale to Season 4, we look at what is currently talked about in political thinking. At least, current for 2012, when Alan Ryan's On Politics was published. We discuss why secularization has not taken hold to its projected extent, the threat of nuclear war, and of course, climate change! Join us in a rant-filled finale that covers much of what we have discussed throughout the last 28 weeks and more. We rant about the importance of art and architecture, the necessity for a national mission, and why religion is still so vital today.  To get updates on what we'll be talking about in Season 5, follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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"Don't you know how to make widgets!?!?" This question and many more are answered in this episode of Unlimited Opinions as we look at modern theories of democracy! We discuss the differences between ancient and modern democracy, the Social Democracy of John Dewey, the Realistic Democracy of Joseph Schumpeter, the ridiculous ideas of the Students for a Democratic Society, and much more! We also might have broken the record for most tangential rants in one episode, as we rant about Student Government; the necessity of impeachment; diversity, equity, and inclusion training, and so, so, so much more!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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What is the intellectual basis for totalitarian regimes, and why do so many bad ideas come from France? In this episode, we break down some of the most horrible regimes in history: Soviet Russia, Fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany. We look at how these powers came to be, why they were so awful, and whether or not we should fear similar totalitarianism in the modern day. Are the days of total control behind us, or are the agents of total control just more hidden today?  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Utopias! Our favorite things to discuss on this podcast! In this episode, we look at various utopian socialist systems, including Robert Owen's millhouse, Charles Fourier's temperament-based society, Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward, and more! What is common between all of these utopias? Well, they're all complete failures! We also talk about whether the modern welfare state is socialist, the issues with socialism overall, and many other rant-based topics!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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In a time where all colonization is deemed 100% evil and racist, Alan Ryan gives a very nuanced account of imperialism, and that is where our discussion takes us in this episode! We look at the ancient Roman concept of empire, the various justifications that were given for European imperialism in the 16th and 17th centuries, and more modern anti-imperialist thinkers. We cover such people and topics as Francisco de Vitoria, the Valladolid Debate, Emerich Vattel, Lenin, Frantz Fanon, Sayyad Qutb, and more!  You can follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Our elected officials should meet in a swamp in the pouring rain while knee-deep in muck to prevent corruption! Maybe that idea needs some work, but among other rants, we discuss theories of mass society in the twentieth century. At what point does politics just become the masses ruled by the elites? Has this process already occurred, and if so, how did it happen? Is there any hope in bringing back the educated, independent civic-minded individual, or are we all just ruled by a secret elite anyway? All this and more as we discuss Tocqueville's quiet despotism made real, Marxists' reaction to the lack of revolution, and other theories on how the people may lose power.  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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The incredible urge to have everybody share everything with you, just as Friedrich Engels shared his wealth to keep Marx and his family alive while he refused to work and instead wrote books on the evils of capitalism! In this episode, we look at our absolute favorite thinker, Karl Marx! Surprisingly, we end up defending him quite a bit, particularly by looking at the evils of unregulated capitalism in Marx's time. We explore Marx's philosophy of alienation, exploitation, class struggle, revolution, and the ultimate goal of communism. However, at the end of all of Marx's writings, true socialism and communism still remain an unattainable utopia and nothing more.  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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