A couple of philosophy professors, Megan Fritts and Frank Cabrera, try to prove that you can do philosophy about almost anything. Join them as they explore the philosophical dimensions of topics on the outskirts of the academy. From Bigfoot to birthday parties, they take a Socratic approach to phenomena strange and mundane, asking listeners the question: What if we did philosophy on the fringes?
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In this episode, Megan and Frank tackle the growing trend of "hacking" one's biology to increase longevity and possibly attain immortality. Are biohackers right to fear death, though? Would immortality be desirable? And is the human condition worth preserving? Thinkers discussed include: Epicurus, Bernard Williams, Schopenhauer, John Martin Fischer, Martha Nussbaum, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
In this episode, Megan and Frank continue their discussion of myths and mythology. Join them as they further explore different approaches to interpreting and understanding myth. How have creation myths differed across cultures? Should myth be regarded as an allegory? Is the point of myth to justify society’s norms? Is myth a tool for exploring the subconscious aspects of our minds? And do we have any use for myth in the modern world? Thinkers discussed include Joseph Cambell, Carl Jung, Karl Popper, and Mary Midgley.
The kids are alright… or are they? On today’s episode, Megan and Frank cover the following topics: is childhood a morally horrible stage of life? What does the “good life” look like for a kid? Should children get the right to vote for elected officials? Can young children understand philosophical questions and reasoning? And if so, should we be bringing philosophy to the youth?
Why did early modern philosophers posit legions of blissful aliens to help solve the problem of evil? Is life essentially terrestrial? Does SETI count as a scientific enterprise? If Martians could talk, would we ever be able to understand them? Join Megan and Frank as they philosophize about our friends from the final frontier!
From Tinder to FarmersOnly, dating apps not only help us meet the love of our life, they also raise new philosophical questions! Does an endless stream of potential partners arrest our romantic agency? Is it morally wrong to care about looks? Why do these apps function like games--and has this gameplay forced our digital love lives into a functional flop? Join Frank and Megan as they discuss all these questions, as well as their own experiences, or lack thereof, in the world of online dating.
Is there a goddess of Victory? A deity governing the sea? What about a god of the door hinge? In this episode, Megan and Frank discuss polytheism—the belief in many gods—from both historical and philosophical perspectives. They try to show that examining polytheism can help us think more clearly about the concept of “god”.
What philosophical lessons can we draw from the action movie Road House? In this episode, Megan and Frank do philosophy alongside Patrick Swayze's legendary character Dalton, examining the nature of pain, the limits of pacifism, and whether one can find the meaning of life while being a bouncer.
Footnotes: 1) Road House is NOT a family friendly movie. 2) Prior viewing of Road House is not required for listening. Clips of some of the scenes we discuss can be found here:
Is Bigfoot carelessly categorized amongst the less credible cryptids? Megan and Frank discuss the possibility of the existence of this hairy hominid, debate the weight of evidence from eye-witness testimony, and try to get to the bottom of why Frank just can't believe.
What is a resolution? Are popular New Year's resolutions too self-centered? What can the ancients teach us about maintaining our resolutions and avoiding temptation? And is the very practice of making New Year's resolutions irrational? These are just some of the questions we explore in this episode.
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/neon-signs
Myths, Pt. 1
Episode 15
Monday, April 1, 2024 • Duration 50:36
In this episode, Frank and Megan discuss myths and mythology. What role has myth played in philosophy? What's the relationship between myths, history, and truth? And did the ancients really believe their myths? Join us as we engage with thinkers such as Thales of Miletus, Plato, Aristotle, Herodotus, Augustine, Paul Veyne, and R.G. Collingwood. This is the first part of a two-part episode.
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