The Here and Now Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

You are an experience machine, everything that has ever happened to you and everything that will ever happen to you is experience. Reflecting on your experience offers a unique insight into the nature of reality and forms the basis for the philosophical methodology of phenomenology. In this episode we explore phenomenology from its inception by Edmund Husserl in the early 20th century, to Martin Heidegger's exploration of being-in-the-world, the embodiment of phenomenology as described by Maurice Merleau-Ponty and its influence on the applied phenomenology of Iris Marion Young's work on femininity.

Show notes
Phenomenology - Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy
Edmund Husserl
Martin Heidegger - Being and Time
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis - Jonathan Smith
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Iris Marion Young - Throwing like a girl

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In this brief reflection, I consider the idea of psychological sanctuary, it's importance and its dangers. 

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Libertarianism is a political philosophy based on John Locke's philosophy of natural law, that each is entitled to freedom for oneself and ones property and society should require minimal intervention by government. It is closely associated with individualism but its origins can be traced to ancient China. We explore contemporary principles of libertarianism and offer a brief critical reflection on what is seems to be missing.

Show notes

Libertarianism: A Primer – David Boaz
Libertarianism - Wikipedia
Libertarianism.org
Key concepts of libertarianism

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In this reflective episode I discuss something that bugs me - the always or never fallacy. We often exaggerated and use hyperbole to emphasis our stories, but society is often a reflection of our complacency at recognising the things that make us unique and the grey areas of life most of us inhabit. We consider Kenneth Feinberg's unenviable role in the aftermath of 9/11 and how recognising the nuance that makes us unique is in conflict with the need to generalise.

Show notes

What if life worth? The unprecedented effort to compensate the victims of 9/11 - Kenneth Feinberg

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David Latchman is a science communicator and host of the Science Bloggers Podcast. He trained as a physicist before becoming a full time science journalist and freelance science writer. He is passionate about sharing ideas from science with a general audience and making the STEM fields a more diverse and inclusive space for minorities and people of colour. We talk a little about his background and work as a science communicator, some of the issues surrounding a lack of diversity in science and how these can be addressed. 

Show Notes

The Science Bloggers Podcast
David Latchman on Twitter

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It might feel like you are a distinct and continuous identity, but the theory of the dialogical self asserts that you inhabit many different I-positions that represent different aspects of You. In this episode, we briefly explore the origins of dialogical self theory and how the person you are is manifest both internally and externally through many voices engaged in continual dialogue.

Remember, you can get in touch on Facebook or at emailthehereandnow@gmail.com

Show notes

The dialogical self - Wikipedia
William James - Stanford  Encyclopaedia of Philosophy
Hubert Hermans

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Utilitarianism is a principle of ethical philosophy which considers that the most morally correct action is one that produces the most good. This idea was first tackled seriously by 18th century philosopher Jeremy Bentham, however it is not without complications. In this episode we explore utilitarianism and consider how it can be applied to making both everyday decisions and ones of crucial social importance ones as well.

Show Notes

Utilitarianism
The felicific calculus
Jeremy Bentham at UCL

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The concept of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been growing in popularity so I decided to explore it for a recent research project. I began as a sceptic but after considering a variety of social justice arguments I now believe a UBI should be an policy goal for societies who wish to reduce inequality and achiever greater social justice.  But UBI is not just about helping those worst off, it can benefit everyone in a range of ways which we explore in this episode.

Show Notes

Basic Income Network
Basic income – A guide for the open minded – Guy Standing
Results of Finland’s basic income experiment
Spain UBI project
Everywhere basic income has been tried in one map
Public equity and tax benefit reform – Keith Rankin
UBI: A policy for social justice – D Monds

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Societal and community psychologist Professor Darrin Hodgetts joins me to discuss his work with marginalised communities most affected by social injustice and structural violence.  Prof Hodgetts is a highly respected figure in New Zealand community psychology circles having advanced ethnographic and action oriented research to engage directly with those most affected by urban poverty, homelessness, and other social issues. We discuss structural violence, equality of opportunity and outcome, why resolving inequalities benefits all members of society, and how applied psychologists tackle social justice issues and help to shape policy that improves well-being across society.

Show notes

Professor Darrin Hodgetts - Massey University profile
Professor Hodgetts - Nga Pae Ote Bio (NZ Maori centre of research excellence)

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In this episode we consider the limits of wealth distribution in society, inherent inequalities to life and the role of luck. We also explore the economic ideas of the commons and public goods and the role these play in free market and state capitalist societies. We also take a look at the social protection floor and why it is often conceptualised by society as something to be ashamed of. This leads us to consider the tight coupling of labour and income and the subsequent vulnerability of those without a job or in casual work, a class known as the precariat. All of this leads us to question social justice in wealth distribution and ask the question; could be another way to smooth the edges of income precarity?

Show notes

Inequality in nature and society – Scheffer et al. 2017
Iron & steel industry in Middlesbrough’s history
Teesside Steel Works - Wikipedia
Plunder of the commons – Guy Standing
We’re all state capitalists now – Niall Ferguson, Foreign Policy
The Precariat: A dangerous new class – Guy Standing

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