Category: Season 15

“How to Give Sex Advice” with guest Dan Savage

For over 30 years the columnist and podcaster Dan Savage, has been giving frank and explicit sex advice to people who send in questions. Is there a philosophy behind his counsel? How does he or any of us deal with the radical changes in sexual behavior that have been triggered by technology and increased permissiveness? On this episode, we explore consent, polyamory, kink, fluid sexuality, and even answer a few listeners’ sex questions….Continue reading “How to Give Sex Advice” with guest Dan Savage

“The Myths of Whiteness” with guest David Mura

What does it mean to be white? According to David Mura, it means having a unique way of seeing and being in the world, one that’s exclusionary and prevents people from sharing others’ perspectives. It means inheriting a specific way of telling stories and inheriting the power to define truth itself. On this episode we explore these claims and consider the history that has created our racial divide….Continue reading “The Myths of Whiteness” with guest David Mura

“The Case for Nonhuman Rights” with guest Jeff Sebo

Most of the world is nonhuman and everything we do affects them, and there are thousands of times more of them than there are of us. If we have rights and we’re in the minority, shouldn’t animals as well? On the next episode of Why?, we’ll dive into the world of animal ethics, exploring the legal, political, and moral implications of acknowledging that animals suffer….Continue reading “The Case for Nonhuman Rights” with guest Jeff Sebo

“Consolation, Solace, and Leadership” with Guest Michael Ignatieff

Human life is fleeting. We lose loved ones, our youth, and, well, everything else. What most people need more of is consolation: solace in the face of loss. On this episode, we explore the intellectual history of consolation, looking at how philosophers, artists, and even some politicians address the need for private and public comfort. From Cicero, to Abraham Lincoln, to Camus, we ask how the idea has evolved over time to be culture specific and, idiosyncratic….Continue reading “Consolation, Solace, and Leadership” with Guest Michael Ignatieff

“Philosophy of Depression” with guest Andrew Solomon

What is going on with depression? How much of it is mind and how much is body? How should people manage the unjustified guilt that often comes with it? There is a worldwide epidemic of depression but surprisingly few philosophical investigations on its nature and meaning. On this episode, we change that. We ask the deep and nuanced questions, moving past the stigma and disrespect that burdens victims who seek help. We also explore the value of caregivers and explain why a “crazy” friend is sometimes the best friend to have. Joined by a guest who has written an astonishing memoir, analysis, and history of the illness, we push past the philosophical tradition that dismisses illness as a lack of virtue or a deviation from perfection….Continue reading “Philosophy of Depression” with guest Andrew Solomon

“What’s it Like Being a Philosophy Student?” with guests Samuel Amendolar, Terese Azure, Madilyn Lee, Sara Rasch

Philosophy is a discipline, but it’s also a major. Most people who do it are on college campuses. We’ve spent the last fifteen years talking to the professors, now it’s time for the students. What’s it like studying philosophy in a culture obsessed with job readiness? Are professors’ expectations difficult to meet? How much of what you learn feels academic and how much is intimate, requiring self-examination and behavioral change?

In this special episode of Why? Radio, host Jack Russell Weinstein interviews four of his current students to learn what studying philosophy is like in their own words. They discuss their struggles with learning during Covid, the difficulties of attending university as am indigenous student, and, in some very moving discussion, the experience of being in Jack’s class….Continue reading “What’s it Like Being a Philosophy Student?” with guests Samuel Amendolar, Terese Azure, Madilyn Lee, Sara Rasch

“Data, Technology, and the Power of Privacy” with guest Carissa Véliz

We all know that our internet privacy is being eroded, but how far down the rabbit hole have we really gone? Is it even possible to be anonymous anymore? Join philosophers Jack Russell Weinstein and Carissa Véliz as they discuss the reality and ethics of data gathering , and the ways we lose our control and privacy to the tech companies that sell our data for profit. …Continue reading “Data, Technology, and the Power of Privacy” with guest Carissa Véliz

“Why Everyone Should Join A Union” with guest Mark Reiff

The US Congress just forced a labor agreement on rail workers, despite the fact that more than half of the rail union members didn’t want it. If they can do this, why join a union in the first place? Amazon and Starbucks workers are attempting to form Unions as well, but those companies are strongly opposed to unions as well. What are unions for, why should people join them, and given that history of the labor movement’s greatest victories–things like mandatory weekends and safety regulations–why don’t all of us we all bend over backwards to strengthen collective bargaining? In this discussion, Why? host Jack Russell Weinstein asks his guest whether unions “corrupt” capitalism or they are necessary components of a just society….Continue reading “Why Everyone Should Join A Union” with guest Mark Reiff

“What Makes a Movie Good?” with guest Jinhee Choi

Watching movies is one of the great pleasures of life, but we all tend to pay attention to the latest Marvel blockbuster without recognizing that there is a world of cinema out there that sees itself as art, not just entertainment. Is an Avengers movie good in the same way that The Godfather or a low-budget indie film are, and are there objective standards of quality that are separate from popularity and ticket sales? Should movies from one country be thought of as distinct from movies in other countries? When does a movie begin and end, with the action or with the credits? What does it mean to look at a film philosophically, in the first place? This episode discusses these questions and more with an eye towards global cinema….Continue reading “What Makes a Movie Good?” with guest Jinhee Choi

“Philosophical Concerns About Today’s Supreme Court” with guest Andrew Seidel

As the New Supreme Court term gets underway, everyone is wondering just how far to the right they will shift. Join philosopher Jack Russell Weinstein and his guest Andrew Seidel for a discussion about the role of religion and politics, and the ways in which Christian Nationalism is using the court to impose their ideology on a diverse American public. Why? Radio is a public radio show in it’s fifteenth year. Visit http://www.whyradioshow.org for a complete archive of past episodes. …Continue reading “Philosophical Concerns About Today’s Supreme Court” with guest Andrew Seidel