Tag: featured

“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 Does it Mean to be African?” with guest Firoze Manji

African has always been regarded two-dimensionally by Europe and the U.S. It’s been called “the dark continent” and described as primitive, consisting only of small villages without technology. It’s people are said to be unable to care from themselves, portrayed only as the recipients of charity. It’s countries are always called “developing.” It’s time to get past all of this. On this episode of Why? we explore Africa’s philosophy of liberation and ask whether there is a pan-African perspective. We move past the geography lessons and try to figure out how Africa and Africans can create their own unique identities while, at the same time, resisting the legacy of colonialism….Continue reading “What Does it Mean to be African?” with guest Firoze Manji

“How to Think Like a Hindu,” with guest Swami Sarvapriyananda

When people talk about Hinduism, they usually do so in very spiritual and vague language. They mention meditation and enlightenment, oneness and karma. But what does these mean and what’s it like to see the world through a Hindu lens? In this episode, philosopher Jack Russell Weinstein interviews Swami Sarvapriyananda. Together they make the religion and its ideas accessible, interesting, and relevant to everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs….Continue reading “How to Think Like a Hindu,” with guest Swami Sarvapriyananda

“On the Separation of Church and State” with guest Andrew Seidel

The first amendment guarantees that one religion is not privileged over another, so why does it feel like personal beliefs dominate the public sphere? Private conviction is supposed to guide our moral lives, so why is the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade? On this episode of Why? Radio we ask about these issues and more. We explore the nature and limits of the US constitution and examine the democratic justification for toleration. Ultimately, we come face to face with one of the great questions of the moment: is the first amendment obsolete?…Continue reading “On the Separation of Church and State” with guest Andrew Seidel

“How do Philosophers Talk About Sex, Love, and Desire?” with guest Sarah LaChance Adams

Discussing sex can be quite difficult, even embarrassing, but philosophers have been doing it for thousands of years. We love questioning how culture and biology combine to establish what’s normal, and examining the various justifications for transgression. Now, with mainstream acknowledgment of pornography, marginalized sexual identities and orientations, and newfound openness to kinky play, it’s…Continue reading “How do Philosophers Talk About Sex, Love, and Desire?” with guest Sarah LaChance Adams