logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2012
1h 1m

Episode 3: "We believe in nothing!" (Cul...

Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro
About this episode

Tamler and Dave discuss recent work in philosophy and psychology about the differences in moral values and practices across cultures. We talk about the implications of moral diversity: does  it mean that we cannot criticize that practices of other cultures? How should we regard moral disagreement? Are there objective “truths” in ethics? Somehow we need to play clips from The Big Lebowski and Pulp Fiction in order to resolve these questions.

Links

"No Donnie, these men are nihilists, nothing to be afraid of."

Interview with Jon Haidt.

"Pigs are filthy animals"

Support Very Bad Wizards

Up next
Sep 30
Episode 317: For Shame
What is the psychology of shame? Is the experience of shame a human universal? How can we investigate the nature of shame across cultures? David and Tamler dive into Richard Shweder’s “Towards a Deep Cultural Psychology of Shame.” We talk about the methodological challenges of st ... Show More
1h 23m
Sep 16
Episode 316: A Four-Letter Man (Hemingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber")
David and Tamler go big game hunting and explore their first Hemingway short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” We dig into his characteristic themes of courage, cowardice, shifting power dynamics in marriages, and what it truly means to live a happy life. Plus, ne ... Show More
1h 33m
Sep 2
Episode 315: Ceaseless Striving (Schopenhauer’s Pessimism)
David and Tamler tackle the topic chosen by our beloved Patreon supporters in the first VBW madness tournament – Schopenhauer. We discuss his essays “On the Sufferings of the World” and “The Vanity of Existence,” their strikingly modern perspectives on human life and behavior and ... Show More
1h 30m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2018
Sam Harris on using reason to build our morality
Many philosophers draw a hard line between the worlds of facts and values, but not Sam Harris. In this thought-provoking conversation with Chris, he makes the case that reason can indeed answer moral questions, and then explores the many controversies that emerge from that claim. ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2020
Morality Before Metaphysics | Simon Blackburn, Raymond Tallis, Joanna Kavenna
Should we prioritize morality over scientific research? Our experts discuss.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesAre our descriptions of the world independent from our morality? And should philosophy aim to interpret the world or to c ... Show More
48m 59s
Feb 2022
The dangers of morality | Rebecca Roache, Matthew Taylor and Hilary Lawson
Can morality lead society down dangerous roads? Listen to how our speakers deconstruct our idea of right and wrong.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesMany would argue that for at least a century we have been moving away from the mor ... Show More
37m 3s
Mar 2023
Is our search for an objective morality misguided? | Slavoj Žižek, Joanna Kavenna, Simon Blackburn
Should we think of morality in terms of objective truth or social consensus?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesOnce the fashion of a postmodern age, moral relativism has always had its detractors, many of them religious. But now a n ... Show More
48m 54s
May 2015
Episode #058 ... Kant pt. 3 - Deontology vs Consequentialism
On this episode of the podcast, we continue our discussion of Kant, this time focusing on ethics. We begin with a thought experiment that calls into question whether or not lying is morally justifiable if it results in preserving human life. Next, we discuss the nature of moralit ... Show More
26m 59s
Apr 2023
#107 — Is Life Actually Worth Living?
Sam Harris speaks with David Benatar about his philosophy of “anti-natalism.” They discuss the asymmetry between the good and bad things in life, the ethics of existential risk, the moral landscape, the limits and paradoxes of introspection, the “experience machine” thought exper ... Show More
49m 15s
May 2023
#48 — What Is Moral Progress?
Sam Harris speaks with Peter Singer about the concept of universal moral truths, the ethics of violence, free speech, euthanasia, animal welfare, and other topics. Peter Singer is the Professor of Bioethics at the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University.  He is ... Show More
38m 53s
Aug 2021
Necessary lies | Michael Shermer, Hilary Lawson & Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen
Can we hold multiple truths at once? Listen to find out!Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesMany still remain convinced that their own views and opinions are not just culturally relative but are true and accurate accounts of the way ... Show More
47m 5s