The idea that the sciences can’t be unified–that there will never be a single ‘theory of everything’–is the current orthodoxy in philosophy of science and in many sciences as well. But different versions of pluralism present very different views of what exactly they are pluralistic about, why sciences cannot be unified, and what the failure of unification en ... Show More
Nov 10
Amie Thomasson, "Rethinking Metaphysics" (Oxford UP, 2025)
The word “metaphysics” conjures up thoughts of very hard questions about reality and deep, perhaps unresolvable, metaphysical mysteries. But is that the right way to think about the subject matter of metaphysics? According to Amie Thomasson, very clearly no. In her new book, Reth ... Show More
1h 3m
Oct 20
Ladelle McWhorter, "Unbecoming Persons: The Rise and Demise of the Modern Moral Self" (U Chicago Press, 2025)
How should one live? What should one do? And what do these questions have to do with being a good person? In Unbecoming Persons: The Rise and Demine of the Modern Moral Self (University of Chicago Press, 2025), Ladelle McWhorter reorients these questions through a genealogy of th ... Show More
1h 10m
Oct 10
S. Orestis Palermos, "Cyborg Rights: Extending Cognition, Ethics, and the Law" (Routledge, 2025)
Until recently, no one could access the detailed contents of your mind directly the way only you can. This level of protection of our mental data was guaranteed by the way we are built biologically – and it can no longer be taken for granted. In Cyborg Rights: Extending Cognition ... Show More
1 h
Aug 24
Nick Spencer, "The Landscapes of Science and Religion: What Are We Disagreeing About?" (Oxford UP, 2025)
The relationship between science and religion has long been a heated debate and is becoming an ever more popular topic. The scientific capacity to manipulate and change humans and their environment through genetic engineering, life extension, and AI is going to take a huge leap f ... Show More
38m 48s
Sep 2
A landscape of consciousness | Robert Lawrence Kuhn and Hilary Lawson
Will we ever reach a conclusive, agreed-upon theory of consciousness?Over the millennia of recorded history, countless stories, theories, and arguments have emerged to explain the origins of consciousness. And yet, here we are in 2025 - post-Plato, post-Descartes, post-scientific ... Show More
41m 19s
Jun 2025
Dialectics of Nature: Engels on Dialectical Materialism as a Worldview
<p>In this episode, Alyson and Breht explore Friedrich Engels' <em>Dialectics of Nature</em>, a bold and underappreciated attempt to apply dialectical materialism to the natural sciences. Often dismissed or misunderstood, this unfinished work offers a sweeping view of reality - f ... Show More
2h 35m
Oct 2021
Hegel: The Case For Contradiction with Todd McGowan
<p>In this episode, Craig, Will, Matt, and Adam are joined by University of Vermont Professor Todd McGowan to discuss Hegel's concept of contradiction as he lays it out in his book, Emancipation After Hegel: Achieving a Contradictory Revolution. Throughout the latter part of ... Show More
1 h
Aug 2024
Metaphysics and science: do we need both? PART 1 | Eric Weinstein, Becky Parker, Hilary Lawson
The matrix, myths, and metaphysics Part 1 Is metaphysics still relevant? Or has the pre-eminence of science over the last centuries made such questioning obsolete? Join provocative mathematician and investor Eric Weinstein, award-winning physicist Becky Parker and post-post-reali ... Show More
20m 31s