Driven To Meaning

Episode 32: Hooked on Dogmatism

Are we 'hardwired' to believe in God? Episode Link

Episode 31: A Climate of Fear

Saving the world, one accusation at a time. Episode Link

Episode 30: The Condemnation Game

Points initially spread across the spectrum. Dials turned, frequencies adjusted. Out of the noise something began to take form. Episode link

Episode 29: The Evil That People Do

Are we honest enough about what each and every one of us is capable of doing to others under certain environmental pressures? Episode Link

Episode 28: Naughty or Nice?

Were you naughty or nice in 2018? Episode Link

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Episode 27 - The Empirical Self and the Transcendental Self: Kant and Critique of Pure Reason

In this episode, we wrap up our extended focus on Kant's Critique of Pure Reason by coming full circle and looking at his view on personal identity, the topic of Episode 1 of this podcast. Recall, in that episode, we were introduced to David Hume's thoughts on the topic. Episode Link

Episode 26 - More on the Threefold Synthesis: Kant and Critique of Pure Reason

An intuitive breakdown of the threefold synthesis of the first edition of Critique of Pure Reason. Episode Link

Episode 25 - The Threefold Synthesis: Kant and Critique of Pure Reason

We begin Kant's famous Transcendental Deduction this episode, focusing first on what he called 'the threefold synthesis' of cognition. Episode Link Readings from Critique of Pure Reason [first edition], by Immanuel Kant: A96-98  A 99-100: 1. ON THE SYNTHESIS OF APPREHENSION IN INTUITION A101-102: 2. ON THE SYNTHESIS OF REPRODUCTION IN IMAGINATION A103-106: 3. ON THE SYNTHESIS OF RECOGNITION IN THE CONCEPT   

Episode 24: The Elephant in the Room: Kant and Critique of Pure Reason

Is transcendental idealism philosophically inconsistent? Does Kant not fully get the love he should from the philosophy community because he seems to have violated one of his own doctrines? Episode Link

Episode 23 - The Origin of Cognition: Kant and Critique of Pure Reason

In this episode, hopefully we nail down what it is that Kant means when he uses the term 'transcendental.' Also, the cognitive mechanism Kant calls 'synthesis' is introduced. Readings from Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant: (A56/B80) - General logic vs. transcendental logic (A57/B82) - Brief but clear description of what transcendental logic is (A58-59/B82-83) - A little about what truth is (A77-79/B102-105) - Synthesis is introduced Reading from A Treatise of Human Nature by Dav...

Episode 22 - The Elements of Cognition: Kant and Critique of Pure Reason

What makes cognition possible according to Kant? We dive slightly deeper into Transcendental Logic. Episode link

Episode 21: Transcendental Logic Introduction

We briefly touch upon the opening section of Transcendental Logic in Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. Episode Link

Episode 20: More on Transcendental Idealism

Continuing Kant's Critique of Pure Reason... What does the mind bring to experience? A little more on transcendental idealism as touched on in Transcendental Aesthetic. Episode link

Episode 19: Transcendental Idealism

A little on how Hume's controversial claim about the nature of cause-and-effect associations led Kant to rethink his approach to metaphysics. Episode link

Episode 18 - The Attack on Metaphysics: Hume on Cause and Effect

What was it that Hume said that awoke Kant from his so-called dogmatic slumber? In this episode we look at how susceptible we are to the inferences our minds make. Link to this episode.

Episode 17 - Pieces of Infinity Pt 2: Kant on Space

In this episode we contrast Hume's idea of space as a concept derived from experience and Kant's idea of space as an a priori presentation. Link to this Episode

Episode 16 - Pieces of Infinity: Hume on Space

A brief tangent from our survey of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, here we take a look at one of David Hume's unpopular discussions from A Treatise of Human Nature, namely his ideas on Space and infinite divisibility. Link to this episode

Episode 15: More on the Analytic/Synthetic Distinction - Leibniz, Hume, and Kant

We slow things down a little bit and spend a little more time on the analytic/synthetic distinction. A few thoughts from Leibniz and Hume, as well as Kant. Link to this episode

Episode 14 - From Perceptions to Knowledge Pt 2: Pure Intuition Pt 2

Continuing Transcendental Aesthetic in Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. In this episode we cover the pure intuition of time. Link to this episode

Episode 13 - Podcast Title Update

A brief message about a change to the podcast.

Episode 12 - From Perceptions to Knowledge Pt 2: Pure Intuition Pt 1

Continuing Transcendental Aesthetic in Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. We transition from empirical intuition to pure intuition. First up - Space Link to Episode 12

Episode 11 - From Perceptions to Knowledge Pt 1 - Sensibility and Intuition: Pt 2

Kantian terminology explored in more detail, particularly the terms intuition and sensibility. Episode 11 Link

Episode 10 - From Perceptions to Knowledge Pt 1 - Sensibility and Intuition: Pt 1

A brief introduction to Transcendental Aesthetic from Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. Some basic vocabulary from the Critique is introduced to get started on Kant's theory of perception. Link to Episode 10

Episode 9 - Driven to Meaning - Part 2: From Rules to Meaning

What are the basic rules we follow? We guess that they lie deep in the human psyche. How can we get at them? Episode 9 Link

Episode 8 - Driven to Meaning - Part 1: The Doorway Effect

How much of our experience with the world is predetermined by the contents of our mind? Episode 8 Link

Episode 7 - Nietzsche and Morality Wrap-Up: A Final Thought or Two

A few last words concerning Nietzsche's writing style and how it affects our image of him. Episode 7 Link

Episode 6 - Nietzsche and Morality - Pt 4: We Weak Ones

This episode concludes a four-part series focusing on Nietzsche's On the Genealogy of Morals. Final commentary is presented as a recording of a talk given by Nietzsche scholar Bernard Reginster at Amherst College in 2017. Episode 6 Link

Episode 5 - Nietzsche and Morality - Pt 3: Ressentiment

In this episode, sections 9 - 12 of the first essay of On the Genealogy of Morals are covered. Nietzsche's concept of Ressentiment is introduced, and he laments the diminution of the spirit of man. Link to Episode 5

Episode 4 - Nietzsche and Morality - Part 2: The Slave Revolt

Here we cover sections 5 - 8 of the first essay of On The Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich Nietzsche. These sections cover Nietzsche's explanation of the transition from a culture of hero worship in ancient Greece and Early Rome to one in which people worship a god who demands self denial, one he (Nietzsche) calls a slave morality. Link to Episode 4

Episode 3 - Nietzsche and Morality - Part 1: The Origin of Morality

This episode begins a short series of episodes dedicated to the first essay in Friedrich Nietzsche's "On the Genealogy of Morals." The first 4 sections are read and very briefly commented on. The overall theme of these sections is the origin of our concepts of "good" and "bad." Link to Episode 3

Episode 2 - Nietzsche - Part 1: Eternal Return

The first in a series of episodes covering some of the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche. This episode introduces Amor Fati and Eternal Return. Episode 2 - Nietzsche - Part 1: Eternal Return

Episode 1 - Personal Identity

An introduction to the philosophical topic of personal identity, with a focus on David Hume's ideas on the matter.

Podcast Introduction Episode

Welcome to the podcast...