Egg Timer Philosophy
220 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsA podcast where philosophical ideas are scrambled up in about five to ten minutes. From ancient philosophy to contemporary approaches and everything in between, if you are looking for accessible, interesting, and relevant philosophy served up fast then you are in the right spot. New episode dished out weekly. Check out the egg timer philosophy website at: www.eggtimerphilosophy.com
Send any comments about past episodes or suggestions for new episodes to: [email protected]
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Episodes
147: Thomas Malthus on Population
December 04, 2023 10:55 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBToday's episode of the egg timer takes a look at Thomas Malthus's ideas about population and the significant influence that they had on 19th century thought. If you have comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes send them over to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By John Linnell - https://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/obf_images/fa/25/d2c7707f809bd259eb86d61d1cc5.jpgGallery: https://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/image/L0069037.htmlWellcome Collection gallery (2018-04-0...
146: Hardin on The Tragedy of The Commons
November 09, 2023 23:21 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBin 1968 Garrett Hardin published 'The Tragedy of the Commons' and since that time his ideas have proved highly influential to a wide range of thinkers including philosophers, political scientists, economists, ecologists, and biologists. Tune to learn what the tragedy of the commons is and what solutions have been offered to try to address the problem. A link to Hardin's article can be found here: https://math.uchicago.edu/~shmuel/Modeling/Hardin,%20Tragedy%20of%20the%20Commons.pdf Send you...
145: The Commons
October 19, 2023 20:22 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBThis episode of the egg timer takes a critical look at what the commons are and why they matter to the history of ideas. Send you comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Image Attribution: By Lennart Sikkema - Imported from 500px (archived version) by the Archive Team. (detail page), CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73619388
144: Confirmation Bias
September 29, 2023 00:28 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBTune into today's episode to learn more about confirmation bias. What is it? Why do we have it? What can be done about it? Send you comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected]
143: Bioethics and Organ Donation
September 04, 2023 23:10 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBTune in for a discussion of ethical issues related with organ donation and specifically what a system of organ donation ought to be like. Send your questions, comments, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Tiiu Sild - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16817412
142: Philosophy and 1984: Part 4
August 12, 2023 17:32 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBThis fourth and final installment of the Summer Series takes a look at the philosophical themes from the last quarter of 1984. Winston is being interrogated by O'Brien and what ensues in their encounter is a vivid description of totalitarianism at its worse and lots of ground for philosophical consideration. A free copy of 1984 can be found here: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100021.txt Send over your questions, comments, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] ...
141: Philosophy and 1984: Part 3
July 28, 2023 21:52 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBThis third installment of the Summer Series returns to 1984 where Winston and Julia are becoming increasingly entangled in a dangerous conspiracy against The Party. A free copy of 1984 can be found here: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100021.txt Send over your questions, comments, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Photographed by Victor Grigas - From EN WP: 1, Public Domain, ttps://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1251371
140: Philosophy and 1984: Part 2
July 12, 2023 18:16 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBThis installment of the Summer Series takes a look at some of the more important philosophical and social themes from the second quarter of 1984. Winston visits the proles section of the city and beings a secret and rebellious romantic relationship with Julia. He also receives an invitation from an Inner Party member named O'Brien which he hopes will set the stage for revolution against The Party. A free copy of 1984 can be found here: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100021.txt Send over...
139: Philosophy and 1984: Part 1
June 29, 2023 00:56 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBThis first installment of the Summer Series takes a look at philosophical themes from the first quarter of Orwell's classic, 1984. Tune in to hear ideas about totalitarian dystopia, power and control, and doublethink. A free copy of 1984 can be found here: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100021.txt Send over your questions, comments, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Photographed by Victor Grigas - From EN WP: 1, Public Domain, https:...
138: Philosophy and 1984 Summer Series Announcement
June 13, 2023 18:57 - 2 minutes - 2.75 MBThe 2023 Summer series will highlight themes from George Orwell's classic dystopian creation, 1984. The initial episode covering the first quarter of the book will be released June 28th, the second episode on July 12th, the third on July 26th, and the last on August 9th. A free copy of 1984 can be found here: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100021.txt Send over your questions, comments, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Photographed by ...
137: Leibniz on Monads
May 17, 2023 22:45 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBWhat is the fundamental element of reality? In 1714 Leibniz published the Monadology and gave a very interesting answer to this question. There he argued that a non-physical part less basic substance called a Monad was indeed the fundamental element of reality. Tune in to learn more about Monads and see if you think Leibnitz was on to unlocking one of the oldest metaphysical quandaries. You can find a free copy of the Monadology here: https://www.plato-philosophy.org/wp-content/uploads/2...
136: Duties Owed to Future Generations?
April 26, 2023 21:13 - 10 minutes - 9.73 MBCan we owe duties to people who do not yet exist? Tune in as this vexing philosophical and ethical question gets scrambled up.
135: Ethics And The Law
April 11, 2023 22:28 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBThis episode of the egg timer offers some introductory questions and themes about the relationship between ethics and the law. Send you questions, comments, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Themis-jp - 撮影者自身, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6428997
134: Camus's 'The Stranger': Part 2
March 29, 2023 20:03 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBThis episode of the egg timer scrambles up existential themes from the second half of Albert Camus's 'The Stranger'. You can find the full text of 'The Stranger' here: https://archive.org/stream/CamusAlbertTheStranger/CamusAlbert-TheStranger_djvu.txt Send your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Lantz, Gunnar - Stockholms källan, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12278356
133: Camus's 'The Stranger': Part 1
March 21, 2023 18:08 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBThis episode of the egg timer scrambles up existential themes from the first half of Albert Camus's 'The Stranger'. You can find the full text of 'The Stranger' here: https://archive.org/stream/CamusAlbertTheStranger/CamusAlbert-TheStranger_djvu.txt Send your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Lantz, Gunnar - Stockholms källan, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12278356
132: Camus's 'The Stranger' Preview
March 14, 2023 14:18 - 2 minutes - 2.73 MBThis episode of the egg timer previews Albert Camus's 20th century classic novel 'The Stranger'. The next two episodes of the podcast will be devoted to taking a look at the major philosophical themes within that work. You can find the full text of 'The Stranger' here: https://archive.org/stream/CamusAlbertTheStranger/CamusAlbert-TheStranger_djvu.txt Send your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Lantz, Gunnar - Stockho...
131: Hannah Arendt on the Banality of Evil
March 03, 2023 13:00 - 7 minutes - 6.49 MBThis episode of the egg timer takes a look at Hannah Arendt's thoughts about the banality of evil. Arendt's treatment of evil was one of the most important and controversial ideas within 20th century political philosophy. Send your thoughts, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Unknown author - American Memory, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74309774
130: Isaiah Berlin's 'Two Concepts of Liberty'
February 21, 2023 13:00 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBThis episode of the egg timer takes a look at Isaiah Berlin's 20th century political philosophy classic, 'Two Concepts of Liberty'. Tune in to learn more about the distinction Berlin makes between positive and negative liberty and why he rejects the idea that political communities should strive to enhance positive liberty. Here is a link to Berlin essay: https://cactus.utahtech.edu/green/B_Readings/I_Berlin%20Two%20Concpets%20of%20Liberty.pdf Send you comments, questions, and ideas for fu...
129: Two Utilitarian Thought Experiments
February 10, 2023 13:00 - 9 minutes - 9.06 MBFor today's episode a couple of thought experiments meant to provoke some critical thought surrounding utilitarian ethics. Send your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected]
128: Price Gouging and Scarcity
January 31, 2023 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.8 MBFor most people price gouging is a very cut and dry ethical issue. Tune in to find out how considerations of scarcity make the issue more complex than it first appears to be. Send your thoughts, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By ThoBel-0043 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90826551
127: Herbert Spencer's Evolutionary Individualism
January 20, 2023 13:00 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBHerbert Spencer was an extremely influential 19th century thinker but his ideas exist in relative obscurity today. He coined the phrase 'survival of the fittest' and wrote extensively on a variety of topics within evolutionary theory, political thought, sociology, psychology, and ethics. Tune in to learn more about Spencer's ideas and how they are still plenty relevant today. Send you thoughts, questions, and ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Image Attribution: By...
126: Darwin on Natural Selection
January 10, 2023 13:00 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBTune in to learn more about Charles Darwin's idea of Natural Selection and how that idea was impactful well beyond the biological sciences. Send over your questions, thoughts, and ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Image Attribution: By Julia Margaret Cameron - Reprinted in Charles Darwin: His Life Told in an Autobiographical Chapter, and in a Selected Series of His Published Letters, edited by Francis Darwin. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street. 1892.Scanned by ...
125: Princess Elisabeth's Objection to Descartes's Dualism
December 30, 2022 13:00 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBIn 1643 Elisabeth, Princess of Bohemia, wrote a series of letters to Descartes which posed a strong objection to his dualism. Tune in to learn more about that objection and how Descartes responded in a lively correspondence with the Princess. You can find the correspondences between Elisabeth and Descartes about dualism here: https://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/descartes1643_1.pdf Send you questions, thoughts, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image ...
124: The Gettier Problem and Knowledge
December 20, 2022 13:00 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBIn 1963 Edmund Gettier's short paper offering counterexamples to the idea that knowledge amounts to justified true belief sent shock waves around the philosophical world. Tune in to learn more about Gettier's influential ideas that still garner a great deal of attention today. You can find a copy of Gettier's paper here: https://fitelson.org/proseminar/gettier.pdf Send your thoughts, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By DaveGetti...
123: Knowledge as Justified True Belief
December 09, 2022 13:00 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBKnowledge is often defined today as justified true belief. This episode is devoted to taking a look at each part of this influential approach to understanding what knowledge amounts to. Send your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to [email protected]
122: Natural Procedural Rights
November 29, 2022 13:00 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBDo people have natural procedural rights to be judged by fair and reliable processes? That's the topic for this episode of the egg timer. Tune in for an application of natural rights to an age old question. Send your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Jonathunder - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3899115
121: Rousseau on Inequality
November 18, 2022 13:00 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBWhy does inequality exist? That's the question that Jean Jacques Rousseau set out to answer in the mid 18th century. Tune in to find out the answer he gives and why his ideas about inequality still hold significant relevance today. Send over your questions, comments and ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Art Attribution: By Maurice Quentin de La Tour - Unknown source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24158
120: Egalitarianism
November 08, 2022 15:28 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBToday's episode takes a look at the nuanced idea of egalitarianism. Tune in to find out why the view is much more than simply giving everyone the same. Send over you comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to [email protected]
119: The Ring of Gyges in Plato's Republic
October 28, 2022 13:00 - 10 minutes - 9.87 MBIf a person found a ring that gave them the ability to be invisible and face no consequences for how they acted would they have any reason to act justly? This is the Ring of Gyges example found in the second book of Plato's Republic. Tune in as this long standing philosophical thought experiment is cracked open. Send your questions, comments, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Art Attribution: By RaphaelQS - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.o...
118: The Prisoner's Dilemma and Game Theory
October 18, 2022 12:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBFor this episode of the egg timer a look at the classic prisoner's dilemma. This is the game that ushered in contemporary game theory in the 1950's and it remains highly relevant today. Send over your questions, comments, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected]
117: The Rabbit Duck Illusion
October 07, 2022 13:00 - 10 minutes - 9.81 MBTake a look at the cover art for the episode. What do you see? I see a duck but many other people see a rabbit. Listen in to find out how the rabbit duck illusion brings with it some very interesting philosophical discussion. Send over your thoughts, questions and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Art Attribution: By Unknown artist - Vectorized using Inkscape 0.92.3 from Kaninchen_und_Ente.png, itself a high-resolution scan from scanned page of Fliegende Blätter...
116: Aristotle On The Best Type of Life
September 27, 2022 12:00 - 9 minutes - 8.56 MBThis episode of the egg timer takes a look at why Aristotle thought the best type of life could only be the life of contemplation. Send your questions, comments, and ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Art Attribution: By After Lysippos - Jastrow (2006), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1359807
115: The Montey Hall Puzzle
September 16, 2022 12:13 - 7 minutes - 6.52 MBThe Montey Hall Puzzle has perplexed people for over three decades. Tune in to find out what the puzzle can teach about the idea about making decisions under conditions of variable change. Image Attribution: By The logo is from the following website: cbs.com/lmad cbs.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33711854 Send you thoughts, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected]
114: Presentism
September 09, 2022 20:44 - 8 minutes - 7.66 MBPhilosophical presentism is the view that the present or present entities are the only things that are real. Tune in to learn more about this intriguing view. Send over your thoughts, questions and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected]
113: Big Lotteries and Expected Value
September 02, 2022 14:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBFor today's episode a look at the topic of expected value through the lens of the lottery. Send over your thoughts, questions and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Santeri Viinamäki, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49450513
112: Descartes's Sixth Meditation
August 26, 2022 21:37 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBToday's episode concludes the Summer Series and takes a look at how Descartes makes his final push to move from global skepticism to general knowledge. Send your thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Art Attribution: Frans Hals - André Hatala [e.a.] (1997) De eeuw van Rembrandt, Bruxelles: Crédit communal de Belgique, ISBN 2-908388-32-4.
111: The Blind Chessmaster
August 18, 2022 14:00 - 8 minutes - 8.28 MBWhere does a game of chess actually exist? That's the question for this episode of the egg timer and its answer open a number of very interesting philosophical possibilities. Send your thoughts, questions, and ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Photo Attribution: By Alan Light - Own work by the original uploader, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20299
110: Descartes's Fifth Meditation
August 11, 2022 14:01 - 13 minutes - 12.9 MBThis episode covers major themes from Descartes's fifth meditation in his 'Meditations on First Philosophy'. His primary focus in the fifth meditation is to address how it is that thoughts relate with the essence of abstract objects like triangles as well as material objects such as mountains. Descartes gives special attention in this meditation to how claims about knowledge of God's essence necessarily relate with God's existence in ways that cannot be applied so directly to other thing...
109: Descartes's Fourth Meditation
July 28, 2022 22:59 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBThis episode covers major themes from Descartes's fourth meditation in his 'Meditations on First Philosophy'. His central concern in the fourth meditation is to address the source of our error in a way that still leaves room for a non deceiving God. He tries to accomplish this through a very thought provoking treatment of human will and freedom. Tune in to see if you think Descartes manages to successfully locate the origin of human error while preserving a God who does not engage in dece...
108: Descartes's Third Meditation
July 14, 2022 15:00 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBThis episode of the egg timer covers Descartes's Third Meditation within his Meditations on First Philosophy. During the Second Meditation Descartes made the case for people having absolute certainty, knowledge, that the self as a thinking thing exists in some fashion. In his third Meditation Descartes goes further and attempts to demonstrate that people can possess absolute certainty about an external world beyond the self. Send your thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes to...
107: Descartes's Second Meditation
June 30, 2022 15:00 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBThis episode covers Descartes's Second Meditation within his Meditations on First Philosophy. Here Descartes introduces his infamous idea, 'I think, therefore I am'. Send your thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Art Attribution: Frans Hals - André Hatala [e.a.] (1997) De eeuw van Rembrandt, Bruxelles: Crédit communal de Belgique, ISBN 2-908388-32-4.
106: Self-Defense
June 23, 2022 15:00 - 10 minutes - 9.74 MBFor this episode a discussion of self-defense with emphasis given to the ideas of proportionality and aggression. Send over your thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Image Attribution: By Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-00504 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5478932
105: Descartes's First Meditation
June 16, 2022 15:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBDescartes first meditation from his Meditations on First Philosophy kicks off the Summer Series. Listen in the find out how Descartes demolishes all of his beliefs in order to begin the search for a foundation for anything that he can know with absolute undoubtable certainty. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Art Attribution: Frans Hals - André Hatala [e.a.] (1997) De eeuw van Rembrandt, Bruxelles: Crédit communal de Belgique...
104: Descartes Summer Series Announcement
June 09, 2022 15:00 - 3 minutes - 3.38 MBListen in to find out details about the Descartes Summer Series. Send over your thoughts, questions or ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Art Attribution: Frans Hals - André Hatala [e.a.] (1997) De eeuw van Rembrandt, Bruxelles: Crédit communal de Belgique, ISBN 2-908388-32-4.
103: Tocqueville's Democracy in America: Part 2
June 02, 2022 15:00 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBJoin in for this part two of a discussion about Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America. Special focus will be given the the greatest threats to democracy that Tocqueville sees and how he thinks the idea of enlightened self interest can be used to confront them. Send your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Image Attribution: Image Attribution: By Théodore Chassériau - [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8...
102: Tocqueville's Democracy in America: Part 1
May 26, 2022 15:00 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBAlexis de Tocqueville is most well known for his phrase, 'the tyranny of the majority'. Listen in to learn more about Tocqueville's thoughts about Democracy in America that he formed after his journey to the United States in the early 1830's. Send over your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to [email protected] Image Attribution: By Théodore Chassériau - [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87145391
101: Economics Without Ethics?
May 19, 2022 15:00 - 11 minutes - 11 MBThis episode of the egg timer takes a look at the possibility of offering a comprehensive economic view without an ethical foundation. Those prospects are not good. Image Attribution: By Foto: Jonn Leffmann, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81842350 Send your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected]
100: Are Numbers Even Real?
May 12, 2022 15:00 - 11 minutes - 11.1 MBA hundred episodes of the egg timer later, but are numbers even real? Send your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Alex1011 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1013851
99: Peter Kropotkin on Mutual Aid
May 05, 2022 15:51 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBListen in the learn more about the late nineteenth century philosopher and historian Peter Kropotkin. Kropotkin was a communist and anarchist. He argued that mutual aid, not competition, defined the evolution of species, including that of human beings. Send your comments, questions, and ideas for future episodes to: [email protected] Image Attribution: By Nadar - NYPL, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7604176
98: Religious Liberty And The State
April 29, 2022 08:00 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBThis episode of the egg timer reviews the topic of religious liberties and toleration within political communities. Special focus is given to the tension between the state as a being understood as a supreme authority with the belief by many that actually this is false and God, not the state, is the supreme authority. Send you thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes to: [email protected]