Thinker Sensitive
244 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 months ago - ★★★★★ - 20 ratingsThinking Better and Thinking Together about Life's Most Important Issues. A place to finally meet in the middle to think freely and reasonably about the big questions of life. Welcome to Thinker Sensitive.
Thinking Better:
Thinker Sensitive promotes and models free thinking, critical thinking, open thinking, charitable thinking, impartial thinking, mediating thinking, and nuanced thinking. We believe that all of these values are key ingredients to sound thinking, which opens up the possibility for constructive conversations and fruitful dialogue. If you are someone who has grown weary of reasoning that is driven by bias, prejudice, partisanship, and personal agendas, then I think this might be a place for you!
Thinking Together:
Thinker Sensitive is a personal invitation to be a co-thinker with Ryan. The goal of Thinker Sensitive is not to get you to think what Ryan thinks, but to ultimately inspire you to think for yourself and to draw your own conclusions on topics of substance and importance. Ryan’s aim isn’t to be a teacher per se, but to be fellow companion along an intellectual journey. If you are a life-long learner or if you are still developing your viewpoints and worldview or if you want to be exposed to different perspectives, then this a place for you! Join Thinker Sensitive to think together in community with others.
Thinking About Life’s Most Important Issues:
Thinker Sensitive revolves around the big questions of life. It deals with the most pressing questions of human existence. Some of these questions are difficult and challenging. This is why Thinker Sensitive is not for the faint of heart. It is for those who have the courage to tackle tough topics. If you want to pursue truth, as far as it can be found and no matter where it may lead, then this is a podcast designed for you! If you are a person who likes to think through, talk through, and work through topics of substance and depth, then Thinker Sensitive will be your kind of place!
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Episodes
Ep. 88 The Weekly: The Final Word
September 14, 2023 03:36 - 30 minutes - 68.8 MBRyan bids his listeners farewell, departing with a final word. "This is what I am learning: I must abide in him that he might abide in me. I hope you have learned something too. I hope, like me, you’re striving to become something more. I hope we reach the same end. I hope that we wash up on the same shore….” About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Thinker Sensitive. He is passionate about ecumenical dialogue, inter-religious dialogue, and worldview engagement...
Ep. 87 The Weekly: Stoicism - Resignation & Fortitude
August 24, 2023 01:50 - 25 minutes - 59.2 MBRyan shifts to a personal evaluation of ancient Stoicism, offering some commendations and some corrections. "There’s a lot of practical wisdom and prudent advice in Stoicism, as long as we stay clear of some of the extremes—incorporating the recommendations of Epictetus into our lives in a nuanced and balanced manner.” About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Thinker Sensitive. He is passionate about ecumenical dialogue, inter-religious dialogue, and worldview ...
Ep. 86 The Weekly: Aristotle - Character & Virtue
August 04, 2023 04:26 - 24 minutes - 56.1 MBAfter briefly discussing Epicureanism, the moral philosophy of Epicurus, Ryan transitions to Aristotle’s moral philosophy—which is widely understood as a “character, or virtue, ethic.” "One of the most intriguing and thought-provoking aspects of Aristotle’s ethics is the idea that morality, virtue, and happiness are solely based on acting, doing, living, and being. It is not enough to talk about morality or to think about morality; one must enact justice and embody the good. For Aristotl...
Ep. 85 The Weekly: Epicurus - Hedonism in Moderation
July 20, 2023 00:29 - 22 minutes - 50.8 MBRyan dips into Classical Greek ethics, beginning with a brief summary of Epicureanism, which is an ancient form of hedonism that emphasizes simplicity and moderation. "Epicurus was born on the Island of Samoa. He visited Athens as a teenager and briefly studied under a disciple of Plato. Years later, he would return to Athens, but this time not as a student, but rather as a teacher, quickly establishing a philosophy school at a local garden. He liked it so much that… he never left." Abou...
Ep. 84 The Weekly: Retribution, Rewards, or Love?
July 06, 2023 01:11 - 24 minutes - 57.2 MBFear of retribution, hope of rewards, or the power of love? Ryan talks about the only motivating factor and inspirational force in the universe worth living and dying for. "...fear of punishment and hope of rewards are motivations and incentives for the immature, not the mature. They are what help children behave, but we must progress beyond childhood and move towards perfection, the perfection of love…." About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Thinker Sensitiv...
Ep. 83 The Weekly: The Law of Love (Pt. 2)
June 22, 2023 03:53 - 17 minutes - 39.9 MBIn the second part of a two-part podcast on "The Law of Love," Ryan argues that no one—neither Christians nor non-Christians—consistently and perfectly embodies the love that fulfills all law. "...the love that fulfills the law, the love of God in Christ—self-sacrificial, edifying, and unconditional love—represents an immensely high standard, one that almost all people fail to reach. This standard, this love, like the law of old, becomes our judge. It scrutinizes our love. It shows us just ...
Ep. 82 The Weekly: The Law of Love (Pt. 1)
June 07, 2023 04:17 - 17 minutes - 40.8 MBRyan discusses the nature and character of the love that fulfills all law. "True love, real love, the love that fulfills all law, is made up of three defining characteristics: selflessness, edification, and unconditionality." About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Thinker Sensitive. He is passionate about ecumenical dialogue, inter-religious dialogue, and worldview engagement. He is a major proponent of civil discourse, free thinking, free speech, and ethical ...
Ep. 81 The Weekly: The Law of Christ
May 25, 2023 04:51 - 23 minutes - 53.7 MBRyan unpacks the contextual and nuanced ethic of Christ, which was centered on the values of the kingdom that he proclaimed. "So much of Jesus’s ethical reasoning has to do with notions of priority and primacy, as moral judgments often involve a deliberation—choosing which principle or principles should be given ultimate primacy and priority above all others." About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Thinker Sensitive. He is passionate about ecumenical dialogue,...
Ep. 80 The Weekly: The Lawful Life
May 10, 2023 16:54 - 26 minutes - 60.1 MBRyan talks about dreaded religious rules and much maligned divine precepts, taking a uniquely positive and optimistic approach to the law of God in the Judeo-Christian tradition. "As I have said many times before, and as the ancient thinkers and classical philosophers also taught—not just in Israel but in Greece and in Rome as well—the moral life is the good life. The high character person is the happy person. The virtuous person is the blessed person. The mature person is the fulfilled pers...
Ep. 79 The Weekly: The Blessed Life
April 26, 2023 17:04 - 24 minutes - 56.5 MBRyan explains why he believes that the moral life is the good life, that the spiritual life is the blessed life, and that the holy life is the happy life. "Holiness and happiness, purity and pleasure, benevolence and blessedness, virtue and vivaciousness, faithfulness and fulfillment, jurisprudence and joy, character and contentment. What do these seemingly contradictory concepts have in common? What do these ideas—often pitted against each other, and often understood as being mutually excl...
Ep. 78 The Weekly: American gods
April 11, 2023 23:40 - 21 minutes - 48.4 MBRyan discusses the gods of the present age—envisaging the Western world as deeply religious, even if not in the traditional sense. "Over the last few episodes, I have attempted to demolish the false gods and idols of our age. I have been in the process of a kind of deconstruction, but not the kind of deconstruction that has become popular today, not a deconstruction of classical religion, but a deconstruction of modern religion—which I suppose is both ancient and new at the same time." Abo...
Ep. 77 The Weekly: The Pursuit of Pleasure
March 21, 2023 22:08 - 29 minutes - 67 MBRyan discusses the shortcomings of the wanton pursuit of pleasure, a pursuit that is often confused with the pursuit of happiness. "What I will say is that pleasure is a good thing, but, like fortune and fame, it is easily abused and easily corrupted—especially when it is treated as an end in itself rather than as a means to or, in some cases, as a byproduct, or consequence, of the pursuit of a higher end." About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Thinker Sensit...
Ep. 77 The Weekly: The Pursuit of Pleasure
March 21, 2023 22:08 - 29 minutes - 67 MBRyan discusses the shortcomings of the wanton pursuit of pleasure, a pursuit that is often confused with the pursuit of happiness. "What I will say is that pleasure is a good thing, but, like fortune and fame, it is easily abused and easily corrupted—especially when it is treated as an end in itself rather than as a means to or, in some cases, as a byproduct, or consequence, of the pursuit of a higher end." About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Think...
Ep. 76 The Weekly: The Pursuit of Popularity
March 08, 2023 00:55 - 26 minutes - 61.6 MBRyan discusses the futility and vanity of the pursuit of popularity, a pursuit that is often confused with the pursuit of happiness. Like with money and wealth, instead of viewing fame as an end in itself, it should be used as a means to an end—particularly a means to the end of helping others. In this way, popularity and status can be used for good and can lead to virtue. When we use our influence for others, in a selfless manner, we will find a piece, a part, of that happiness that we so ...
Ep. 75 The Weekly: The Pursuit of Riches
February 22, 2023 01:29 - 27 minutes - 62.8 MBRyan discusses the pitfalls of the pursuit of wealth and riches, a pursuit that is often confused with the pursuit of happiness. "The way in which we use our money and use our possessions makes all the difference in the world! Those who give, receive; sharing with others and living for others is inherently rewarding. There is a huge difference between the rich person who lives for others and the rich person who lives for himself. The former is fulfilled; the latter is empty. The former is t...
Ep. 74 The Weekly: The Way of Contentment
February 08, 2023 00:09 - 21 minutes - 49.9 MBIn today’s installment of The Weekly, Ryan invokes a peculiar theory from the French Enlightenment philosopher Rousseau in order to discuss the path to fulfillment and the way of contentment. "Rousseau believed that this simple and humble way of life, this life without unnecessary ambitions, without exorbitant desires, without an inflated sense of what one really needs, was a life of tranquility and satisfaction—a life of fulfillment and happiness. I suppose one could sum this up by saying ...
Ep. 73 The Weekly: The Age of Ease
January 24, 2023 23:25 - 20 minutes - 48.1 MBOn today's Weekly episode, which is really the first full Weekly of the New Year, Ryan discusses the topic of modern convenience and contemporary ease of living. "The ancient person doesn’t know what she doesn’t have, she doesn’t know what she can or could have; and so, it may very well be that she is happy with what she does have, even happier than she would be. In fact, she might be happier than I am…." About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Thinker Sensiti...
Ep. 72 The Weekly: Vision Casting
January 09, 2023 21:33 - 6 minutes - 15.8 MBIn today's installment of The Weekly, the first podcast episode of the new year, Ryan updates his listeners on recent progress and does some vision casting for 2023 and beyond. Special Requests: Write a quick review on Apple Podcasts If you feel so inclined, donate to the show Thanks for your support! About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Thinker Sensitive. He is passionate about ecumenical dialogue, inter-religious dialogue, and worldview engagement. He i...
Ep. 71 The Weekly: Chad Graham (the culture)
December 20, 2022 21:48 - 39 minutes - 91.2 MBIn the final part of our three part interview with Chad Graham, the original creator of Thinker Sensitive, Ryan and Chad discuss several pertinent cultural issues—issues ranging from political polarization to environmental and energy concerns to the possibility of alien life. Links: Website: https://www.thinkersensitive.com YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkersensitive1752 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thinkersensitive Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/...
Ep. 83 The Weekly: Chad Graham (the culture)
December 20, 2022 21:48 - 39 minutes - 91.2 MBIn the final part of our three part interview with Chad Graham, the original creator of Thinker Sensitive, Ryan and Chad discuss several pertinent cultural issues—issues ranging from political polarization to environmental and energy concerns to the possibility of alien life.
Ep. 70 The Weekly: Chad Graham (the church)
December 13, 2022 19:31 - 20 minutes - 47.5 MBIn the second part of a three-part interview with Chad Graham, Ryan asks Chad some candid questions about the state and condition of the contemporary church in the United States. Links: Website: https://www.thinkersensitive.com YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkersensitive1752 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thinkersensitive Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/thinkersensitive/ Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/ThinkerSen
Ep. 82 The Weekly: Chad Graham (the church)
December 13, 2022 19:31 - 20 minutes - 47.5 MBIn the second part of a three-part interview with Chad Graham, Ryan asks Chad some candid questions about the state and condition of the contemporary church in the United States.
Ep. 81 The Weekly: Chad Graham (the story)
December 07, 2022 21:16 - 42 minutes - 98.4 MBIn the first part of a three-part interview with the original founder of Thinker Sensitive, Ryan asks Chad about his personal story, which includes the story behind the development of Thinker Sensitive.
Ep. 69 The Weekly: Chad Graham (the story)
December 07, 2022 21:16 - 42 minutes - 98.4 MBIn the first part of a three-part interview with the original founder of Thinker Sensitive, Ryan asks Chad about his personal story, which includes the story behind the development of Thinker Sensitive. Links: Website: https://www.thinkersensitive.com YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkersensitive1752 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thinkersensitive Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/thinkersensitive/ Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/ThinkerSen
Ep. 68 The Question of God: Epilogue
November 21, 2022 17:41 - 8 minutes - 18.4 MBIn the ninth episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan concludes the season with some final words and some final declarations. "I cannot not believe. I have to believe. I must believe. To deny the reality of God would be to deny my very existence—to reject my very being, my very history, my very experience, my very essence. This would be an absurdity." About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Thinker Sensitive. He is passionate about ecumenical dialogu...
Ep. 80 The Question of God: Epilogue
November 21, 2022 17:41 - 8 minutes - 18.4 MBIn the ninth episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan concludes the season with some final words and some final declarations.
Ep. 67 The Question of God: Miracles
November 17, 2022 00:02 - 21 minutes - 49.8 MBIn the eighth episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan discusses the notion of miracles—analyzing the concept from a philosophical perspective and sharing some personal stories. "...this Spirit is the power of the future—the power that liberates the world, liberates history, from the bondage of past-present causation, from the restrictions and limitations of a closed, deterministic system of cause-and-effect, from the slavery of ordinary and predictable causal relationships—the po...
Ep. 79 The Question of God: Miracles
November 17, 2022 00:02 - 21 minutes - 49.8 MBIn the eighth episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan discusses the notion of miracles—analyzing the concept from a philosophical perspective and sharing some personal stories.
Ep. 66 The Question of God: Engagement (part 2)
November 10, 2022 17:49 - 36 minutes - 82.6 MBIn the seventh episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan continues to evaluate theism and atheism from a cognitive perspective, juxtaposing and critically assessing these worldviews on the basis of rational categories and criteria. "My philosophy professor from graduate school, Michael Peterson, who is a joint editor on some of the philosophy of religion material from Oxford University Press, sincerely believes that theism triumphs over atheism in all of these major categories of ...
Ep. 78 The Question of God: Engagement (part 2)
November 10, 2022 17:49 - 36 minutes - 82.6 MBIn the seventh episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan continues to evaluate theism and atheism from a cognitive perspective, juxtaposing and critically assessing these worldviews on the basis of rational categories and criteria.
Ep. 77 The Question of God: Engagement (part 1)
November 04, 2022 01:44 - 43 minutes - 99.1 MBIn the sixth episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan finally begins to evaluate theism and atheism from a cognitive perspective, juxtaposing and critically assessing these worldviews on the basis of rational categories and criteria.
Ep. 65 The Question of God: Engagement (part 1)
November 04, 2022 01:44 - 43 minutes - 99.1 MBIn the sixth episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan finally begins to evaluate theism and atheism from a cognitive perspective, juxtaposing and critically assessing these worldviews on the basis of rational categories and criteria. "I believe that there is need for both a creator of the universe and a developer of the universe. The former alone results in deism; the latter alone results in pantheism or panentheism. The two together result in theism. This is why I am a theist." ...
Ep. 64 The Question of God: Human Belief
October 26, 2022 15:33 - 15 minutes - 34.7 MBIn the fifth installment of our season on the question of God, Ryan examines the holistic nature of human belief, demonstrating that belief is not simply a matter of the mind, but a matter of the heart, the will, and personal experience. "...the cognitive dimension is not everything; faith and doubt, affirmation of God and rejection of God, are not always based on intellectual issues. Personality, background, and how a person is wired all play a huge role in both theistic and atheistic beli...
Ep. 76 The Question of God: Human Belief
October 26, 2022 15:33 - 15 minutes - 34.7 MBIn the fifth installment of our season on the question of God, Ryan examines the holistic nature of human belief, demonstrating that belief is not simply a matter of the mind, but a matter of the heart, the will, and personal experience.
Ep. 75 The Question of God: Myths & Stereotypes
October 20, 2022 15:40 - 38 minutes - 87.4 MBIn the fourth episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan dispels some common myths about theism and atheism and debunks some stereotypes about believers in God.
Ep. 63 The Question of God: Myths & Stereotypes
October 20, 2022 15:40 - 38 minutes - 87.4 MBIn the fourth episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan dispels some common myths about theism and atheism and debunks some stereotypes about believers in God. "Similar to the way in which the myth of Paul Bunyan can be demythologized and debunked, there are various myths about faith and belief that can be and should be debunked as well…. Likewise, there are also many popular stereotypes that persist today about people of faith and believers in God, stereotypes that are both ignora...
Ep. 74 The Question of God: Implications
October 06, 2022 16:39 - 59 minutes - 137 MBIn the third episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan unpacks the profound implications of both worldviews: a theistic worldview and an atheistic worldview—demonstrating why this question is truly the question of all questions.
Ep. 62 The Question of God: Implications
October 06, 2022 16:39 - 59 minutes - 137 MBIn the third episode of our season on the question of God, Ryan unpacks the profound implications of both worldviews: a theistic worldview and an atheistic worldview—demonstrating why this question is truly the question of all questions. "Nihilism is the necessary effect of atheism as its primary cause. Nietzsche himself understood this, in part because he was a real atheist, as opposed to a nominal one—and real atheists are nihilists by definition. Nietzsche had the courage to be a real at...
Ep. 73 The Question of God: History
September 28, 2022 17:21 - 18 minutes - 42 MBIn the second episode of our new season on the question of God, Ryan sums up the history of this all-important question in the West, chronicling the historical development of both theism and atheism in the ancient and modern world.
Ep. 61 The Question of God: History
September 28, 2022 17:21 - 18 minutes - 42 MBIn the second episode of our new season on the question of God, Ryan sums up the history of this all-important question in the West, chronicling the historical development of both theism and atheism in the ancient and modern world. "Today, atheistic belief is becoming more and more commonplace; if it wasn’t taken very seriously in the 20th century, it certainly should be taken seriously in the 21st century." About Ryan, Host of Thinker Sensitive: Ryan Ragozine is the host of Thinker Sensi...
Ep. 72 The Question of God: Prologue
September 22, 2022 18:44 - 15 minutes - 35.7 MBIn the first episode of our season on The Question of God, Ryan sets the stage for the rest of the season, explaining why the question is so important to him and sharing how the question has shaped his life. Ryan can only answer this question for himself, and so what follows will be his answer alone….
Ep. 72 The Question of God: Prologue (Ep. I)
September 22, 2022 18:44 - 15 minutes - 35.7 MBIn the first episode of our season on The Question of God, Ryan sets the stage for the rest of the season, explaining why the question is so important to him and sharing how the question has shaped his life. Ryan can only answer this question for himself, and so what follows will be his answer alone….
Ep. 60 The Question of God: Prologue
September 22, 2022 18:44 - 15 minutes - 35.7 MBIn the first episode of our season on The Question of God, Ryan sets the stage for the rest of the season, explaining why the question is so important to him and sharing how the question has shaped his life. Ryan can only answer this question for himself, and so what follows will be his answer alone…. "I care about this question—the question of all questions—because I care about people, and I suppose I care about people because I care about this question. I believe that a life with God is b...
New Season: The Question of God
September 15, 2022 23:00 - 1 minute - 1.7 MBRyan shares some key details on Thinker Sensitive's upcoming season on the question of God.
Ep. 59 The Weekly: American Poverty III
September 12, 2022 16:57 - 30 minutes - 69.7 MBIn today’s edition of The Weekly, Ryan shares his personal thoughts on poverty in the United States, highlighting the ways in which this issue relates to personal virtue and personal ethics. "The one who is grateful will naturally give more than the one who is ungrateful; the one who sees himself as blessed will give more than the one who sees herself as cursed; the one who lives in a sense of gratitude will be more generous than the one who lives in bitterness." About Ryan, Host of Thinke...
Ep. 70 The Weekly: American Poverty III
September 12, 2022 16:57 - 30 minutes - 69.7 MBIn today’s edition of The Weekly, Ryan shares his personal thoughts on poverty in the United States, highlighting the ways in which this issue relates to personal virtue and personal ethics.
Ep. 69 The Weekly: American Poverty II
August 31, 2022 16:19 - 26 minutes - 60.1 MBIn today's edition of The Weekly, which is the second episode of a three-part set on American poverty, Ryan outlines the overarching debate on poverty in the United States—examining key arguments and claims from across the spectrum.
Ep. 58 The Weekly: American Poverty II
August 31, 2022 16:19 - 26 minutes - 60.1 MBIn today's edition of The Weekly, which is the second episode of a three-part set on American poverty, Ryan outlines the overarching debate on poverty in the United States—examining key arguments and claims from across the spectrum. “even the developed world’s poor and middle classes are, by global standards, extraordinarily rich. After adjusting for cost-of-living differences, a typical American still earns an income that is 10 times the income received by the typical person in the world. ...
Ep. 57 The Weekly: American Poverty
August 24, 2022 17:29 - 19 minutes - 45.1 MBIn today’s podcast, the first of three on American poverty, Ryan sets the table by analyzing the key definitions and standards that are used when discussing such matters—looking particularly at how we measure and weigh poverty. "...maybe a more robust and expansive global and historical understanding would help broaden our perspective and help cultivate virtues of contentment, fulfillment, joy, gratitude, and thankfulness—virtues that contribute greatly to our quality of life, to the good l...
Ep. 68 The Weekly: American Poverty
August 24, 2022 17:29 - 19 minutes - 45.1 MBIn today’s podcast, the first of three on American poverty, Ryan sets the table by analyzing the key definitions and standards that are used when discussing such matters—looking particularly at how we measure and weigh poverty.