After Dinner Conversation

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Chaîne • 2 émissions

Science-fiction

Science-fiction

Chaque semaine
Philosophie

Philosophie

Toutes les 2 semaines

19/04/2021

People Used To Die Every Day

Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Peter finds out his partner Samir has been sneaking around behind his back to “try out dreaming.” According to Samir, he likes the way sleeping, and dreaming, makes him feel. And besides, he argues, it doesn’t do any harm; his work will never find out. Peter decides to break the law in support of their relationship and to stop taking the drug that makes sleep and dreams unnecessary, in order to better understand his partner. However, after one try Peter decides he doesn’t like the feeling of losing control and that sleep isn’t for him. DISCUSSION: The main question of the story is, are biological functions a necessary evil to be gotten rid of by science and, is sleeping one of those biological functions? Are cutting your nails, and going to the bathroom things we gain value from, or simple biological acts to be removed if possible? Does sleep service a purpose or is it just a biological act? If the ability to go without sleep was available, wouldn’t it eventually become necessary to stay competitive in a workplace? We all agree the government should not make sleeping illegal, but if given the chance, many of the group would do away with sleep for the extra time it provides. Would you be willing to do something illegal that your partner was doing, as in the story? What if the illegal thing went against your own values, would you still do it if your partner was? Is there a minimum age whereby you should not be allowed to made to go without sleep? BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here. MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

19/04/2021

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54 min
01/11/2021

Blackorwhite

Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: The prison medical doctor is called in the middle of the night to take care of Fuzzy, an uneducated, mostly toothless, prisoner who has spent the majority of his life behind bars. Fuzzy, it seems, has gotten into eating cheese, something that strongly disagrees with his stomach and causes severe diarrhea. While the doctor waits for Fuzzy on the toilet and treats him for dehydration he learns Fuzzy’s story. Fuzzy was a young child from a poor family when his brother got him into a small-time gang robbing homes. Fuzzy and his brother wanted to get out of their life and move to Houston to look for legitimate work, but need enough money from a big heist to cover their travel fees. Their final heist goes wrong and the police show up. Fuzzy watches his brother get wrongly gunned down and, in a panic, hops in the van to try to get away. In the process he hits and kills a police officer with the van. The remaining members of the gang are captured and found guilty. Fuzzy, it seems, was able to eat so much cheese as it was his “last meal” on death row and assumed he wouldn’t be around for the results. However, there was a last-minute error with the electric chair so he was forced to face the retribution of his culinary choices. Hearing Fuzzy’s story, the doctor feels greater sympathy for Fuzzy and his life. DISCUSSION: Fuzzy is an interesting character. Clearly, he is meant to be a sympathetic character, and he is. However, he might be someone we feel empathy for, but don’t all actually like. And who’s story is this? Is it the doctor’s story? We think so. We think the story is the arc of the doctor that goes from seeing Fuzzy as a inmate who forced him out of bed in the middle of the night, to a human being who was wrongly put in jail for the rest of his life for a crime he committed when he was a child. This story, of course, begs the question, what is the purpose of putting Fuzzy in jail for his entire life? It’s clearly not to reform him. It must be simply to punish him as it seems unlikely any of this is a deterrent of any kind to others. We also don’t really know the truth. After 50 years of telling the same story over and over again, he will have crafted every word to be the perfect telling of his version of events. What we do know is the system failed in this case, and the author wants us to understand that that may often be the case for our judicial system. BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here. MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. Use the discount code on our website to get the first month free! SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

01/11/2021

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45 min
14/06/2021

Sienna's Monster

Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Sienna is living with a “Monster,” in this case, her father. He does not hit her, but he does yell, and rant, and breaks things. Sienna grows up always on edge that the “monster” will lash out at her. Over time, she builds up equally toxic defense mechanisms. She learns to yell back and to be as hate-filled as her father. This all changes when she goes to college and meets her roommate Clara. Clara does not lash out. She does not accuse. She does not go into conversations prepared for battle. She listens, she is empathetic. She does not “keep score” in their friendship. Sienna assumes Clara has an alternative motive, and continues to be skeptical. Eventually, Sienna comes to see Clara for what she is, a decent human being. Armed with her new knowledge, Sienna heads home for Thanksgiving and confronts her father. Her father credits himself with “breaking the cycle” and being a good father by not physically abusing Sierra that way his father was to him. Sienna is frustrated, and resolves to never speak to him again. Over the Christmas holiday, Sienna decides to visit Clara’s family. Sienna’s mother asks if she, and only she, can come visit. Sienna reluctantly agrees. Her mother arrives, father in tow. The story ends with Sienna in jail, having killed her father. DISCUSSION: Interesting story that brings up outstanding questions about the cycle of abuse and what is “getting better.” Sienna’s father is better than his father was to him, and it would be hard to expect much more from him outside of him independently deciding to get help. We already see Sienna taking on the horrible traits of her father and, were it not for her roommate, would probably end up just like her father. Perhaps everyone is the hero in their own story? BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here. MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

14/06/2021

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54 min
15/06/2020

The Orphan's Dilemma

Named “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: An older and younger (talking) cockroach climb to the top of the highest thing, the refrigerator, to overlook their world. The older roach tells the child that the humans he sees can talk, and also have a 3rd eye inside of them that allows them to imagine the future and remember the past, and this is what makes them unhappy all the time. An angel moth comes down and takes away the roaches ability to speak forever. DISCUSSION: A children’s story, but one with a good lesson, about having the ability to think about the future, but not let it trouble you or dwell on it. Do other animals have this “3rd eye”? Maybe dogs or others do, to some degree. It has made humans successful because we can remember errors, and plan for future problems. It’s a trade off, but a good one. The key is to not worry so much. BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here. MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

15/06/2020

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31 min
10/02/2020

Rainbow People Of The Glittering Glade

STORY SUMMARY: A group of people are sent by the Kingdom through shifting deserts to find a rumored people that have rainbow skin. As they get closer they see people in the desert turned to stone, and others nearly stone simply repeating the same task over and over again. One of them is injured and they get to the rainbow people in need of medical attention. They learn that anyone who lives in the community will slowly turn to stone unless the community deems them of value and allows them to take place in a ritual. One member of the group does the ritual and joins the community, one refuses and turns to stone, and one goes back home to tell the tale. DISCUSSION: Fascinating story about how a society places value on certain kinds of work. Is certain work more valuable then other work? Must you work and contribute to society to be of value? What if you just don’t want to work, are you a bad person? Also, their are faith discussions in the story. The one person opted to turn to stone rather than join a group with another faith. Does this mean she isn’t value because she is faithful to her truth? BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here. MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

10/02/2020

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37 min
04/05/2020

A Change Of Verbs

Named “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: The main character is a passive University Professor with a nagging wife. For some reason he decides today will be different and he goes through the entire day saying, and doing, what he actually feels. The day goes amazingly well, with classes, with colleagues, and he decides this will start a new chapter in his life. DISCUSSION: Mixed reactions on this story. On the one hand, isn’t it his own fault for not always saying what he meant and letting people walk over him. Did this unhappiness come on slowly? He doesn’t treat his wife very well, and, perhaps, too much of his attraction is only physical. Is this just an extrovert writer telling introverts, if you just were more like me, you’d be a happier? Isn’t this all on a scale, you have to balance saying what you mean, with being respectful of others. BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here. MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

04/05/2020

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40 min
02/12/2019

As You Wish

STORY SUMMARY: Children’s story that starts with a bunch of old tattered stuffed animals being found in a trunk by a woman. She can talk to the stuffed animals and says she will fix them back up. At first, the requests are simple, fix a torn ear… but later, the stuffed animals ask for more changes. The unicorn wants its horn removed. The panda wants to be less fat. The zebra wants its stripes removed. The final character, Sad Bear, who is always sad because he has a frown sewn on, is offered the chance to have his frown removed. He declines the offer to fix his sadness, because, he says, it is who is is, and he is okay with who he is. DISCUSSION: The is a story about what we change, and how we accept others, and ourselves, as we are. What is an acceptable change? Fixing vision and teeth are fine, of course, but what about taking anti-depressants or body augmentation? Can we be accepting of others when the choose to make changes that we think are silly, or superficial? When it is okay to be clinically depressed, and simply accept that as who you are, or does it have to be fixed? BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here. MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

02/12/2019

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30 min
20/10/2022

For Your Safety

Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Zoe gets a knock on her door from the Department of Public Health. They have detected increased biochemical signatures that lead them to believe she has been having sexual intercourse without a properly filed Intimate Partnership Agreement (IPA). The IPA’s are for her protection to ensure that any potential partners are disease free. Initially, she denies the accusations, but the evidence from her Livewell stream is overwhelming. This time, it’s just a fine, but if it happens again the punishments will get more severe, all the way up to having points deducted from her social confidence rating. BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here. COMPANION PODCAST: Listen to our audiobook readings of After Dinner Conversation short stories (“Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Audiobooks”). MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. Use the discount code on our website to get the first month free or an entire year for just $4.95! SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

20/10/2022

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41 min
05/10/2020

The Seven Absent Sins

Named “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: A Jesuit Priest researches other sentient beings in the universe looking for species that are incapable of committing one of the cardinal sins. He finds six different species that, because of their biology, he says, cannot commit one of the sins. He is unable to find a species without the sin of Pride. He questions, but finally confirms, that this strengthens his belief in God. DISCUSSION: Are their merits of earth closing itself off from the universe for years in order to maintain its “cultural purity.” Is this a good idea or doomed to cause issues? Are there ways to preserve culture without bans on other cultures? Next, is sin automatic with choice? As soon as you have a sentient choice, does the fact you can make the wrong choice mean we are capable of sin? The examples for various species are tough, because it’s not like they aren’t capable of sin. The issue is that their biology or environment makes the sin impossible. So, with different choices available to different species, could there be different sins possible? Are the number of sins infinite? BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here. MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

05/10/2020

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56 min
02/11/2020

Farewell, Odysseus

Named “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: Set in the future, the Dios are a group of super humans who, because of having the wealth over generations to make mental and physical enhancements, are a different, and superior, race. Humans on earth sometimes agree to go to live on Mars with the Dios as their pets. The narrator is one such person, that is, until he starts to ask too many questions. DISCUSSION: Great world building. A longer and more complete story than we usually do. Perhaps this is a warning, not about keeping people as pets, but about the long term effects of the wealthy having access to technology that allows them to further separate themselves from the poor over generations. What level of difference in ability makes it okay to keep another species as a pet? Maybe the differences in the story aren’t as great as the Dios want them to seem? Is this slavery? Is it fair that those on earth are so poor this is their only way out? Is that the crime here? Is this different than having a “sugar-daddy” that takes care of you? BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here. MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

02/11/2020

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44 min

Brought to you by “After Dinner Conversation” publishing; (1) audiobooks readings and (2) thoughtful discussions about the philosophy and ethics found in the short fiction stories from our monthly magazine. Or, put another way, discussions about “what-if” examples, across literary genres, regarding ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, utilitarianism, aesthetics, moral relativism, and political and economic philosophy.

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After Dinner Conversation

Meilleures émissions

People Used To Die Every Day

Blackorwhite

Sienna's Monster

The Orphan's Dilemma

Rainbow People Of The Glittering Glade

A Change Of Verbs

As You Wish

For Your Safety

The Seven Absent Sins

Farewell, Odysseus

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