Philosophy Playdate

Clever Make Funny Productions Ltd
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Children's impossible questions addressed by the greatest minds in philosophy. With jokes. Hosted by philosopher Christabel Cane and comedian Steve Cross.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 32 - "Why do people keep secrets?"

    This week, Christabel comes back (with a vengeance) to have another jab at Immanuel Kant as she and Steve set about answering Steve’s daughter’s question “Why do people keep secrets?” Steve rebuts Christabel’s accusation of being a Kant apologist (but does accept that there are some secrets – like, for instance, the exact cost of the very expensive guitar they might have purchased – that shouldn’t see the light of day). Christabel surveys Cicero’s and Aristotle’s conceptions of loyalty, and the duties of fidelity we might owe to our friends.    The duo then move on to what Michel Foucault described as the 18th Century rejection of political opacity, and one of its thought leaders, Jeremy Bentham. UCL’s corpse mascot was a complicated man: he described transparency as ‘antiseptic’, but he also thought that some degree of military secrecy could be justified on utilitarian grounds. Christabel explores Sissela Bok’s critique of this picture, and Steve lets us in on what we’re likely to find in a nuclear submarine’s safe at the very bottom of the sea.   Finally, our hosts take a look at the secrets that the gods might keep from us. Christabel points out that myths involving divine secret names can be found across a range of different cultures, paying particular attention to initial reluctance that both Yahweh and Amun-Ra exhibited before disclosing their names to Moses and Isis. Steve points out that both keeping and learning secrets can be a double-edged sword (or more appropriately, kitchen knife).    So can you keep a secret? Because we think you’ll want to hear this…   Email us the impossible questions children ask you at philosophyplaydate@gmail.com   Find Steve at https://drstevecross.squarespace.com   Find Christabel at https://christabelcane.com/   Philosophy Playdate theme by Piers Cane

  2. Sep 28

    Episode 31 - "Is dobbing bad?"

    In this episode, Steve and Christabel answer Steve’s son’s question “Is dobbing bad?” To get the skinny on snitching, Christabel revisits friend of the podcast, Immanuel Kant. She also draws on the Kantian scholarship of Helga Varden, Mary J. Gregor, James Mahon and Annette Baier (not to name names). We learn about the sneaky trick the father of deontology played on King Frederick William II, Steve tells us of his own real-life ‘murderer at the door’ case, and Christabel expresses her great relief at the fact that Kant remained a lifelong bachelor.   The duo then drop in on ancient China get the straight dope on the Confucian conception of dobbing. They find out what Confucius thought of sheep rustling, and what Mencius – the second sage of Confucianism – thought it was permissible to do to get your dad out of a bind. They survey Liu Qingping’s critical approach to Confucian emphasis on the virtue of filial piety, and William Sin’s ‘liberal’ reading of these philosophers. In the process Steve reveals the link between esoteric philosophy and Ted Baker’s corporate management strategy, Christabel relays what Pierre Ladot thought about Socratic dialogue, and we are made privy to some genius-level medical marketing.   So go ahead and give it a listen. But if anyone asks, you didn’t learn anything from us…   Email us the impossible questions children ask you at philosophyplaydate@gmail.com   Find Steve at https://drstevecross.squarespace.com   Find Christabel at https://christabelcane.com/   Philosophy Playdate theme by Piers Cane

  3. Sep 21

    Episode 30 - "Is infinity a number?"

    This week, Steve and Christabel answer Mylo’s question: ‘Is infinity a number?’ They enlist the help of the Milesians; Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes (who were Presocratic philosophers, and NOT Pokémon) and long-serving friend of the podcast Heraclitus. Unfortunately Pythagoras comes along and spoils the fun with his weirdly loaded takes on infinity (and women, rectangles and even numbers) and Aristotle banishes Zeno’s concept of the infinitesimally small to the realm of merely hypothetical mathematics.    Steve reveals why Pythagoras feared the eternal, and Christabel draws on the work of Annemarrie Schimmel, Elaine Howes, Bill Rosenthal and Rudy Rucker to conjecture that this ancient prejudice against the concept of infinity might have just been weak men expressing their misogyny all along. Steve takes this opportunity to inform other strong feminists of the proper etiquette to follow when called upon to open tightly-lidded jars for friends. Christabel quietly reflects on the fact no one has ever solicited her with such a request.   But if the Pythagoreans were so offended by the infinite, then they shouldn’t have offered such enjoyable proofs of its existence: next up is Archytas of Tarentum (and his philosophical reflections on poking sticks into places they don’t belong). Archytas’ paradoxical conception of The Endless Void is compared with Margret Cavendish’s views on the matter, and Steve recounts a conversation with his son about the size of the universe that Christabel suspects these philosophers would have loved to butt in on.   The episode wraps up on a more practical note with Brian Rotman’s concerns about the implications of infinitude for embodied counters, and Penelope Maddy’s observations as tohow children learn to construct both long numbers and long sentences. But the close of the episode serves as proof that all finite things must come to an end – until next week, that is!   Email us the impossible questions children ask you at philosophyplaydate@gmail.com   Find Steve at https://drstevecross.squarespace.com   Find Christabel at https://christabelcane.com/   Philosophy Playdate theme by Piers Cane

  4. Sep 14

    Episode 29 - "Are numbers real?"

    Steve and Christabel venture forth from Plato’s cave on this week’s quest, which is to find out whether numbers are real. On the way, Christabel learns a surprising amount about football, Steve confesses to some light Twitter fraud, and we all learn how a cult leader should choose their favourite numbers.   The episode begins in Ancient Greece with Pythagorean mathematician, astronomer and cosmologist (who was definitely NOT an extraterrestrial) Theano of Croton, and with her golden ratio and her theorem of the harmony of numbers. Steve points out that according to his extensive knowledge of Numberblocks lore, the relationships between the number characters is sometimes anything but harmonious. Christabel compares mathematical Platonism with Aristotle’s extensional account of numbers with particular reference to Joan Kung’s analysis of The Third Man Argument.   The duo then skip forward to the mid-sixties and to Linda Wetzel’s critique of Paul Benaceraf’s structuralist take on numbers. The episode ends on Penelope Maddy’s metametaphysical stance that questioning the reality of numbers is beside the point. So long as we can agree on facts like ‘two plus two equals four’ it doesn’t really matter whether these numbers are concretely real, ghostly abstract objects, or convenient fictions. Christabel concludes that even if she finds it hard to walk away from metaphysical puzzles like these, rejecting the question is an extremely chic position to take.    Email us the impossible questions children ask you at philosophyplaydate@gmail.com   Find Steve at https://drstevecross.squarespace.com   Find Christabel at https://christabelcane.com/   Philosophy Playdate theme by Piers Cane

  5. Sep 7

    Episode 28 - "Are horses important to the world? Part 2"

    Ready to get back in the saddle? Good! Because it’s part 2 of Steve and Christabel’s double-episode extravaganza answering Lowen’s question “Are horses important to the world?” In this second offering, Christabel expounds upon the symbolic significance of horses within ancient metaphysics. The duo begin in ancient India with the Rigveda, the oldest written work in the Vedic tradition. She reveals the unfortunate position wild stallions held within ritual sacrifice, and tells us what the Daoists agreed that metaphysicians and butchers have in common. Ever the champion of vegetarianism, Steve offers some parallel meat-free examples of his own.   Our hosts then engage in some microcosm-macrocosm reasoning with Thales of Miletus, Hippocrates, and the authors of the Upanishads. Steve entertains the Stoic’s idea that tidal patterns are the Earth breathing in and out, but he stops short of endorsing the analogy of the cosmic horse (and the restorative powers of its seed – which can apparently be identified with the ancient Indian drink of soma). Steve takes this opportunity to wax lyrical about Chocomel, the soma of his household. This is a welcome palate cleanser for all.   But Christabel doesn’t let us get too comfortable. She launches into an analysis of charioteer analogies, the first of which being Plato’s chariot-based symbolism within his depiction of lust within the Phaedrus. We learn some tips about what NOT to say to the object of your affections, and move swiftly on. Steve alludes to the time that he disproved heterosexual intercourse using magnets, and launches into a tirade against Channel 4. The second charioteer analogy comes from the Sāṅkhya tradition, and it explains the distinction between self (or puruṣa) and nature (or prakṛti). Thus ends our round trip across equine philosophy right back where we started in ancient India.   Email us the impossible questions children ask you at philosophyplaydate@gmail.com   Find Steve at https://drstevecross.squarespace.com and watch him disprove magnetism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJMHzesJSgo   Find Christabel at https://christabelcane.com/   Philosophy Playdate theme by Piers Cane

  6. Aug 31

    Episode 27 - "Are horses important to the world? Part 1"

    This fortnight, Steve and Christabel embark on a double-episode stint to answer Lowen’s question, “Are horses important to the world?” This is part 1, and it’s jam-packed fuller with equine content than a Findus lasagne. The duo start off in Turin in 1889 to bear witness to Nietzsche’s last cogent conversation (it was admittedly a little one-sided, given that his final interlocutor was a poor cab-driver’s horse). Christabel dabbles in a little chaos theory, and Steve lets us in on how to procure Arthur Morgan the most badass steed in Red Dead Redemption II.    They then take a quick pit stop in 479–221 B.C.E. China to check in on the ‘School of Names’ philosophers. Gongsun Long is of particular interest, as is his famous (and maddeningly enigmatic) claim that “White horse is not horse”. Steve takes us back to elementary school for a lesson on colour mixing for pigments versus lights, and then treats us to an infinitely superior mnemonic for recalling the planets in our solar system.   The episode closes in ancient Greece, and with the centuries-old logic joke that was tragically left out of Christopher Nolan’s adaption of The Odyssey. Steve points out that we shouldn’t be too disappointed, as the movie does deliver an Ithacan Batman – Spiderman crossover (reminiscent of a certain early YouTube viral classic). Our hosts grapple with cyclopes, Pegasi, alicorns and talking donkeys, but will they definitively answer Lowen’s question? Tune in next week for part 2!   Email us the impossible questions children ask you at philosophyplaydate@gmail.com   Find Steve at https://drstevecross.squarespace.com   Find Christabel at https://christabelcane.com/   Philosophy Playdate theme by Piers Cane

  7. Aug 24

    Episode 26 - "What would it be like to live forever?"

    This week, Steve and Christabel are joined by the incomparable philosopher, sci-fi aficionado and Plato stan Saloni de Souza to answer what it would be like to live forever. Saloni compares the different types of immortality we associate with various entities including superheroes,Jonathan Swift's Struldbrugs, and even with Liverpudlians. Steve informs us of the kind of eternal life introduced by the ThunderCats (as provided to Mumm-Ra by the Ancient Spirits of Evil), and Christabel takes the opportunity to talk a little too much about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight’s Edward Cullen.   But should we even care about the quality-of-life immortal beings should expect, given that life’s only certainty is death (and taxes)? Surprisingly enough, this view isn’t supported by some interpretations of quantum mechanics; our hosts therefore turn to the topic of quantum immortality. Steve explains decoherence by analogising sets of superposed particles with stand-up comedy patrons, and Christabel relays David Lewis’ ‘quantum torment’ argument. It states that no-collapse theories entail that we might be eternally transported through the branching universe, trapped within bodies that continually degrade, but carry on living. This sets up a discussion with Saloni into the hidden (and not-so hidden) ableism of the immortality debate, and the ableist assumptions that build up around figures like Daredevil and the X-Men.   The trio go on to discuss their own near-death experiences: we learn that Saloni and Christabel need to develop their peripheral awareness near motor vehicles, and Steve regales us with his roadside celebrity almost-encounters. Christabel informs us that she fears death about as much as a strongly worded email, and Steve affords us valuable insight into the art of saying ‘no’ at work (and getting away with it). Saloni leaves us with the characteristically sage advice to think of death merely as the ultimate deadline. So don’t leave it until tomorrow to binge this episode, dear listeners!   Brobdingnagian-sized thanks to Saloni for joining us (and for being the Platonic ideal of a podcast guest).   Email us the impossible questions children ask you at philosophyplaydate@gmail.com   Find Saloni at https://www.salonidesouza.com/   Find Steve at https://drstevecross.squarespace.com   Find Christabel at https://christabelcane.com/   Philosophy Playdate theme by Piers Cane

  8. Aug 17

    Episode 25 - "Why must we imagine Sisyphus happy?"

    This week, Steve and Christabel are delighted to be joined by composer/ writer/ podcaster/ director/ photographer extraordinaire Ian Bowkett to tackle a question that was technically posed by Steve’s son. Steve relays that whilst returning his children to bed for the umpteenth time that night, he informed them that “one must imagine Sisyphus happy”. Steve’s son asked what this meant, which gave our hosts *just enough* of a plausible excuse to invite their friend and Sisyphus expert Ian to join them for an episode on Albert Camus’ most iconic thought experiment.   Ian describes the research he conducted into Greek myth and Stoic philosophy whilst writing ‘Sisyphus: A Rock ’n’ Roll Musical’. He reports that there is no single, coherent account of what happened to the king of Corinth, his Pleiad nymph wife Merope, and the Greek gods he angered: like many stories passed down through oral tradition, there are many overlapping versions to choose from. Ian recounts the task of gently separating and reweaving the myth’s threads to create his own narrative. (This prompts the trio take a moment to consider which parts of The Odyssey Christopher Nolan should have left in his recent film adaptation).   Christabel acquaints us with Camus’ absurdist philosophy, his paradoxical stance on Algerian independence, and his legendary fallings-out with the existentialist philosophers and Parisian tastemakers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. Steve fills us in on the ultimate Sisyphean task of parenting, and demonstrates a highly-developed sensitivity to the absurd on the topics of football, Pokémon, jazz and dentistry.   Massive thanks to Ian for joining us, find his fabulous ‘The Mayor of Musical Theatre’ podcast here: https://shows.acast.com/the-mayor-of-musical-theatre   Keep your eyes peeled for tickets to Ian’s new musical ‘Stag Night’, which will be released soon for a December run at the Canal Café Theatre: https://canalcafetheatre.com/   Email us the impossible questions children ask you at philosophyplaydate@gmail.com   Find Steve at https://drstevecross.squarespace.com   Find Christabel at https://christabelcane.com/   Philosophy Playdate theme by Piers Cane

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About

Children's impossible questions addressed by the greatest minds in philosophy. With jokes. Hosted by philosopher Christabel Cane and comedian Steve Cross.

Information

  • Creator
    Clever Make Funny Productions Ltd
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Clever Make Funny Productions Ltd
  • Show Website
    Philosophy Playdate

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