Dialexicon

Rohan Goyal, Saurish Srivastava

A podcast dedicated to promoting philosophical education and deep reflection. We invite philosophers from around the globe to discuss philosophy in the context of contemporary injustices – all at an easy-to-understand and digestible level. New episodes weekly on Friday.

  1. Jun 10

    Justice, Rights, and Private Power: Philosophy in an Unjust World — Professor Chetan Cetty

    What makes a society just? What are the different approaches to reaching a just society? When may public welfare override individual rights? And is the private industry a free market or a form of private governance? Our third episode features Dr. Chetan Chetty, a political and moral philosopher and assistant professor at Lafayette College. In this episode, Rohan and Dr. Chetty explore the purpose of philosophy, John Rawls’s theory of justice, the relationship between ideal and non-ideal theory, and the conflict between individual rights and social welfare. They apply these questions to gun regulation and self-defense before examining power in the workplace, the limits of voluntary employment, and the increasingly uncertain boundary between public and private life. Dialexicon is a free podcast dedicated to promoting philosophical education and deep reflection. We invite philosophers from around the globe to discuss philosophy in the context of contemporary injustices—all at an easy-to-understand and digestible level. Website: https://dialexicon.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dialexicon (00:00) Introduction (00:36) Dr. Chetty’s Background: India, Singapore, and Philosophy (03:26) Discovering Political Philosophy (04:25) Reason, Logic, and the Analytic Tradition (06:43) Kant, Hume, and Rawls (07:37) What Is Philosophy? (10:15) Can Philosophy Answer Life’s Biggest Questions? (12:26) Philosophy as Training in Critical Reasoning (14:11) Which Philosophical Questions Matter Most? (16:32) Epistemology in an Age of Social Media and AI (18:22) What Does a Just Society Look Like? (20:38) Rawls, the Veil of Ignorance, and Ideal Theory (22:19) What Is Non-Ideal Theory? (25:15) Does Ideal Theory Help Us Confront Injustice? (27:05) Why Justice Requires an Ideal Standard (29:45) Gun Regulation as a Problem of Non-Ideal Theory (30:57) Self-Defense and the Right to Bear Arms (33:22) Would Guns Exist in a Perfectly Just Society? (35:08) When Empirical Evidence Can Override Rights (37:19) How Should We Weigh Rights Against Social Costs? (40:02) Freedom, Regulation, and Everyday Restrictions (42:03) When Individual Rights Outweigh Public Benefits (44:15) What Is “Private Government”? (46:09) The Paradox of Public and Private Power (48:49) At-Will Employment and Employer Control (51:00) Why Workers and Employers Do Not Have Equal Power (54:38) Can We Draw a Line Between Public and Private Life? (58:06) Advice for Young People Interested in Philosophy (61:26) Where to Begin: Russell, Plato, Descartes, and Hume (63:57) Closing Reflections and Outro

    1h 4m
  2. Jun 5

    Friendship, Faith, and AI: How to Stay Human in an Age of Isolation — Dr. Samuel Kimbriel

    What does true friendship look like? Is individual ambition making us more isolated? What role can religion and philosophy play in giving life meaning? How can we preserve human agency and connection in the age of AI? Our second episode features Dr. Samuel Kimbriel, a political philosopher, author, and founding director of Aspen’s Philosophy & Society Initiative. In this episode, Rohan and Dr. Kimbriel discuss friendship, loneliness, religion, and artificial intelligence, exploring how philosophy can help young people think more deeply about meaning, community, and what it means to be human in a rapidly changing world. If you’d like to learn more about Samuel Kimbriel, please visit his Substack: https://substack.com/@samuelkimbriel. Dialexicon is a free podcast dedicated to promoting philosophical education and deep reflection. We invite philosophers from around the globe to discuss philosophy in the context of contemporary injustices—all at an easy-to-understand and digestible level. Website: https://dialexicon.org YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@dialexicon (00:00) Introduction (01:09) Dr. Kimbriel’s Background: Nature, Reading, and Philosophy (03:21) From Academic Philosophy to Public Philosophy (05:03) Loneliness as a Philosophical Problem (08:28) Why Friendship Matters in Philosophy(10:42) Plato, Aristotle, and the Desire for Connection (14:37) Individuality, Hobbes, and the Disharmony Tradition (19:49) Is Modern Loneliness New? (22:36) Religion, Ritual, and Older Social Structures (25:32) When Friendship Becomes a Luxury Good (27:47) Indian Family Culture vs. American Individualism (31:12) Professional Ambition and Instrumental Friendships (34:32) Building Counter-Habits: Friendship, Nature, and Reading (37:58) Europe, Family, and Alternative Ways of Life (40:13) Religion, Secularization, and the Search for Meaning (46:43) Technology, AI, and New Forms of Isolation (48:54) Philosophy’s Role in Public Life and Tech (53:25) AI, Agency, De-Skilling, and Political Power (56:50) Can AI Support Human Connection? (59:04) Advice for Young People in an Age of Fear (01:01:23) Why Schools Need Philosophy (01:03:40) Music, Meaning, and Harmony (01:05:01) Closing Reflections and Outro

    1h 5m
  3. May 20

    Indian Philosophy: Consciousness and Play — Professor Deepak Sarma

    Welcome to SEASON 2 of the Dialexicon Podcast!How do we know if our experiences are real or not? Is consciousness intrinsic? What can mystical experiences reveal? How can we embrace epistemic humility?Our first episode features Dr. Deepak Sarma, a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Case Western Reserve University. In this episode, Rohan and Professor Sarma explore the evolution and treatment of Indian philosophy, its applications in the fields of consciousness and perception, and the concept of play.If you’d like to learn more about Deepak Sarma and their work, please visit their personal website: http://www.deepak-sarma.squarespace.com/.Dialexicon is a free podcast dedicated to promoting philosophical education and deep reflection. We invite philosophers from around the globe to discuss philosophy in the context of contemporary injustices—all at an easy-to-understand and digestible level.Website: https://dialexicon.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dialexicon (0:00): Introduction and Dr. Sarma’s Background (1:00): From STEM to Philosophy (4:20): Discovering Indian Philosophy and Vedanta (8:55): Risk, Passion, and Expectations in Indian-American Culture (14:10): What Philosophy Really Means (16:30): Indian Philosophy vs. Western Philosophy (23:00): Contemporary Indian Philosophy and Colonial Influence (30:25): Yoga, Spirituality, and Western Appropriation (35:35): Questioning Reality and Cultural Construction (39:45): Consciousness, the Self, and Indian Thought (47:20): Psychedelics and Mystical Experience (52:40): Music, Play, and Liberal Arts Education (59:40): Philosophy, Youth, and Epistemic Humility (1:04:00): Modern Society, Certainty, and Misinformation (1:07:00): Closing Reflections and Outro

    1h 7m

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A podcast dedicated to promoting philosophical education and deep reflection. We invite philosophers from around the globe to discuss philosophy in the context of contemporary injustices – all at an easy-to-understand and digestible level. New episodes weekly on Friday.

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