Fake News, Real Stoicism with Justin McBrayer (Episode 7)

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Stoicism is a philosophy that is ultimately geared towards attaining knowledge. Because of that it is crucial to know what kind of media environment we live in and how to navigate it.

In this episode, Caleb speaks with philosophy professor Justin McBrayer. They discuss his most recent book Beyond Fake News: Finding the Truth in a World of Misinformation. 

Caleb and Justin talk about how to think about the problem and strategies for individuals who want to see the world as it is.

Learn more about Justin McBrayer at his website: https://www.justinmcbrayer.com/

(2:05) The Problem of Fake News

(4:20) Why is there Fake News?

(12:41) Impact of the Internet

(16:10) is it our fault?

(21:50) Proximity kills our heroes

(24:19) Becoming better believers

(32:46) Relying on Experts

(38:31) Expert incentives

(43:29) Problems with media scoring

(46:15) Long covid

(48:52) Rules for dealing with experts

(50:00) Does intelligence matter?

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Stoa Conversations is Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay’s podcast on Stoic theory and practice.

Caleb and Michael work together on the Stoa app. Stoa is designed to help you build resilience and focus on what matters. It combines the practical philosophy of Stoicism with modern techniques and meditation.

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com

Caleb Ontiveros has a background in academic philosophy (MA) and startups. His favorite Stoic is Marcus Aurelius. Follow him here: https://twitter.com/calebmontiveros

Michael Tremblay also has a background in academic philosophy (PhD) where he focused on Epictetus. He is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His favorite Stoic is Epictetus. Follow him here: https://twitter.com/_MikeTremblay

Thank you to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/