Critical Edge

Lukas Seifert and Oliver Walsh
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  • Politics
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Critical Edge stands for pushing ideas to the limit, and pushing our guests to those limits too. We feel that too many platforms host brilliant individuals, but don’t end up asking the questions that really matter. This is a platform for debate, a disruptive media channel, which discusses perspectives too often unexplored. Get ready for a new communal project. Ideas are sharper at the edge.

  1. 3d ago

    Ilan Pappé: This is Why I Gave Up On My Country | #69

    Best mates Ollie and Lukas sit down with renowned Israeli Historian of the 'New School', Ilan Pappé. In this episode, we pull out the nuances in discussions about the two-state solution, the use of language, the genocide, colonisation, and the future. We begin with an in-depth discussion about how discourse shapes the way we view an issue: should the situation be described as a conflict, a genocide, a war, or something else? The discussion turns around how we can balance the priorities of international policy-makers and NGOs which are actively seeking practical solutions, with the principled approach to language which says we should describe things as we believe them to be. Ilan Pappé, a resident of Israel living in Haifa, explains what it's like on the ground: the problematic attitudes of many everyday Israelis, and how he deals with conflict arising from his pro-Palestinian principles. He even goes so far as to draw parallels with the Nazi regime's discourse surrounding the Jews: the totalising and dehumanising rhetoric that allows one to carry out acts of brutality. This is also top-down, indeed Pappé opens up about how Israeli schools utilitse Middle Eastern history as a way to give their nation a certain view of the world and their place in it. Fear is manipulated in order to keep conflict with Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, and so on, evergoing.Without context, we cannot know where or who we are. Ilan Pappé recognises the tragedy of October 7th, and meanwhile argues that we cannot understand it without the context which brought it into being. He talks about the 'colonisation of Palestine' as being a process of settler colonialism which displaced Palestinians and used violence to erase them from 'the land with no people'. Ollie and Lukas get into it with Ilan about the future. Ollie expresses his internal debate about the two- and one-state solution. One is perhaps more 'pragmatic', and the other more 'ideal'. Ilan tells us that it is not us who should decide, but the Palestinians. Critical Edge is a multi-media community started by two friends seeking to learn how to think, not what to think. Subscribe or check out our other platforms to join the team :) The book Ollie got Lukas for his birthday: https://amzn.to/3T5BlhOOn Palestine: https://amzn.to/4wjqjUP10 Myths about Israel: https://amzn.to/4wjqjUP 00:00 - The significance of language for Israel-Palestine 08:32 - Language and attitudes within Israel 12:31 - Nazism, Fear, and Conversation in Israel 19:17 - The Cycle of Violence: Its Roots and Future 25:42 - October 7th and Historical Context 34:23 - The Two-State Solution, Aparthed, and the Future 45:23 - Normalcy after the Genocide for Palestinians 54:42 - Imagining a Shared Future in Palestine

  2. Jul 13

    We Interviewed a Childcare Worker | In Plain Sight #1

    Ollie and Lukas sit down with social care worker Catherine. They discuss the importance of childcare, how the NHS and national systems are failing children, and where parents go wrong. Catherine shares her personal story of IVF and finding her way to social care.This episode is the first in our new series, In Plain Sight. In this series, Ollie and Lukas get the perspectives of people who do really important work, but whose contributions and points of view aren't heard enough. These essential workers tell us their story, their perspective on what Westminster needs to do differently, and how their sector is changing.Critical Edge is a multi-media community started by two friends seeking to learn how to think, not what to think. Subscribe or check out our other platforms to join the team :)

  3. Jun 23

    Cenk Uygur: The Real Reason I Was Banned From the UK | #68

    Ollie and Lukas sat down again with Cenk Uygur to discuss being banned from the UK for anti-semitism, Israel’s influence in the UK, and Palestine.Critical Edge is a multi-media community started by two friends seeking to learn how to think, not what to think. Subscribe or check out our other platforms to join the team :)

  4. Jun 5

    Philip Pullman: Life Imitates Art | #67

    Critical Edge hosts and best mates Ollie and Lukas sit down with Philip Pullman, renowned author of His Dark Materials.We drew on everything from Milton's Paradise Lost to Superman to William Blake. This episode was about the power of literature to change the way we see ourselves and the way we live our lives, as well as the way storytelling can light up our imaginations. Lukas told Philip about how the concept of the daemon changed the way he saw his own personality, and the souls of those people around him. Philip also shared how Philip Goff's book Galileo's Error, which argued for pansychism, was the non-fiction book that most profoundly shaped his view of the world. Consciousness now seeps everywhere through his literary work. Philip said he doesn't like fantasy, at least not if it doesn't deal with fundamental questions of human psychology. This is why he loved Paradise Lost: the three of us bonded over Gustave Doré's famous illustrations for Paradise Lost, and William Blake's Illuminations.We finished with a discussion about how basic structures of thought can seep into the way we think, even at a young age. Ollie argued that Sleeping Beauty can make us see the man as the active desirer and the woman as the passive desired, although of course Philip thought better stories could plug this gap.Is it impossible to live without narrative structures? Ollie argued that the heads of people who don't read are simply filled with worse narratives, like the American Dream, which prizes money above all. Philip finished by recommending one of his favourite works of political thought for our next guest. Critical Edge is a multi-media community started by two friends seeking to learn how to think, not what to think. Subscribe or check out our other platforms to join the team :) 0:00 - Introduction0:33 - Fiction as a Guide to Life1:44 - The Art of Storytelling3:21 - Growing Up in Australia9:42 - What Daemon Would You Have?16:02 - Books That Shaped Pullman24:01 - Panpsychism and Consciousness30:28 - Fantasy, Paradise Lost, and His Dark Materials42:49 - How Does Fiction Shape our Psychology?51:33 - Stories, Gender Roles, and Fairytales1:01:03 - Outro and Recommendation

  5. May 26

    What Happens When a Philosopher Takes DMT? | #66

    Critical Edge hosts and best mates Ollie and Lukas sit down with rockstar panpyschist Philip Goff.Ollie, Lukas and Philip talked about it all. We started with a discussion about the fundamental nature of consciousness, and why it can't be understood using the language of science: David Chalmer's 'hard problem of consciousness'. This led us to panpsychism and its connection to mystical beliefs. Philip opened up about his experience doing toad venom (5-MEO-DMT) and the perspective that opened up for him regarding our connection to something bigger.

  6. May 13

    Is War Built Into Our Psychology? | #65

    Critical Edge hosts and best mates Ollie and Lukas sit down with veteran of the philosophy game Jeff McMahan, an ethicist who lives and breathes his work. We really got into it this episode. We discussed whether war can ever be justified, the ethics of autonomous weapons, and the difficult questions concerning Gaza and Iran. Jeff isn’t one to weasel his words: you’ll want to hear what he has to say.Critical Edge is a multi-media community started by two friends seeking to learn how to think, not what to think. Subscribe to our Spotify to hear more!

  7. May 4

    The Science of Tripping | #64

    Critical Edge hosts and best mates sit down with Robin Carhart-Harris, leading psychedelic researcher and all round good bloke. We discussed the ethical and philosophical questions attached to psychedelics: such as how a drug can change how we see ourselves and the people around us, or what psychedelics might reveal about consciousness and the universe. Robin takes a pragmatic approach, and advocates for the potential upside in mental health treatment. To find out more about Robin's new book: https://www.carhartharrislab.com/upcoming-book

  8. Apr 3

    This Is Why Art Matters | #63

    Critical Edge hosts and best mates Ollie and Lukas sit down with rockstar philosopher Nigel Warburton, co-host of Philosophy Bites.Ollie, Lukas and Nigel had a great chat about whether art is subjective, how cultural beauty standards shape us, Nigel's favourite books and paintings, and what it is about art that is so essentially human. Critical Edge is a multi-media community started by two friends seeking to learn how to think, not what to think. Subscribe or check out our other platforms to join the team :)

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About

Critical Edge stands for pushing ideas to the limit, and pushing our guests to those limits too. We feel that too many platforms host brilliant individuals, but don’t end up asking the questions that really matter. This is a platform for debate, a disruptive media channel, which discusses perspectives too often unexplored. Get ready for a new communal project. Ideas are sharper at the edge.

Information

  • Creator
    Lukas Seifert and Oliver Walsh
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    77
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Lukas Seifert and Oliver Walsh
  • Show Website
    Critical Edge

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