20 episodes

Join us each month as we engage in philosophical discussions about the most common-place topics with host Jack Russell Weinstein, professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of North Dakota. He is the director of The Institute for Philosophy in Public Life.

WHY? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life Jack Russell Weinstein / Prairie Public

    • Society & Culture
    • 5.0 • 41 Ratings

Join us each month as we engage in philosophical discussions about the most common-place topics with host Jack Russell Weinstein, professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of North Dakota. He is the director of The Institute for Philosophy in Public Life.

    “How Does Luck Determine Our Lives?”

    “How Does Luck Determine Our Lives?”

    Jack visits with Mark Robert Rank, author of the forthcoming book, The Random Factor: How Chance and Luck Profoundly Shape Our Lives and the World Around Us."What shapes our economic fortunes? Perhaps what immediately comes to mind are attributes such as education, skills or labour-market experience. Demographics such as age and your parents’ socioeconomic status might also be considered."Yet surprisingly, according to a wide range of social scientists, these factors are only able to explain about 35 per cent of the variance in earnings. In other words, 65 per cent of the differences in individual income defy our standard assumptions."— Quote from an essay by Dr. Rank.

    • 1 hr 6 min
    Should Prisons Be Abolished

    Should Prisons Be Abolished

    “Should we abolish prisons?” Host Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein discusses that with Tommie Shelby, Caldwell Titcomb Professor of African and African American Studies and of Philosophy at Harvard University.

    • 1 hr 22 min
    "A Philosophy of Gaming"

    "A Philosophy of Gaming"

    Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Frank Lantz, the director of the New York University Game Center. For over 12 years, Lantz taught game design at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program. "His writings on games, technology, and culture have appeared in a variety of publications. In 2012, The New York Times referred to Lantz as a "reigning genius of the mysteries of games" following his design of iPhone puzzle game Drop7." (Wikipedia)

    • 1 hr 32 min
    Our November Podcast Mistake

    Our November Podcast Mistake

    We initially sent out the wrong audio! If you downloaded the mistake, please delete that, refresh your feed, and try again. That should give you the correct conversation as Jack visits with David Livingston Smith in an episode titled: "Why do we dehumanize people?" You can also find that audio HERE.

    • 35 sec
    "Why do we dehumanize people?"

    "Why do we dehumanize people?"

    Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with David Livingston Smith, professor of philosophy at the University of New England, author of "On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It" from Oxford University Press.

    • 1 hr 21 min
    The Ethics of Cryptocurrency

    The Ethics of Cryptocurrency

    Catherine Flick is a Reader in Computing and Social Responsibility in the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility at De Montfort University. She also currently has a visiting fellowship at Staffordshire University.

    • 1 hr 28 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
41 Ratings

41 Ratings

Mashanay ,

Such a good thoughtful podcast

It really does make you think. I appreciate the episode on cults and on motherhood because it raises things you might have never thought about.

Anna478 ,

The best philosophy podcast!

I’ve listened to a lot of philosophy podcasts, but this one takes the cake. Jack does an outstanding job at facilitating fascinating conversations while still being accessible and easily digestible. The guests are always a delight, and you can tell that everyone is invested in the project. Highly recommend for anyone that’s intellectually curious and wants to hear genuine conversations between genuine people! <3

Thor8 ,

Worth your time Podcast

Finally we have a quality, professional podcast option. Pairs with any downtime in the car or easy listening after a long day. The guests are current and relevant in their fields. Host Dr. Jack Weinstein has created a listener focused conversation providing new insights to modern concerns.

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