Within Reason

Alex J O'Connor
  • 4.9 (1.7K)
  • Philosophy
  • Updated Monthly

For the curious. A philosophy podcast that sometimes flirts with other disciplines, Within Reason has featured guests including Richard Dawkins, Douglas Murray, William Lane Craig, Peter Singer, Konstantin Kisin, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

  1. 18h ago

    #166 Are Plants Conscious? - Michael Pollan

    Get all sides of every story and be better informed at ⁠https://ground.news/AlexOC⁠ - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. Come to my North American tour this November: https://www.alexoconnor.com/p/tour. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠. Michael Pollan is an American journalist and the first Lewis K. Chan Arts Lecturer at Harvard University. Get A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) North America Tour (0:20) The Solar Eclipse (2:56) What Is It Like To Be A Plant? (14:52) Are Neurons Overrated? (19:15) Is This All Complete Nonsense? (20:59) The Strange Behaviour of Plants (26:37) Consciousness by Negation (37:31) Does Matter Or Consciousness Come First? (44:09) What Do Humans Have That Plants Don’t? (54:25) Do Plants Feel Pain? (56:52) Is Feeling the Basis of Consciousness? (01:06:45) Is Consciousness Falsifiable? (01:17:41) Where Does Awareness Come From? (01:22:15) Are Psychedelic Experiences Real? (01:24:59) What is Everybody Getting Wrong About Consciousness? CONNECT: My Website  YouTube Instagram TikTok⁠ Twitter Facebook CONTACT: Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

  2. Aug 31

    #165 Buddhist Emptiness Explained - Jan Westerhoff

    Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.Come to my North American tour this November: https://www.alexoconnor.com/p/tour.Jan Westerhoff is a German philosopher and orientalist with specific interests in metaphysics and the philosophy of language. He is currently Professor of Buddhist Philosophy in the Faculty of Theology and Religion of the University of Oxford.Get Jan Westerhoff's books here.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Nāgārjuna, The “Second Buddha”6:03 The Middle Way9:16 Ontological Nihilism20:00 Are Madhyamaka Buddhists Nihilists?38:56 How Emptiness Escapes Causal Arguments for God45:40 Preempting Immanuel Kant?50:37 Emptiness1:10:07 How to Escape Suffering1:16:54 Visualising Emptiness1:20:30 Is Consciousness Empty?1:34:28 Reality Without SubstanceCONNECT:My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskepticFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskepticInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: @CosmicSkepticThe Within Reason Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/16wUbvDT95dxzpG2KEhakK?si=3196e07690bb489dCONTACT:Business email: contact@alexoconnor.comBrand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

  3. Aug 9

    #164 The Chosen Creator: Putting Words in Jesus' Mouth?

    Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Dallas Jenkins is an American film and television director, writer and producer. He is best known as the creator, director, co-writer and executive producer of The Chosen, the first multi-season series about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. LINKS: Watch the trailer for season six of The Chosen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nymMxV88QyY&feature=youtu.be Season six premieres November 15th on Prime Video, with three episodes at launch and new episodes weekly through December 6th. And the story doesn't end on streaming — the season finale arrives as a feature film, exclusively in theaters, on March 12th, 2027. Follow The Chosen: https://www.thechosen.tv/en-us https://www.instagram.com/thechosentvseries/ https://www.tiktok.com/@thechosentv?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/InsideTheChosen https://www.youtube.com/@TheChosenSeries Follow Dallas: https://www.facebook.com/DallasJenkinsOfficialhttps://www.instagram.com/dallas.jenkins/https://www.youtube.com/@DallasJenkinsOfficial TIMESTAMPS: (00:21) What is The Chosen’s Purpose?(04:01) Is It Appropriate to Embellish the Story of Jesus?(14:05) Harmonising the Gospel Accounts(36:40) Do Actors Sometimes Theologically Disagree?(48:02) Controversial Additions to the Show(56:14) Why Didn’t Jesus Heal Little James?(01:14:47) Depicting Judas Iscariot(01:33:25) The Women of The Chosen(01:40:37) Stories Left Out of the Show(01:46:58) Watching The Chosen As an Agnostic CONNECT: My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

  4. Jul 31

    #163 Religion is an Obligation - Ross Douthat

    Get all sides of every story and be better informed at ⁠https://ground.news/AlexOC⁠ - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠. VIDEO NOTES: Ross Douthat is an American journalist who is a correspondent for the CBS News program 60 Minutes. Prior to joining CBS, he was a conservative columnist at The New York Times, a senior editor at The Atlantic, and film critic for National Review. He has written on religion, politics, and society.Get "Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious": https://amzn.to/4fw2bIJ TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Is Religious Belief An Obligation?(17:44) Pantheism vs Theism(23:35) The Connection Between Mind and Universe(43:32) The Fine-Tuning Argument(49:18) The Problem of Evil(1:06:26) Is Belief in God Enough?(1:20:53) Animal Suffering(1:34:37) Is Heaven Hierarchical? CONNECT: My Website  YouTube Instagram TikTok⁠ Twitter Facebook CONTACT: Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

  5. Jul 30

    #162 Two Million Subscriber QnA

    Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) – Intro (0:18) – My YouTube Watch History (01:33) – What Do I Want to Be Remember For? (10:13) – Will I Do a PhD? (13:06) – Warzone (13:28) – How Many Philosophers Does It Take to Screw in a Light Bulb? (14:14) – My Music Channel (14:30) – My Career if I Wasn't a YouTuber (15:49) – Things I Struggle With (17:58) – Favourite Beatles Song? (19:20) – Daily Life and Episode Prep (23:09) – Favourite Debate? (27:17) – Which Country Do I Want to Visit? (27:30) – Which Country Do I Never Want to Visit? (28:09) – Which Person from History Would I Want to Talk To? (31:47) – Who Am I a Fan Of? (32:18) – Favourite Sport and Club? (39:25) – Favourite Dish and Beverage? (40:23) – What Is One Thing You Regret? - CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: @CosmicSkeptic The Within Reason Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/16wUbvDT95dxzpG2KEhakK?si=3196e07690bb489d - CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co------------------------------------------

  6. Jul 15

    #161 What’s the Point of Going Back to the Moon? Chris Hadfield -

    Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠. Chris Hadfield is a retired Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, test pilot, and CSA astronaut. As the first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, he has flown two Space Shuttle missions and also served as commander of the International Space Station. Get Chris's book Final Orbit. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Have We Lost Interest in Space Travel? (3:56) What Is There To Learn In Space? (12:01) Is Space Exploration National Or Global? (18:00) Will Civilians Need Training To Go To Space? (22:35) The Psychological Challenges of Space Exploration (26:28) Are Astronauts Thrill Seekers? (34:33) Writing Fiction As An Astronaut (42:58) How Chris Became a Novelist (50:32) The Biggest Risk Chris Has Ever Taken (53:09) How Chris Tackles Fear CONNECT: My Website  YouTube Instagram TikTok⁠ Twitter Facebook CONTACT: Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

  7. Jul 2

    #160 Every Theory of Consciousness - Robert Lawrence Kuhn

    Get all sides of every story and be better informed at ⁠https://ground.news/AlexOC⁠ - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠. Robert Lawrence Kuhn is an American public intellectual and investment banker. He is also an author, television producer, columnist and commentator, especially on topics related to China. Kuhn is the creator of the PBS series ⁠ @CloserToTruthTV ⁠.View the Landscape of Consciousness Map ⁠here⁠. TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) The Landscape of Consciousness Map (16:32) Materialism (26:58) What Counts As Materialism? (45:12) The Difference Between Panpsychism and Materialism (49:36) What’s the Difference Between Panpsychism and Idealism? (58:12) Idealism and Monism (1:03:51) Do All These “Theories” Really Differ? (1:08:40) Dualism and Property Dualism (1:20:30) Are Psychedelic Experiences Significant? (1:32:02) The “Challenge” Category (1:42:36) Quantum Theories of Consciousness (1:47:57) Integrated Information Theory (2:01:53) Theological Approaches to Consciousness (2:15:33) How Theory of Mind Brings Us Together CONNECT: My Website  YouTube Instagram Twitter Facebook ⁠TikTok⁠⁠ CONTACT: Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

  8. Jun 25

    #159 Aristotle: The World's Greatest Philosopher?

    Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. John Sellars is a Reader in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, a visiting Research Fellow at King's College London and a Member of Wolfson College, Oxford. His books include Lessons in Stoicism, The Fourfold Remedy, Aristotle and his work has been translated into over a dozen languages. Get John Sellars' books here. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) What’s So Great About Aristotle? (03:06) Actuality and Potentiality (12:59) Forms: Aristotle vs Plato (20:02) The Four Causes (25:16) Evolution and Final Causation (29:40) Did Aristotle Believe In God? (32:38) The Unmoved Mover (38:58) The Soul (Is Not What You Might Think) (48:51) How Aristotle Invented Formal Logic (55:54) The Nicomachean Ethics (01:15:56) Ethics as Descriptive (01:21:04) Where To Start With Aristotle CONNECT: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠ Business Email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co

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Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
1,684 Ratings

About

For the curious. A philosophy podcast that sometimes flirts with other disciplines, Within Reason has featured guests including Richard Dawkins, Douglas Murray, William Lane Craig, Peter Singer, Konstantin Kisin, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Information

  • Creator
    Alex J O'Connor
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    162
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Alex J O'Connor
  • Show Website
    Within Reason

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