Patterson In Pursuit: Philosophy | Politics | Religion

Selfish or simply honest? Egoist philosophy doesn't win popularity contents, but it does claim to be intellectually consistent. The self, they claim, is at the center of all moral values. I am joined by Michael Malice, who is a best-selling author and self-described egoist. We talk about the philosophy, his thoughts on atheism, and some problems with Ayn Rand's Objectivism.   Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

The physical world is made up of particles, not objects. Objects are abstractions - they are conceptual boundaries we put around clumps of matter. Without the mind, those boundaries wouldn't exist. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

My analysis of the philosophies presented so far - covering pragmatism, anarchist legal systems, objective truth, the philosophy of mind, and autodidacticism. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

It's taboo to criticize democracy. However, if we want to have clear political philosophies, we need to look at both the theory and the practice of democracy. Voters in New Hampshire freely chose a self-described socialist and a thinly-veiled fascist as their #1 picks. That should trouble us. With a little effort, we might be able to construct a superior political system that doesn't allow foolish politicians to enact foolish policies. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

American Pragmatism is a philosophy that's been around for morethan a century. It's recently seen a renaissance in the last fewdecades, and I'm talking this week with Dr. John Stuhr, who haswritten several books on the topic.We cover pragmatism from the basics to more advanced concepts,and I get to ask Dr. Stuhr a ton of questions in my own pursuit ofunderstanding the philosophy.  Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

A central question in philosophy is "Can we know anything with perfect certainty?" Either way you answer - yes or no - has big implications. Here's my answer in five minutes. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Do democracies really make the best decisions? Should weencourage everyone to vote, even if they don't understand theissues?I am joined today by Dr. Bryan Caplan, who is a professor ofeconomics at George Mason University. He's also the author of "TheMyth of the Rational Voter" (http://amzn.to/1Wn9xi4), which takes askeptical look at the reliability of voting.We also discuss the educational establishment, from K-12 toHigher Ed, and Dr. Caplan proposes what he calls the "signalingmodel" of education.  Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Skepticism used to be a way of thinking, but nowadays, it's turned into a fashionable clique. Calling yourself a "skeptic" today means you identify with three core ideas - atheism, physicalism, and empiricism. The "skeptics movement" has crowded out people who dissent, and in the process, they've become more dogmatic than those they criticize. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Consciousness remains a metaphysical mystery. Scientists don't understand it, philosophers don't understand it, and neither does anybody else. Is everything in the universe fundamentally physical, or is there something more? Is the physicalist worldview incomplete? Why should first-person experience exist in the first place? Dr. Emrys Westacott is a professor of philosophy at Alfred University. You can read his great introductory book here: http://amzn.to/242NO1B   Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Is there objective truth, or is everything ultimately subjective? Can we know with certainty? These questions are central in philosophy, and it's where we begin the series.  Dr. Emrys Westacott is a professor of philosophy at Alfred University. You can get his excellent introductory book Thinking Through Philosophy here: http://amzn.to/242NO1B Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

Introduction to the show. Who I am and what the show is about. Philosophy and interviews across the world. Talking with intellectuals and professors about big ideas. Covering philosophy, science, religion, politics, economics, mathematics, libertarian theory, and much more. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe