In April 2024, we lost one of the greatest American philosophers of our time—Daniel Dennett. Known for his brilliant mind and controversial views, his contributions to philosophy include topics like consciousness, AI, evolution, atheism, intentions, free will and moral responsibility. In this special episode remembering his life and work, Josh and Ray are joined by Jenann Ismael from Johns Hopkins University, author of How Physics Makes Us Free, to listen to some of Dennett’s past appearances on the program with John and Ken.

With the Oscars dust settled, it’s time to think about what movies of the past year challenged our assumptions and made us think about things in new ways. Josh and guest co-host Jorah Danenberg present our annual Dionysus Awards for the most thought-provoking movies of the last twelve months, including:

• Best Future-Facing Fantasy That Asks What Makes Us Human (and Whether That’s Even a Good Thing)
• Best Tweak on a Classic That Raises Questions about Parents and Children
• Best TV Show That Blows Up All Your Theories of Personal Identity

Seventeenth century philosopher Thomas Hobbes believed that without government to control our worst impulses, life would be ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.’ Consequently, he thought that absolute monarchy is the best form of government. So is Hobbes’ ideal citizen simply someone who is willing to submit to absolute authority, or are there other features the ideal citizen must have? What flaws would make a subject bad, or worse, a threat to peace in the realm? And are there any lessons modern democracies can learn from Hobbes’ political philosophy? Josh and Ken submit to Stanford political scientist Alison McQueen, author of Political Realism in Apocalyptic Times.

We all engage in mental actions of various kinds, whether it’s planning the coming week, trying to remember the lyrics of a song, or imagining what we’d look like with a different haircut. These thought processes have significance for us and help us direct our other actions. But are we really in control of trains of thoughts or do they just pop into consciousness? Does it make sense to criticize others for what goes on inside their heads? And is there anything we can do to improve the quality of our thinking? Josh and guest-host Blakey Vermeule do things in the mind of their Stanford colleague Antonia Peacocke, author of Mental Means (forthcoming).

Nísia Floresta was a 19th-century writer and translator known as “the Brazilian Mary Wollstonecraft.” She published the first book on women’s rights in South America, when Brazil was gaining independence from Portugal and a new post-colonial nation was being built. She also argued for the rights of the enslaved and indigenous Brazilians, who were marginalized and exploited in this new nation. Josh and Ray explore her life and thought with Nastassja Pugliese from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, author of Nísia Floresta (Elements on Women in the History of Philosophy).

People who are addicted to substances display a puzzling behavior: they keep using even when it causes harm and distress to them and the people in their lives. Why would someone do this? Is it the result of a brain disease? Can we explain it in psychological terms without victim-blaming? What if everyone is irrational, whether or not they’re addicted to substances? Josh and Ray can’t quit talking to Hanna Pickard from Johns Hopkins University, author of What Would You Do Alone in a Cage with Nothing but Cocaine? A Philosophy of Addiction.

More at https://philosophytalk.org/shows/who-speaks-you.

People often speak on behalf of others, like the concerned citizen who stands up for their neighbors at a city council meeting, or the activist who defends the rights of an oppressed group. Some of these spokespeople are elected, and some volunteer, but others simply get drafted into the role. What gives someone the right to speak on behalf of others? What responsibilities do they take on when they do? And how should the rest of us respond to what they say? Josh and Ray speak for themselves with their Stanford colleague Wendy Salkin, author of Speaking for Others: The Ethics of Informal Political Representation.

Mary Wollstonecraft is often labeled as a “liberal feminist” because of her concern for women’s rights and conceptions of freedom. But that label narrows her work, which was broadly critical of all social inequalities that distort human relations. So why did Wollstonecraft think that virtue is not truly possible unless we are all free? What did she think was key to the liberation of women? And what were her criticisms of the powerful institutions of her day, like the monarchy? Josh and Ray explore the life and thought of Mary Wollstonecraft with Sylvana Tomaselli from the University of Cambridge, author of Wollstonecraft: Philosophy, Passion, and Politics.