Why? Radio Podcast Archive

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  Should We Abolish Prisons?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Tommie Shelby

  Most of us agree that the American prison system is broken. Recidivism is dangerously high and life for the inmates is brutal and often torturous. While there are many voices for strengthening or reforming American prisons, there are other more vociferous ones who insist that it’s time to dismantle them. That’s what we are going to talk about this month. On our next episode, we’ll explore the Black radical tradition that challenges the very legitimacy of incarceration.

  Tommie Shelby is Caldwell Titcomb Professor in the Department of African and African American Studies and the Department of Philosophy at Harvard University. He is the author of three books, most recently, The Idea of Prison Abolition. This is also Tommie’s second appearance on our show. He joined us in July 2016 for a discussion called “How to think philosophically about black identity.”

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  A Philosophy of Games

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Frank Lantz

  We’ve been playing games our entire lives, just as humans as a whole have played them since the dawn of the species. Have we ever really thought about them in a philosophical way? Have we asked why we play them, what meaning they serve in our lives, and what makes them good and worthwhile? If not, it’s about time we did. Are boardgames and videogames different types of things? Does playing for money instead of friendship change their value? How does competition inspire empathy? This episode addresses these questions and more.

  Frank Lantz is a game designer and Founding Chair of the NYU Game Center. He is the cofounder of Area/Code Games and Everybody House Games, and the creator of the game Universal Paperclips. He has taught game design for over 20 years at New York University, Parsons School of Design, and the School of Visual Arts. His new book The Beauty of Games was just released by MIT Press two months ago.

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  Why do we Dehumanize People?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and David Livingstone Smith

  The history of humanity is an endless cycle of identifying us versus them: of violence between people who look down on one another as subhuman and monsters; of not just killing, but brutalizing, maiming and massacring in the name of superiority. On this episode, we explore the philosophical foundations of this phenomenon and its roots in culture, ideology, psychology, and history. We ask who makes these monsters and how they are made.

  David Livingstone Smith is a professor of philosophy at the University of New England. He is the author of numerous books including, most recently, On Humanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist it, and Making Monsters, The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization. He speaks widely in both academic and non-academic settings, including being a guest at the G20 economic summit, where he spoke on dehumanization and mass violence. His website can be found at: www.davidlivingstonesmith.com.

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  The Ethics of Cryptocurrency

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Catherine Flick

  We’ve all heard the names: bitcoin, dogecoin, NFTs. We’ve all been told that cryptocurrency is the wave of the future and will make us rich. Is it and will it? Or is crypto just another rigged game designed to separate suckers and their money? On this episode, we ask what cryptocurrency is, how it works, and whether it can create a new moral marketplace.

  Catherine Flick is a Reader in Computing and Social Responsibility at the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility at De Montfort University, and a visiting fellow at Staffordshire University, both in England.

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  How to Give Sex Advice

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Dan Savage

  For over 30 years the columnist and podcaster Dan Savage, has been giving frank and explicit sex advice to people who send in questions. Is there a philosophy behind his counsel? How does he or any of us deal with the radical changes in sexual behavior that have been triggered by technology and increased permissiveness? On this episode, we explore consent, polyamory, kink, fluid sexuality, and even answer a few listeners’ sex questions.

  Dan Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist, and LGBT community activist. For almost 20 years his sex advice podcast Savage Love has been at the forefront of sex education and cultural change. You can find more information and his podcast at Savage.love.

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  The Myths of Whiteness

  Jack Russell Weinstein and David Mura

  What does it mean to be white? According to David Mura, it means having a unique way of seeing and being in the world, one that’s exclusionary and prevents people from sharing others’ perspectives. It means inheriting a specific way of telling stories and inheriting the power to define truth itself. On this episode we explore these claims and consider the history that has created our racial divide.

  David Mura is a memoirist, essayist, novelist, poet, critic, playwright and performance artist. He is the author of numerous books and collections, most recently, The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives.

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  The Case for Nonhuman Rights

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Jeff Sebo

  Most of the world is nonhuman and everything we do affects them, and there are thousands of times more of them than there are of us. If we have rights and we’re in the minority, shouldn’t animals as well? On the next episode of Why?, we’ll dive into the world of animal ethics, exploring the legal, political, and moral implications of acknowledging that animals suffer.

  Jeff Sebo is a Clinical Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, and Affiliated Professor of Bioethics, Medical Ethics, Philosophy, and Law at New York University. He is the author, most recently, of Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves.

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  Consolation, Solace, and Leadership

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Michael Ignatieff

  Human life is fleeting. We lose loved ones, our youth, and, well, everything else. What most people need more of is consolation: solace in the face of loss. On this episode, we explore the intellectual history of consolation, looking at how philosophers, artists, and even some politicians address the need for private and public comfort. From Cicero, to Abraham Lincoln, to Camus, we ask how the idea has evolved over time to be culture specific and idiosyncratic.

  Michael Ignatieff is a trained historian, a professor, author, broadcaster, and the former leader of the Canadian Liberal Party. He has written fiction, history, philosophy, and public commentary, and currently teachers at Central European University in Vienna, Austria where he served as Rector. He is the author, most recently of On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times.

  During the conversation, Jack mentions one of his favorite books, When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold Kushner. You can find it here.

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  Philosophy of Depression

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Andrew Soloman

  What is going on with depression? How much of it is mind and how much is body? How should people manage the unjustified guilt that often comes with it? There is a worldwide epidemic of depression but surprisingly few philosophical investigations on its nature and meaning. On this episode, we change that. We ask the deep and nuanced questions, moving past the stigma and disrespect that burdens victims who seek help. We also explore the value of caregivers and explain why a “crazy” friend is sometimes the best friend to have. Joined by a guest who has written an astonishing memoir, analysis, and history of the illness, we push past the philosophical tradition that dismisses illness as a lack of virtue or a deviation from perfection.

  Andrew Solomon is Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Medical Center, a Lecturer in Psychiatry at Yale University, and a former President of PEN American Center. He is the author of numerous books, all of which have had receptions most authors only dream about. On this episode, we revisit his 2001 memoir, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize.

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  What’s it Like Being a Philosophy Student?

  Jack Russell Weinstein, Samuel Amendolar, Terese Azure, Madilyn Lee, and Sara Rasch

  Philosophy is a discipline, but it’s also a major. Most people who do it are on college campuses. We’ve spent the last fifteen years talking to the professors, now it’s time for the students. What’s it like studying philosophy in a culture obsessed with job readiness? Are professors’ expectations difficult to meet? How much of what you learn feels academic and how much is intimate, requiring self-examination and behavioral change?

  In this special episode of Why? Radio, host Jack Russell Weinstein interviews four of his current students to learn what studying philosophy is like in their own words. They discuss their struggles with learning during Covid, the difficulties of attending university as am indigenous student, and, in some very moving discussion, the experience of being in Jack’s class.

  Each of the four students attend the University of North Dakota, and have been in multiple classes with Jack. Madilyn Lee is a freshman from East Grand Forks, Minnesota. She is one of the few incoming students who declared a philosophy major from day one. Sara Rasch is a senior who will be graduating in the Fall. She’s a philosophy major and my current Why? Radio/Institute for Philosophy in Public Life Intern. She’s from Hibbing, MN. Terese Azure is a senior graduating in about six weeks. She’s an English Major and is planning on going to Law School. She’s from the Turtle Mountain Reservation located in Belcourt, ND. Sam Amendolar graduated with a philosophy degree in 2016 and spent a year being the IPPL/Why? Radio’s intern. He is completing a Masters’ degree in English at UND and was just accepted into the school’s English Doctoral program.

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  Data, Technology, and The Power of Privacy

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Carissa Veliz

  We all know that our internet privacy is being eroded, but how far down the rabbit hole have we really gone? Is it even possible to be anonymous anymore? On this episode, we discuss the many ways we are surveilled and the power privacy has. Does data control us? Is privacy an obsolete concept? These and other questions illustrate how much corporate and state access to our data has changed society. Is freedom worth sacrificing for safety and convenience? Is continued surveillance compatible at all with civil liberties? Join us as we seek answers.

  Carissa Veliz is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy and the Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence. She is also a Tutorial Fellow at Hertford College of Oxford University. She is the author of the recently published book, Privacy is Power: Why and How you should take back control of your data.

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  Why Everyone Should Join a Union

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Mark Reiff

  The US Congress just forced a labor agreement on rail workers, despite the fact that more than half of the rail union members didn’t want it. If they can do this, why join a union in the first place? Amazon and Starbucks workers are attempting to form Unions as well, but those companies are strongly opposed to unions, too. What are unions for, why should people join them, and given that history of the labor movement’s greatest victories–things like mandatory weekends and safety regulations–why don’t we all bend over backwards to strengthen collective bargaining? In this discussion, Why? host Jack Russell Weinstein asks his guest whether unions “corrupt” capitalism or if they are necessary components of a just society.

  Mark Reiff was a lawyer before he received his Ph.D. He has since taught political, legal, and moral philosophy at the University of Manchester, the University of Durham, The Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, and the University of California at Davis. He was a Faculty Fellow at the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University. He is also the author of five books including: In the Name of Liberty: The Argument for Universal Unionization.

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  What Makes a Movie Good?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Jinhee Choi

  Watching movies is one of the great pleasures of life, but we all tend to pay attention to the latest Marvel blockbuster without recognizing that there is a world of cinema out there that sees itself as art, not just entertainment. Is an Avengers movie good in the same way that The Godfather or a low-budget indie film are, and are there objective standards of quality that are separate from popularity and ticket sales? Should movies from one country be thought of as distinct from movies in other countries? When does a movie begin and end, with the action or with the credits? What does it mean to look at a film philosophically, in the first place? This episode discusses these questions and more with an eye towards global cinema.

  Jinhee Choi is a reader in Film Studies and the Head of the Film Studies Department at King’s College in London. She has two PhDs, one in Philosophy and one in Film Studies. She is currently working on a book about the portrayal of girls and their sensibilities horror, “chick flicks,” thrillers, and other genres in South Korean cinema.

  Here are Jinhee’s lists of favorite movies per decade:

  World Cinema

  • 1920: Backward Bread [Kino Eye] (Vertov, 1924)
  • 1930: The Gay Divorcee (Astaire/Rogers musical, RKO, 1934)
  • 1940: LateSpring(Ozu,1949)
  • 1950: (2 films in the 1960s instead)
  • 1960: The Eclipse (Antonioni, 1962), 15/67 TV (Kren, 1967)
  • 1970: Jeanne Dielman (Akerman, 1975)
  • 1980: The Time to Live and The Time to Die (Hou,1985)
  • 1990: Days of Being Wild (Wong, 1990)
  • 2000: The Royal Tenenbaums (Anderson, 2001)
  • 2010: The Chambermaid (Aviles, 2018)

  Post-War Korean Cinema

  • 1950: A Female Boss (Han Hyeong-mo, 1959)
  • 1960: The Devil’s Stairway (Lee Man-hui, 1964) / A Day Off (Lee Man-hui, 1968)
  • 1970: Night Voyage (Kim Soo-yong, 1977)
  • 1980: Gagman (Lee Myeong-se, 1989)
  • 1990: Whispering Corridor 2: Memento Mori (Min + Kim, 1999)
  • 2000: Memories of Murder (Bong Joon-ho, 2003)/A Bittersweet Life (Kim Jee-woon, 2005)
  • 2010: Maggie (Lee Okseop, 2018)
  • 2020: Tiny Light (Cho Min-je, 2020)

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  Philosophical Concerns about Todays Supreme Court

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Andrew Seidel

  As the New Supreme Court term gets underway, everyone is wondering just how far to the right they will shift. Many commentators claim the majority of justices no longer appear to be fair-minded, that they seem to be speaking for others and reinterpreting laws ideologically while ignoring precedent. Is this true and if it is, who are the voices behind the justices? Is there a justification for ignoring settled law and are justices just political operatives with lifelong appointments? On this episode we ask how the Supreme Court should make its decisions and compare this with what they are actually doing. We look specifically at the role of religion in judicial deliberation and ask if American diversity is really at stake.

  And now our guest. Andrew L. Seidel is Vice President of Strategic Communications for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a practicing attorney, and the author of two books: The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American and the newly released American Crusade: How the Supreme Court is Weaponizing Religious Freedom. He appeared on Why? Radio less than a year ago to discuss the separation of church and state, but the Supreme Court has dominated the news so much, that we needed him back right away to finish that conversation.

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  What Does it Mean to be African?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Firoze Manji

  Africa has always been regarded two-dimensionally by Europe and the U.S. It’s been called “the dark continent” falsely described as primitive, consisting only of small villages without technology. It’s people are said to be unable to care from themselves, portrayed only as the recipients of charity. Its countries are always called “developing.” It’s time to get past all of this. On this episode of Why? we explore Africa’s philosophy of liberation and ask whether there is a pan-African perspective. We move past the geography lessons and try to figure out how Africa and Africans can create their own unique identities while, at the same time, resisting the legacy of colonialism.

  Firoze Manji is a Kenyan activist with more than 40 years of experience in international development, health, human rights and political organizing. He has published widely on these topics and on politics. He is the recipient of the 2021 Nicolás Batista Lifetime Achievement Award from the Caribbean Philosophical Association. He is Adjunct Professor at the Institute for African Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, and a member of the international advisory board of the journal Philosophy and Global Affairs. He is the publisher of Daraja Press.

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  What are Community Colleges For?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Brian Huschle

  Community colleges don’t seem to get the respect they deserve. They’re perceived as second-rate institutions or places for people who need extra help. Is this true? Is this fair? Are they fundamentally different than four-year colleges and universities? Can we judge them the same way or are they incomparable? On this episode of Why? we look at the important role of two-year schools and the essential place they hold in their communities.

  Brian Huschle is Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at Northland Technical College, which has two campuses in East Grand Forks and Thief River Falls, Minnesota. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and spent nineteen years in the classroom before moving into administration.

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  How To Think Like a Hindu

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Swami Sarvapriyananda

  On this episode, we interview a Hindu monk. We explore the methods and thought processes of Hinduism, and try to enter into the perspective of what may be the oldest religion in the world. In the process, we examine the purpose and nature of religion, the self, enlightenment, and the meaning of rebirth and reincarnation.

  Swami Sarvapriyananda is the Minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of New York. He was a Nagral Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School, Assistant Minister in the Vedanta Society of Southern California’s Hollywood Temple, and an acharya (teacher) at the Monastic Probationers’ Training Center at Belur Math, India.

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  Ask Me Anything

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Ashley Thornberg

  On this month’s episode we do something different: Jack Russell Weinstein does an “Ask Me Anything”! Why? Radio solicited questions from listeners, students, internet followers, and even the Prairie Public staff to explore philosophy on their terms. From contemporary politics to questions about religion, hot dogs, and even Star Wars, no question is off the table. What results is a funny, quirky, surprising, and challenging series of seemingly-random questions that illustrate the philosophical method, and the pleasure of exploring the philosophy of our day-to-day lives.

  This episode is co-hosted by Ashley Thornberg, host of Prairie Public’s Main Street and co-host with Jack Russell Weinstein of Philosophical Currents, a monthly look at the philosophy behind current-events. Ashley is a journalist, radio engineer, radio producer, and yoga instructor.

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  What is a model minority?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Emily S. Lee

  American politics tells us that being a member of an ethnic minority means being poor, marginalized, and less successful than those in the majority, except for one caveat. Model-minority members are ultra-successful, role models for others, and most of the time, Asian-American. Their members are presumed to have mastered the skills to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Is all of this accurate? Is being held out as special really a compliment? Or, does treating success as a foregone conclusion only punish individual and make their failure seem even worse?

  Emily S. Lee is Professor and Chair in the Philosophy Department of California State University, Fullerton. She is the author of numerous articles, and editor of two volumes, specializing in philosophy of race, phenomenology, and feminism.

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  On the separation of church and state

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Andrew Seidel

  The first amendment guarantees that one religion is not privileged over another, so why does it feel like personal beliefs dominate the public sphere? Private conviction is supposed to guide our moral lives, so why is the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade? On this episode of Why? Radio we ask about these issues and more. We explore the nature and limits of the US constitution and examine the democratic justification for toleration. Ultimately, we come face to face with one of the great questions of the moment: is the first amendment obsolete?

  Andrew L. Seidel is a constitutional attorney and the Director of Strategic Response at the Freedom From Religion Foundation. He is the author of two books, The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American and American Crusade: How the Supreme Court is Weaponizing Religious Freedom, which will be published in 2022.

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  How do philosophers talk about sex, love, and desire?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Sarah Lachance

  Discussing sex can be quite difficult, even embarrassing, but philosophers have been doing it for thousands of years. We love questioning how culture and biology combine to establish what’s normal, and examining the various justifications for transgression. Now, with mainstream acknowledgment of pornography, marginalized sexual identities and orientations, and newfound openness to kinky play, it’s time for philosophy to take another look at what sex means in our lives. With all of these in mind, this episode explored the meaning behind sex, reconsider the questions that are worth asking, and even addresses the issues teachers face when they discuss sexuality with their classes.

  Sarah LaChance Adams is the Florida Blue Distinguished Professor and Director of the Florida Blue Center for Ethics at the University of North Florida. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, the author of the book Mad Mothers, Bad Mothers, and What a Good Mother Would Do and co-editor of three anthologies including New Philosophies of Sex and Love: Thinking through Desire.

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  What is machine learning and why is it important to philosophy?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Emily Sullivan

  We rely on computers for everything from games, to avoiding traffic, to curing disease. This is sped up by machine-learning: the process by which computers adjust their programming without human input. But providing conclusions isn’t the same as explaining them, and offering answers isn’t a substitute for teaching. What more do we need from machine learning and how does our relationship with computers mirror the difficulties we have in understanding one another?

  Emily Sullivan is an Assistant Professor of philosophy and Irène Curie Fellow at both the Eindhoven University of Technology and the Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute, in The Netherlands. She is also a fellow in the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies Research Program consortium, as well as an Associate Editor for the European Journal for the Philosophy of Science.

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  The argument for peace and non-violence

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Kathy Kelly

  Elvis Costello famously asked, “what’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?” It’s a really good question. The idea of peace is all-too-frequently dismissed as superficial and utopian. It’s perceived as a hippie pipe-dream and a waste of resources. Most schools never teach peace as its own subject and it’s very difficult to get politicians to take the idea seriously. On this episode, we explore the idea of peace, and ask about its relationship to activism and current political controversies.

  Kathy Kelly is a peace activist, pacifist, and author. She is a founding member of Voices in the Wilderness, and was a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. She has traveled to war-torn Iraq, Afghanistan, and regularly publishes on issues of social justice. She has been arrested over sixty times for taking a stand in the name of peace.

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  Why do conspiracy theories work?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Quassim Cassam

  We are living in a time of conspiracy theories that fuel a divisive and increasingly violent politics, even when they’re obviously untrue. They are spouted by our representatives; they’re believed by our neighbors. How do conspiracy theories ensnare people so effectively and why are believers so reluctant to change their minds? Can we assume that the truth will win out, or is there something else going on, something beyond logic and reason?

  Quassim Cassam is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Warwick, in England. He has written six books on a range of subjects, including 2019’s aptly titled Conspiracy Theories. His upcoming book Extremism: A Philosophical Analysis is available as a pre-order now.

  More information on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the antisemitic book that purports (falsely) to recount a secret meeting of Jewish world leaders can be found on Wikipedia (click here).

  The book Quassim mentioned Warrant for Genicide by Norman Cohn is out of print.

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  The politics of crisis: how police reform, covid-19, and climate change are all related

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

  We are not living in a calm time. Coronavirus, police violence and protest, and climate change: they all seem as if it’s they’re coming from different directions, but are they? Might there be a common thread that unifies all of our current crises and is there a way of understanding them that helps us change things for the better? In this episode, we explore the nature of radical ideas and consider what changes can be made to cultivate justice, and improve everyone’s quality of life before crises happen.

  Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University. He publishes both scholarly and public research on current controversies, with special emphasis on power, race, radical thought, and social change. His new book Reconsidering Reparations will be published in November.

  Two of the articles we discuss in this episode are:

  “Cops, Climate, Covid: Why There is Only One Crisis” in The Appeal (June 16, 2020): click here.

  “Who Gets to Feel Secure?” in Aeon (October 20, 2020): click here.