Why? Radio Podcast Archive

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  A philosophy of consulting

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Bob Colleran

  It seems like every business in the world uses consultants, but what do they really do and what makes one consultant better than another? Are there overarching ethical standards that guide the industry or is the ultimate motivation profit? On this episode of Why? Radio we ask what makes a good consultant. We come face-to-face with the inherent conflict of interest in the industry, and examine the pros and cons of business education.

  Bob Colleran is founder and CEO of Alithi Management Consulting. He has an MBA and a M.A. in International Studies. Bob specializes in developing strategy and executing tactics across a wide range of industries, including global philanthropies, media & entertainment, high-tech, consumer products, retail, telecommunications, government and financial institutions.

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  A philosophy of motherhood

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Danielle Lasusa

  Motherhood. It seems both complicated and simple. The most natural thing in the world, but also the biggest responsibility one can imagine. The history of philosophy has largely ignored motherhood, so where does one start, and what does it look like under a philosophical lens? Can a philosopher help coach and guide mothers in their journeys? Can they work together to find meaning and commonality in the more difficult aspects of parenting?

  Danielle LaSusa calls herself a ‘practical philosopher.” She has been a teacher and philosophical coach for thirteen years, has a Ph.D. in philosophy, and is certified in philosophical counseling form the American Philosophical Practitioners Association. She hosts workshops and teaches courses on a range of issues, but specializes in discussion about motherhood.

  Find out more about her work and see how to schedule time with Danielle at https://www.daniellemlasusa.com/

  Read her opinion piece in The New York Times, “Death Was a Theory, Until I Became a Mother,” here.

  Three podcasts were mentioned in the episode. The episode of Why? Radio, “Plato Not Prozac: What is Philosophical Counseling with guest Lou Marinoff,” is here.
  Our other discussion of motherhood, in the context of raising a special-needs child, “Justice, Caring, and the Mentally Disabled with guest Eva Kittay,” is here.

  Danielle and Jack’s discussion about doing philosophy with the general public can be heard via this video:

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  Is the law consistent?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Andrew Torrez

  It seems like Congress can do something one day, but not the same thing the day after. It often feels like the law is only about loopholes rather than a tool for everyday people. Are we wrong to think these things? Are we mistaken when we view legislation as a willy-nilly collection of self-interested victories from politicians with no true vision of justice? On this episode of Why?, we ask these questions and more, exploring the philosophy of law and it’s overlap will real-world legal decisions.

  P. Andrew Torrez is a founding partner at the Law Offices of P. Andrew Torrez LLC., which focuses on business law. He is the host of the popular podcast Opening Arguments during which he explores the legal background of our contemporary political controversies, and the newer podcast Clean-up on Aisle 45, which reports on the Current Department of Justice’s attempt to roll-back actions made by the Trump administration.

  The book Jack referenced during the discussion about the history of gun rights is The Second Amendment: A Biography, by Michael Waldman. You can find it on Amazon here. The interview with Jack on Fox News radio that inspired a backlash because of the meaning of protected classes is here.

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  A philosophical look at ska and jamaican music

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Heather Augustyn

  Jamaica is the home of a great musical tradition. Most people know about reggae, but before that, there was dancehall, rocksteady, and our host’s personal favorite, ska. It’s a rich and diverse dance music that mixes Caribbean sounds with jazz, R&B, and punk rock, to explore politics, history, and the legacy of slavery. Join Why? Radio and our guest Heather Augstyn as we explore how this little-known genre spread around the world, racking up hit, after hit, after hit.

  Heather Augutyn is an author, photographer, and a continuing lecturer at Purdue University, Northwest. She’s written seven books on Jamaican music, including Ska: An Oral History, Ska The Music of Liberation, and Women in Jamaican Music, was just released this past May. She maintains a blog at Skabook.com

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  How important is the brain to the great philosophical questions?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Patricia Churchland

  Are the brain and mind really different things? If not, is there free will? Where does conscience come from? Is altruism a myth? These are question in neurophilosophy, research that uses the modern science of the brain to explore philosophical dilemmas. Join host Jack Russell Weinstein and his guest Patrician Churchland, the founder of nuerophilosophy, as they explore the boundaries between philosophy and cognitive science.

  Patricia Churchland is University of California President’s Professor of Philosophy Emerita at the University of California, San Diego, where she has taught since 1984. She is the author of six books, including most recently, Conscience: The Origins of Moral Intuition.

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  How does propaganda work?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Jason Stanley

  There is a fine line between political speech and propaganda, but where do we draw it, and are we always wrong to propagandize? Is there a natural division between spin and lies, and when is it acceptable to appeal to political emotions? On this episode, we cap off a tumultuous election by exploring the nature and morality of political speech, and ask how far is too far.

  Jason Stanley is the Jacob Urowsky Prof of Philosophy at Yale University. He is the author numerous books, including How Propaganda Works, published in 2015. Most recently, he published How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them.

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  Can there be a philosophy of hate?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Berit Brogaard

  Hate groups, hate mongers, hate crimes. Self-hatred. Being stuck between love and hate. No emotion inspires as visceral a reaction as hatred. It is, after all, a plague on society that divides people and stokes violence. But does it have to be? Is hate irredeemable? Could it not serve important moral and social purposes if we only knew more about it? Listen to this episode to find out, and to see how hate relates to our other emotions and even our some of our mental disorders.

  Berit “Brit” Brogaard is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Brogaard Lab at the University of Miami. Her areas of research include philosophy of perception, philosophy of emotions, and philosophy of language. She is the author of numerous books including, Transient Truths, On Romantic Love, The Superhuman Mind, Seeing & Saying, and the forthcoming Hatred: Understanding Our Most Dangerous Emotions.

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  Is free speech worth it?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Thane Rosenbaum

  Free speech is probably the most valued and cited right in the U.S. Constitution, yet it faces a tremendous backlash from the younger generation. The Supreme Court has expanded free speech to include almost all forms of expression just as the internet makes it virtually impossible to distinguish truth from lies. And, as we face powerful protests from Black Lives Matter, white supremacists, and people who oppose wearing masks in public, we’re forced to ask, if one of these groups has the freedom to express themselves, must they all?

  Thane Rosenbaum is an essayist, law professor, and author of numerous books and novels. He is a Distinguished University Professor at Touro College where he directs the Forum on Life, Culture & Society; and the moderator of an annual series of discussions on culture, world events, and politics at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Hist most recent book Saving Free Speech…From Itself was just released in March.

  This is Thane’s second visit to Why? Radio. You can listen to his first, “The Moral Argument for Revenge,” by clicking here.

  The story about Jack’s family and the swastika mentioned after the break has been documented along with other hate crimes, in his comments to the North Dakota Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. You can read his testimony at PQED.org, by clicking here.

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  Why does income equality make society stronger?

  Jack Russell Weinstein, Richard Wilkinson, and Kate Picket

  Income inequality is bad for the poor, sure. But did you know that it’s also bad for the well-off? Did you also know that unequal societies have less trust, more violence, and more illness than egalitarian ones? In fact, it turns out that more equal societies are stronger, healthier, and happier across the board. Although inequality affects the poor most, even the better-off benefit from greater equality. On this episode, we explore why this is and look at the global data that explains it.

  Richard Wilkinson is professor Emeritus at the University of Nottingham Medical school in England, and has spent more than four decades researching health inequalities, and their impact on people and society. Kate Pickett is a professor of epidemiology at the University of York. She was a career scientist at the National Institute for Health Research. Together they founded of the UK-based charity The Equality Trust and are co-authors of The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger and the newly released The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Everyone’s Well-Being.

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  What’s the difference between a religion and a cult

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Susan Palmer

  We throw the words ‘religion’ and ‘cult’ around, like we know what they mean, but do we? Sure, Judaism and Buddhism are religions, but why not the Branch Davidians or Scientology? And, why should we trust the charismatic pastor of a mega-church, but not the quirky but powerful spokesman who is selling his faith on a street corner? Why do new religions make us so uncomfortable? These are important questions, not just because they help us understand the human experience, but because we use them to approve or condemn others’ choices.

  Susan J. Palmer is a researcher, sociologist and writer in the area of new religious movements. She is a member of the Religious Studies Faculty at McGill University, and an Affiliate Professor and Part-time Instructor at Concordia University. She is the author of numerous books, most recently Storming Zion: Government Raids on Religions with co-author Stuart Wright.

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  What is the role of philosophy during a global crisis?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Susan Neiman

  We are all preoccupied with the Covid-19 global pandemic and justly so. Everyone in the world has lots of little decisions to make, and many are facing life and death situations. What is the use of philosophy in all of this? Is it helpful? Is it a distraction? Can philosophy solve problems or even make a better world? In this wide-ranging discussion, our host Jack Russell Weinstein and guest Susan Neiman explore the absurdity of “trolley problems,” whether we should use the term “evil” to to describe a pandemic, and how we can best support Amazon employees. This episode is both a compelling and accessible philosophical exploration, and a historical artifact that records a unique moment in time. It has been described by one listener as “our most human of episodes.”

  Susan Neiman is Director of the Einstein Forum, in Potsdam Germany. She has been a professor of philosophy at Yale and Tel Aviv University, and is the author of numerous books, most recently, Learning from the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil.

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  Does it make sense to blame the system?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Liza Herzog

  We live in a world with such complicated corporations and organizations, that it’s hard to even start talking about making them ethical. Verizon, Microsoft, Facebook, they’re all so big, How can we expect them to be moral? And then there are so many rules, the pressure of culture, the overwhelming nature of living in a democracy where everyone else seems to find self-interested loopholes. How can we be good when we have so little control?

  Liza Herzog is Associate Professor and Rosalind-Franklin-Fellow of the Faculty of Philosophy at University of Groningen, Netherlands. She is the author and editor of numerous books including, Reclaiming the System: Moral Responsibility, Divided Labour, and the Role of Organizations in Society.

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  A Philosophical look at immigration and migration

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Adam Omar Hosein

  Immigration controversies never end. If we’re not worried about Syrian refugees or Mexicans looking for a better life, we’re concerned with Jews escaping genocide or the Irish seeking food. And whatever we do, we always seem to get it wrong. We are blamed for not doing enough, condemned for doing too much, scoffed at for focusing on other people’s problems, instead of own. How do we sort all of this out? How should we treat people who want or need to relocate to our homeland? What are our obligations to migrants and refugees?

  Adam Hosein is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Northeastern University. He is the author of The Ethics of Migration, An Introduction.

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  What's it like to be a university president?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and John Ettling

  Why? Radio host Jack Russell Weinstein has been a faculty member at the University of North Dakota for almost nineteen years, yet he can’t remember a single moment when the school has not been the subject of criticism or controversy. Now the university is getting another president, even though the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members cannot agree on what the school is supposed to be or do. As he explains it, “I can’t imagine what it’s like to be the voice of the university in the face of this disagreement. I can’t fathom how it feels to have every word and gesture represent your institution, and not your own life and work.” Yet, this is exactly what this episode is inspiring people to do, imagine what it’s like to be in charge. So, join Jack and his guest, John Ettling, the recently-retired President of the State University of New York, Plattsburgh for a discussion about university leadership in the modern age.

  John Ettling received his Ph.D. in history from Harvard University and made his way up the university ranks, as a professor at the University of Houston, then as Dean and Provost at the University of North Dakota. He recently retired after fifteen years as President of the State University of New York, Plattsburgh, a small public University in Northern, New York.

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  Does accepting the theory of evolution mean there is no meaning of life?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Michael Ruse

  What is the meaning of life? Believe it or not, after more than ten years on the air, we at Why? Radio have never asked this question. But to make it more complicated, we want to know not just what it is, but how we can discover it in the age of evolution. If science gives us answers instead of religion, where do we look for meaning? Can Darwin provide us with what the holy scriptures have not? On this episode we will ask these very questions, while exploring the limits of science and going head to head with the most ineffable aspects of the human experience.

  Michael Ruse is a philosopher and historian of science. He taught at the University of Guelph in Ontario Canada from 1965 to 2000. Since then. Ruse has served as Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. He has written or edited almost fifty books including, The Darwinian Revolution: Science Red in Tooth and Claw, Can a Darwinian Be a Christian?: The Relationship between Science and Religion, and Darwin and Design: Does Evolution Have a Purpose? His most recent book, the topic of today’s conversation, is A Meaning for Life.

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  Who should we blame and who should we forgive?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Miranda Fricker

  We’ve been told that forgiveness is a part of psychological wellness, that blaming people is a form of hostility. But if these things are true, doesn’t that let people off the hook too easily? We’ve also been led to believe that forgiving others is the great legacy of Christianity, but other religions do the same thing. Can’t we imagine a secular theory of blame and absolution, as well? On this episode of Why? Radio, we discuss these core questions about human relationships and how we are held accountable for our actions.

  Miranda Fricker is Presidential Professor of Philosophy at CUNY Graduate Center and Honorary Professor at The University of Sheffield. She is the author and editor of numerous books on feminism, epistemology, and moral and political philosophy. She is most well-known for her work on epistemic injustice, exposing the ways marginalized people’s knowledge and experiences are ignored.

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  Why do we need a new translation of the Hebrew Bible?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Robert Alter

  The Bible is the most famous book we all think we know, but there are dozens of translations to choose from. Every religious denomination has its own preference. What makes one better than the other and what are the rules of biblical translations anyway? Why do we need another version? What’s wrong with the ones we have already? On this episode of Why? Radio, we ask these questions and more, as we take an extended look at one man’s decades’ long effort to give us a new edition of sacred scriptures.

  Robert Alter is Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He has twice been a Guggenheim Fellow, a Senior Fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities, a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Jerusalem, and Old Dominion Fellow at Princeton University. He writes on the European novel from the eighteenth century to the present, on contemporary American fiction, and on modern Hebrew literature. He has also written extensively on literary aspects of the Bible.

  Among his more than twenty published books, are two prize-winning volumes on biblical narrative and poetry, and award-winning translations of Genesis and of the Five Books of Moses. His complete translation of the Hebrew Bible, with commentary, was published in December, 2018. It is available in a beautiful three volume set.

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  How do the arts contribute to capitalism and economic development?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Patrick Kabanda

  Famous paintings sell for hundreds of millions of dollars. The most popular musicians become rich off of their fame. Is the only way to value art as investments or commodities, or can they be useful on other ways? Is art a product to sell, or are the arts as a whole, a way of developing human capabilities, skills, and even empathy? Can the arts promote equality, help developing countries, or bring about peace and social cohesion? On this episode, we examine these and other questions, looking at creativity through the lenses of economics and public policy.

  Patrick Kabanda aims to link the arts and international affairs. He has earned bachelors and master’s degrees at the Julliard School of Music, and a masters of law and diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University. He has consulted for the World Bank and the United Nations, performs as a musician around the world, and is the author, most recently of the book The Creative Wealth of Nations: Can the Arts Advance Development.

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  Can we change social norms?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Cristina Bicchieri

  Every community has behaviors that are considered normal and each of them enforces these actions in a variety of ways. Why do cultures converge on particular actions and how much choice do individuals have to obey? Is it possible to identify which are norms and which are just idiosyncrasies? Most importantly, if we determine that these social expectations are immoral, is it possible to intentionally change them? This episode of Why? Radio explores behaviors ranging from child marriage to when it’s appropriate to yell at one another, and asks how and when to change social norms.

  Cristina Bicchieri is the Sascha Jane Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, and director of the Philosophy, Politics and Economics program. Her research focuses on rational choice and philosophy of social science, as well as behavioral ethics. She consults and trains through UNICEF, the Gates foundation, the World Bank, DFID and other organizations to develop measures of social norms in the field. She is the author of numerous books, most recently Norms in the Wild: How to Diagnose, Measure, and Change, Social Norms.

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  What does wellness mean and how do we get there?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and John J. Ratey MD

  Our culture has shifted from talking about health to seeking wellness, but what does that entail? How should we understand what it means to be healthy holistically and what are the consequences for our culture’s commitment to the separation of mind and body? On this episode of Why? Radio, we examine wellness from a neurological perspective, looking at the relationship between exercise and brain activity, while also discovering what we can learn from prehistoric humans about how to heal ourselves.

  Bestselling author, John J. Ratey, MD, is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an internationally recognized expert in Neuropsychiatry. With the publication of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, Dr. Ratey has established himself as one of the world’s foremost authorities on the brain-fitness connection. His most recent book, Go Wild explores how we can achieve optimal physical and mental health by getting in touch with our caveman roots, and how we can “re-wild” our lives. He is also the author of A User’s Guide to the Brain and Driven to Distraction.

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  What does it mean to keep the internet free?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Cory Doctorow

  The internet has become central to our way of life, but how much do we know about it? Is it really the free-for-all we claim it is, or is it actually dominated by a few voices? Is the Web just a vehicle for commerce or is it the most innovate platform for art every created? In this wide-ranging discussion Why? Radio host Jack Russell Weinstein and his guest Cory Doctorow investigate the economics, politics, technology, and future of the internet. From Marxian analyses to a discussion of the predictability of science fiction, this conversation will change the way you think about the internet. It will inspire you to ask whether the internet is really different from what has come before it or if it’s just another vehicle for the same human problems we’ve had all along.

  Cory Doctorow is a novelist, activist and journalist. Co-editor of BoingBoing, one of the internet’s biggest blogs, Cory has written numerous books including Information Doesn’t Want to be Free: Laws for the Internet Age, and, most recently, Radicalized. His personal blog can be found here and an index of his posts on BoingBoing can be found here.

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  Requiem for a Philosophy Professor: Remembering David N. Mowry

  Jack Russell Weinstein

  Host Jack Russell Weinstein remembers his professor and mentor, David N. Mowry who passed away on April 23, 2019. In a powerful and emotional tribute to their relationship, Jack reflects both on David’s career and his own life. David was a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York, Plattsburgh, and the founding director of their university’s honors program. Jack graduated from Plattsburgh State in 1991, with a B.A. in philosophy.

  The full text of this tribute can be found at the Why? Radio blog www.PQED.org, along with pictures of David and Jack. The tribute first appeared on the blog on April 24.

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  How does misinformation spread?

  Jack Russell Weinstein, Cailin O'Connor, and James Owen Weatherall

  The term fake news is so ubiquitous, that sometimes it seems like we should be labeling the true stuff instead of the lies. But misinformation doesn’t just come from politics. It is found in science, in marketing, and even in fourteenth-century memoirs. Why do we believe obvious falsities and how do these alternative facts gain such momentum? On this episode, we look going to look at the networks of knowledge and trust that we rely on to arbitrate between fact and fiction, and examine how they are manipulated, both consciously and not.

  Cailin O’Connor is associate professor of logic and philosophy of science at the University of California, Irvine. James Owen Weatherall is professor of logic and philosophy of science at the University of California, Irvine, and author of the New York Times best-seller The Physics of Wall Street. Both are members of the Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Science and co-authors of the book The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread.

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  The Logic of Jazz

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Mark Weinstein

  This episode celebrates Why? Radio’s tenth birthday with a musical exploration of the origins, meaning, experience, and, of course, music of jazz. How do newcomers start listening to the music? How do musicians discover new ways to play? And, what makes the best jazz tracks important and enjoyable? Join us as Mark Weinstein, jazz flutist, philosopher, and our host’s father, explores America’s music, explaining music theory, improvisation, and whether music is discovered or invented.

  This episode was recorded before a live audience at the Empire Arts Center in downtown Grand Forks, ND.

  Mark Weinstein is a Professor of Education at Montclair State University, in New Jersey. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy and is the author of the book Logic, Truth, and Inquiry.. He is also an award-winning jazz flutist with 19 albums to his name. He plays World Jazz and Straight-Ahead with world-class musicians rooted in the music of Cuba, Brazil, Africa, Argentina and his Jewish heritage. A Latin-jazz innovator, Mark was among the first jazz musicians to record with traditional Cuban rhythm sections in the epic album, Cuban Roots, released in 1967.

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  What is Sharia Law?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Robert Gleave

  What is sharia law? You’d think we’d all be able to answer that question, given how much we hear the name. But most non-Muslims known almost nothing about it. Is it the Muslim version of a catechism? Is it a legal system that directs Islamic politicians and the courts? And, how does it manage interpretive disagreements? Are its precepts obvious or does it inspire deep controversies even among its adherents? These are the questions that will guide this episode of Why? Radio.

  Rob Gleave is Professor of Arabic Studies and Principal Investigator on the Understanding Sharia and Law, Authority and Learning in Imami Shi’ite Islam projects. He is a member of the Center for the Study of Islam (CSI), and was its director from 2011 until 2018. His research interests include Islamic legal theory, particularly legal hermeneutics, and the history of Shi’ite legal thought and institutions. Click here to see his principal publications.