More at https://www.philosophytalk.org/shows/what-can-virtual-reality-actually-do.

VR transports users into all kinds of different realities, some modeled on the real world, others completely invented. Though still in its infancy, the technology has become so sophisticated, it can trick the brain into treating the virtual experience as real and unmediated. So what is the most prudent way to employ this cutting edge technology going forward? Could VR help solve real world problems, like implicit bias or the climate crisis? And as the technology becomes more widely available, are there potential dangers we ought to be seriously thinking about? Josh and Ray strap on their headsets with Jeremy Bailenson, Director of the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford, and author of "Experience on Demand: What Virtual Reality Is, How It Works, and What It Can Do."

What Can Virtual Reality (Actually) Do?

More at https://www.philosophytalk.org/blog/examined-year-sound.

2021: The Year in Political Insurrection

And the Dionysus Award for Best Adapted Novel about Trauma, Marginalization, Self-Deception AND the Gap Between Appearance and Reality goes to...

More at https://www.philosophytalk.org/shows/2022-dionysus-awards.

Alex King (2022) extended

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/abortion.

Nothing stirs up controversy like abortion.  To some, it carries the steep moral cost of destroying human life, while to others, it represents an inviolable bastion of women’s rights over their own bodies.  Despite the polarizing nature of the debate, it covers broad philosophical ground, and touches on religious, political, social and moral considerations.  Ken and John seek a dispassionate and rational discussion of abortion with UC Berkeley Journalism professor Cynthia Gorney, author of "Articles of Faith: A Frontline History of the Abortion Wars."

Abortion

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/why-propaganda-matters.

Governments and other political institutions employ propaganda to sway public opinion, instill ideas, and exert a degree of control over people. While totalitarian regimes have been known to do this explicitly, democratic governments often disguise their propaganda with persuasive rhetoric. So what exactly constitutes propaganda and how does it work? Does it always involve lies or falsehoods? Can propaganda ever be morally justified or is it a pernicious form of communication? John and Ken trade slogans with Jason Stanley from Yale University, author of "How Propaganda Works."

375: Why Propaganda Matters

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/philanthropy-trap. 

Many of us generally admire people who donate large sums of money to charity. Yet people donate for all sorts of reasons – some selfless, some not so much. Should we consider philanthropy as mere ego expression for the wealthy, or is it genuinely altruistic behavior? If philanthropists are so concerned with having an impact on society, how should we think about "measuring" this impact? Are there better ways than philanthropy to achieve positive social change? John and Ken donate their time to Bruce Sievers from the Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society at Stanford University.

The Philanthropy Trap

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/mystery-music.

Most of us listen to music on a regular basis, but we don't think much about how we listen. Moreover, when we disagree about music, we're usually happy to agree that we just have different personal tastes. But what if some of us just don't know how to listen to music properly? Are there objectively correct ways to listen to music, or is it up to the individuals how they listen? Are we worse off if we don't listen to music in certain ways? How might we become better listeners? What insights have philosophers had on these questions? John and Ken drop the needle with Stanford musicologist Adrian Daub, co-author of "The James Bond Songs: Pop Anthems of Late Capitalism."



The Mystery of Music

More at https://www.philosophytalk.org/shows/democracy-crisis.

Democracy in Crisis

More at https://www.philosophytalk.org/shows/what-religious-belief.

Many people profess to believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing, benevolent God. Yet psychological data shows that people often think and reason about God in ways contrary to their professed religious beliefs. So, are these so-called religious beliefs genuinely held? Or are “believers” just playing an elaborate game of pretense? Is there a difference between ordinary factual belief and religious belief? And what role do people's religious creedences play in shaping their social identities? Josh and Ken get real with Neil van Leeuwen from Georgia State University, author of "Religion and Make-Believe" (forthcoming).

480: What Is Religious Belief?

More at https://www.philosophytalk.org/shows/postmodernism-really-blame.

Is Postmodernism Really to Blame for Post-Truth?

More at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/walter-benjamin.

Walter Benjamin was a German Jewish critical theorist, essayist, and philosopher who died tragically during the Second World War. His thoughts about modernity, history, art, disenchantment, and re-enchantment are still discussed today. So who was Benjamin, and what is his intellectual legacy? Why did he believe that Enlightenment values, such as rationality and modernization, brought about disenchantment in the world? Did he think there was a way to find re-enchantment without abandoning these values? And what would he have had to say about social media and its power to distract? The hosts have an enchanting time with Margaret Cohen from Stanford University, author of "Profane Illumination: Walter Benjamin and the Paris of Surrealist Revolution."

Walter Benjamin: Re-Enchanting the World

Bite-size episodes from the program that questions everything... except your intelligence. Learn more and access complete episodes at www.philosophytalk.org.

375: Why Propaganda Matters

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