After a quick review of the Barbie movie, Jeff and Eli talk about a widely-circulated petition that seeks to link the Israeli judicial overhaul with the larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To read the open letter, click/tap here . To read about the open letter, click/tap here ....
In this episode, Jeff and Eli discuss the principle of free speech and how it comes into conflict with the desire to regulate hate speech, or group libel. In an attempt to tease apart and examine the various ideas and values at play in this conflict, they look at Stanley Fish, Ronald Dworkin, and Jeremy Waldron. Show Notes: To read Stanley Fish on free speech, click/tap here . To read Ronald Dworkin on free speech, click/tap here . To read Jeremy Waldron on group libel, click/tap here ....
In this episode, Jeff and Eli discuss the issue of antisemitism. They examine and evaluate multiple definitions of the term, talk about the attempt of some to include anti-Zionism in their definitions, and reflect on the impact of social media on the spread of antisemitic ideas. They conclude with their own recommendations on best practices in the fight against antisemitism. Show Notes: To read Jonathan Judaken's essay click/tap here . To read the statement against antisemitism in the genital au...
In this episode, Eli tells the story of a recent personal encounter he had with antisemitism and the intersectional bigotry that followed from it before he and Jeff discuss the meaning of patriotism. They then wade into the contemporary culture wars on race using Ross Douthat's recent OpEds in the New York Times as an access point to the controversies and dig a little deeper into the work of Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi. Jeff levels a withering critique against DiAngelo's concept of white f...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli discuss the Derek Chauvin verdict and its implications for the country and the criminal justice system. They then continue their deep dive into racism with an examination of Lawrence Blum's concept of the moral asymmetries inherent in different kinds of racism. Show Notes: To read Lawrence Blum's "I'm Not A Racist But..." click/tap here .
In this episode, Jeff and Eli continue their discussion on the metaphysics of race with a quick review of Hardimon's biological realism and a discussion of social realism/constructionism and anti-realism. They examine the metaphysics of Sally Haslanger, Paul C. Taylor, and Joshua Glasgow as they discuss the merits and problems posed by social realism and anti-realism. Show Notes: To read Sally Haslanger and Joshua Glasgow argue about race, click/tap here . To read Paul C. Taylor's excellent book...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli begin by discussing a controversial SNL joke about Israel’s vaccination program. Next they discuss the devastating empirical problems faced by the classical racialist view of race before launching into a discussion of the different metaphysical camps in the philosophy of race. They start with Biological Realism using Michael Hardimon’s work as a model and talk about the pros and cons of holding on to a minimalist concept of biological race. Show Notes: To watch the ...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli examine different definitions of racism. They look at Robin DiAngelo, Ibram X. Kendi, and Paul C. Taylor’s definitions and talk about the strengths and weaknesses of each before talking about the way in which Jeff thinks racism should be redefined. Show Notes: To read Robin DiAngelo’s book White Fragility, click/tap here . To read Ibram Kendi’s book How To Be An Antiracist, click/tap here . To read Paul C. Taylor’s book Race: A Philosophical Introduction, click/tap ...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli wrap up their non-comprehensive stroll through the history of racial thinking and move on to talk about the role that religion played in the history of racism and slavery. Eli then argues for the centrality of racism to the Enlightenment project, while Jeff defends its honor. Show Notes: To read about the Curse of Ham, click/tap here . For an excellent series of essays on Philosophers and Race, click/tap here . For Ibram Kendi’s history of racial thinking in the Uni...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli take a moment to reflect on the end of the Trump era before jumping into a discussion on race. They talk about their personal connection to race and then talk about the history of racial thinking using Paul C. Taylor’s account as a guide. Show Notes: To watch The New Yorker’s video from inside the Capitol attack on January 6th, click/tap here . To see the cover of Time Magazine with Eli’s terrorist doppelgänger, click/tap here . To read Paul C. Taylor’s “Race: A Phi...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli conclude their conversation about the empirical study of emotions by talking about the fall of the triune model of the brain and the developments in neuroscience that brought it about. They delve into Lisa Feldman Barrett’s model of emotions and talk about its metaphysical implications. Show Notes: To read about Paul MacLean, the inventor of the triune theory, click/tap here . To learn more about Gerald Edelman and his contributions to immunology and neuroscience, c...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli continue their exploration of the empirical study of emotions. They track the public battle between Margaret Mead and Paul Ekman before making their way into Neuroscience where they meet Joseph Ledoux, Antonio Damasio, and finally begin a discussion of Lisa Feldman Barrett’s work. Show Notes: To read about the rivalry between Margaret Mead and Paul Ekman, click/tap here . To read Margaret Mead’s edition of Darwin’s Expression click/tap here . To read Paul Ekman’s co...
After a short discussion about the upcoming presidential election in the United States and the new data about how Jewish Americans will be voting, Jeff and Eli dive into their next topic which is the empirical study of emotions. Starting with the foundational 19th century texts by Charles Darwin and William James, they move into the 20th century and discuss the two dominant ways of thinking about emotion and their adherents in Experimental Psychology, Anthropology, and Evolutionary Psychology. S...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli discuss Pamela Hieronymi’s seminal essay “Articulating an Uncompromising Forgiveness.” After a brief discussion about the revolution that Hieronymi wrought in moral philosophy, they dig into the differences between seeking forgiveness and apologizing. They then explore the areas in which Jeff’s account of apologies diverge from Hieronymi’s depiction. Show Notes: To read Hieronymi’s essay, click/tap here . To read Jeff’s essay on apologies, click/tap here ....
In this episode, Jeff and Eli think they’re done with anger, but anger isn’t done with them. They take stock of the different positions and talk about where they each fall. Jeff describes his concept of Dialogic Anger in more detail and they end with a discussion of the Kavanaugh hearings. Show Notes: For Agnes Callard’s essay “The Reason To Be Angry Forever” click/tap here . For Agnes Callard’s Boston Review Essay “On Anger” click/tap here . To watch the film The Wave, click/tap here . To read ...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli discuss Marshall Rosenberg’s take on anger and moralism as expressed in his system of Nonviolent Communication. They dive into the benefits and drawbacks of eliminating moralistic language from communication and consciousness and they discuss the efficacy of moral stance-taking and shame in shaping human behavior. Show Notes: To read Marshall Rosenberg’s book Nonviolent Communication, click/tap here . To watch Marshall Rosenberg give a workshop, click/tap here . To ...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli kick off a discussion on the subject of anger and resentment. They focus on two texts by the philosopher Agnes Callard and branch off into a discussion about Nietzsche, the foundations of morality, and the analytic-continental divide. Show Notes: For the Chomsky-Foucalt debate click/tap here . For Agnes Callard’s video on Socrates click/tap here . For Agnes Callard’s essay “The Reason To Be Angry Forever” click/tap here . For Antonio Damasio’s book “Descartes’ Error...
In their first episode back after a three and a half year hiatus, Jeff and Eli talk about the loss of Jeff’s father to the virus, the paradoxical information environment of 2020, and the various kinds of ethical responsibilities that emerge from living through a pandemic. Show Notes: For the New York Times’ coverage of the passing of Jeff’s father click here . For CNN’s coverage of the passing of Jeff’s father click here . For NPR’s coverage of the passing of Jeff’s father click here . For Eli’s...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli continue their discussion of apologies, but they broaden the scope to include apologies made by groups, institutions, and countries. Show Notes: To read more about the Victoria's Secret apology, click here . To watch veterans ask forgiveness from Native Americans at Standing Rock, click here . To read President Obama's speech at Hiroshima, click here . To read Ari Shavit's account of the ethnic cleansing of Lydda, click here ....
After a short follow-up discussion about the role that misogyny played in the U.S. presidential election, Jeff and Eli begin a discussion on the subject of apology. Show Notes: To read Jeff's article, click here .
In this episode, Jeff and Eli discuss the election of Donald Trump and what that means for people who care about prejudices like racism, sexism, and Islamophobia. Show Notes: For Jeff's friend's book, click here . For more on the Southern Poverty Law Center, click here . To see Bernie Sanders' appearance at Liberty University, click here ....
In this episode, Eli talks to Professor Zachary Braiterman about the legacy of Elie Wiesel. This interview is then followed by an in-depth conversation between Jeff and Eli on the subject of ethics, the Holocaust, and Wiesel's refusal to criticize the State of Israel. Show Notes: To read more about Elie Wiesel's life and work click here . To read more from Professor Braiterman click here . To read Max Blumenthal's blistering critique of Elie Wiesel click here ....
In this episode, Jeff and Eli talk a little bit about American politics before they dive into a discussion of Steven Salaita, Zionism, and Jewish-American identity. Show Notes: Dr. Salaita's lively Twitter account . The Jewish Daily Forward's exposé on the Jewish-American non-profit colossus.
In this episode, Jeff and Eli discuss Barry Freundel, Marc Gafni and the dynamics of sexual scandal in the religious world. Show Notes: Mark Oppenheimer's New York Times piece on Marc Gafni. The Huffington Post piece on the anniversary of Barry Freundel's arrest.
In this episode, Jeff and Eli lay out the New Atheist argument against Islam in four parts. They then examine the weaknesses in the argument and explore their differences on the boundaries that ought to be imposed on would-be critics of religion. Show Notes: To see Bill Maher and Sam Harris go at it with Ben Affleck on Real Time click here . To read Glenn Greenwald's criticism of Sam Harris and the New Atheists click here . To read Graeme Wood's recent controversial article in The Atlantic click...
In this episode, Eli talks to Edina Lekovic, Director of Policy and Programming at the Muslim Public Affairs Council. They talk about the recent murders in Chapel Hill, the definition of Islamophobia, President Obama's relationship to the American Muslim community, the 2011 study by the Center for American Progress, and antisemitism that is couched in Islamic language. Show Notes: For a nice introduction to Islamophobia click here . To learn more about Edina's organization click here . For some ...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli discuss the attacks on Charlie Hebdo and the Kosher market in Paris. They examine each other's definitions of terrorism, discuss whether the actions of states can properly be called terrorism, and touch on the issue of freedom of speech. Show Notes: Wikipedia on the definition of terrorism: Terrorism Eli's article for Jewschool: New Teams...
In this episode, Jeff and Eli are joined by Rabbi Sara Zacharia to conclude their discussion about the role of women in Judaism. Show Notes: To read Rabbi Pamela Barmash's Teshuva click here . To see evidence that Daniel Gordis lost his mind click here . To learn more about JTS click here . To learn more about Ziegler click here ....
In this Episode, Jeff and Eli are joined by Dr. Batya Ungar-Sargon, staff writer for Tablet, to continue the discussion about women and Judaism. Show Notes: To read Batya's piece on Yeshivat Maharat, click here . For more on the Maharat program, click here .
In this episode, Jeff and Eli talk about the role of women in the Jewish world. They touch on the legal status of women in Jewish law, leadership positions, and ritual participation and talk about the paradox posed by progressive forms of Orthodoxy. Show Notes: To learn more about Avi Weiss's seminary for training Orthodox women to be Rabbi-like leaders click here . To learn more about Egaladox Judaism click here ....
