Pat was feeling cosmic, so Ben turns him onto the pantheistic philosophy of 17th Century Rationalist Baruch Spinoza. Harbinger of the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution, this Portuguese Dutch Jew developed a system of thought so at odds with the Jewish thought of the time that he ended up getting excommunicated from the Amsterdam Jewish community, giving them a feisty middle finger on the way out. Basically, Baruch AKA Barry AKA Benedictus AKA Bento Spinoza cast doubt on the notion of G...
Jul 06, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 50
Pat was feeling extremely online af lol so Ben brings in fellow philosopher and our 9th fucking guest Joe Faina to explain why we’re all so angry and stupid all the time. Turns out, our behavior and interaction with the world around us is controlled by the platforms through which we express ourselves. As Marshall McLuhan famously declared, “The Medium is the Message.” In other words, Social Media, our iPhones, the Internet, TV, radio, writing & even language itself have pigeonholed our human...
Jun 29, 2018•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 49
Pat was feeling self-reliant so Ben welcomes him to the early 19th century philosophy of the Transcendentalists. As the US’s first showing in America’s Got WiseGuys, the Transcendentalist movement drafted the top thinkers of the day to go hard in the paint: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau & Margaret Fuller. Together, they crafted a hybrid philosophy championing spiritual independence, American self-reliance, civil disobedience, and generally telling society to fuck off....
Jun 22, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 48
Pat was feeling pessimistic so Ben tries to lift his spirits with the philosophy of dour German 8th-grader Arthur Schopenhauer. Born in Danzig in 1788, Schopenhauer grew up in the sunny afterglow of the Enlightenment and absolutely hated it. He developed a philosophy in response to the Enlightenment's unbridled pep, seeing Reason as nothing but a representation of something bigger, dumber and far more violent: the Will. The Will compels us to strive for ultimately nothing meaningful. Money, Powe...
Jun 15, 2018•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 47
Pat was getting too big for his britches so Ben invites Pat's literal father, Federal Judge John Dean, to weigh in on a loony thought experiment called The Famous Violinist. Concocted by Pat's arch-nemesis Judith Jarvis Thomson, this thought experiment provides a defense of abortion in the most convoluted way possible. It just so happens that Pat's dad, after a failed attempt to become a Catholic priest, wound up studying law instead and clerked for Justice Blackmun, the guy who wrote the majori...
Jun 09, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 46
Pat didn't know how to cut an onion, so Ben introduces him to the many worlds of Modal Realism. Developed by philosopher David Lewis, Modal Realism contends that there are multiple universes that exist alongside ours and they're composed of every possible scenario conceivable in our language. Crazy, right? Anyway, Ben and Pat scream at each other and come to the conclusion that you can't find a good pastrami on rye in this state. Also check out our Patreon.
Jun 03, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 45
Pat was feeling ideological so he invites his & Ben's mutual friend Avery Moore to help explain the philosophy of Slovenian lunatic Slavoj Žižek. Using Žižek's penetrating analysis/incoherent ramblings, Ben & Avery expose the insidious lure of Late Capitalism and show Pat how its ideology perverts reality to trap us in a Matrix of consumerism. We also confirm the latent Nazism of Pokemon Go.
May 26, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 44
Pat was feeling unfulfilled so Ben brought him into a wild, wild country to meet Osho AKA Rajneesh Bhagwan, transcendent guru, pied piper of Baby Boomers, and war criminal of Oregon. Have you ever felt empty? Like you were destined for so much more? But no one set you up to grab what was yours? Then come gather round, fellow sannyasins. What motivated this Rolex-donning, Rolls Royce-driving diva? Listen, rate, & subscribe to learn more.
May 19, 2018•47 min•Ep. 43
Pat was feeling conniving so Ben taught him the underhanded ways of Niccolo Machiavelli. Born in 1469 (heh heh) in Florence, Italy, Machiavelli became world-renowned for his amoral guidebook on how to be the most ruthless Mafia don in the world. Read by the likes of Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Napoleon, and Stalin, Machiavelli's "The Prince" touched off a whole new era of political theory that dispensed with ethics and taught you how to run shit so you never got got. Basically, don't trust anyone,...
May 12, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 42
Pat was feeling dense so Ben brought in our 6th fucking guest, Medieval scholar Patrick Sirois, to talk about the philosophy of John Duns Scotus. In a crossover episode for the ages, the WisdomBois talk with the host of Lie, Cheat & Steal to get to the bottom of the univocity of Being, haecceity & the problem of universals, and where the word “dunce” comes from. Spoiler alert: it’s the dude’s name.
May 05, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 41
Pat was feeling misunderstood so Ben put things in perspective by asking what it would be like for Pat to be a bat. This insane question was put forth in 1974 by philosopher of mind Thomas Nagel to illustrate how unique & intractable the issue of subjective experience is in the face of scientific scrutiny. How can we possibly know what it's like to shriek in front of us to navigate our world while flying around as a furious, blind monster. Nagel's answer: We can't.
Apr 28, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 40
Pat was feeling duped so Ben gave him a crash course in logical fallacies. From ad hominem attacks, to begging the question, Ben shows Pat how to identify the various ways people use faulty logic & fuzzy reasoning to trick poor saps into falling for FAAAKE NEWS. The WisdomBois also discuss Ben's notorious sharing of fake memes on Facebook and how a certain middle school science teacher got a little too close to Pat's sister.
Apr 22, 2018•58 min•Ep. 39
Pat was feeling cheeky so he asked Ben to shed some light on easily the most profound question in all of human thought: How long would it take for a bunch of monkeys to randomly type out all of Shakespeare’s plays? After a meandering journey through the principles of probability, the meaning of Art, and the baffling silliness of the British, the answer drove them both to irreparable insanity.
Apr 14, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 38
Pat was feeling neurotic so Ben had mutual friend & Director of The Vienna Institute of Psychoanalysis Jared Hawley come on the show to talk about Sigmund Freud. Freud was a serious scientist/naughty pervert who had some wacky theories about our unconscious lives and also had massive issues with cigars & cocaine. It’s Freud, baby! (Please ignore the sniffles. We all had colds.)
Apr 07, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 37
Pat was feeling indulgent so Ben teaches him the decadent philosophy of Epicureanism. The secret to happiness is harnessing pleasure and avoiding pain, as told by Epicurus in the 3rd Century BC. Also, we're nothing but atoms, nothing happens to us when we die, and the gods, if they exist at all, don't give a shit about you. In other words: You ain't here for a long time, you're here for a good time.
Mar 31, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 36
Pat was feeling agitated so Ben initiates him into the unflappable school of Stoicism. In Part 2 of our Second Greek Triple Stack, Ben & Pat explore the life & thought of founder Zeno of Citium, who emphasized the use of Reason to live according to Nature, mastery of the Passions to achieve happiness, and generally how to be less of a pussy. They also discuss Stoicism's popularity with the Romans, especially as adopted by philosopher/Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Mar 24, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 35
Pat was feeling cynical so Ben schools him in the Ancient Greek philosophy of Cynicism, pioneered by uncompromising sage/public masturbator Diogenes of Sinope. Pat & Ben recount Diogenes' crazy antics to illustrate the principles & values that underpin the Cynical ethos: an austere lifestyle, speaking truth to power, and a wholesale rejection of conventional morality (hence the public masturbating).
Mar 17, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 34
Pat was feeling revolutionary so Ben explains to him the philosophy of Cornel West, former Princeton professor and Ben's close, personal friend. Close enough to call him "Brother." Pat & Ben explore Brother West's ideas on socialism, neo-pragmatism, and the historicity of democracy. Most importantly, Pat learns how to turn philosophy into action through PRAXIS: Practicing Radical Astronauts Xenophobes Is Stupid.
Mar 10, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 33
Pat was feeling schizophrenic so Ben brings in an expert to set him straight: our 4th guest Carina Magyar! Carina and Ben help Pat navigate the thorniest of philosophical issues: What is the Self? Which part of the Self corresponds to which member of the WuTang Clan? Did Michael Jordan kill his dad? What would you do if an exact copy of you threw a concert on Mars? Find out on the latest installment of I Learned Nothing!
Mar 03, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 32
Pat was feeling Caledonian so Ben introduces him to the groundbreaking philosophy of Scottish genius David Hume. Ben guides Pat through the misty moors of our mind, explaining how Hume, the Groundskeeper Willy of Philosophy, tackled the issues of causation, logical induction, and the ‘is/ought’ distinction in morality. How can we predict anything based on what we've seen before? What makes murder wrong? Get learnt ya daft fookin wankers!
Feb 24, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 31
Pat was feeling haunted by the ghosts of our past so Ben introduces him to The Archetypes and Carl Jung's theory of the Collective Unconscious. Deep within our psyche lives a retinue of ancient comic book characters -- the Hero, the Trickster, the Shadow, Santos the Grill Cook -- who provide the basis of our myths and have influenced our species' behavior for eons. Let's get to know them. Also, Pat learns that the continents don't just float on top of the ocean, which...Jesus, Pat, c'mon....
Feb 17, 2018•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 30
Pat was feeling unenlightened so Ben blesses Pat with the story of The Enlightenment. Back in the 1700's, a bunch of French perverts got together and decided enough was enough. Church and State should be kept separate. The King is a douche bag. We should only use reason to decide how to live. Also, apparently Jean-Jacques Rousseau became King Pop Daddy of the Enlightenment after a tortured childhood full of spanking and sex with older broads. Noice!
Feb 10, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 29
Pat was feeling trapped so Ben teaches him about Vedanta, one of the six classical schools of Hindu philosophy. After an in depth tour of The Hindu Cinematic Universe, Ben explains the central concepts of samsara, moksha, karma, atman and Brahma. In other words, how do we escape the prison of endless birth, death & rebirth so we can finally reunite our souls with the Ultimate Reality? Ben & Pat also revisit their Catholic upbringing and confirm that Stan Lee sucks and should just die alr...
Feb 03, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 28
Pat was feeling spiteful so he made Ben explain the philosophy of problematic genius/unapologetic Nazi Martin Heidegger. Through his teeth, Ben tells Pat about Heidegger's earth-shattering insights on Being, his cowardly involvement with the Nazi party, and the unique experience of human beings as the only form of Being conscious of itself and its own inevitable death. The Wisdom Boys also discuss the artistic work of evil men and Pat reveals that his father is a retired judge who murdered dogs....
Jan 27, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 27
Pat was feeling blasphemous so Ben reveals to him the secret teachings of The New Atheists. Also known as "The Four Horsemen" by every freshman in your dorm who considered himself a genius, this quartet of smug pricks includes rival podcaster Sam Harris, deceased British drunk Christopher Hitchens, zoologist and memelord Richard Dawkins, and actual philosopher Daniel Dennett. Like the old atheists, they deny the existence of God and the immortality of the soul. However, these nerds think religio...
Jan 20, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 26
Pat was feeling marginalized so Ben taught him the postmodern philosophy of French scholar and horny maniac Michel Foucault. Specifically, Pat wanted to know how & why our current society's system of knowledge was being used as a weapon of power against him and other deviants. The Wisdom Boys talk madness, criminality, and hardcore fucking sex. Ben also gives a play by play of the famous televised debate, deftly mediated by a shy Dutchman, between Foucault and his intellectual adversary, the...
Jan 13, 2018•56 min•Ep. 25
Pat wanted to take a load off so Ben tells him about the Way AKA the Dao. In a wild, meandering episode, Ben and Pat talk about the ancient Chinese philosophy of Daoism, and explore its relation to Being, Non-Being, Laoze, Donald Trump, Chinese dinosaurs, The Band, whiskey, Alan Watts, bloodthirsty cats, and the drunk, faithless English. It's a hell of a ride. Won't you join us? Dao you doin'?
Jan 06, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 24
Pat wanted to know the best way to form a just society so Ben explains The Veil of Ignorance. Developed by political philosopher & Baltimore scumbag John Rawls, The Veil of Ignorance is a thought experiment where people in charge of designing a just society imagine that they know nothing about the particular attributes they'll have in this new society. This ensures that the people will be unbiased when deciding on the principles their society will be based on. It confuses the shit out of Pat...
Dec 30, 2017•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 23
Pat was feeling a looming sense of Angst so Ben introduces him to the chain-smoking, eye-rolling, turtleneck-wearing philosophy of Existentialism. As they stare into the black, meaningless Void that is our lives, Ben & Pat follow the trail of ideas that make up the existential tradition. They discuss the fear & trembling of Kierkegaard, the death of God (again), and Sartre's call to live authentically and avoid bad faith. Life is absurd and only we can define our selves. Also Pat learns ...
Dec 23, 2017•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 22
Pat's incessant questions have withered Ben's patience & health down to a nub, so Ben reaches out to our 3rd fucking guest, Duncan Carson! Duncan & Ben irritate Pat with the Paradoxes of Zeno, a Pre-Socratic philosopher and drunk who laid out several paradoxes (zany situations) challenging our conventional ideas of motion, space & time. Pat learns about the epic race between Achilles & the Tortoise, threatens people who like ranch, and rants loudly about mathematics. Ben and Dunc...
Dec 17, 2017•1 hr•Ep. 21
