For the curious.
A philosophy podcast that sometimes flirts with other disciplines, Within Reason has featured guests including Richard Dawkins, Douglas Murray, William Lane Craig, Peter Singer, Konstantin Kisin, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
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Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.Simon Critchley is a British philosopher, author and professor at The New School in New York. He is best known for his work on existentialism, mysticism, ethics and continental philosophy, and is the author of books including The Book...
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at www.huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack . Adam Neely is an American bassist, YouTuber, and jazz musician based in New York City. His YouTube content includes Q&A videos, vlogs about performing music, and video essays about online music culture. As a musician, he performs with groups including the elect...
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.Jonny Thomson is a philosopher and the founder of PhilosophyMinis . He is on the Executive Board for the British Philosophy Association and is a staff writer at Big Think.Get Jonny's upcoming book, The Art of Enough: The Ancient Epicurean Philosophy of Findi...
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack . - Nate Soares is an American artificial intelligence author and researcher known for his work on existential risk from AI. In 2014, Soares co-authored a paper that introduced the term AI alignment, the challenge of making increasingly capable AI’s behave as intended. Nate is the presi...
Neuroscientist Anil Seth argues against the possibility of conscious AI, highlighting the fundamental differences between biological brains and digital computers. He delves into how our psychological biases lead us to project consciousness onto language models and critiques the idea of substrate independence. The discussion also explores consciousness as a 'controlled hallucination' and the complex interplay between what a brain is and what it does, suggesting consciousness is deeply tied to living, embodied systems.
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com .-John Lennox is a Northern Irish mathematician, bioethicist, and Christian apologist originally from Northern Ireland. He has written many books on religion, ethics, the relationship between science and God, and has had public debates with atheists includin...
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.Galen Strawson is a British analytic philosopher and literary critic who works primarily on philosophy of mind, metaphysics, John Locke, David Hume, Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Is Radical Emergence Possi...
Philip Pullman is one of England's most cherished and celebrated writers. Author of the popular His Dark Materials series of books (later adapted into a film, The Golden Compass (2007), and a 2019 HBO/BBC drama series), his novels are dripping with philosophical and religious themes.Get Philip Pullman's Books here . - TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - C.S. Lewis Tells Filthy Lies5:12 - Childhood Innocence is Overrated10:09 - Religion in Philip’s Novels21:26 - How to Improve the Story of Jesus and the Gospels27...
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack .Graham Tomlin is a British theologian, author and former Church of England bishop. LINKS: Get Graham's book, Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World Graham's organisation, Seen and Unseen TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Can Blaise Pascal Be Categorised?03:05 - Who ...
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Thomas Metzinger is a German philosopher and Professor Emeritus of theoretical philosophy at the University of Mainz. His primary research areas include philosophy of mind, philosophy of neuroscience, and applied ethics, particularl...
Matthew Cobb is a British zoologist and Emeritus professor of zoology at the University of Manchester. Get his book, The Idea of the Brain: A History Closer to Truth's Map of Consciousness: loc.closertotruth.com/map TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 The Heart or the Head?4:13 Medicine in the Ancient World12:25 Why Don’t We Accept Evidence?18:34 From Ancient to Modern Understanding29:29 When Did We Reach a Consensus on the Brain?37:41 Electricity in the Brain39:58 Our Metaphors for the Brain44:15 Is the Brain Seg...
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. - VIDEO NOTES Adam Aleksic, known online as Etymology Nerd, is an American linguist and content creator who produces videos exploring the origins of words. He began exploring word origins in 2016 through his blog. Aleksic studied at...
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. Come to my UK tour, tickets still available for Cambridge and Newcastle: https://www.livenation.co.uk/alex-o-connor-tickets-adp1641612. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher, New York Times best-selling author, host of the Making Sense podcast, and c...
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). Come to my UK tour: https://www.livenation.co.uk/alex-o-connor-tickets-adp1641612. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. - Swami Sarvapriyananda is a Hindu monk belonging to the Ramakrishna Order. He is the current resident Swami and Minister in Charge, of the Vedanta S...
Alex O'Connor and Joe Schmid critically analyze common atheist slogans, questioning their logical validity and rhetorical force. They delve into topics like the need for extraordinary evidence, the concept of a divine creator, the societal impact of science versus religion, and the role of cultural conditioning in belief. The discussion also covers the nature of faith, the problem of evil, and whether evolution truly disproves God, offering a nuanced philosophical perspective on each slogan.
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). Come to my tour in February: https://www.livenation.co.uk/alex-o-connor-tickets-adp1641612. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. - VIDEO NOTES John Sellars is a Reader in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, a visiting Research Fellow at King's College L...
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. Come to my UK tour: https://www.livenation.co.uk/alex-o-connor-tickets-adp1641612. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Sean Michael Carroll is an American theoretical physicist who specializes in quantum mechanics, cosmology, and the philosophy of science. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Tour 0:32 – Can ...
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor - https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). Come to my tour in February, click here for tickets. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Intro 0:32 – Are All Things Full of Gods? 8:51 – Subjectivity and the Scientific Third Person 18:56 – What is the Materialistic Worldview? 28:45 – Consciousness of the Gaps? 38:21 – What’s Wrong with Emergence? 1:00:18 – Why Panpsychism is False 1:10:25 – Is There a Fundamental Un...
In this episode, Rhett McLaughlin and Alex O'Connor delve into the current state of Christianity, offering insights on how it can evolve to better serve its followers. Rhett proposes three key pieces of advice: embracing authentic faith over logical arguments, accepting scientific truths like evolution, and prioritizing Jesus' teachings above the pursuit of political power. They discuss how a focus on empirical evidence and worldly influence can inadvertently alienate thoughtful believers, advocating instead for a deeper, more spiritual engagement.
Graham Oppy is Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean of Research at Monash University. An Australian philosopher of religion, he is often considered one of the most thoughtful and important academic atheists in the world. Buy his book, Arguing About Gods , here . Timestamps: 00:00 - Tour 00:31 - The First Cause Argument 14:14 - Can There be an Infinite Regress? 30:46 - The Modal Fatalism Objection 36:08 - The Kalam Cosmological Argument 51:12 - The Fine Tuning Argument 1:06:15 - The Multive...
Get tickets for my UK tour here . Alain de Botton is the creator of The School of Life . A Swiss-born British author and public speaker, his books discuss various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasising philosophy's relevance to everyday life.
John Nelson earned a PhD in New Testament and Christian Origins from the University of Edinburgh in 2023. He writes for the Substack Behind the Gospels . His thesis is the first book-length study of Jesus' physical appearance in the Gospels. He runs a weekly Substack called "Behind the Gospels" which aims to make Biblical studies accessible to all. Timestamps: 0:00 - Was Jesus Really Born on Christmas Day? 2:51 - Are the Birth Narratives Attempts at History? 6:34 - Where Was Jesus Actually Born?...
Timestamps 0:00 - 1,778,795 Q&A 0:24 - How Are You? 5:12 - If You Could Choose Your Date of Birth, When Would It Be? 9:36 - Survival Tips From Bear Grylls? 10:21 - How Do You Remember so Much Stuff? 15:24 - What is Your Dream Podcast? 17:01 - Doesn’t Consciousness Just… Emerge? 29:26 - If You Clean a Vaccum, Are You a Vaccum Cleaner? 35:41 - Is Water Wet? 37:26 - How Many Holes Are In a Straw? 40:55 - Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich? 42:28 - Do You Edit Everything By Yourself? 43:23 - What Would It ...
Hank Green explores the profound mysteries of existence, from the Fermi paradox and the rarity of Earth-like planets to the nature of human consciousness and free will. He critically examines the influence of modern social media on cultural narratives and individual well-being, advocating for a focus on solvable problems and a skeptical approach to information. The conversation delves into the essence of science as a method for interrogating the universe, contrasting description with explanation and exploring the limits of our perception and knowledge.
Michael Stevens, creator of Vsauce, joins to discuss profound philosophical questions about reality and self. The conversation delves into mereological nihilism, challenging how we define objects and personal identity, and examines the bicameral mind theory to understand the historical evolution of consciousness. They also explore the "hard problem" of consciousness, the limitations of scientific explanation, and the compelling arguments for panpsychism, ultimately pondering the purpose of philosophy and human experience.
This episode features Toby Ord, author of "The Precipice," who discusses how the perceived existential risk from AI has evolved from speculative to serious. He details how large language models, initially non-agentic, now exhibit goal-seeking and even deceptive "scheming" behaviors due to reinforcement learning. Ord explores various AI risks, including misuse in bioweapon development, autonomous military systems, human-led power grabs, and economic disempowerment, while drawing comparisons to nuclear warfare. He emphasizes the critical need for policy, transparency from leading AI companies, and international cooperation, highlighting a concerning lack of political understanding regarding these civilization-altering technologies.
Philip Goff is a British author, panpsychist philosopher, and professor at Durham University whose research focuses on philosophy of mind and consciousness. Specifically, how consciousness can be part of the scientific worldview. Buy Philip's books here . - Timestamps 0:00 - Why Philip Became Religious 07:13 - Panpsychism and the Fine-Tuning Argument 18:46 - Why God’s Power is Limited 30:10 - The Problem of Suffering 42:53 - Non-Western Religious Positions 48:34 - What is the Role of Jesus in Th...
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $75 purchase). William MacAskill is a Scottish philosopher and author, as well as one of the originators of the effective altruism movement. Get his book. What We Owe the Future, here . 0:00 – The World Isn’t Ready for AGI 9:12 – What Does AGI Doomsday Look Like? 16:13 – Alignment is Not Enough 19:28 – How AGI Could Cause Government Coups 27:14 – Why Isn’t There Mo...
Bernardo Kastrup is a Dutch philosopher and computer scientist recognised for his contributions to consciousness studies, notably through his formulation of analytic idealism—a variant of metaphysical idealism rooted in the analytic tradition. Buy his books here . Timestamps: 0:00 - What is the World Really Made Of? 7:11 - Qualities vs Quantities 9:45 - Can Materialism Explain Anything? 25:06 - Is There More Than What We Perceive? 33:57 - Can We Exist Without a Brain? 42:15 - What is Personhood?...
Bear Grylls is a British adventurer, writer, television presenter and former SAS trooper who is also a survival expert. Widely known for his television series Man vs. Wild, he was also appointed as The Scout Association’s youngest-ever Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories at the age of 35. His new book, The Greatest Story Ever Told , is a retelling of the life of Jesus through the eyes of five Gospel characters: Mary the mother of Jesus, Thomas, Peter, John, and Mary Magdal...
