Very Bad Wizards

Holy crap, it's the apocalypse!!!! ...for philosophy. Maybe. Has this 2500 year old discipline become too technical, too disconnected from the real world? Is it just a handmaiden to the sciences? (Which would make Tamler Dave's handmaiden.) And what the hell is conceptual analysis? Plus, a short excerpt of Tamler's interview with Simon Blackburn, and definitive proof that worms have free will (sorry Sam). And only one more week to buy our t-shirt! Links Free Will? Analysis of worm neurons suggest how a single stimulus can trigger different responses [sciencedaily.com] Strawson, P. F. (1962). Freedom and resentment. [princeton.edu] Doomen, J. (2015). The end of philosophy. Think, 14(39), 99-109. [verybadwizards.com] For a Non-Ideal Metaphysics by Justin Smith [jehsmith.com] Concepts [plato.stanford.edu] Harry Frankfurt says Philosophy is in the Doldrums [http://leiterreports.typepad.com] Simon Blackburn's Website [phil.cam.ac.uk] Support Very Bad Wizards

Dave and Tamler talk about the human tendency to believe in a just world. Why do we have the belief? Does it make us less motivated to fight injustice? How does it connect to our beliefs about free will and punishment? Plus, the SAE incident—a case where the twitter mob did some good? And Tamler changes his mind about Harmony the Hamster. Links As Two Oklahoma Students Are Expelled for Racist Chant, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Vows Wider Inquiry [nytimes.com] Just World Hypothesis [wikipedia.org] System Justification [wikipedia.org] The Future of The Culture Wars is Here, and it's Gamergate [deadspin.com] Lerner, M. J., & Simmons, C. H. (1966). Observer's reaction to the "innocent victim": Compassion or rejection? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 4(2), 203–210. [MIT.edu] Clark, C. J., Luguri, J. B., Ditto, P. H., Knobe, J., Shariff, A. F., & Baumeister, R. F. (2014). Free to punish: A motivated account of free will belief. Journal of personality and social psychology, 106(4), 501. [sharifflab.com] Sommers, T. (2007). 4 The Illusion of Freedom Evolves. Distributed Cognition and the Will: Individual Volition and Social Context, 61. Pizarro, D.A. & Helzer, E. (2010). Freedom of the will and stubborn moralism. In Baumeister, R.F., A.R. Mele, and K. D. Vohs (Eds.) Free will and consciousness: How might they work? (pp. 101-120) Oxford University Press. [peezer.net] Sartre is Smartre [vimeo.com] Support Very Bad Wizards

Sam Harris gets back in the VBW ring for another round on moral responsibility, ethical theories, and the grounds for our obligations to other people. Are we at a genuine stalemate when it comes to blame and desert? Is Tamler a closet consequentialist? Is Sam a closet pluralist? Why is Dave such a big Wagner fan? Plus, Twitter shaming: what is it good for? Settle in, get comfortable, pour yourself a drink, you're in for the long haul on this one. Links How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco's Life [nytimes.co] The Moral Landscape by Sam Harris [samharris.org] Value Pluralism [plato.stanford.edu] Bill Burr vs. Philly [youtube.com] Special Guest: Sam Harris. Support Very Bad Wizards

Dave and Tamler discuss a new study that, according to Tamler, offers decisive support for restorative approaches to criminal punishment (the only problem is he didn't read past the introduction). And speaking of justice, we talk about "White Bear"--the most disturbing episode of the UK series Black Mirror that doesn't involve sex with a non-kosher animal. (Note: Massive spoilers for this episode of BM--watch before listening. Available on netflix, amazon prime.) Links Black Mirror, "White Bear" episode [imdb.com] Ultimatum Game [wikipedia.org] Justice Porn [reddit.com] Fehr, E., & Gächter, S. (2002). Altruistic punishment in humans. Nature, 415(6868), 137-140. FeldmanHall, O., Sokol-Hessner, P., Van Bavel, J. J., & Phelps, E. A. (2014). Fairness violations elicit greater punishment on behalf of another than for oneself. Nature Communications, 5. Support Very Bad Wizards

In this engaging discussion, Susan Wolf, a philosopher and author of 'Meaning in Life and Why it Matters,' dives deep into what makes life meaningful. She explores the balance between personal fulfillment and moral obligations, suggesting not all meaningful actions align with self-interest. The conversation highlights the subjectivity of meaning, challenging traditional views of success while emphasizing social connections and community impact. Listeners are in for a thought-provoking journey about the complexity of finding purpose!

Dive into a spirited debate over the roles of emotion and intuition in moral judgments. The hosts explore how feelings influence our perceptions of blame and accountability. They also brainstorm a fun drinking game idea to engage listeners while tackling deep philosophical themes. Expect insightful recommendations for movies and books that provoke thought and stir emotion, alongside playful banter about guilt, redemption, and social class struggles in films like 'Calvary' and 'Snowpiercer.' It's a blend of humor and profound discussion!

Bestselling author and friend of the podcast Sam Harris joins Tamler and Dave for a marathon podcast. (Seriously, pack two pairs of astronaut diapers for this one). We talk about the costs and benefits of religion, dropping acid in India, and the illusory nature of (a certain kind of) free will. Then we go at it on blame, moral responsibility, hatred, guilt, retribution, and vengeance. Sam thinks these are antiquated responses based on a belief in spooky metaphysics, Tamler thinks they are important components of human morality, and Dave just wants everyone to get along and be reasonable (like that nice Kant fellow). Time markers (roughly) 0:00-47:00 Intro and costs and benefits of religion 47:00-77:30 Drugs, the self, free will 77:30-- Blame, guilt, vengeance, moral responsibility, desert. Links Sam Harris [samharris.org] Waking Up: A guide to spirituality without religion by Sam Harris [amazon.com affiliate link] Daniel Dennett reviews "Free Will" by Sam Harris [naturalism.org] Sam Harris responds to Dennett's Review of "Free Will" [samharris.org] Special Guest: Sam Harris. Support Very Bad Wizards

Film critic, VBW regular, and social psychologist Yoel Inbar joins David and Tamler to talk about Spike Lee's controversial 1989 film, Do the Right Thing, a movie about a day in the life of a small Brooklyn community on the hottest day of summer, and how the day's events lead to a race riot. Which characters in the film deserve our sympathy? (Maybe all of them?) Who was Spike Lee criticizing with his depiction of the characters in this community? Why did Mookie start the riot at Sal's? Was his action justified? Was starting the riot the "Right Thing" that Spike Lee was referring to in the title? Twenty five years after its release, how much have things changed? [Please note: we recorded this episode before the Ferguson verdict, which is why--despite some parallels--we don't refer to the verdict or the aftermath.] Links Do the Right Thing [imdb.com] Do the Right Thing Scene: Insults [youtube.com] Do the Right Thing Scene: RIP Boom Box [youtube.com] Do the Right Thing Scene: Just Off the Boat [youtube.com] When Spike Lee Became Scary by Jason Bailey [atlantic.com] The Boondocks [wikipedia.org] Uncle Remus [wikipedia.org] Lyrics to Black Korea by Ice Cube [rapgenius.com] Do the Right Thing and Night of the Hunter Side by Side [youtube.com] The movie ends with the following two quotes: Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys a community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends by defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I think there are plenty of good people in America, but there are also plenty of bad people in America and the bad ones are the ones who seem to have all the power and be in these positions to block things that you and I need. Because this is the situation, you and I have to preserve the right to do what is necessary to bring an end to that situation, and it doesn't mean that I advocate violence, but at the same time I am not against using violence in self-defense. I don't even call it violence when it's self-defense, I call it intelligence. - Malcolm X Special Guest: Yoel Inbar. Support Very Bad Wizards

David and Tamler talk about a new study that links your belief in free will to the fullness of your bladder. How do our bodily states influence our metaphysical commitments? What's the best way to measure beliefs about free will? Can you get your prostate checked without having someone stick something in your private areas? Plus, an exclusive look at the shocking truth about social psychology experiments. Links The Philosophical Implications of the Urge to Urinate by Dan Ladkin, Scientific American Ent, M. R., & Baumeister, R. F. (2014). Embodied free will beliefs: Some effects of physical states on metaphysical opinions. Consciousness and Cognition, 27, 147-154. Free Will and Determinism Scale (Rakos, Laurene, Skala, & Slane, 2008, Behavior and Social Issues). Support Very Bad Wizards

Following up their discussion of moral villains, Dave and Tamler argue about what makes a moral hero. Tamler defends Sharon Krause's view that honor values can motivate heroic behavior. Dave accuses Tamler of being inconsistent (nothing wrong with that) and slightly Kantian (NOOOOOO!!!). In the final segment, we're back on the same page fawning over Susan Wolf's paper "Moral Saints." Plus, are drunks more likely to be utilitarians? And why does Dave hate Temple Grandin? Links The Cold Logic of Drunk People by Emma Green [theatlantic.com] Duke, A. A., & Bègue, L. (2015). The drunk utilitarian: Blood alcohol concentration predicts utilitarian responses in moral dilemmas. Cognition, 134, 121-127. [sciencedirect.com] Wolf, S. (1982). Moral saints. The Journal of Philosophy, 419-439. [verybadwizards.com] Krause, S. R. (2002). Honor and democratic reform (Ch. 5) [verybadwizards.com]. In Liberalism with honor [amazon.com affiliate link]. Harvard University Press. Support Very Bad Wizards