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PODCAST

Patterson in Pursuit

Steve Patterson

Philosophy in the real world. Interviewing intellectuals across the globe. Grappling with the biggest ideas. stevepatterson.substack.com

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

58:04

Ep. 60 - Dialogue with a Buddhist Monk | Phra Maha...

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/06/04

What's the purpose of meditation? What is the nature of the mind? What is the nature of the self? I got to ask these questions to a Buddhist monk while in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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80:10

Ep. 59 - Can You Approach Infinity? | Dr. Michael Huemer

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/05/28

The most popular resolution to Zeno's paradoxes is to say, "Calculus solves it!" But, as I've written and spoken about before, the logic of calculus might be dubious. Can we really complete an infinite series? My guest this week is Dr. Michael Huemer, who has recently written a book called Approaching Infinity, where he claims that the modern theory of infinities do need to be revised - that calculus does not solve Zeno's paradoxes - and that we have to distinguish between completable and

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6:10

Is the World Blurry? | The Modernist Fallacy

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/05/26

What's more likely: a precise description of an ambiguous world, or an ambiguous description of a precise world? This is the modernist fallacy: to think that conceptual blurriness correctly describes a blurry world. To me, this is silly and irrational. Ambiguous theories are flawed; they aren't positive arguments for "true ambiguity". Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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58:23

Ep. 58 - The Psychology of Postmodernism | Dr....

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/05/20

Postmodernist philosophy is famous for being paradoxical. Claims like "the truth is that there is no truth" or "everything is relative" are popular - especially among academics. Many proponents are even OK with explicit contradictions in their worldview. To me, a contradiction is a demonstration of error, and not caring about intellectual consistency is a sign of dogmatism and irrationalism. But according to Dr. Stephen Hicks, that's because I have a certain psychological response to contradictions

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8:19

Tai Chi Meets Reality

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/05/18

Tai Chi master gets beat up by an MMA fighter; Chinese think it was "disrespectful" to demonstrate the truth - the Tai Chi master's "expertise" was a sham. This kind of thing happens all the time in the martial arts and in the world of ideas. "Masters" and "experts" are frequently convinced of their own knowledge and superiority - allthewhile being deluded about the basics of their own subject matter. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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52:51

Ep. 57 - Are Some Objects Mind-Dependent? | Interview...

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/05/15

This is my interview breakdown of Episode 33 - my conversation with Dr. Jody Azzouni about the metaphysics of mathematics. The first half of our conversation was about existence, the nature of language, and whether we can say true things about objects that don't exist. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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7:45

Puerto Rico Has Gone Bankrupt

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/05/12

The economic principle is clear: you cannot borrow money indefinitely to pay your bills. Eventually, the bills come due. You can only delay the inevitable. This is a law of economics, and it applies to every country on earth, including the United States. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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33:09

Ep. 56 - Zen Buddhism | Keiho Nishigaki

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/05/09

What are the fundamentals of Zen Buddhism? What is the purpose of meditation, or zazen? Is the philosophy or the practice of Buddhism more important? I asked these questions to Keiho Nishigaki, the head monk at the Nan'yoji temple outside of Osaka, Japan. He was kind enough to work me through the basics, in addition to giving me a guided Zen meditation session. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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55:23

Ep. 55 - Are Science and Religion Incompatible? | Dr....

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/04/30

How fundamental is the conflict between science and religion? Is it true that the history of the church is filled with anti-intellectualism and the suppression of scientific inquiry? Is religious fundamentalism to blame for the tension between science and religion? I've got my own suspicions about these questions, but I decided to ask Dr. Peter Harrison, who teaches History at the University of Queensland. He specializes in the topic of "Science versus Religion". Get full access to Steve Patterson's

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19:39

Data versus Anecdotes: From Ghosts to Levaquin

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/04/28

Rationalists are far too quick to dismiss anecdotes as being "non-scientific." They are also too quick to accept all official-looking "data" that comes from scientists - when, in fact, anecdotes might sometimes be more trustworthy than scientific data. On the other hand, many people are far too likely to accept the theoretical claims of anecdotal evidence - rather than accepting the data while remaining skeptical of any theoretical claims. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at

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113:09

Ep. 54 - Psychedelic Experience: Ayahuasca | The...

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/04/23

For thousands of years, people have ingested psychedelic drugs in order to alter their consciousness. They report having profound experiences - many of which are life-changing. But is this just simple delusion? Can you really learn important truths while on drugs? I think it's a grave mistake to dismiss the possibility out of hand. To help me answer, I'm joined by the World Wanderers: Ryan Ferguson and Amanda Kingsmith, who have traveled to more than 45 countries together. While in Peru, they both

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10:09

The Social Hierarchy

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/04/20

Continuing the commentary on hierarchy from last week. Seeking status, wealth, and prestige - for their own sake - is not a recipe for happiness or human flourishing. It's a recipe for pettiness and division. Playing power games within a social pecking order is an attempt to compensate for a lack of self-confidence. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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42:01

Ep. 53 - One Year, 10 Countries | What I've Learned

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/04/15

A year ago, I started Patterson in Pursuit. Ten countries later, I want to share some thoughts about what I've learned. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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8:23

People Love Hierarchy

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/04/13

Regardless of where people fall on the social hierarchy, they like and reinforce the system. They seek camaraderie with other people in social classes - even if they're in the bottom class. This is a difficult part of human psychology for me to deal with. For those of us who don't like this system, it can be difficult to opt-out. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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65:24

Ep. 52 - Are Some Infinities Bigger Than Others? |...

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/04/09

Does infinity really come in multiple sizes? According to mathematical orthodoxy, some infinities are bigger than others - but that's awfully hard to wrap your mind around. So, I've asked Dr. Toby Meadows from the University of Queensland to help me out. He specializes in the philosophy of mathematics and set theory. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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66:29

Ep. 51 - Feminist Philosophy | Dr. Michelle...

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/04/02

Why is the history of ideas dominated by male thinkers? Is it because women are discouraged from intellectual life - or is it because women tend to choose other careers? If we go even deeper: why do women (and men) make the choices they do? Is it because they are influenced by overwhelming societal pressures - or are they acting freely? These are the questions I've asked Dr. Michelle Boulous-Walker, who teaches at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Get full access to Steve

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7:10

The Metaphysics of Fiction

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/03/31

Can we say true and false things about Harry Potter? If so, does that mean he exists? If not, then how can we talk about a non-existing thing? I've gotten different answers to these questions in my interviews so far. Here are some of my thoughts on the topic. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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87:06

Ep. 50 - Argumentation Ethics | Stephan Kinsella

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/03/26

If we choose to argue, have we presupposed an ethical framework? Is "self-ownership" a concept that cannot coherently be doubted? To help me answer these questions, I'm joined by Stephan Kinsella, who is one of the most prominent supporters of "argumentation ethics." He claims that ownership is inescapable. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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23:11

Experts and Incompetence

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/03/24

Don't take my word for it, but the experts might not be so expert... Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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53:17

Ep. 49 - Is Consciousness "Emergent"? | Dr. David...

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/03/18

Does consciousness "emerge" from physical phenomena? What does "emerge" even mean? If we grant that consciousness emerges, and that it has a distinct ontological status, doesn't that imply dualism? To help me answer these questions, I spoke with Dr. Braddon-Mitchell at the University of Sydney. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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205 results

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