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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

14:49

A Requirement for True Love

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/02/24

This is the most personal article I've written. It's about love - but it's not meant to make you feel fuzzy. I believe love is the highest state of human existence, but getting to a loving state of mind is incredibly hard, and it comes coupled with a great deal of pain. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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54:54

Ep. 45 - Infinite Sets: Understanding the Basics |...

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/02/19

Resting at the heart of modern mathematics is the concept of infinite sets. It's a notoriously difficult concept, and in my own evaluation, it strikes me as logically contradictory. So, I accept an invitation to talk with an ex-mathematician who specializes in set theory - perhaps he can set me straight and help me understand the basic ways of thinking about these "completed infinities." Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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6:41

Charlie Hebdo as an Excuse to Take Selfies

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/02/16

I can't help but notice the West's reaction to the Charlie Hebdo massacre. It's so abstract. If I were to be cynical, I'd say that people's reactions are fake. They don't really care about the tragedy; they care about social signaling to their peers. Original article here: http://steve-patterson.com/charlie-hebdo-excuse-take-selfies/ Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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48:47

Ep. 44 - SJWs, the Left, and Academia | Dr. Jamie Whyte

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/02/12

Great show this week covering the social justice warrior phenomenon - the origins, causes, and damage that could be created if these people gain political power. We also talk about the liberalisation of New Zealand during the 80's, "trickle-down ideologies", and the impact of relativism in higher ed. My guest is Dr. Jamie Whyte, who has a background in philosophy, studied at Cambridge, and saw first-hand the popularity of irrationalism within the academic system. Get full access to Steve

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67:14

Ep. 43 - Indigenous Beliefs of New Zealand | Dr....

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/02/05

What were the indigenous beliefs of the Māori people of New Zealand? How did they view the world? How did they react when met with the first Christian settlers? I'm joined by Dr. Hirini Kaa to help me answer these questions. We talk about the Maori worldview, history, religion, and impact of colonialism on New Zealand's indigenous people. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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69:13

Ep. 42 - Truth and Paraconsistent Logic

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/01/29

What is truth? Can we know anything about it? Is truth about propositions, or is it about the world? Can a proposition be true and false at the same time? What about the infamous liar's paradox? My guest this week thinks that logical contradictions are unavoidable - but also that they aren't as big a deal as classical logicians make them out to be. I think contradictions are a very big deal, so naturally, we have a great discussion. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at

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94:56

Ep. 41 - Race Relations, Part II | T.K. Coleman

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/01/26

This is Part II of the conversation I had with T.K. Coleman about race relations in the United States. We continue talking about the importance of intention versus action - focusing on people feelings versus focusing on their behavior. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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81:45

Ep. 40 - Race Relations | T.K. Coleman

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/01/22

A timely interview on the subject of race in America. Ideas matter, and some of them matter urgently. This is one of those topics where respectful, honest, and reasonable conversation is in high demand and short supply. I hope my guest T.K. Coleman will spend a few more episodes diving into the subject with me, because we only scratched the surface here. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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22:42

Why I Am Not a Physicalist

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/01/19

The theory of physicalism does not fully explain all the phenomena that I experience. The toolbox of concepts must expand. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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74:29

Ep. 39 - Theism without the OmniGod | Dr. John Bishop

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/01/15

Omnipotent. Omniscient. Omnibenevolent. These are the descriptions that theists often give when talking about God. But are they the only conceptions of God that are possible? My guest today is Dr. John Bishop, who has written about non-standard conceptions of theism. We talk about his criticisms of the OmniGod, in addition to some fundamental concepts about faith and belief. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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52:01

Ep. 38 - The Post-Truth Era | Dr. Robert Nola

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/01/08

Do we live in a post-truth world? What does that term even mean? I'm joined by Dr. Robert Nola, who has been teaching at the University of Auckland for almost half a century. We discuss fundamental questions about truth, talk about what "post-truth" means, and also cover the methodology of "faith" in the philosophy of religion. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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48:26

Ep. 37 - Free Will, Causality, and Pluralism | Dr....

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2017/01/01

What is the cause of somebody's stroke? Is it the laws of physics? The mechanics of biology? Or perhaps it's caused by the choices that they made? Is it all of the above? My guest today is Dr. Mario De Caro, who has an interesting answer to these questions. He is a metaphysical pluralist, who believes in multiple categories of existence and causation, each of which is not reducible to the other. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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11:03

The Bittersweet Paradox

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2016/12/29

The bittersweet paradox is another popular irrationalist argument, which claims that two mutually exclusive things can be experienced together - happy and sad, black and white, bitter and sweet. Once again, this type of argument falls short, and precise language clears up any confusion. It conflates the appearance of mutual exclusivity with actual mutual exclusivity. If two things are mutually exclusive, then they cannot be experienced together. If they are experienced together, it's a demonstration

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58:29

Ep. 36 - Christmas Breakdown | Scrooge Edition

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2016/12/26

Merry Christmas and Bah Humbug! This is an analysis of my interview with a Christian theologian from Cambridge. I wasn't a big fan of his argument, which ultimately rested on a dubious distinction between "who" and "what." Also in this episode: my attempt at rationally explaining the connection between Jesus and the Christian God. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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38:55

Ep. 35 - Legalizing All Drugs | Dr. Jeffrey Miron

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2016/12/18

Drug prohibition causes more harm than good - that's the argument from libertarians like Dr. Jeff Miron of Harvard. He analyzes the topic from an economic and practical standpoint. In this episode, we also discuss the role of government in providing a social safety net. Can private charity do a better job than public charity? Jeff thinks so, and I agree with him. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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22:39

Ep. 34 - The Foundations of Knowledge

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2016/12/11

For the last decade, I've been searching for certain foundations, and finally, I've found them. Logic represents the foundation for all knowledge, and it's the subject of my first book on philosophy: Square One: The Foundations of Knowledge. If you are interested in objective truth, certain knowledge, and logic, then pick up a copy. Anybody can read it and understand - it's not written for academics, and it doesn't contain useless jargon. All of my work - present and future - draws from the ideas in

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19:23

Is It Honorable To Be In The Military?

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2016/12/08

Though it's bound to upset people, I don't think being in the military is honorable. I think it's a sign of weakness, and in most circumstances, it causes more harm than good. Submitting to orders is not noble. Killing people because you were commanded to isn't courageous. Believing propaganda is not respectable. Soldiers are how they've been used: as political pawns for ambitious men. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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58:41

Ep. 33 - Do Mathematical Objects Exist? | Dr. Jody...

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2016/12/04

What are numbers? What are concepts? Do they exist, or do we just act like they exist? I'm joined by Dr. Jody Azzouni of Tufts University. He's a philosopher who has been arguing for nominalism for years - the idea that numbers and abstract objects don't exist at all. His position is a wonderful contrast to the previous interviews I've done on this topic, where the guests have been Platonists. My own views sit in-between nominalism and Platonism. I think abstract objects exist, but they do not

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42:30

Ep. 32 - Minds, Machines, and Souls | Interview...

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2016/11/28

If consciousness can't be explained within the conceptual toolbox of physicalism, then what's an alternative theory? Are we stuck with dualism? This is my breakdown of the interview with Professor Bram about consciousness, machine intelligence, and the implications of rejecting reductive physicalism. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe

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52:01

Ep. 31 - Religious Experience | Isaac Morehouse

Patterson in Pursuit ·

2016/11/20

Since recorded history, people have been talking about "religious" or "spiritual" experiences. It's a shame that intellectuals are no longer able to discuss them openly. It's become taboo. Fortunately, my guest doesn't care about taboos, and he shares some details about his own religious experiences, and I do as well. We're not the only intellectuals with these experiences, and it's about time we start talking about it. The ideas are too important to leave unexamined. Get full access to Steve

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