PODCAST

Choosing Better

Enoch Hill and Tim Taylor

Conversations about wacky ideas, economics, and the art of living well.

science social sciences

All Episodes

01:03:33

Anxious Minds: Does Anxiety Fuel Political Polarization?

Choosing Better ·

2024/09/13

If people seek likeminded groups to avoid conflict, is our very anxiety toward disagreement fueling polarization? Having recently read The Anxious Generation (Jonathan Haidt), Enoch runs a new hypothesis by Tim about anxiety as a cause of polarization. They discuss the nature of polarization and whether young people are more polarized than older generations. Some theories are meant to fly while other fall short. Join the fun to learn if Enoch’s ideas fly too close to the sun.Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew

00:52:42

From Aristocrats to Average Joes: What We Lost When...

Choosing Better ·

2024/08/30

Civilizations across history have had an aristocracy to govern politics and culture. The advent of democracy levelled society and made us all equals, but can we ever truly rid ourselves of a ruling class which dictate trends and values? Join Enoch and Tim as they discuss the benefits and harms of an aristocracy and what is lost when we free ourselves from the ruling class.Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics &

00:57:00

The New Eugenics: A Conversation with Calum MacKellar

Choosing Better ·

2024/05/03

How far should we go when we plan our families and what should guide us when we consider fertility? Bioethicist Dr. Calum MacKellar joins Tim in conversation on the equality of all life and the growing challenges of eugenics as parents select which children to welcome into their families and which to turn away. What may have looked like the horrors of the 20th Century are making a resurgence in many western societies.Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the

00:56:26

Should Free Speech Be Limited?

Choosing Better ·

2024/04/19

Free speech is a bedrock of American democratic society and oftentimes protected above other rights. However, many who consider some rhetoric as harmful and potentially violent have called for certain limits to free expression such as Scotland’s hate crime law (entered into force April 1, 2024). Enoch and Tim freely express themselves on the benefits and challenges of free speech toward a flourishing society.Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center

00:52:33

Pro-cedures? Medical Intervention and Risk Taking.

Choosing Better ·

2024/04/05

Did you know that conditional on giving birth, the probability of having a C-section is 10 times more likely in Mexico than in Sudan? Perhaps more surprising is that people who give birth in our local hospital are more than two times as likely to have a C-section than in the next closest hospital.Life is inherently risky. Sometimes these risks lead to situations where we need outside help. But what if that outside help is also risky? In this episode Enoch and Tim discuss the interaction of risk

01:09:06

Feeling lonely? You're not alone. The Epidemic of...

Choosing Better ·

2024/03/29

Reports of loneliness are soaring in some the most wealthy and peaceful societies in world history. According to a CDC study from 2021, 57 percent of teenage girls “felt persistently sad or hopeless”, an alarming rise from the already high 36 percent of teenage girls who reported hopelessness in 2011. Enoch and Tim discuss the scale of the problem and consider what could possibly be causing so many individuals to feel isolated and alone. But choosing hope is always an option as possible solutions

01:09:22

Formation or Jobs: What Is the Purpose of an Education?

Choosing Better ·

2024/03/22

What should be the top priorities when designing a country’s education system? There has been a slow movement in school curriculum away from the moral formation of the person and toward job preparedness. Enoch and Tim discuss the challenges of moral instruction under pluralism and ask each other what we most prioritize in the education of our children. Grab your copy of Plato’s Republic and sharpen those No. 2 pencils for the AP Biology exam as we talk about the purpose of education! Credits:

01:01:34

Assisted Suicide: Is This Our Rubicon?

Choosing Better ·

2024/03/15

Many societies are advancing assisted suicide as a viable option in the arsenal of the healthcare provider. But this breaks from longstanding duties of the physician to not administer poisons as evidenced in the Hippocratic Oath from antiquity. Enoch and Tim discuss the limits of individual autonomy and the morality of assisted suicide in a liberal democratic society.Warning: In this episode, the topic of suicide is discussed Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the

00:41:01

This Is My Land! At Least I Think So…

Choosing Better ·

2024/03/08

Who determines what land can be owned and the rules of ownership? From the freedom to roam in Scotland to communal decisions in Oaxaca to racial restrictions in American Samoa, the rules of private property are as diverse as the nations. Enoch and Tim discuss these differences and talk about some of the benefits and challenges of private property rights. But first, some trivia!Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics &

01:04:07

Intellectual Property: How Long Is Long Enough?

Choosing Better ·

2024/03/01

Who would want to grant a legal monopoly to an individual or even a corporation? While we want to encourage research and development, creativity, and taking risks, we also love the competition of the marketplace and the resulting lower prices for our favorite inventions and creations. In this episode, Enoch and Tim discuss intellectual property rights and consider the optimal duration to grant monopolies through patents and copyrights all while having a lot of fun.Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

00:00:59

A brief update

Choosing Better ·

2024/01/26

Thank you so much for making our first season a success. We've both been overwhelmed by the positive feedback regarding the podcast and have been pleasantly surprised that not everyone thinks we're crazy (or at least that there are so many people who enjoy joining in our craziness).We've both temporarily moved out of the country which has made recording a bit of a challenge. We're exploring how we can continue to record from a distance, but it will be a few weeks at the earliest

00:52:42

More than Facts: What are the Liberal Arts all about?

Choosing Better ·

2024/01/26

The academic seas are stormy, and the typical landmarks are in flux. Sometimes the best path forward is to look to the past. Join us as we reflect on the purpose of education and the role of the liberal arts. Credits: Intro/Outro music - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠ Post-Production - Michael Morris Additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics & Economics⁠⁠⁠⁠ for their support of our production, Stevener Gaskin, Kimberly Fair and the ICAM Studio. Initial Record Date: 5/18/2023

01:03:26

Incarceration as Specialization

Choosing Better ·

2024/01/26

The penalties for breaking the law vary dramatically across time and space. In this episode we reflect on why certain patterns might emerge in how crimes are treated with respect to GDP per capita. We also consider the tradeoffs in play for those receiving punishment as well as the broader society. Credits: Intro/Outro music - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Post-Production - Michael Morris Additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics & Economics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for their support of our

01:14:23

Migrating on Migration

Choosing Better ·

2024/01/26

The potential economic gains from migration are enormous. Even the smallest estimates suggest migration has the potential to raise incomes more than 10 fold that of increased openness to trade. Few seem happy with current policies in the US, but what can be done? In this episode we reflect on a bit of the history of migration in the US and discuss Weyl and Posner's proposal from their book, Radical Markets. Credits: Intro/Outro music - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Post-Production - Michael

00:45:20

Artificial Sincerity

Choosing Better ·

2023/12/29

AI can emulate many things that humans do. AI can emulate many things humans can't do. AI can emulate many things humans shouldn't do. AI can emulate many things AI shouldn't do. Perhaps emulating human emotions falls into this fourth category. This certainly appears to be the consensus for condolence letters. But are there times where this artificial sincerity is appropriate? Could it ever offer an improvement? And regardless the moral implications, what are the implications? Join us as

00:46:07

Merciful Scarcity

Choosing Better ·

2023/12/22

We generally think of scarcity in a negative light, but what would life look like if things weren't scarce? Could their be hidden mercies embedded in this concept. We invite you to share some of your scarce time and attention to reflect with us. (Link to Referenced Article on Scarcity) Credits: Intro/Outro music - ⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠ Post-Production - Michael Morris Additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics & Economics⁠⁠⁠ for their support of our production, Stevener

01:03:50

A Just Price or Just a Price?

Choosing Better ·

2023/12/15

What are the moral implications of prices? Is there such a thing as a "Just Price?" Under what conditions are prices unjust? Let's talk about arbitrarily giving money to random friends (or strangers), price gouging, and the effects of the prices on your soul. Credits: Intro/Outro music - ⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠ Post-Production - Michael Morris Additional thanks to the ⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics & Economics⁠⁠ for their support of our production, Stevener Gaskin, Kimberly Fair and

00:57:36

Ignorance is Bliss

Choosing Better ·

2023/12/08

If knowledge is power and ignorance is bliss, where does that leave us? Sometimes it might be better to just not know. But... if you want to know, Enoch Hill and Tim Taylor discuss in this week's Choosing Better Podcast. Credits: Intro/Outro music - ⁠Drew Elliot⁠ Post-Production - Michael Morris Additional thanks to the ⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics & Economics⁠ for their support of our production, Stevener Gaskin, Kimberly Fair and the ICAM Studio. Initial Record Date: 10/2/2023

00:58:47

What a Shame

Choosing Better ·

2023/12/01

In a (somewhat) recent article, Ben Peterson suggests that Order is necessary for a flourishing society. Order is generally achieved through informal norms or through formal law and enforcement. In the US, norms previously provided order, this transitioned to law and enforcement, but now we are shifting away from formal enforcement without the informal norms. In this episode of Choosing Better, we explore the roles of shame and honor in society, discuss how these might best be implemented,

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Choosing Better

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