WHY? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life
Jack Russell Weinstein / Prairie Public
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Join us each month as we engage in philosophical discussions about the most common-place topics with host Jack Russell Weinstein, professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of North Dakota. He is the director of The Institute for Philosophy in Public Life.
Available episodes
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Nov 12, 2023
"Why do we dehumanize people?"
Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with David Livingston Smith, professor of philosophy at the University of New England, author of "On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It" from Oxford University Press.
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Oct 9, 2023
The Ethics of Cryptocurrency
Catherine Flick is a Reader in Computing and Social Responsibility in the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility at De Montfort University. She also currently has a visiting fellowship at Staffordshire University.
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Sep 10, 2023
“How to Give Sex Advice” with Dan Savage
Host Jack Russell Weinstein is joined by author and podcast host Dan Savage to discuss "How to Give Sex Advice."
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Aug 13, 2023
“The Myths of Whiteness”
Jack Russell Weinstein visits with David Mura, the author of “The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives.”
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Jul 9, 2023
“Who is Responsible for War Crimes?”
In an encore presentation from 2018, host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Matthew Talbert and Jessica Wolfendale, co-authors of the book, War Crimes: Causes, Excuses, and Blame.
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Jun 11, 2023
“The Case for Nonhuman Rights"
Jack visits with Jeff Sebo, the author of “Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves: Why Animals Matter for Pandemics, Climate Change, and Other Catastrophes.”
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May 14, 2023
“Consolation, Solace, and Leadership”
Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Michael Ignatieff, author of “On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times.” Known for his work as a historian, Ignatieff has held senior academic posts at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, and Toronto. Most recently, he was rector and President of Central European University.
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Apr 8, 2023
"The Philosophy of Depression"
“The Philosophy of Depression,” with Andrew Solomon, a writer on politics, culture and psychology. Solomon wrote “The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression,” which won the 2001 National Book Award, was a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize, and was included in The Times list of one hundred best books of the decade.
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Mar 13, 2023
Bonus Episode: "Philosophy in the Classroom"
On this bonus episode, Jack Russell Weinstein and Ashley Thornberg explore philosophy in the classroom, his students, and how to present philosophers he doesn’t agree with.
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Mar 12, 2023
What is it like to be a philosophy student?
In a special episode, Jack visits with four of his students — Samuel Amendolar, Terese Azure, Madilyn Lee, and Sara Rasch — about what it's like to study philosophy.
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Feb 12, 2023
Privacy is Power
“Data, Technology, and the Power of Privacy.” Philosophers Jack Russell Weinstein and Carissa Véliz discuss how internet companies track and sell private information, and how this is changing politics and society.
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Jan 8, 2023
"A Philosophical Look at Immigration and Migration"
In an encore presentation from January 2020, host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Adam Hosein, philosophy professor at Northeastern University in Boston. Hosein is the author of "The Ethics of Migration: An Introduction."
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Dec 11, 2022
“The Argument for Unions”
Jack Russell Weinstein visits with philosophy professor Mark Reiff of the University of California at Davis. Mark R. Reiff is the author of five books: In the Name of Liberty: The Argument for Universal Unionization (Cambridge University Press, 2020); On Unemployment, Volume I: A Micro-Theory of Economic Justice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015); On Unemployment, Volume II: Achieving Economic Justice after the Great Recession (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015); Exploitation and Economic Justice in the Liberal Capitalist State (Oxford University Press, 2013), and Punishment, Compensation, and Law: A Theory of Enforceability (Cambridge University Press, 2005).
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Nov 13, 2022
“What Makes a Movie Good?”
Host Jack Russell Weinstein explores the question “What Makes a Movie Good?” with Jinhee Choi, Reader in Film Studies at King's College London.
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Oct 9, 2022
"Philosophical Concerns About Today's Supreme Court"
Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Andrew Seidel, the author of "The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American;" and "American Crusade: How the Supreme Court is Weaponizing Religious Freedom." He’s also co-editor of an academic text, "Law and Religion: Cases and Materials."
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Sep 11, 2022
"Are Indian Tribes Sovereign Nations?"
The University of North Dakota recently announce that it found Native American human remains in storage, and has begun the repatriation process. With that current headline in mind, we offer an encore episode with George “Tink” Tinker, the Clifford Baldridge Emeritus Professor of American Indian Cultures and Religious Traditions at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, where he was still teaching at the time of this 2014 conversation.
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Aug 14, 2022
"On Liberty and Libertarianism”
Political freedom lies at the core of any democracy. Yet some people claim that even countries like America and England aren’t free enough. What does a free society look like and how much liberty is necessary for the moral life? In this encore presentation from 2011, Jack visits with James Otteson. At the time, he was Professor of Philosophy and Economics at Yeshiva University, but has since moved to Notre Dame, where he is the John T. Ryan Jr. Professor of Business Ethics. He is also the Rex and Alice A. Martin faculty director of the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, and the faculty director of the Business Honors Program in the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. And if that’s not enough, he’s also Senior Scholar at The Fund for American Studies and a Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute. His latest book is Seven Deadly Economic Sins, published by Cambridge University Press in 2021.
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Jul 10, 2022
"What Does it Mean to Be African?"
Jack Russell Weinstein is here to preview this Sunday’s Why radio show as he visits with Firoze Manji. Manji is a Kenyan activist with more than 40 years’ experience in international development, health, human rights, teaching, publishing and political organizing. He is the recipient of the 2021 Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista Lifetime Achievement Award from the Caribbean Philosophical Association. (Wikipedia)
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Jun 12, 2022
“What Do Community Colleges Do?”
UND distinguished professor of philosophy, Jack Russell Weinstein, visits with Brian Huschle, Northland Community and Technical College.
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May 8, 2022
“How to Think Like A Hindu”
Host Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Swami Sarvapriyananda.
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