242 - Victor Davis Hanson: President Donald J. Trump and the Fate of the United States

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 David Builes is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University, where he works in metaphysics and epistemology and has made serious contributions to the philosophies of mind, science, and mathematics. In this episode, Robinson and David discuss the metaphysics of time—including debates about the reality of the past, present, and future—the question of whether science can explain consciousness, and whether numbers exist as abstract objects. David’s Website: https://davidbuiles.com OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 01:05 David’s Interest in Philosophy 05:47 On the Philosophy of Time 16:01 In Defense of Presentism 24:21 How Long is the Present? 25:58 Humean and Non-Humean Laws 28:02 Can Science Explain Consciousness? 40:25 Does David Believe His Work? 43:32 First-Person Realism 53:18 Is First-Person Realism Correct? 57:42 The Philosophy of Math 01:01:45 Do Numbers Exist? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

22 Syys 20241h 10min

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 Alexander Nehamas is the Edmund N. Carpenter II Class of 1943 Professor in the Humanities, both of philosophy and comparative literature, at Princeton University. He is best known for his work on ancient philosophy, literary theory, the philosophy of art, and his scholarship on Friedrich Nietzsche. In this episode, Robinson and Alexander primarily discuss the latter, though they also delve into some of his other work. More particularly, they discuss Nietzsche’s writings on eternal recurrence, the will to power, and morality, among other topics, as well as the perils of doing history as a philosopher, the infamous Elgin marbles, great works of literature, and personal style. Alexander’s most well-known work on Nietzsche is Nietzsche: Life as Literature (Harvard, 1987). Nietzsche: Life as Literature: https://a.co/d/7V3MYk0 OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 3:07 The Essentials of Nietzsche 11:42  Nietzsche and Eternal Recurrence  14:46  Nietzsche on Free Will 19:06  Nietzsche on Art and the Ideal Life 20:41  Nietzsche on Herd Morality and Mediocrity 23:20  Nietzsche on the Will to Power 27:02 Nietzsche on Our Dominance Over Animals   30:41 Was Nietzsche an Anti-Semite?  33:02 Nietzsche’s Relationship to Animals 36:53 Was Nietzsche an Enemy of Morality?   39:54 Nietzsche and the Worship of Greatness  41:06 Favorite Literature  48:39 Nietzsche and the Perils of the History of Philosophy   1:05:43 The Elgin Marbles 1:13:50 On Plato and Ancient Philosophy   1:22:34 Nietzsche on Animal Agriculture 1:29:10 Nietzsche on Seeing Life as a Literary Work 1:34:10 Nietzsche on the Weak and the Great 1:39:32 Philosophy and Life   1:46:11 On Philosophy and Fashion Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

14 Syys 20242h 5min

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 Peter Woit is a senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at Columbia University, where he researches quantum field theory and quantum gravity. Peter is one of the most well-known critics of string theory, and in this episode he and Robinson discuss his work and research in the area, which is encapsulated in his book Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory and the Search for Unity in Physical Law (Basic Books, 2007), as well as his website by the same name. More particularly, they talk about the standard model of particle physics, the problem of quantum gravity, the main figures in string theory, the arguments for and against this approach to physics, its many alleged failures, and the future of research in the area. Not Even Wrong (Book): https://a.co/d/iVnPEi1 Not Even Wrong (Website): https://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/ OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 02:29 Peter’s Training in Physics 06:21 What Is the Standard Model of Physics?  10:42 What Is Symmetry?  21:37 Experiment and the Standard Model of Particle Physics  26:15 What’s Wrong with the Standard Model of Particle Physics?  29:36 What Are Grand Unified Theories in Physics? 34:47 What Is Supersymmetry?  40:15 On Ed Witten and the Genius Mind Behind M-Theory 49:08 What Is String Theory?  1:04:56 What Is M-Theory? 1:07:59 On AdS/CFT  1:16:03 On Holography and Quantum Gravity 1:20:27 String Theory and the Sokal Hoax 1:24:09 Peter’s Love of Physics 1:32:13 On the String-Theoretic Landscape and the Multiverse  1:41:51 What’s the Path Forward for Physics? 1:47:52 Is String Theory the Only Game in Time? 1:53:17 How Did String Theory Become Dominant? 1:56:45 String Theory: Not Even Wrong? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

8 Syys 20242h 3min

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 Michael Graziano is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Princeton University, where he and his lab research the brain basis of consciousness. This is Michael’s second appearance on Robinson’s Podcast. In episode #169, they discussed Michael’s Attention Schema Theory of consciousness, in which consciousness is a way in which the brain models attention to better organize and monitor itself. In this conversation, Robinson and Michael reexamine the Attention Schema Theory with an eye toward the problem of studying the consciousness not only of humans, but of other animals, and with particular regard to the moral questions surrounding animals’ roles in our lives. Michael’s most recent book is Rethinking Consciousness (W. W. Norton, 2019). Rethinking Consciousness: https://a.co/d/8euR1EL Graziano Lab: https://grazianolab.princeton.edu OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 04:28 Michael’s Interest in Consciousness 07:22 What Is Consciousness? 16:03 Is there a Magical Essence to Consciousness? 28:43 How Did Consciousness Evolve? 35:29 Testing Michael’s Model of Consciousness 44:55 What’s It Like to Be a Human? 48:25 Is Human Suffering an Illusion? 54:07 The Neuroscience of Pain and Suffering 01:00:39 Is There Value to Human Life? 01:10:42 Was Helen Keller Conscious? 01:21:15 The Global Workspace Theory of Consciousness 01:30:20 Do Animals Value Their Own Lives? 01:41:23 Are Shrimp Conscious? 01:52:23 Should Science Inform Morality? 01:54:03 Can Chickens Suffer? 01:57:12 Are Salmon Conscious? 02:09:40 Are Octopuses Conscious? 02:22:43 Are Poultry Conscious? 02:29:43 Are Barnyard Animals Conscious? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

1 Syys 20242h 31min

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 Richard Wolff is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a visiting professor at The New School, where he works on economics in the Marxist tradition. This is Richard’s fourth appearance on Robinson’s Podcast. In episode #127, he and Robinson discussed some of the most profound criticisms of capitalism; in #154, they focused on the myths surrounding Marxism and Marx himself; and in #190 they covered the Israel-Palestine conflict from a Marxist perspective. In this wide-ranging episode, Richard and Robinson talk about the end of the American empire. More particularly they discuss the wars in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine, the rivalry between China and the United States, the global interplay between capitalism and socialism, the distinction between socialism and communism, the conflict between the BRICS and G7 nations, and more. Richard’s latest book is Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024). Understanding Capitalism (Book): https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism Class Theory and History (Book): https://a.co/d/ht4trZN Understanding the 2024 Elections (Article): https://asiatimes.com/2024/08/capitalism-mass-anger-and-2024-elections/ Richard’s Website: https://www.rdwolff.com Economic Update: https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdate OUTLINE 03:10 On the Trauma of His Family Background 10:50 Academia’s War on Marxism  22:45 Economics as the Secret Undercurrent of History 28:01 Will Ukraine Defeat Russia? 31:52 Is China the Empire of the New World? 39:04 The Best American Strategy Against China 45:24 How Trump Won and Lost America 56:22 Is Israel a Colonialist State? 01:03:23 On the Expulsion of the Palestinians from Israel 01:10:49 Israel as America’s Economic Baby 01:18:08 Global Capitalism as the Enemy of the Islamic World 01:23:00 Why You Should Distrust Wartime Propaganda 01:33:03 Zelensky and the Ukrainian Chess Match 01:42:53 The Economic Conspiracy Behind the American Pick-Up Truck 01:49:31 Israel, Ukraine, and the New Cold War 01:54:20 The Many Taboos of Socialism and Communism 01:58:54 The War Between Socialism and Capitalism 02:07:51 Is Socialism More Efficient than Capitalism? 02:16:58 World War I and the Rise of Socialism 02:22:58 The Failed American Attempt to Destroy Russian Communism 02:27:26 Why Did Russia Choose Communism over Socialism? 02:38:06 Communism, Socialism, and the War for the Workplace 02:43:00 Is China Secretly Capitalist? 02:53:18 America’s Choice Between Equality or Subservience to China 02:58:45 Europe’s Hidden Economic Apocalypse Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

25 Elo 20243h 3min

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 David Albert is the Frederick E. Woodbridge Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University, director of the Philosophical Foundations of Physics program at Columbia, and a faculty member of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. This is David’s eighth appearance on Robinson’s Podcast. He last appeared on episode 210 with Tim Maudlin, which was a more advanced episode on Niels Bohr and the foundations of quantum mechanics. In this episode, David gives a pedagogical and introductory overview of the measurement problem, which is the issue at the core of many discussions about the foundations of quantum mechanics. David’s most recent book is A Guess at the Riddle (2023). If you’re interested in the foundations of physics, then please check out the JBI, which is devoted to providing a home for research and education in this important area. Any donations are immensely helpful at this early stage in the institute’s life. Note: Unfortunately, the cameras turned off in the middle of the episode. For twenty minutes there is no video, and for most of the episode only the camera focusing on David is recording. A Guess at the Riddle: https://a.co/d/6qcsidl The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 04:54 On Philosophy and the Foundations of Physics 15:35 The Bizarreness of the Quantum World 19:16 What Is the World of Classical Physics? 24:00 How Quantum Mechanics Destroyed the Classical World 29:19 What Is Quantum Mechanical Superposition? 32:18 How Quantum Mechanics Became the Theory of Reality 39:53 What Is the Measurement Problem of Quantum Mechanics? 51:05 Niels Bohr and the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics 01:01:14 Niels Bohr and the EPR Paper 01:08:45 Was Niels Bohr the Most Charming Physicist of All Time? 01:15:59 Is the Measurement Problem a Scientific Problem? 01:21:24 Is String Theory Pseudoscience? 01:31:03 Why Don’t Many Philosophers Work on String Theory? 01:34:08 The Wave Function and the Measurement Problem 01:37:57 Quantum Measurement and Wave Function Collapse 01:41:34 Hidden Variable Theories of Quantum Mechanics 01:44:54 Quantum Mechanics and the Multiverse 01:48:47 Solving the Measurement Problem with Experiment 01:56:41 Quantum Mechanics and the Scientific Project Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

18 Elo 20242h 3min

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 Michael Hudson is Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and President of the Institute for the Study of Long-Term Economic Trends. He researches domestic and international finance, the history of economics, and the role of debt in shaping class stratification, among many other topics. This is Michael’s third appearance on the show. He was also a guest on episode 180, where he and Robinson discussed neoliberalism, industrial capitalism, and the rentier economy, and on episode 198, where they discussed Marxism, economic parasites, and contemporary debt cancellation. In this episode, Michael and Robinson talk about the history of debt cancellation in the ancient world—including Babylon, Greece, and Rome—how they helped to stave off economic collapse, how the failure to implement them contributed to the demise of these civilizations, and how they might be used in today’s economies. Michael’s most recent book is Temples of Enterprise (ISLET, 2024). This episode was recorded at Austin’s Ale House in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, and comes highly recommended. Michael’s Website: https://michael-hudson.com Temples of Enterprise: https://a.co/d/a3c53dm Austin’s Ale House: https://www.austinsteakandalehouse.com/ OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 03:08 Michael’s Interest in Debt 08:23 Why Countries Can’t Pay Their Debts 12:14 Debt Cancellations in the Ancient World 16:51 Can Society Survive Forgiving Everyone’s Debts? 21:30 The Brilliance of Bronze Age Economics 29:19 What Happened When Ancient Harvests Failed? 32:04 The Timeless War of Creditors Against Debtors 37:49 Why States Should Print Their Own Money 41:11 How the Catholic Church Created the Modern State 55:50 On the Origin of Money 01:01:28 On the Economics of Ancient Babylon 01:07:17 Were Ancient Economists Better than Today’s? 01:09:09 The Most Important Prices of an Economy 01:11:39 Uncovering the Collapse of Babylon 01:22:30 Debt and the End of Civilization 01:24:58 Are Ancient Economics the Key to the Future? 01:30:33 Should the Government Forgive Student Loan Debt? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

11 Elo 20241h 34min

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 This is the August 2024 AMA for Robinson’s Podcast. It is supported by the members of the Patreon. In this installment, Robinson answers questions about metaethics, art history, discipline, fashion, fitness, fantasy world-building, consciousness, fine-tuning, quantum mechanics, and more. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 01:01 What to Do 07:43 Thoughts on Discipline 17:29 Art History 20:43 Philosophy for Daily Life 23:30 Planners and Pantsers 27:53 Favorite Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics? 33:06 Favorite Color? 35:57 On Magic and Fantasy World-Building 46:32 Black Holes, Electrons, and Thumbnails 52:45 Favorite Comedy 55:37 Physicality in Life 01:02:19 Is Consciousness Emergent or Fundamental? 01:04:54 Views on Fashion 01:15:16 What’s It Like to be a Philosopher? 01:24:00 Solutions of the Fine-Tuning Problem Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, and everyone in-between.

8 Elo 20241h 30min