Very Bad Wizards22 Dec 2020

Episode 203: Gorgias, Tell Me Something I Don't Know (with Agnes Callard)

Philosopher Agnes Callard joins us to talk about Plato and his dialogue the Gorgias. Why did Plato write dialogues – are they the best way of presenting arguments? Is Plato cheating when characters contradict themselves by making dumb concessions, or is this part of his method - inviting readers to participate in the debates? Why does the Gorgias end on such a sour note, with Socrates giving long speeches after saying that long speeches shouldn't be allowed? Plus we talk about Agnes' recent op-ed in the New York Times, and David and Tamler tackle a new construct: The Tendency for Interpersonal Victimhood.

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The Lotus Eaters Episode 4: I Am Odysseus [unlocked]

Tamler and David discuss books 7 & 8 of The Odyssey--while at Alcinous' palace in Phaeacia, Odysseus listens to poetry, plays some games, cries some more, and finally starts to regain his identity.

20 Aug 45min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 3: The Halfway House to Humanity [unlocked]

Tamler and David discuss books 5 & 6 of The Odyssey, where we follow Odysseus as he finally leaves Calypso's Island and returns to the realm of the human. We also finally pick a name for the podcast. ...

13 Aug 41min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 2: Intangible as Wind [unlocked]

Welcome to The Lotus Eaters! This is part 2 of our 12 part series on Homer's Odyssey that will be released every Thursday. The series was supported by our Patreon community, but we are now making it a...

6 Aug 54min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 1: The Journey Begins [unlocked]

Welcome to The Lotus Eaters! This is part 1 of our 12 part series on Homer's Odyssey that will be released every Thursday. The series was supported by our Patreon community, but we are now making it a...

6 Aug 1h

Episode 338: The Lotus Eaters (Nolan's "The Odyssey")

Dropping this a week early - after completing a 12-part series on Homer's Odyssey for our beloved Patreon supporters, we now dive into Christopher Nolan's version of this epic tale. We're mixed on the...

4 Aug 1h 1min

Episode 337: First Contact? (Tarkovsky's "Solaris")

First it was a book, then it was a groundbreaking movie… that's right it's Solaris. After having discussed the Stanislaw Lem novel in the previous episode, David and Tamler try to make contact with An...

28 Juli 1h 45min

Episode 336: That Oceanic Feeling (Stanisław Lem's "Solaris")

David and Tamler tackle the first half of the VBW Madness topic tournament winner, Stanislaw Lem's science fiction masterpiece, Solaris, about a mysterious ocean planet that resists all attempts to un...

14 Juli 1h 35min

Episode 335: The Wright Stuff

The great Robert Wright returns to the podcast to talk about his new book The God Test: Artificial Intelligence and Our Coming Cosmic Reckoning. We debate the magnitude of AI's potential impact, the n...

30 Juni 1h 30min