Hotel Bar Sessions

Mar 07 2025 191 ep. 58 mins 101
Hotel Bar Sessions Podcast artwork

where the real philosophy happens

  Society & Culture
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Decorum

Mar 07 2025 56 mins  
When does decorum keep us civil-- and when does it keep us silent?From courtroom etiquette to the Oval Office, from department meetings to NFL sidelines, decorum shapes our public interactions—but who gets to decide what counts as “proper” behavior? In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Rick, Leigh, and Devonya take on the contested role of decorum in social and political li

Unruly Identity (with Falguni Sheth)

Feb 28 2025 65 mins  
Who gets to decide who we are?In this episode, Rick Lee and Devonya Havis pull up a chair with philosopher and political theorist Falguni Sheth to talk about the ways identity is shaped, claimed, and—more often than not—forced upon us. From census categories and legal definitions to personal choices and political struggles, they dig into the tensions between how we see ourselve

Ambiguity

Feb 21 2025 58 mins  
When nothing is clear, how do we decide?Many people prefer their morality to be straightforward—right or wrong, good or bad, clear as day. But more often than not, human life is a mess of contradictions, competing values, and gray areas. In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Rick, Leigh, and Devonya wade into the murky waters of ambiguity—what it means, how we experience it, a

Trust

Feb 14 2025 59 mins  
Can anyone be trusted anymore?Trust is the glue that holds our social world together, yet it’s one of the most fragile bonds we have. In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Rick, Leigh, and Devonya dive into the complexities of trust—what it means, how it functions, and why it’s so easy to break but so difficult to restore. From everyday acts of trust, like believing the groc

Judgment

Feb 07 2025 62 mins  
Who gets to judge right and wrong? And on what grounds?In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Leigh, Rick, and Devonya talk about judgment—what it is, when we need it, and whether it’s a skill or just a faculty of reason. They start with Aristotle’s distinction between knowledge and judgment, move through Kant’s ideas about moral and aesthetic judgment, and consider how jud

Responsibility

Jan 31 2025 62 mins  
How, and for what, are we responsible?What does it even mean to be responsible? Is it about blame? Credit? Or something else entirely? Leigh, Devonya, and Rick hash it out over drinks, tackling everything from personal accountability to collective responsibility, and digging into big questions about freedom, moral agency, and how our social and political systems shape what we’re

Authority

Jan 24 2025 65 mins  
Is ChatGPT usurping the authority of the "Author"? Or is it just a pretender to the throne?We're opening up the question of "authority" to extend well beyond the usual suspects of kings, generals, or politicians. To borrow a line from Tennyson's poetry: “authority forgets the dying King.” That is, power begins to slip from the grasp of political authorities as they weaken, as r

Revenge

Jan 17 2025 58 mins  
The HBS co-hosts savor the complexities of a dish best served cold.Is revenge ever ethical? Can it be a form of justice, or is it always about personal satisfaction? In this episode, Rick Lee, Leigh Johnson, and Devonya Havis take a deep dive into the philosophy of revenge. From the timeless allure of stories like Kill Bill and The Count of Monte Cristo to the rise of cancel cultur

Virtue

Jan 10 2025 58 mins  
Is "virtue" an outdated concept? And why is there a bear in this classroom?!This week at the hotel bar, Rick, Devonya, and Leigh are digging deep into the idea of virtue. What does it mean to be virtuous? How do we cultivate virtues? Are they timeless ideals or shaped by culture and history? We talk about Aristotle, sure, but we’re also unpacking modern critiques of virtue and as

REPLAY: Forgiveness

Jan 03 2025 56 mins  
This week's episode is a REPLAY of a previously-aired episode from Season 9. HBS will return with all new episodes on January 10, 2024. Stay tuned!The HBS hosts wonder how a hard heart is melted and mended.In a world often colored by misunderstandings, hurtful actions, and lingering grudges, the concept of forgiveness emerges as a beacon of hope and healing. For some, its transform