Philosophy Universe

In our beginning episode we revisit the first episode of Star Trek, and find that Captain Pike's struggle with the big-brained Talosians is very much like the struggle of 17th century philosopher René Descartes.

Who wrote the first dystopian short story? Plato, of course!

Trying to get at the heart of Ray Bradbury's most celebrated novel, Alfredo finds it may have to do with the eternal battle of nihilism against wonder, and somehow ties this with Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning"

Sergeant Beatty spills the beans to Montag, and we learn about the dangers of going too fast through life.

We couldn't leave Fahrenheit without touching on some, sadly, burning topics of present times -- censorship, cancel culture and, yes, book burning. Is it true that extremes touch? And what does Bradbury have to say about this whole issue? Bear with us on this slightly longer episode, as we slog through dangerous territory trying to make some sense of it all.

What would you do if you could become invisible? Would you still play by the rules? Are we good only because others can see us?This is the beginning episode in the "Ethics Tutorial" miniseries. With the story of Gyges and his magical ring, Plato introduces one of the fundamental questions of ethics.

An interview with Randy Richards, author of "The Unseen Hand of Peter Gyges" (2015), a modern retelling of Plato's classic fable.

Continuing with our "ethics tutorial", we look at a figure that exemplifies a variety of ethical theories. What better way to get introduced to them than by the hand of Mr. Spock?

Part of the Ethics Tutorial, we explore the notion of "habit" in ethics and its importance in our lives.