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Modern WisdomJun 9, 2022

#484 - Cosmic Skeptic - 8 Impossible Thought Experiments

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #484 - Cosmic Skeptic - 8 Impossible Thought Experiments on Modern Wisdom.

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Cosmic Skeptic

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Language, Truth and Logic The Tyranny of Merit Better Never to Have Been+1 more

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#484 - Cosmic Skeptic - 8 Impossible Thought Experiments mentions Language, Truth and Logic by A.J. Ayer, The Tyranny of Merit by Michael Sandel, Better Never to Have Been by David Benatar, and Roger Crisp with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

Language, Truth and Logic The Tyranny of Merit Better Never to Have Been Roger Crisp

3 books from this episode

Language, Truth and Logic

A.J. Ayer

The most famous case for emotivism, it's a theory that's actually kind of gone out of fashion of late.

The Tyranny of Merit

Michael Sandel

there's something wrong with aristocracy there's something wrong with meritocracy as well it's a it's a pretty kind of depressing revelation but it's…

Better Never to Have Been

David Benatar

Bennet's book is, is, uh, it, the first chapter or maybe the second, uh, is arguing that even if your life is mostly pleasure and just a little bit o…

Guest: Cosmic Skeptic

Episode summary

Alex O'Connor is a philosopher, podcaster & a YouTuber. Philosophy is hard. Ethics are hard. Working out what is moral is hard. Today we get to put our mental muscles to the test with some of the most challenging thought experiments in moral philosophy. Expect to learn why brain tumours might be a good way to learn what is actually moral, whether ethics is just an expression of emotion, whether we can kill someone to stop them nuking a city, why it might be best to just not have any more children, whether an expensive education is cheating, what it means to say that someone is morally responsible for their actions, why Alex wore a suit to a boat party and much more...

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Language, Truth and Logic

A.J. Ayer

The host discusses ethical emotivism and its roots in A.J. Ayer's work, particularly in 'Language, Truth and Logic'.…

Card

The Tyranny of Merit

Michael Sandel

The host mentions 'The Tyranny of Merit' to challenge the conventional understanding of meritocracy and its implicati…

Card

Better Never to Have Been

David Benatar

The host mentions David Benatar's book to explore the complex relationship between suffering and pleasure in moral de…

Card

Roger Crisp

The host mentions Roger Crisp's work as a valuable resource for understanding John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism. Cris…

Card

Free Will

Sam Harris

The host discusses the complexities of moral responsibility in relation to free will, using a case study that highlig…

Card

Utilitarianism

John Stuart Mill

The host discusses the criticisms of utilitarianism, particularly the moral implications of sacrificing one life to s…

Card

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What is #484 - Cosmic Skeptic - 8 Impossible Thought Experiments about?

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #484 - Cosmic Skeptic - 8 Impossible Thought Experiments on Modern Wisdom.

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What are the main takeaways from #484 - Cosmic Skeptic - 8 Impossible Thought Experiments?

These are the strongest takeaways surfaced by the transcript, summary copy, and linked mentions for #484 - Cosmic Skeptic - 8 Impossible Thought Experiments.

The conversation centers on criticism of utilitarianism.
A second recurring theme is ethical emotivism theory.
Referenced books include Language, Truth and Logic by A.J. Ayer and The Tyranny of Merit by Michael Sandel.
The strongest audience signal points to Philosophy students and ethics enthusiasts and listeners interested in social justice and educational equity.

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Which books are mentioned in #484 - Cosmic Skeptic - 8 Impossible Thought Experiments?

Language, Truth and Logic by A.J. Ayer, The Tyranny of Merit by Michael Sandel, and Better Never to Have Been by David Benatar are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Top triggers

criticism of utilitarianism(1)ethical emotivism theory(1)meritocracy and fairness(1)moral analysis of suffering(1)moral responsibility and free will(1)utilitarian ethics(1)

Mention sentiment

Deep Dive(4)Critical Analysis(1)Highly Recommended(1)

Audience signals

Philosophy students and ethics enthusiastslisteners interested in social justice and educational equityPhilosophy enthusiasts and those interested in ethicsIndividuals interested in ethics and philosophy

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Language, Truth and Logic

A.J. Ayer

Best for Philosophy students and ethics enthusiastsOften cited around ethical emotivism theory

“A.J. Ayer in a groundbreaking book called Language, Truth and Logic, which stated that the only things that can be meaningful are those which are either empirically verifiable.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: ethical emotivism theory

For: Philosophy students and ethics enthusiasts

Key quote: “The most famous case for emotivism, it's a theory that's actually kind of gone out of fashion of late.”

The host discusses ethical emotivism and its roots in A.J. Ayer's work, particularly in 'Language, Truth and Logic'. This book is referenced to illustrate the complexities of ethical statements and their emotional underpinnings.

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The Tyranny of Merit

Michael Sandel

Best for listeners interested in social justice and educational equityOften cited around meritocracy and fairness

“Michael Sandel's book seeks to undermine the entire idea of meritocracy, arguing that even a perfectly meritocratic society has its own problems and is still morally arbitrary.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: meritocracy and fairness

For: listeners interested in social justice and educational equity

Key quote: “there's something wrong with aristocracy there's something wrong with meritocracy as well it's a it's a pretty kind of depressing revelation but it's a book that's worth reading if people are interested in this line of thought”

The host mentions 'The Tyranny of Merit' to challenge the conventional understanding of meritocracy and its implications on society. Sandel's book argues that both meritocracy and aristocracy have inherent moral issues, prompting deeper reflection on fairness in admissions and societal structures.

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Better Never to Have Been

David Benatar

Best for Philosophy enthusiasts and those interested in ethicsOften cited around moral analysis of suffering

“Benatar's book discusses the nature of suffering and pleasure and their asymmetry, arguing against bringing children into existence even if life has mostly pleasure.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: moral analysis of suffering

For: Philosophy enthusiasts and those interested in ethics

Key quote: “Bennet's book is, is, uh, it, the first chapter or maybe the second, uh, is arguing that even if your life is mostly pleasure and just a little bit of suffering, it's still not worth beginning.”

The host mentions David Benatar's book to explore the complex relationship between suffering and pleasure in moral decision-making. Benatar's arguments challenge the notion that life, even with some pleasure, is worth beginning due to the inherent suffering involved.

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Roger Crisp

Best for philosophy students and ethics enthusiastsOften cited around utilitarian ethics

“Roger Crisp is mentioned as the author of a review and analysis of John Stuart Mill's 'Utilitarianism', which is recommended for reading alongside Mill's work.”

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Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: utilitarian ethics

For: philosophy students and ethics enthusiasts

Key quote: “it's worth reading roger crisp alongside him it's just the best kind of introduction to it”

The host mentions Roger Crisp's work as a valuable resource for understanding John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism. Crisp's analysis is presented as essential reading for those exploring ethical dilemmas in a philosophical context.

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Free Will

Sam Harris

Best for Individuals interested in ethics and philosophyOften cited around moral responsibility and free will

“There's an interesting example that's often given in the discussion of free will. It's discussed by Sam Harris and his free will book.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: moral responsibility and free will

For: Individuals interested in ethics and philosophy

Key quote: “There's an interesting example that's often given in the discussion of free will. It's discussed by Sam Harris and his free will book.”

The host discusses the complexities of moral responsibility in relation to free will, using a case study that highlights how brain conditions can affect behavior. This leads to a mention of Sam Harris's book 'Free Will' as a significant resource for understanding these ethical dilemmas.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

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Utilitarianism

John Stuart Mill

Best for Philosophy students and ethics enthusiastsOften cited around criticism of utilitarianism

“The excerpt discusses a review and analysis of John Stuart Mill's 'Utilitarianism' by Roger Crisp, highlighting its importance for understanding utilitarian ethics.”

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Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: criticism of utilitarianism

For: Philosophy students and ethics enthusiasts

Key quote: “Famous criticism of utilitarianism is, well, would you be in favor of killing five? Sorry, killing one person to harvest their organs because you've got five other people who need each organ in order to survive.”

The host discusses the criticisms of utilitarianism, particularly the moral implications of sacrificing one life to save five. This leads to a deeper exploration of ethical expressions and the emotivist position on moral claims.

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Language, Truth and Logic

Modern Wisdom · 8:05

The most famous case for emotivism, it's a theory that's actually kind of gone out of fashion of late.

The Tyranny of Merit

Modern Wisdom · 1:16:07

there's something wrong with aristocracy there's something wrong with meritocracy as well it's a it's a pretty kind of depressing revelation but it's…

Better Never to Have Been

Modern Wisdom · 31:49

Bennet's book is, is, uh, it, the first chapter or maybe the second, uh, is arguing that even if your life is mostly pleasure and just a little bit o…

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