Philosophy Tube

Season 2014

Abigail Thorn hosts free philosophy lessons on YouTube, sometimes branching out into politics, humour, and personal reflection.

Where to Watch Season 2014

47 Episodes

  • Is Democracy a Human Right?
    E1
    Is Democracy a Human Right?Lots of things could be considered human rights, but is living a democracy one of them?
  • The Philosophy of Welcome to Night Vale
    E2
    The Philosophy of Welcome to Night ValeThe link between Night Vale, the Nazis, Albert Camus and the Meaning of Life!
  • Hume on Miracles
    E3
    Hume on MiraclesHume's famous discussion of miracles is actually still used in the philosophy of religion today.
  • Cartesian Dualism
    E4
    Cartesian DualismDescartes in his Meditations tries to prove that mind and body are separate and fundamentally different substances, but is he right?
  • The Republic
    E5
    The Republic
  • Was the Universe Designed?
    E6
    Was the Universe Designed?Is there any strength to be found in the Teleological argument, or its fraternal twin the Fine-Tuning augment?
  • Are YouTube Poops Art?
    E7
    Are YouTube Poops Art?Emily at BlinkPopShift will tell you whether making something harder to watch makes it better and we'll delve into YouTube Poops!
  • Do We Have Free Will?
    E8
    Do We Have Free Will?Do you have free will? Are you sure? David Hume might know.
  • Hentai, Clopping and Furries! - Ethics of Porn #2
    E9
    Hentai, Clopping and Furries! - Ethics of Porn #2The practical ethical discussion about pornography continues. We discuss lolicon and shotacon hentai, and My Little Pony Rule 34.
  • What is Weakness of Will?
    E10
    What is Weakness of Will?Can you do other than what you judge to be best? Questions abound about rationality, judgement and action.
  • What is Ockham's Razor? - Gentleman Thinker
    E11
    What is Ockham's Razor? - Gentleman ThinkerThe simplest explanation is usually the correct one? Or is it more complex than that?
  • Personal Identity
    E12
    Personal IdentityWho are you? And how do you know? And what makes it so? We explore the question of what makes you you over time.
  • What is Leibniz's Law? - Gentleman Thinker
    E13
    What is Leibniz's Law? - Gentleman ThinkerPerhaps one of the most important and widely used axioms in philosophy. What is it? What does it mean and how does it work?
  • 'Brave New World' Philosophy ft. @thelitcritguy!
    E14
    'Brave New World' Philosophy ft. @thelitcritguy!One of my favourite novels, Huxley's Brave New World, contains some great philosophy! So I enlisted a pal, Jon @TheLitCritGuy!
  • Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder?
    E15
    Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder?You look beautiful! But is that an objective thing, or a subjective thing? Maybe Kant and Hume can help us find out...
  • Continental Vs Analytic Philosophy - Gentleman Thinker
    E16
    Continental Vs Analytic Philosophy - Gentleman ThinkerIs this even a useful distinction to make in philosophy?
  • Is Time Real?
    E17
    Is Time Real?A general introduction to the philosophy of time, explaining the distinction between A-theory and B-theory.
  • What are Necessary and Sufficient Conditions? - Gentleman Thinker
    E18
    What are Necessary and Sufficient Conditions? - Gentleman ThinkerSome logic this week, with necessary and sufficient conditions! A useful bit of jargon.
  • Does Time Pass?
    E19
    Does Time Pass?Is the passage of time a real or just an illusion? What would happen if time flowed backwards?
  • Top 10 Philosophy FAILS
    E20
    Top 10 Philosophy FAILSWhat are the biggest fails when talking about philosophy? If you've committed any of these, train your brain to avoid them!
  • Should the Government be Secular?
    E21
    Should the Government be Secular?What would the UK look like if it was secular? Should the church and state be separate?
  • What are 'Valid and Sound?' - Gentleman Thinker
    E22
    What are 'Valid and Sound?' - Gentleman ThinkerAre your arguments valid? Are they sound? What does those terms even mean?
  • Should we Support the Troops?
    E23
    Should we Support the Troops?Lots of people "support the troops" even if they don't support the cause for which they fight, but is that a morally defensible position?
  • What is Epistemic Scepticism? - Gentleman Thinker
    E24
    What is Epistemic Scepticism? - Gentleman ThinkerDoubt and scepticism are an important philosophical tool, and epistemic scepticism is the strongest form.
  • Is Rick and Morty an Argument Against Scientism?
    E25
    Is Rick and Morty an Argument Against Scientism?"Rick and Morty" is a hilarious and bleak send-up of popular science fiction, but what could it tell us about Western attitudes towards science, or science at the exclusion of other pursuits? Watch and learn!
  • 5 BAD Arguments Against Being a SLUT
    E26
    5 BAD Arguments Against Being a SLUTSEX! How much is too much? Is there a moral limit at all? Time for feminism!
  • What do 'Necessary and Contingent' Mean? - Gentleman Thinker
    E27
    What do 'Necessary and Contingent' Mean? - Gentleman ThinkerWhat is necessary? What is contingent? What is the difference?
  • Hamlet Philosophy: what does 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead' say about Free Will?
    E28
    Hamlet Philosophy: what does 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead' say about Free Will?Do you have free will? Does it even matter? And how can Shakespeare help you find out? Let’s examine Stoppard’s ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’ and see what it can tell us about free will…
  • Are you Begging the Question? - Gentleman Thinker
    E29
    Are you Begging the Question? - Gentleman ThinkerA common philosophical mistake! Have you told somebody that they've begged the question? Did you use the term correctly?
  • 3 Kantian Reasons Why the Friendzone is Bullsh*t!
    E30
    3 Kantian Reasons Why the Friendzone is Bullsh*t!The Friendzone, an emotional purgatory, and Immanuel Kant, notoriously difficult philosopher. Feminism and moral philosophy!
  • How Should You Listen to Music?
    E31
    How Should You Listen to Music?Are you listening to music wrong? How should you listen in order to make accurate aesthetic judgements?
  • Should You Save the Planet?
    E32
    Should You Save the Planet?Climate change and environmental damage are occurring, but do you have to do anything about it?
  • 4 More Philosophical FAILS!
    E33
    4 More Philosophical FAILS!Here are 4 more examples of bad thinking, arguing or reasoning that really get my goat!
  • Don’t Look at Leaked Nudes! Ethics of Porn #3
    E34
    Don’t Look at Leaked Nudes! Ethics of Porn #3Should you look at leaked nudes or revenge porn? Should you peek at those naked snaps of Jennifer Lawrence?
  • How To Talk About Batman (& Other Fictional Characters)
    E35
    How To Talk About Batman (& Other Fictional Characters)How can you make true statements about Batman when he doesn’t exist? Will a fictional quantifier do the job, or will it lead to logical contradictions? Do we need 3-valued logic? Watch and find out!
  • 4 Ways of Thinking About Abstract Objects
    E36
    4 Ways of Thinking About Abstract ObjectsAre numbers, sets, colours and Hamlet really objects? Are they abstract? What does that mean?
  • What is Impossibility? - Gentleman Thinker
    E37
    What is Impossibility? - Gentleman ThinkerWhat is impossibility? What sorts of things are impossible? Let the Gentleman Thinker explain!
  • Are Possible Worlds Real? Modal Realism Part 1
    E38
    Are Possible Worlds Real? Modal Realism Part 1What are possible worlds? What does it mean to say something might have been true? Watch Part 1 of our discussion on David Lewis’ modal realism to find out!
  • Why We Need Philosophy
    E39
    Why We Need PhilosophyWhy is philosophy even important? It helps us overcome our natural limits of thinking, for one, and it’s depressingly rare for two.
  • "Another Earth" and the Humphrey Objection, Modal Realism Part 2
    E40
    "Another Earth" and the Humphrey Objection, Modal Realism Part 2What does scifi film “Another Earth” say about possible worlds and the famous Humphrey objection?
  • Mouse-X and Free Will Part 2
    E41
    Mouse-X and Free Will Part 2‘Mouse-X’ is an awesome little scifi film with clones in it, but what does it teach us about free will?
  • The Resource Curse, or Who Owns Natural Resources?
    E42
    The Resource Curse, or Who Owns Natural Resources?Who do natural resources belong to? Why are many resource-rich countries so poor and what can we do about it? Watch and find out!
  • Religion Vs Evolution
    E43
    Religion Vs EvolutionCan you believe in both evolution and God? Let me and the Messianic Manic help you out!
  • Art, Buddhism and Schopenhauer
    E44
    Art, Buddhism and SchopenhauerWhat is the purpose of art, and what does Buddhism have to do with it? Let’s dive into Schopenhauer and find out!
  • Most Famous Ethical Puzzle: The Frege-Geach Problem
    E45
    Most Famous Ethical Puzzle: The Frege-Geach ProblemOne of the most famous and difficult problems in ethics! The issue that killed moral noncognitivism – The Frege-Geach Problem!
  • Overanalyzing Epic Girlfriend Pranks
    E46
    Overanalyzing Epic Girlfriend PranksAired December 19, 2014 How does TomSka’s Epic Girlfriend Pranks connect to Descartes and Hobbes and take the piss out of pranksters?
  • Overanalyzing The Nativity - Is it Sexist?
    E47
    Overanalyzing The Nativity - Is it Sexist?Aired December 26, 2014 Feminist critique of the Nativity. Where does it go wrong, historically and morally?

 

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