The Canadian Philosophy Show

The Canadian Philosophy Show #623

The Free Will Debate Continues
Led by Michael.
I will argue that "free will" is tied to a fictitious supernatural self which supposedly oversees and controls our physical bodies. In reality, we are purely physical entities whose behaviour is determined by causal agents, not by "will." We take actions not because we "decide" to, but rather because the stimuli resulting in such actions are stronger than those which would cause other actions.
Our rational thought processes are epiphenomenal, in that they aren't the actual determiners of our behaviour. We can rationally weigh various options, but in the end we act on feeling or intuition.
Show hosted by Michael Robert Caditz.
Recorded 16 June 2023
Hale Rothery (Vancouver Island University)
Tagen Marshall (Vancouver Island University)https://ca.linkedin.com/in/tagen-marshall-330272205
Aaron Wang (Vancouver Island University)

The Canadian Philosophy Show #622

Democratic Inputs to AI:A discussion on technology, media, ideas, democracy, and the ramifications for computers and artificial intelligence into the future.
Led by:
Aaron Wang (Vancouver Island University)
 
with:
Brandon Brownlee
Hale Rothery (Vancouver Island University)
 
Recorded 7 June 2023

The Canadian Philosophy Show #621

Part 2 of Paradoxes in Philosophy explores the importance of logical and semantic paradox in the philosophical tradition. In this episode, we dive into the topic of identity and language with the Ship of Theseus paradox and the Christian paradoxes of bilocation and coincidence. Metaphysics, ethics, and logic all coincide in this exploration of the odd and contradictory.
 
Led by:
Mihai Covaser (University of British Columbia)
with:
Brandon Brownlee
Aaron Wang (Vancouver Island University)
 
Recorded 3 June 2023

The Canadian Philosophy Show #620

Part 1 of Paradoxes in Philosophy explores the importance of logical and semantic paradox in the philosophical tradition. In this episode, we discuss the paradoxes of Ancient Greece, beginning with Euthyphro's Dilemma and two of Zeno's famous paradoxes: Achilles and the Tortoise and The Arrow. Metaphysics, ethics, and logic all coincide in this exploration of the odd and contradictory.
 
Led by:
Mihai Covaser (University of British Columbia)
with:
Brandon Brownlee
Aaron Wang (Vancouver Island University)
 
Recorded 2 June 2023

The Canadian Philosophy Show #619

On this week's episode we continue our theme of media theory. We discuss Noam Chomsky's theories of media control: how an elite class of citizens use propaganda in the media to effectively control public opinion and the democratic process. We also discuss how, through the concepts of Walter Benjamin, mass media may in fact be a self-perpetuating system with radical political and structural implications.
 
Recorded 31 May 2023
Show hosted by:
Hale Rothery (Vancouver Island University)
With:
Brandon Brownlee
Aaron Wang (Vancouver Island University)

The Canadian Philosophy Show #618

On this week's episode of the Canadian Philosophy show we'll take a look at some Media Theory through the lens of the Canadian Philosopher Marshall McLuhan. We will discuss and unravel a few of McLuhan's core concepts to better understand how media technologies actually work. Seeking to create a better understanding of how different forms of media function, how we use them, and perhaps most importantly, how those same technologies shape our worlds and our very own identities.
 
Recorded 17 May 2023
Show hosted by:
Hale Rothery (Vancouver Island University)
With:
Brandon Brownlee
Aaron Wang (Vancouver Island University)
 

The Canadian Philosophy Show #617

Martin Heidegger and his concept of being and dwelling are central to an existential understanding of identity. This will  be helpful when it comes to exploring one's goals and actualizing them. The show will note the controversial nature of Heidegger within the discipline but I also hope to leave the listener with a sense of curiosity and a desire to uncover their own being.
Show hosted by Tagen Marshall (Vancouver Island University)https://ca.linkedin.com/in/tagen-marshall-330272205
with:
Mihai Covaser (University of British Columbia)
Brandon Brownlee
 
 
Recorded 12 May 2023

The Canadian Philosophy Show #616

Legitimate States and Self Actualization
A show exploring the relationship between individuation as a mechanism for moral progress drawing on Kierkegaard and John Stuart Mill, and philosophies of legitimate states. What is moral progress as defined here? What are the responsibilities of the state in regards to moral progress? Those are some of the questions explored here.
Show hosted by Mihai Covaser (University of British Columbia)
with:
Brandon Brownlee
Aaron Wang
 
Recorded 7 May 2023

The Canadian Philosophy Show #615

Art versus artificial intelligence
What is art? What is artificial intelligence? AI may entail a computer program taking text and generating an image that lacks essential elements of the human creative experience. On the other hand, when a human uses a tool to create art, it's the artist who says "good enough"--rather than the artificial tool that determines the final product.
Show hosted by Aaron Wang (Vancouver Island University)
with Brandon Brownlee
 
Recorded 5 May 2023
 
 

The Canadian Philosophy Show #614

Today's episode will be discussion on what it takes for a state to be legitimate, and conversely what sorts of political entities might be considered illegitimate states. We will discuss definitions of statehood, and basic criteria for legitimacy and illegitimacy, and will also explore some historical examples.
Show hosted by Hale Rothery Hale Rothery (Vancouver Island University)
Recorded 28 April 2023
With:
Brandon Brownlee (Vancouver Island University)
Aaron Wang (Vancouver Island University)