56 - We probably shouldn't do anything about wild animal suffering
Wild animal suffering – is it possible to do anything about it? Should we do anything about it? Even though the general principles that inform our concern for animal welfare shouldn’t be arbitrarily limited to animals outside the wild, I think intervention on any serious scale would be ill-advised. The natural order is deeply interconnected, dynamic, and awesomely complex. Drastic action, such ...
8m Jul 27, 2022
8m
Call In Show #1 - Personal Identity, Idealism
Personal identity, the potential evolutionary origins of religion, Bernardo Kastrup and analytic idealism, the Ship of Theseus and substance dualism. Leave a voicemail at (734) 707-1940 YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqBy2TfJbYXjqBL3cQOFUig) Twitter (https://twitter.com/waldenpod) @waldenpod @OnPanpsychism Patreon.com/waldenpod (https://www.patreon.com/waldenpod) https://linktr....
36m Jul 16, 2022
36m
Mysterianism: One More Thing
A few thoughts on what mysterianism is not. Also, why "What is consciousness?" is a bad question.  Linktree (https://linktr.ee/emersongreen)
3m Jun 16, 2022
3m
55 - Mysterianism: Rational Pessimism in the Metaphysics of Consciousness
My opinionated introduction to mysterianism. Inspired by Noam Chomsky, Colin McGinn, and Eric Schwitzgebel, we explore a version of mysterianism that I think may be true. YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqBy2TfJbYXjqBL3cQOFUig) Support on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/waldenpod) Listen to our sister show, Counter Apologetics here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/counter-ap...
20m Jun 16, 2022
20m
54 - Physicalism, Schmisicalism
A few scattered thoughts about internet materialists, stronger forms of physicalism, underdetermination, neuroscience, the evolution of consciousness, qualia microscopes, and the hard problem of consciousness. YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqBy2TfJbYXjqBL3cQOFUig) Consider supporting the show on Patreon here (https://www.patreon.com/waldenpod) or Counter Apologetics here (https://...
33m May 25, 2022
33m
53 - William James' Evolutionary Argument Against Epiphenomenalism
If epiphenomenalism is true, mental causation is an illusion. Even if pain and pleasure were inverted, you’d go on behaving the same way you do now, since your conscious states have nothing to do with determining or motivating your physical behavior. This is counterintuitive, to say the least. But it also leaves us completely unable to explain why our conscious states line up appropriately with...
11m May 15, 2022
11m
Friendly Debate w/ Ben Burgis - Do ethical thought experiments have any value in philosophy?
Ben Burgis recently invited me on his Callin show (https://www.callin.com/episode/episode-41-friendly-debate-wemerson-greendo-yyzQOhrXsX) to speak about the value of “science fiction” thought experiments in applied ethics.  I argue that in the realm of applied ethics, thought experiments often confuse more than they clarify. They don’t map on to the real world cases they’re intended to help wit...
1hr 15m Apr 20, 2022
1hr 15m
52 - How I Became Disillusioned with the Skeptic Community
Many leaders in the skeptic community have proven themselves to be untrustworthy sources of information on the topics they speak about. They’ve misled me often about what others believe and why. Moreover, genuine skepticism seems to be far less important to the skeptic community than the kind of conclusions one comes to. Failure to adopt the required list of beliefs disqualifies one from being ...
52m Apr 16, 2022
52m
51 - Conversation with Luke Roelofs, Author of Combining Minds: How to Think About Composite Subjectivity
I’m joined by philosopher Luke Roelofs to discuss the combination problem for panpsychism, split brain cases, vagueness arguments, illusionism, mental privacy, the general and special composition question, mereological nihilism and universalism, and many other topics related to consciousness and composite subjectivity. Watch on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/EmersonGreen) Combining Minds:...
2hr 14m Apr 11, 2022
2hr 14m
50 - Is Free Will An Illusion? with Theoretical Bullshit
I'm joined by Scott Clifton (Theoretical Bullshit) to discuss free will skepticism, compatibilism, moral responsibility, revenge, and killing coyotes. Video version - Is free will an illusion? (https://youtu.be/bQ7NGPsGndc)   Scott's channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheoreticalBullshit)   Follow me @waldenpod and TBS @TheoreticalBS Consider supporting Walden Pod here (https://www.patre...
2hr 42m Mar 22, 2022
2hr 42m
49 - Compatibilism Debunked? Responding to CosmicSkeptic
I respond to Alex O'Connor's arguments against compatibilism, the view that there is no real conflict between determinism and free will. Is free will skepticism the better view, as Alex claims? Will the British ever learn their lesson? CosmicSkeptic - Compatibilism Debunked (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqj32jxOC0Y) Subscribe on YouTube here (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqBy2TfJbYXjqB...
44m Mar 18, 2022
44m
48 - Responding to Very Bad Wizards on Panpsychism
After listening to Very Bad Wizards' new episode about panpsychism, I hit record and commented on a few clips that stood out to me. Subscribe on YouTube here (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqBy2TfJbYXjqBL3cQOFUig) Listen to our sister show Counter Apologetics here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/counter-apologetics/id1273573417?mt=2) Consider supporting the show on Patreon here (ht...
1hr 1m Mar 15, 2022
1hr 1m
47 - Can a determinist believe in free will?
Compatibilism (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/compatibilism/) is the thesis that free will is compatible with determinism. In other words, a compatibilist is someone who doesn’t have a quarrel with using the term “free will” and who doesn’t think we need to run around with our hair on fire if determinism turns out to be true. By my lights, free will skeptics and libertarians seem to be enti...
15m Feb 23, 2022
15m
46 - Free Will "in the superlative metaphysical sense"
Can we be ultimately responsible for what we do? No one denies that we can be the proximate cause of our actions. I made this episode because I wanted to. But being the proximate cause of an action is compatible with determinism – no determinist in their right mind would deny that I made this episode because I wanted to. So is there a deeper sense of responsibility that can be attributed to hum...
16m Feb 22, 2022
16m
45 - Philosophers on Consciousness: Talking About the Mind with Jack Symes
I’m joined today by Jack Symes, editor of the new book, Philosophers on Consciousness: Talking about the Mind (https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/philosophers-on-consciousness-9781350190429/) . Jack is a Teacher and Researcher of Philosophy at the University of Liverpool, UK and is also the co-host of The Panpsycast Philosophy Podcast (https://thepanpsycast.com/home) . Follow on Twitter @waldenpod ...
2hr 9m Feb 17, 2022
2hr 9m
44 - The Core Theory & Mental Causation
For the full episode, and access to other bonus episodes, subscribe at https://www.patreon.com/waldenpod How can one reconcile the reality of mental causation with the accuracy of “the core theory (https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/blog/2013/01/04/the-world-of-everyday-experience-in-one-equation/) ,” which Sean Carroll hails as explaining all of everyday life? Contrary to Carroll’s intentio...
5m Dec 16, 2021
5m
43 - No brain, no mind?
Is a brain necessary for experience? Do we have any good reason to limit the attribution of experience to creatures with complex nervous systems? Actually, no. Some materialists claim that consciousness can only exist in brains–sound reasoning, neuroscience, and physics all point in the same direction. We take a closer look at the reasoning that underlies the claim that complex nervous systems ...
15m Dec 02, 2021
15m
42 - H.P. Lovecraft’s Radical Political Evolution
Recently I learned that H.P. Lovecraft had undergone a surprising and dramatic political transformation in the final years of his brief life. I wanted to read a few of Lovecraft's letters and discuss his views on capitalism, socialism, and the influence of the profit motive on artistic expression. (In the middle part of this episode, I also indulge in a bit of culture war stuff, so consider you...
22m Oct 22, 2021
22m
What’s wrong with physicalism? — with Zac of Adherent Apologetics
I was recently interviewed by Zac of Adherent Apologetics on the subject of problems with physicalism. We outline a few arguments against the view, including physicalism’s conflict with realism about phenomenal consciousness and anti-emergentism, as well as a couple different forms of the vagueness argument against physicalism. We also talk a bit about the tradition of atheist non-physicalism, ...
57m Sep 28, 2021
57m
41 - Phenomenal Conservatism & Epistemology with Michael Huemer
Today I'm speaking with Dr. Michael Huemer about phenomenal conservatism, a theory in epistemology that seeks to ground justified beliefs in the way things “appear” or “seem” to the subject who holds that belief. We discuss a wide range of issues in epistemology, including internalism vs. externalism, justified true belief, proper functionalism, the epistemic value of psychedelic experiences, r...
1hr 37m Sep 19, 2021
1hr 37m
40 - What is Naturalism?
Naturalists, according to David Papinau, author of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on naturalism, urge “that reality is exhausted by nature, containing nothing ‘supernatural’.” Naturalism “has no very precise meaning in contemporary philosophy” beyond this, along with an emphasis on science as a means to understand the natural world. Naturalism is the view that there is only the ...
22m Aug 19, 2021
22m
Panpsychism Debate: Emerson Green vs. Aaron Rabinowitz
Aaron is a lecturer in the Rutgers philosophy department (@ETVpod). Emerson is the host of Counter Apologetics and Walden Pod (@waldenpod). Aaron’s podcast, Embrace the Void https://voidpod.com/ This debate took place on the Right to Reason podcast https://therighttoreason.podbean.com/e/panpsychism-debate/ https://linktr.ee/emersongreen
38m Jun 22, 2021
38m
39 - Defending Substance Dualism with Dustin Crummett
Dustin and I discuss vagueness arguments against materialism, phenomenal conservatism, doubt arguments, Phineas Gage, physical causal closure, the core theory, vitalism, ghosts, split-brain cases, occam's razor, panpsychism, idealism, dual-aspect theories, and the problem of psychophysical luck. Dr. Crummett received a PhD from the University of Notre Dame in 2018, and he is currently working ...
2hr 6m Jun 14, 2021
2hr 6m
38 - What is Philosophy?
What is philosophy, and who counts as a philosopher? My two favorite answers come from Alvin Plantinga and Arthur Schopenhauer. According to Plantinga, philosophy is just thinking hard about something. Schopenhauer put it a bit more loftily: philosophy represents our attempt to “lay bare the true nature of the world.” (At least, this is true in philosophy’s more ambitious moments.) Additionally...
6m Jun 07, 2021
6m
37 - Watching a painfully bad critique of panpsychism
https://linktr.ee/emersongreen You can watch the video version of this podcast here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg1QU0fjzvg) emersongreenblog.wordpress.com (https://emersongreenblog.wordpress.com/) Rate the show on iTunes here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walden-pod/id1474408172) Support on Patreon here (https://www.patreon.com/waldenpod) Listen to our sister show Counter Ap...
1hr 12m Jun 01, 2021
1hr 12m
36 - Tunnel Vision Reductionism: Is love just a chemical reaction?
We discuss poetic naturalism and its nemesis, tunnel vision reductionism. Tunnel vision reductionism takes one description of reality and declares it to be the “real” description of reality to the exclusion of all others. At the very least, the given lower level of description is considered “more true” than higher-level descriptions. The basic problem with tunnel vision reductionism is that it...
8m May 16, 2021
8m
Interview with John Buck and Craig Reed
Here’s my conversation with John Buck and Craig Reid that was held on Craig’s YouTube channel. I was invited on to discuss atheism and consciousness, two of my favorite subjects. Unfortunately we were having audio issues at different points, but I did a bit of editing to make it more listenable. Craig’s channel is primarily devoted to Christian apologetics, but here we mostly discuss conscious...
1hr 48m Apr 12, 2021
1hr 48m
35 - A few reasons the combination problem doesn’t bother me much
When it comes to the combination problem, there are almost always controversial hidden assumptions about the stuff doing the combining and about the entity being formed by the combining. The assumptions one makes about the self and physical reality alter the difficulty and nature of the combination problem. As Luke Roelofs has argued in his extensive book, Combining Minds, the combination prob...
17m Apr 03, 2021
17m
34 - Can physicalism explain phenomenal consciousness?
We discuss the ideas that have led me away from physicalism. Specifically, realism about phenomenal consciousness, phenomenal precision, nonemergence (that there is only weak emergence, no strong emergence), monism, the objective/subjective divide, and the explanatory gap. David Chalmers - Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness (http://consc.net/papers/facing.html) [text] Galen Strawson - ...
30m Feb 16, 2021
30m
33 - Schopenhauer on Mind & Matter
We discuss the metaphysical views of pessimist philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, as elaborated in his magnum opus, The World as Will and Representation. Schopenhauer developed a fascinating dual-aspect monism, according to which from outside, the world appears as representation, but from inside, it appears as will: ontological monism and epistemological dualism. To Schopenhauer, desire-driven wi...
25m Dec 25, 2020
25m
32 - An F-Inductive Argument for Panpsychism
I would like to introduce what may be a new argument, the f-inductive argument from consciousness for panpsychism. Panpsychism entails the existence of consciousness, whereas most competing views do not. The evidence—consciousness, in this case—is not surprising on the hypothesis of panpsychism, but is surprising on the hypothesis of physicalism, as well as many of panpsychism’s rivals. The pr...
12m Nov 26, 2020
12m
31 - Panpsychism in Seven 1/2 Minutes
Here’s a very short overview of my version of panpsychism. Please keep in mind that this contains some technical language and assumes some background knowledge in philosophy of mind.  @waldenpod on Twitter and @OnPanpsychism Transcript (https://emersongreenblog.wordpress.com/2020/11/12/panpsychism-in-7-1-2-minutes/) Rate the show on iTunes here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walden-p...
8m Nov 10, 2020
8m
30 - Micah Edvenson on Socialism & Democracy
Micah Edvenson is here to corrupt the youth and spread communist propaganda with me today as we discuss socialism, why the kids are doing it, and much more. We talk about egalitarianism, inequality, the Soviet Union, the skeptical movement, libertarianism, taxation, whether socialists should support open borders, and answer several common anti-socialist canards. Videos and Articles (in the ord...
2hr 20m Oct 13, 2020
2hr 20m
29 - Nino Kadic on the Combination Problem for Panpsychism
Nino Kadic is a third year PhD student at King’s College, London. I recently saw Nino deliver a presentation at the Science of Consciousness Conference called Dynamic Selves: An Outline for a New Type of Panpsychism, and I reached out to him to talk more about it. We discuss the combination problem for panpsychism, Leibniz, phenomenal routing, supervenience, strong vs. weak emergence, the pheno...
1hr 20m Oct 05, 2020
1hr 20m
28 - All Materialism Collapses Into Illusionism
Is materialism compatible with the reality of phenomenal consciousness? I argue no. If one wishes to remain a materialist, they will eventually have to give up the reality of phenomenal consciousness and join the eliminativists. The logical result of materialism is illusionism. So if one wishes to remain a realist about phenomenal consciousness, they must abandon materialism. Some important de...
15m Sep 28, 2020
15m
27 - In Defense of Thought Experiments
Thought experiments have played a crucial role in the development of mathematics, philosophy, and science. As implausible as it may seem, reasoning a priori, comfortably from our armchairs, can actually teach us about the real world and drive progress in our understanding. Even ethical thought experiments have changed the minds and influenced the behavior of those who have been presented with t...
17m Jul 20, 2020
17m
26 - Against Ethical Thought Experiments
I’m suspicious of ethical thought experiments. These short hypothetical scenarios are often presented context-free, eliminating morally relevant detail. And in the course of probing our intuitions, they often include detail that we wouldn’t have in the real world. In effect, we end up discussing a world vastly different from our own. The elimination of information that we usually possess and in...
15m Jul 20, 2020
15m
25 - Jacob Bell on Structural Realism and Neutral Monism
Jacob Bell has written articles on ancient philosophy for Classical Wisdom Weekly, and he manages a popular Facebook page called Philosophy Daily. (https://www.facebook.com/loveofphilosophy/) We discuss what’s become the norm for this podcast, consciousness. We spend a lot of time on neutral monism and structural realism (or as it’s sometimes called, relational metaphysics). We also touch upon ...
1hr 5m Jun 18, 2020
1hr 5m
24 - Why epiphenomenalism is almost certainly false
We discuss three arguments against epiphenomenalism, the view that consciousness has no physical effects. (I) Plausible Examples of Mental Causation a. Utterances about phenomenal consciousness b. The placebo effect (II) Popper’s Deductive Evolutionary Argument (III) James’s Abductive Evolutionary Argument Hedda Hassel Mørch - The Evolutionary Argument for Phenomenal Powers (https://pdfhost.io/...
30m Jun 14, 2020
30m
23 - Is property dualism any better off than substance dualism?
We compare the merits of property versus substance dualism using William Lycan’s paper, “Is property dualism better off than substance dualism?” William Lycan - Is property dualism better off than substance dualism? (https://www.jstor.org/stable/41932742?seq=1) [JSTOR] John Searle - Why I Am Not A Property Dualist (http://faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu/~paller/dialogue/propertydualism.pdf) [PDF]...
26m May 20, 2020
26m
Unlocked - Thomas Nagel's 'Mind and Cosmos'
We discuss Thomas Nagel's controversial book, Mind and Cosmos. The book has quite a reputation, but I think it's often misunderstood. Intelligent design proponents, happy to be taken seriously for once, hilariously extol the book. They don’t seem to realize that while the book does take them more seriously than they’re used to, it also provides naturalistic answers to all their objections. I gu...
18m May 06, 2020
18m
22 - Has Physics Debunked Panpsychism? Answering Sabine Hossenfelder
Theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder wrote a critique of panpsychism that’s become widely-cited in The Panpsychism Wars. Hossenfelder argues that physics has ruled out panpsychism. Panpsychists simply haven’t attempted to reconcile the massive conflict with the evidence. However, her arguments are deeply flawed, and one doesn’t need to affirm panpsychism to notice. Sabine Hossenfelder “Ele...
18m Mar 30, 2020
18m
21 - Élan Vital and Panpsychism
Is panpsychism the modern élan vital? Though many opponents of panpsychism have drawn the comparison, élan vital is a terrible analogy for consciousness and panpsychism. I’ve noticed that vitalism comes up frequently in discussions about consciousness. I think the lazy analogy that’s often drawn between the panpsychist and vitalist projects needs to be examined. Thomas Nagel - What is it like ...
13m Mar 25, 2020
13m
20 - Aaron Rabinowitz on Neutral Monism and Panpsychism
I’m joined by Aaron Rabinowitz of Embrace the Void and Philosophers in Space to discuss his view of consciousness and its place in nature. And to avenge all those who have suffered under his ETV Lightning Rounds, he’s also subjected to his own Realist / Antirealist Lightning Round. Our first discussion on The Right to Reason Podcast: https://therighttoreason.podbean.com/e/panpsychism-debate/ Yo...
36m Mar 17, 2020
36m
19 - Panpsychism: "Show me the evidence!"
We answer one of the more common challenges issued to panpsychists: some variation of “Show me the evidence.” We discuss whether panpsychism can be tested, our theory of mind module, emergence, Descartes's conception of matter, Occam’s Razor, and the fact that consciousness is always inferred, never observed. “We can but infer sentience rather than verify it, and people will differ in their gue...
11m Feb 21, 2020
11m
18 - From Wolves to Dogs
Happy Darwin Day! We discuss geneticist Dimitri Belyaev’s efforts to domesticate the Russian silver fox, and how his experiments shed light on the domestication of grey wolves. Belyaev's Foxes (https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/mans-new-best-friend-a-forgotten-russian-experiment-in-fox-domestication/) [Scientific American] Rats and Foxes (https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/25/health/...
8m Feb 12, 2020
8m
17 - Antinatalism
I am not an antinatalist. It would seem, however, that the idea has been growing in popularity. I hold that 'the asymmetry problem' is a decisive blow to strong antinatalism. I also reject weak antinatalism on epistemological grounds. Environmental antinatalism, arguably the most popular form, can also be rejected since it is not the best solution to the environmental challenges that we face. W...
34m Jan 23, 2020
34m
16 - Work and Its Own
This episode is a work of fiction. The PDF is available here: Work and Its Own, or In Defense of Those Who Take Really Long Bathroom Breaks (https://pdfhost.io/v/RNxPxdwy_Work_and_Its_Own_Emerson_Greenpdf.pdf)
21m Jan 18, 2020
21m
15 - You're Wrong to Hate Philosophy
I try to answer the question, "What's the value of philosophy?" This is a sequel to episode one of this podcast, Is philosophy dead? (http://https//audioboom.com/posts/7326850-01-is-philosophy-dead) Bertrand Russell - The Value of Philosophy (https://web.ics.purdue.edu/~drkelly/RussellValuePhilosophy1912.pdf) [pdf] David Egan on Philosophy (https://aeon.co/ideas/is-there-anything-especially-exp...
12m Dec 20, 2019
12m
14 - In Defense of Ideology
Is ideology a bad thing? Should we strive to free ourselves from ideology? I think there is a lot of confusion around the concept, and that the word has wrongly fallen into disrepute. Ideology is frequently conflated with dogma, closed-mindedness, and irrational certainty. Ideology, however, is merely a “a system of ideas and ideals,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary. It’s a set of de...
10m Nov 26, 2019
10m