Myths and Problems

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I talk about the problem of grounding morals in rights talk and other preoccupations of the modern era that sort of skim the surface.

Erik Larson


    • Jan 23, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 38m AVG DURATION
    • 35 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Myths and Problems

    oh, productivity productivity

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2023 5:03


    I gave a few brief remarks on what productivity means, and raise a few questions

    Postemotional Society and Other Problems

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2023 31:13


    I give a discussion about the book I'm working on and venture into some social theory that I've been reading. I also talk a little bit more about Vico and a theory of history. And I finish by talking about a book called Postemotional Society.

    More on Vico, on language, history, and democracy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2022 56:28


    In this extended episode, I clear up some confusions I had with Vico in my earlier podcast today. I address in more detail his view of language, and his view of history. I also ask some questions about democracy and counting.

    democracy vico language history
    Thoughts on Giambattista Vico, and TikTok

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2022 34:02


    I discuss podcasting, the philosopher Vico's ideas and history and language, and the TikTok algorithm

    tiktok vico giambattista vico
    Poison networks, and other follies

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 21:45


    I review some of the history of Web 2.0, explain the google innovation, and introduced an idea for a start up

    Small Data AI: The Very Idea

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2022 34:31


    I talk a little bit about the Napoleonic Turn, an article that I am attempting to get published on that topic, and then discuss the landscape for small data approaches to AI, what do we know and what do we not know?

    Theories of history, and dead ends

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2022 34:21


    I talk about science and tech thinking, a simple linear model of progress, and the differences between this and larger social and cultural change

    The 2008 credit crisis

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2022 33:29


    I do my best describing what happened in 2007 in 2008 with the real estate market crash

    What did happen in the 21st-century?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2022 31:45


    I discuss different themes for the second book, covering artificial intelligence mythology, datification, “solutionism” and other ideas

    On Nature, Machines, and Persons

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2022 40:42


    A continuation of my exploration of enlightenment themes and our shrinking view of Personhood

    Napoleonic science

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2022 73:08


    I discuss the current approach to scientific discovery and innovation and the challenges and dangers of our current approach

    On War

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 39:19


    I go through a short history of war and offer some problems for our modern understanding of it

    Marx and economic growth

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2022 42:21


    I discuss Isaiah Berlin's biographical sketch of Karl Marx and also explain ways in which Karl is no longer relevant and also potentially ways in which he still is

    Tie in: modern myths and social contract

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2022 22:04


    I describe it a little bit more depth how Frankenstein supports a kind of discussion of political monsters and in particular the French Revolution, eight a textual reading that was actually closer to Mary Shelley and the world she was living in then one might first assume

    On modern myths. Could science be one?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2022 23:57


    I talk about first the nature of mythology in a more general or literature framed sense. That I discuss whether in front infinite progress using science is actually one of these myths. What evidence do we have that we're not thinking about science correctly?

    Visions of liberty, the state of nature, problems with the enlightenment and the French revolution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 45:19


    I explain the basic problem of freedom and security as articulated by Isaiah Berlin. Some unresolved problems with political theory, some practical consequences in the French Revolution

    Comedy on third segment

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2022 68:42


    On the third segment I do some comedy about the Iraq war

    comedy iraq third segment
    The island of Cyprus

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2021 25:24


    I explain a little bit about the history of Cyprus and then get a small travelogue as I lived on the island for about a month and a half.

    Addendum to the roots of Europe

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2021 1:41


    I think that I should fill in some gaps in the roots of Europe in particular the development of the Roman empire in BCE and also some of the early development in CE. So I will leave that up but I need to put out a “The roots of Europe Part Two” which I will do as soon as I finish the research.

    The roots of Europe.

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2021 34:01


    I describe the beginning of what we now think of as Europe starting with ancient Greek and Roman civilization. Up to about 1500 A.D..

    Thoughts on Atlas of AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2021 27:05


    I discuss Kate Crawford's book Atlas of AI.

    Truth as Pop Art

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2021 33:15


    I discuss the problem of truth on the web today.

    Kitch, avant-garde, and the growth of liberalism.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2021 43:06


    This is sort of a hodgepodge of ideas that were inspired from Menand's book the free world.

    Kitsch and Avant-Gard

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2021 27:06


    I discuss the discussion of kitsch in Louis Menand's book The Free World.

    Rationality and Reasonableness

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2021 25:01


    Second part of a discussion about what's reasonable

    Reason, AI, and Innovation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2021 22:44


    I talk about the Myth coming out and some other issues in rationality and reason. This is part one of a two part podcast.

    The roots of the modern web.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2020 216:03


    In the grips of a loss of Internet connectivity, I try to unpack some historical strands leading to our contemporary understanding and use of the web.

    Intellectual history and philosophy.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2020 35:41


    I talk about the three parts of philosophy that are relevant to doing in electoral history and also a good summary of philosophy itself. A good and useful summary of what philosophy is in brief.

    On Identity

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2020 31:27


    Thoughts on the problem of identity in democracies

    The social dilemma

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2020 63:59


    I talk about the recent Netflix documentary the social dilemma and give an account of my own experience and observations in tech from roughly the year 2000.

    Seige of Alamo

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2020 31:08


    I give an account of the events that started the siege of the Alamo in general history of the events surrounding the Texas Mexico war.

    Texas potted history

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2020 40:25


    The strange and interesting story of the history of the Texas nation

    The pandemic and the paradox of technological solutionism

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2020 39:21


    The episode is really just some thoughts I had on completing a paragraph in an article I’m writing about technological solutionism. However it expands into what I hope are some interesting thoughts on the pandemic and our attempts to manage it.

    Myths, Truths, and Dilemmas

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2020 21:31


    I talk about Yuval Harari’s distinction between scientific truths and cultural myths. I suggest that we have a major problem resolving this in the modern era.

    Myths and Problems (Trailer)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2020 0:59


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