Philosophical Currents

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Jack Russell Weinstein, host of Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life, joins Main Street to discuss the philosophical aspects of current events.

Prairie Public


    • May 29, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 29m AVG DURATION
    • 46 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Philosophical Currents

    What Makes Life Meaningful?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 24:36


    Dr. Jack Weinstein joins Philosophical Currents to explore how philosophy helps us find purpose, fulfillment, and ethical guidance in the search for meaning.

    De-Extinction

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 24:03


    UND's Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein, Professor of Philosophy, explores the ethics of de-extinction and whether reviving lost species is wise—or just scientific mimicry.

    Who Decides When We Die? Ethics of Assisted Death

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 29:38


    Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein explores autonomy, identity, and the ethics of assisted death through the story of Alzheimer's advocate Sandra Demontigny.

    The Value of Work

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 24:32


    Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein explores the meaning of work, its role in human dignity, and how we should rethink labor, purpose, and income in an era of automation.

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    AI-powered "death bots"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 23:04


    On Philosophical Currents, Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein explores the ethics of AI "death bots," discussing consent, privacy, grief, and the risks of digital manipulation.

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    Community and Family Dynamics: Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein on Thanksgiving

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2024 23:14


    Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein explores how Thanksgiving traditions shape family and community bonds, spark philosophical conversations, and influence identity in "Community and Family Dynamics.

    Philosophy of Community and Connection

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 24:51


    Philosophical Currents: Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein explores the philosophy of community and connection, examining the meaning of human relationships in a digital world.

    community philosophy jack russell weinstein
    Being Wrong: Understanding Human Fallibility and Learning from Mistakes

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024 21:14


    Being wrong - exploring the nature of human fallibility, examining why we make mistakes, how we can learn from them, and the ethical implications of embracing error.

    Does the “sport” of politics undermine its importance?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2024 23:52


    Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein is a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Institute for Philosophy in Public Life. He discusses Politics as Sport.

    Aging

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2024 23:49


    In "Philosophical Currents," Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein discusses aging, societal attitudes, social structures, technology, and ethical responsibilities towards the elderly.

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    Farewell Reflections: Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein & Ashley Thornberg on 'Philosophical Currents'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 44:38


    In their final "Philosophical Currents," Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein and Ashley Thornberg reflect on the segment's origins, their journey, and valuable lessons from exploring philosophy in daily life.

    The philosophy of rest

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 24:06


    With Memorial Day right behind us, it is officially the summer travel season. But if you have your cell phone with you and your cell phone is connected to your work email and your Facebook and your Insta and it's constantly dinging and you're constantly checking or maybe you're one of those people who brings a laptop on vacation or calls into the office.

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Impacts on Political Representation

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 21:11


    NPR's Uri Berliner published an article calling into question some of NPR's reporting. In it, he says he fears NPR over-valued diversity in staffing, resulting in programming that alienates conservative listeners. For this month's Philosophical Currents, we talk with philosopher Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein about DEI, and the many layers of language.

    Power, Gossip, and Celebrity: A Philosophical Dive

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2024 22:30


    The evolution of celebrity, the role of gossip, and our societal fascination with public figures in this insightful "Philosophical Currents" conversation.

    Satire in Politics

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2024 15:50


    With Jon Stewart back in the host chair on Mondays for The Daily Show, we discuss the role of satire in politics with philosopher Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein.

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    Human Robot Relations

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2024 23:27


    For this month's Philosophical Currents, we ponder human robot relations with Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein, Chester Fritz Distinguished professor of philosophy at the University of North Dakota.

    Exploring Justice: Culture and Personal Experiences

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2023 47:29


    Dr. Weinstein discusses justice in Philosophical Currents, exploring how cultures and experiences shape its meaning.

    Philosophical Currents: The war between Israel and Hamas

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2023 43:06


    On this month's Philosophical Currents, Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein talks about the war between Israel and Ham

    Philosophy of Language

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2023 43:29


    UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein joins Ashley Thornberg for a discussion about the role of language when it comes to cultural preservation and other social issues.

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    The Importance of Newspapers

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2023 24:55


    We get a philosophical take on the decline of newspapers. Eight more newspapers went out of business in North Dakota this month. What does the loss of local papers mean for society?

    Love It or Hate It, Barbie is a Smash Hit

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2023 45:12


    Did you dress up and go to Barbie on opening weekend? Are you vehemently opposed to seeing this film? Why is a movie about a doll, and what we project onto it, controversial? It's time for Philosophical Currents with Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein.

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    What is Progress

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2023 28:23


    What is progress? Where do our ideas about progress come from? How come progress looks different from one person to the next? We explore the topic in this month's Philosophical Currents with philosopher Jack Russell Weinstein.

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    "Responsible News Reporting"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2023 23:17


    Jack Russell Weinstein joins us for a Philosophical Currents episode, where we discuss current issues of interest. Today's theme deals with the importance of responsible news reporting.

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    What is "Woke"?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2023 24:16


    While there's recently been a lot of talk about being "woke," the word has actually been around for a long time. We discuss the concept in this month's Philosophical Currents conversation with philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein.

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    What is the Metaverse?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2023 43:56


    Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Main Street's Craig Blumenshine about the Metaverse — a virtual world facilitated by the use of virtual reality headsets.

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    Academic Freedom

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2023 45:27


    For this month's topic, Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein talks with Main Street's Ashley Thornberg to explore academic freedom and the role of tenure.

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    Anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence on the rise

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2022 23:55


    Anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise. Ashley Thornberg visits with Philosopher Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein.

    Affirmative Action and Higher Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2022 44:13


    Monday, November 28, 2022 - Philosopher Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein joins Ashley Thornberg for this month's philosophical currents as he discusses affirmative action. This in light of the case before the United States Supreme Court concerning affirmative action and the higher education admission process.

    The Philosophy of Halloween

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 33:18


    Jack Russell Weinstein is here for our monthly episode of Philosophical Currents, an opportunity to take a philosophical dive into a current topic. Today he reflects on Halloween, specifically the curious behavior as people adopt alternative personas behind the masks. He visits with Ashley Thornberg.

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    Political Pawns

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2022 31:27


    Our monthly “Philosophical Currents” conversation touches upon timely topics as we visit with UND professor of philosophy Jack Weinstein. Today he visits with Main Street's Ashley Thornberg about the Venezuelan migrant crisis and a recent death of a teenager in North Dakota. How are those two events tied? Is it ever okay for politicians to gain from someone else's personal tragedy.

    Equal Justice Under the Law

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2022 44:54


    In a conversation during the Main Street show, UND professor Jack Russell Weinstein tackles a rich topic: equal protection under the law.

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    "What Are Human Rights?"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2022 44:12


    UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Ashley Thornberg in a conversation first airing on Prairie Public's Main Street show.

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    "What Does it Mean to be a Conservative, or to be a Liberal?"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2022 28:58


    UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Alicia Hegland-Thorpe in a conversation first heard on the Main Street radio show.

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    Changing Minds

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2022 24:56


    One issue that touches on the divide between us, and affects numerous topics, is the reluctance or inability for people to change their minds.

    Male Emotions and Friendships

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2022 23:42


    For this month's Philosophical Currents, Jack Russell Weinstein talks about male emotion and the importance of community.

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    "The Slap Heard 'Round the World"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2022 26:33


    In this month's Philosophical Currents, Jack Russell Weinstein puts a philosopher's spin on “the slap” from the recent Oscars.

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    Jack Russell Weinstein on the Invasion of Ukraine

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2022 25:37


    For this month's Philosophical Currents, Jack Russell Weinstein talks about what's happening in Ukraine.

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    Reflections On This MLK, Jr. Holiday

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2022 46:42


    Monday, January 17, 2022 - On this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, a discussion of race and the importance of holidays.

    Self Care & the Holidays

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2022 23:18


    Tuesday, December 28, 2021 - Jack Russell Weinstein joins us for a look at self care as we go into a new year.

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    Holidays

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2021 23:21


    For this month's “Philosophical Currents,” we discuss the philosophical significance of holidays. We have a new one, in Juneteenth. And like some others, there's a tinge of controversy -- even Christmas has its detractors. Is a holiday a way to cement a component of life into a nation's culture? And once you create a holiday, it's hard to ditch it! Columbus Day, for example, has been fading.

    Comedy's Role in the Pursuit of Social Justice

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2021 23:30


    UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein is here with another episode of Philosophical Currents as we look at issues through a philosophical lens.

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    Socialism

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2021 24:37


    UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein visits with Ashley Thornberg on the topic of socialism.

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