Society In Question

Lasana is an associate professor of experimental psychology at the University College London where he runs the boundaries of social cognition lab. In addition to exploring the content of his 2017 book, Invisible Mind: Flexible Social Cognition and Dehumanization, we also explore how these concepts are in play in modern society, especially as it relates to the culture wars and societal issues. NOTE: Many of you might have noticed it's been some time since my last episode. I am currently studying psychology and neuroscience in grad school and unfortunately have much more limited time these days; however, I do publish weekly episodes with remarkable guests (like Bret Weinstein and Stephen Fry) through my tech-centric and funded podcast: Singularity Radio. ** Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic, then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

Pixel describes herself as "a reformed childhood spy, ex ballet dancer, Neopets millionare and forensic psychology degree holder" who makes "average opinionated political/current event/educational content." In this episode, we dive into Pixel's opinions are and what it's like to be one of the small percentage of people in the world who make their living on Twitch (and even more remarkable, does it by having difficult conversations!). NOTE: Many of you might have noticed it's been some time since my last episode. I am currently studying psychology and neuroscience in grad school and unfortunately have much more limited time these days; however, I do publish weekly episodes with remarkable guests (like Bret Weinstein and Stephen Fry) through my tech-centric and funded podcast: Singularity Radio. ** Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic, then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

Today my guest is Vaush, a self-described left-wing Youtuber known for his advocacy for libertarian market socialism and debates with other YouTubers. Our discussion centers heavily around 3 keys topics: the culture wars, our current political discourse, and capitalism--its failures, its strengths, and its alternatives (eg: anarcho-syndicalism). Vaush has an incredibly popular Youtube that can be found at youtube.com/c/Vaush, and he can be found on twitter at twitter.com/VaushV ** Watch this conversation on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn5TDacKCXY ** Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic, then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

This week I sit down once again with my dear friends Jay Mutzafi and Donovan James, and then we have one of our favorite conversations: Does Free Will Exist? While I think we're each empiricist who realize the science currently supports the notion that free will DOES NOT exist, we each have separate ways we respond to that. Jay reinforces this position through his support of physics/materialism; I dissent (mostly because it's just more fun that way), and instead support the notion that we likely DO have free will and that science just hasn't discovered it yet; and Donovan often brings a balancing perspective between the two as he remains predominantly agnostic. To be clear: this isn't a debate. Though it may seem otherwise, no one is trying to win. The goal here is to push the boundaries, to think recklessly, and to put out ideas that very well may be wrong in the hopes it gets us to some unique avenues of thought. And we hope along the way it provides you with some interesting thoughts to reflect on as well. ** Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic, then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

I recently wrote an essay exploring "How Ideological Extremists Are Undermining Their Own Goals" and I thought for this episode I would try something a little different, exploring this essay as a solo podcast. The main focus of that essay (and therefore this episode) is dedicated to showcasing how the hostility of the "us" vs "them" dynamic that is currently dominating the culture wars, both in the streets and online, is neurobiologically counter-productive. I explore how the stress, fear, anxiety, and sense of social rejection brought about by this approach actually makes people incapable of empathizing with, learning about, and being supportive of your movement, and instead increases radicalism in a way that worsens society for everyone. ** Let me know using the contact options explained below if you liked this solo content or if you much prefer the interviews. Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic, then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

In this episode we sit down with Eric Kuafmann, a professor of politics at Birkbeck College, University of London who commonly writes on the dynamics of demographic change. In this episode we discuss these ideas as they relate to his 2018 book White Shift, which explores how immigration and populism will play out as we navigate a future where white people steadily become the minority. This naturally takes us on a journey through your typical culture-war-like topics, including identity politics, bipartisanship, self-censorship in the universities, and much more. You can find Eric on Twitter at https://twitter.com/epkaufm ** Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic, then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

In this episode, I'm joined by Colin Wright, who is an evolutionary biologist and the managing editor at Quillette--the online magazine dedicated to free thought. We discuss the sex and gender debate currently dominating much of social justice zeitgeist, which includes exploring the legal and cultural ramifications of those who seek to step outside society's traditional definitions of male and female. You can find Colin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SwipeWright and read his work at his site: https://www.realityslaststand.com/ ** Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic, then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

In this episode, my good friend Donovan returns to answer questions randomly selected from a list of philosophical questions we found online. This takes us on a meandering tour through topics such as self-deception, self-actualization, immortality, suffering vs meaning, religion's place in the world, the downfall of human civilization, binary thinking, climate change, the failures of our government, the culture wars, and much more. We had a lot of fun with this approach, and would love to do it again but with your questions. So leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com with questions you might like us to explore in future episodes. ** Find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

In this episode, I'm joined by one of my favorite contemporary thinkers, John Vervaeke, a professor at the University of Toronto where he lectures on psychology, cognitive science, and Buddhism. John has a phenomenal series on Youtube called 'Awakening From the Meaning Crisis,' where he explores how science and spirituality have lessons of ancient wisdom and knowledge that can help us through our epidemic of depression, ennui, and nihilism. We explore concepts from this series heavily, which includes an exploration of the culture wars, religion, video games, the flow state, and much more. You can also find his recent co-authored book: Zombies in Western Culture. ** Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic, then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

(Originally recorded in the Spring of 2020) In this episode we sit down with social scientist and political theorist, Justin Murphy, who spent five years as a lecturer at the University of Southampton before realizing that academia was ironically stifling his ability to be a truly creative and productive freethinker. Upon this realization, he set his focus on online content creation. This resulted in a very active presence on Twitter, as well as a Youtube channel, a podcast, a book about French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, and now an exclusive and burgeoning online community specifically created for independent and ambitious thinkers. Our conversation in this podcast deals heavily with this journey of Justin's, his thoughts on the pros and cons of academia for the young and ambitious, as well as the many lessons he's learned along the way. If you're looking to get insight into what works and doesn't work in the world of online content creation, especially for intellectuals, then this might be one for you. Find Justin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jmrphy. * Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic? Then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

(Originally recorded in the Spring of 2020) On this episode, we're joined by Aella, previously one of the world's top-paid cam girls who is now a prominent figure in the online intellectual community. We enjoy an incredibly playful conversation surrounding her background, social dynamics, authenticity, and enlightenment. Follow Aellas work via her website Knowingless and on her Twitter. * Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic? Then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

(Originally recorded in the Spring of 2020) On this episode I'm joined by the ever-articulate scholar, Erik Davis, who wrote one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time: Techgnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (seriously, it's remarkable). Erik also recently released a new book, High Weirdness, that explores the psychedelic spirituality of Robert Anton Wilson, Philip K Dick, and Terrance Mckenna. In addition to discussing these brilliant works, Erik and I dig deep into the chaos the Coronavirus is unleashing upon humanity, and how the lessons learned by psychonauts have never been more useful than they are now for this surreal moment in human history. * Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic? Then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

In this episode, I'm joined by Donovan James and Jay Mutzafi, two friends who I meet with several times a month for challenging and thought-provoking conversations. You can expect to see them as frequent guests on the show discussing myriad topics, but this time around we focus on climate change, basic income, and longevity. This takes us through many subtopics of relevance, such as veganism, incentives, and the fear of death. Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic? Then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend, Donovan James, who kicks off the conversation by asking me why I decided to start this podcast. This takes us on a massive tour through many of the current controversies and challenges facing our society, but ultimately focuses on one key idea: we absolutely need to embrace the discomfort of nuance and dialogue between opposing factions if we are going to make humanistic progress as a species. Want to ask a question, provide feedback, or share your thoughts on the show or a topic, then feel free to leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message or send an email to steven.parton@societyinquestion.com. You can also find more information at SocietyInQuestion.com Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message

Welcome to Society In Question (SiQ). In this episode, I provide a brief (5min) overview of the motivation behind SiQ, the topics we'll commonly be discussing, and why such conversations are crucial to our well-being as individuals and as a society. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/society-in-question/message