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Latest episodes from Vacuous Vocation

Spirit | Contemplations #1

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 8:11


In this episode, Matthew James Geiger introduces a new series called Contemplations, focusing on philosophical inquiries that extend beyond economics. He discusses the significance of two fundamental questions in life: what one will do with their life and who they will share it with. Matthew emphasizes the importance of having a strong spirit and the freedom to pursue one's passions, drawing parallels between personal expression, ideology, and the societal constraints that often inhibit individuality. He advocates for a life that transcends political aspirations, aiming for higher values and cultural richness.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Contemplations00:54 The Importance of Life's Questions02:20 The Spirit and Freedom04:31 Ideology and the Free Spirit05:33 Communication and Expression07:11 Beyond Politics: The Free Spirit's Journey

Adam Haman (VV#5)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2024 98:16


My guest on this episode of vacuous vocation is Adam Haman, he is a gambler, philosopher, husband, Libertarian, and seeker of the natural order. We met at Mises University 2018 and have been friends ever since. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Meeting at Mises University 03:34 Separating School and State 06:16 Exploring Epistemology 08:54 Metaphysics and Other Dimensions 13:03 Living in a Simulation 19:43 The State's Impact on Suicide Rates 24:00 Capitalism and the Search for Meaning 25:59 Systems Thinking: Understanding Society 30:44 The Pursuit of Meaning in Life 33:18 The Economics of Suicide and the Connection to Psychology and Praxeology 42:06 The Role of Private Associations in Helping the Less Fortunate 55:21 Making Moral Arguments for Freedom and Free Markets 01:00:44 The State of the Libertarian Movement and the Divide Between Freedom and Government 01:05:46 The Impact of COVID-19 01:07:08 The Importance of Optimism in the Post-COVID World 01:08:36 Reasoned Discourse in the Libertarian Movement 01:14:01 Integrating Personal and Political Beliefs 01:18:26 Finding Meaning in Life Some of the links mentioned in the podcast: Odds and Probability: https://hamannature.substack.com/p/od... Climate Change (epistemologically related): https://hamannature.substack.com/p/th... Free Will v Determinism: https://hamannature.substack.com/p/fr... Austrian Economics (my stab at an intro):Episode 3 - Natural Order Podcast https://naturalorderpodcast.com/ep3/ Private institutions: Episode 11 - Natural Order Podcast https://naturalorderpodcast.com/ep11/ Episode 6 - Natural Order Podcast https://naturalorderpodcast.com/ep6/ about epistemology: Episode 9 - Natural Order Podcast https://naturalorderpodcast.com/ep9/

Jamie Whyte (VV#4)

Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 64:58


Dr Whyte is a philosopher and an author of several works of philosophy, economics, and public policy. He is the author of Quack Policy, Free Thoughts, A Load of Blair and Crimes Against Logic. He has published more than two hundred opinion columns in newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, The Times, and The Financial Times. Dr Whyte won the prestigious Bastiat Prize for Economic Journalism. As a young philosophy don at the University of Cambridge, Dr Whyte was awarded a prize for the best academic article in the world by a philosopher under the age of thirty. 00:00 Introduction 3:48 Creating Value 5:13 How to find what is meaningful in life 9:25 Thomas Sowell and the Critique of Modern Economics: A Holistic Approach 15:32 Human Action and Austrian Economics 22:20 The Pursuit of Happiness: Attitude and Life Satisfaction 26:25 The Impact of Modern Culture on Mental Engagement 34:35 The Significance of Achievement and Struggle 41:08 The Challenges of Academic Writing 47:25 Navigating the PhD Writing Process 51:36 Exploring Truth and Belief 55:06 Challenges to Free Speech and Information Skepticism

Thaddeus Russell (VV#3)

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2024 88:40


@thaddeusrussellofficial @vacuous_vocation 00:00 Introduction and Rejecting the Epithet 05:07 Debating the Motivations Behind the Civil War 09:03 The Intellectual Culture of the Old South 12:21 Reevaluating the Civil War 23:13 The True Motivations Behind the Support for the Civil War 25:20 The Left's Perception of the Civil War 34:57 Christian Evangelical Support for Israel 52:17 The Role of Shame in Society 01:00:58 The Emergence of the Psychiatric and Psychological Professions 01:01:36 Inventing and Regulating Concepts: Homosexuality and Alcoholism 01:02:35 Locking Up Prostitutes and Orphans: Reformatories and Enforcement 01:03:34 Mass Conscription and the Rise of Industrialized Armies 01:04:45 Social Engineering and the Use of Shame 01:09:44 The Role of City Managers in Progressive Cities 01:14:30 Foucault's Theory of Biopolitics: Studying and Managing Populations 01:19:30 The State's Objective: Maintaining and Regulating Populations 01:23:04 Approaching the Work of Anne Applebaum and Timothy Snyder Critically

Michael Wimer (VV#2)

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 87:42


This episode with Michael Wimer we discuss history, economics, politics, culture, philosophy, and religion. @lil_rumba

Anarcho - Capitalism w/ Brandon Loschiavo

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2024 52:13


This episode discusses the recent election of President Javier Milei in Argentina, anarchy and capitalism, anarchy and health, money, socialism, optimism, and much more, please enjoy.

The Economics of Suicide with Brandon Loschiavo

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2023 63:40


This podcast was re-uploaded from Brandon Loschiavo's podcast "The Performance Playbook Ep.16: A Happiness Hypothesis Through Economics".

suicide economics brandon loschiavo
Edward Fuller - Reading, Writing, Keynes, and Economics

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2022 56:32


Edward Fuller, MBA, is a graduate of the Leavey School of Business. https://mises.org/profile/edward-w-fuller?page=1

Political Dissidence

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2022 12:21


Politics is all about power, pick your battles carefully and be peaceful.

PRESENTACIÓN - La Edad Antigua - La Perspectiva Austriaca

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2022 19:08


Esta Presentación trata del capítulo del libro "La Teoría Evolutiva de las Instituciones - La Perspectiva Austriaca", titulado "La Edad Antigua" escrito por César Martínez Meseguer. Esta presentación fue entregada en la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid, España, al programa de Maestría en Economía de la Escuela Austriaca.   0:00 Intro  2:55 Pensadores de la Crecia Clásica  10:12 La Filosofía China: el Taoísmo  15:35 Los Juristas Romanos

PRESENTATION - Utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham & the Panopticon

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2022 22:48


This Presentation is on the chapter in the book “Classical Economics - An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought Volume II”, titled “Jeremy Bentham: the utilitarian as big brother” written by Murray Rothbard.  This presentation was delivered at the Universidad de Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain, to the Master's program in economics of the Austrian School.   0:00 Intro  0:18 Jeremy Bentham  1:28 Writings and Publications  9:00 The Benthamite Virus   9:13 Personal Utilitarianism  13:37 Social Utilitarianism  15:48 The Panopticon  21:03 Late Life

PRESENTATION - Free Market Defense Production

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2022 17:58


This Presentation is on the chapter in the book “The Myth of National Defense”, titled “War, Peace, and the State” written by Murray Rothbard.  This presentation was delivered at the Universidad de Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain, to the Master's program in economics of the Austrian School.   0:00 Intro   0:39 Libertarian Theory  5:00 Punishment Theory  8:48 The Production of Defense  13:48 Why do States make war?  15:30 Weaponry  16:14 The Myth of War

The Word "Should"

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2022 5:18


The word "should" is a value judgment and as all values are subjective, I am in no position to tell someone what they should do because I do not know what anyone else values, nor should anyone tell me what I should value.

Bitcoin Philosophy

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2022 6:59


Bitcoin is a digital service to fulfill the medium of exchange as the hardest asset to ever come into existence thanks to the technological revolution.

Freedom is Inevitable

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 15:02


The history of mankind is on a trajectory towards the maximum individual human freedom the world has ever seen. It helps to think in these concepts not necessarily annually but in terms of decades.

Power & Property - An Anarchist's Perspective

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2022 20:26


Power and Property have gone hand in hand since the dawn of empires. Property does not necessarily have to be physical, there are forms of digital and intellectual property as well. As we enter the new century of freedom, we shall try to understand how it is that property has gone from being something discarded as bourgeois to becoming something that is veneered.

Some Thoughts on Democracy

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2022 21:42


Democracy is the movement of the masses. When the waves take you, you can either go with the flow or consider the possibility that there are other streams you would like to travel in your life. How can an individualist ever support an ideology solely on the basis that the majority of the people support it. The opinions and ideas of the majority are irrelevant, they are just like trees in a forest, nice, but in time will become obsolete.

Heroin - An Anarchist's Perspective

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2022 8:04


(I am not advocating drug use) Drugs are already legal, just the ones approved by pharmaceutical companies and the State. End the war on drugs, end victimless crimes, end the imprisonment of people for using drugs. Drugs do not have to be stigmatized as something negative, some doctors use heroine.

Taxes - An Anarchist's Perspective

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2022 6:49


The mugger or thief robs you once. The gang robs you at least twice. The mafia becomes "the State" and calls it "taxation". Taxation is theft. 

Abortion, An Anarchist's Perspective

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2021 7:45


At the point of conception there is uniqueness of life that is created. Evictionism is the alternative choice to pro-life and pro-choice that most people are unaware of.

Suicide, An Anarchist's Perspective

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2021 14:32


(I am not advocating suicide or self harm) John Locke posed the question best, "who owns you?", and if you own yourself then you have the right to do what you will, if you are not free to do with your body what you want then theoretically there is a person or group of people who have a higher claim and say to your body than the individual themself.

"Planning for Freedom"

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2021 14:55


"Planning for Freedom" is a Soviet concept, essentially it is a contradictions in terms. Where there is planning, usually lead by a state committee for some form of societal organization, there is a reduction in freedoms. It is the 'anarchy of production' that allows for the market economy to create a society that is most compatible with peace and prosperity ~ freedom.

The Market as a Creative Process

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2021 14:00


This Presentation is on the paper, "The Market as a Creative Process" by James M. Buchanan and Viktor J. Vanberg, and was delivered at the Universidad de Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain, to the Master's program in economics of the Austrian School.

It's Never Enough

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2021 20:18


The morals of Anarchists are a little bit difficult to discover as they do not come to one pre-packaged in life as they do for the followers of statism.

Ideas are Bulletproof

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2021 23:40


At my worst I just complain, at my best I share ideas.

The Religion of Statism

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2021 19:02


Are you spiritual or religious? Not in a theological sense but in an obedience to some doctrinal sense.

19 Months of 19

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2021 17:02


The Dirty Rona has been with us for its 19 months anniversary. Psychological Conditioning is going well. The dollar is feeling like the perfect tinder for an inflationary fire. 0:57 NIH Admits Funding Risky Virus Research in Wuhan 3:40 Fauci in the Hot Seat 5:15 Virologists Rockstardom 6:05 Governmental Power 7:05 The 2 Sides of Masks 7:58 C.O.P.S. 11:02 "Unrealized" Capital Gains Tax 13:13 Bitcoin World Reserve Currency

We Need to Talk...

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2021 0:59


Let's get nationally divorced babe.

Alex Voss - Economics, Anarchy, & Prosperity

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2021 43:42


Alex Voss is a graduate of the University of Chicago and Notre Dame and is currently working on his Masters in Austrian Economics in the Mises Institute. Alex works for the Tipolis Corporation which is the for profit project arm of the Free Private Cities Foundation to promote the idea and build private cities.

Life's Purpose?

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2021 19:01


There is no purpose... hear me out.

Intimidation

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2021 9:34


Intimidation is a psychological phenomena based on the use of threats or coercion, typically exemplified in the dictum, "what do I have to say to get you to do what I want."

Productivity

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2021 12:11


Productivity is a regard to applied human action. Is something productive? Well that depends.

A Vacuous Vocation w/ Nolan McCarthy VV Ep#1

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2021 51:08


Nolan McCarthy is a baseball player and student of economics.

Profits

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2021 10:06


In economics, the equation for profits is equal to total revenue minus total cost (Prof.=TR-TC). But in the real world consisting of people demonstrating their preferences through their actions, people do not take the time to calculate their profits through derivatives and mathematics. What is valued by people as either a net positive or net negative is purely subjective, that is why the question outside of business decisions, "is it profitable?" is, in my opinion, a lifelong self-discovery.

Anarchism is Psychological

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2021 10:46


Becoming an anarchist, my body is no different. I have only changed my beliefs and perspectives on life and its circumstances. My mind is the malleable component to my entity that has allowed for the radical transformation to occur with the help of long form exposure to ideas in books. It all comes back to the openness and receptiveness of exposing one's self to alternative art forms of forms, literature, and knowledge.

The New World Reserve Currency

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2021 10:42


The World is proceeding into a global crack-up-boom cycle thanks to the modern day inflationists. Where I believe the new world reserve currency is heading is not SDR's, gold, silver, or any fiat currency... but bitcoin.

Marxism & Masks

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2021 7:21


A component of Marxism is depersonalization to submit to the collective. Masks are depersonalizing because they cover one's face, the most physical profile part of a person.

Minarchism & Anarchism

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2021 11:21


Minarchism is the concept of a limited government or state, restricted to the provision of courts and national/domestic defense. Anarchism is the philosophy of a society absent of kings or rulers based on methodological individualism and the "spontaneous order" of the market processes.

anarchism minarchism
Covid Passports to Socialized Medicine

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2021 11:04


Covid passports are the new digital papers for the unfree. Historically, where authoritarian groups have asked people for documentation there has been a correlation to limited freedoms. With the collusion of big tech, big Pharma, and the state, human liberties are threatened yet again under the guise of "health and safety."

Death

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2021 19:42


To understand and appreciate life, we must philosophically consider death and its implications.

Chris Iba - Computers, Calculations & Cryptos

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2021 47:16


Chris Iba is a student of Computer Science at Berkeley.

Tom Butler - BITCOIN, Bread, & Butler

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2021 54:14


Tom Butler is a student of mathematics (and kinesiology) at Occidental College. Tom and I were on the baseball team together as pitchers and roommates during our junior year. Tom comes to the conclusion that bitcoin has potential to be the world's reserve currency from a mathematics and computer science perspective which makes for a great conversation combined with the economic and philosophical perspective of bitcoin.

Andrew Howard - Bitcoin

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2021 62:07


Andrew Howard is the Chief Business Development Officer of Bitcoin Reserve, an Ex-Marine who has been enlightened by the perspective of anarchism, and my dear friend. This episode surrounds the topic of bitcoin from an economic, philosophical, and political perspective.

Peter Bos - The Road to Freedom & The Myth of the State

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2021 97:27


Peter B. Bos is an author, entrepreneur, and innovator. He is the Founder and President of Polydyne, Inc., a multi-disciplinary management consulting company. Mr. Bos has extensive experience in the interdisciplinary synthesis of transportation and energy systems to include new technology development, transfer, market analysis and penetration, energy investment and policy analysis and private and public sector interaction. During the period prior to 2000, Mr. Bos was involved in the market-driven development of both stationary and mobile technologies that have both the potential for mitigating resource constraints as well as environmental problems for a large spectrum of energy and transportation applications. Because of this childhood wartime experience, he early on became interested in individual sovereignty and freedom. As a survivor of the Nazi occupation of his native country during World War II, he is acutely aware of what it means not to be free and of the extent of the violence and destruction that politically democratic nation states are capable of inflicting.

Dynamism

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2021 33:15


dynamism: (noun) 1. the quality of being characterized by vigorous activity and progress. 2. the theory that phenomena of matter or mind are due to the action of forces rather than to motion or matter.

The Invisible (Minimum) Wage

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2021 12:39


Wages in economic theory are dependent on the marginal productivity of labor. But a wage can be distinguished by its nominal and real wage. The nominal wage is the amount of monetary units someone receives for their expended labor. The real (invisible) wage is the purchasing power of their ability to buy real goods and services.

The Problems with Universal Healthcare

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2021 13:03


Healthcare is one of the most misunderstood topics in economics today. It is common to assume that most people should have access to healthcare in the modern world, however, access to healthcare is different from making healthcare a human right via universal health care. The economic perspective of this issue deals with the exchange structure in a profit motivated exchange where consumers are viewed as assets compared to a universal healthcare or socialized healthcare one-size-fits all policy where consumers are not treated according to their demand as their healthcare providers receive the same compensation regardless of the quality of service provided and alters the structure of consumers and clients as transforming into liabilities, hence an inefficient and deadly system.

Omnipotent Government - Book Review

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2021 0:55


Omnipotent Government was written by Ludwig von Mises in 1944.

ludwig von mises omnipotent government
The Villains of Capitol Hill

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2021 11:48


"Protestors have entered Capitol Hill and creating a serious threat to our democracy." "This is Trump's fault." "This is domestic terrorism." All are correct and all are misplaced. The real villains of Capitol Hill are the inflationists and lobbyists. The ones who send our kids, friends, and families off to wars, while raping the average citizen of all he worked to save for themselves and family members lives. I do not advocate for violence but I am fascinated by chaos in the realm of intellectual discourse. "The policy of inflation is the most radical institution in society because it affects people earnings, savings and spendings in such a way that he cannot plan for the future." - Mises

Imperfections of Economic Relief

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2020 15:16


The policy of Inflation and Monetary Theory have become very popular over the past century. It is acceptable among some politicians, philosophers, and even economists to abandon the notion of hard currency in pursuit of credit expansion and additional spending. What these people do not understand is the quantity theory of money that states that for every increase in the quantity of money, the value of the monetary unit decreases. MV=PQ. Furthermore, the policy of inflation, which is the increase in the money supply, is the most radical institution in society because it affects peoples' spendings, earnings, and savings in such a way that they lose sight of the prices of the most immediate future. The boom-bust cycle is a direct result of the federal reserve. Hyperinflation is a direct result of a centrally created currency. Savings, investments, and production drive an economy, the Keynesians have coached people to believe that consumption and spendings drive an economy but the equation to ask is then, how can increasing the amount of pieces of paper in the world make society any wealthier?

Partisan Political Power

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2020 18:23


The president elect, just announced his nominee for the new secretary for the department of defense. The nominee is a board member of Raytheon which is one of the world's largest weapon manufacturing companies. A conflict of interest has never been more clear. The potential for America to enter into a new war is high, especially when the secretary of defense will be the one profiting. What is important for people to realize is that war is the lifeblood of the state. The bombing of foreign "terrorists" is not just the death of one man or a group of "bad" men, drone strikes take out entire regions including women and children. Not only that, in the domestic nation invading a foreign nation, the chiefs and generals make money sacrificing other peoples' children to the military industrial complex. Never has there been a stronger time than to be red-pilled to war and reveal the military industrial complex as the slaughterhouse industry it truly is.

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