Philosophy Episodes

Bridging the Gap and Finding Agency in a Complex World What can one person actually do about problems as vast as climate change, racism, or inequality? For most of us, the honest answer feels like: not much. That sense of powerlessness is exactly what philosophers Michael Brownstein and Alex Madva set out to dismantle. In this episode, Tom talks with the co-authors of Somebody Should Do Something (written with Daniel Kelly) about the trap of either/or thinking, the false choice between fixing ...

In her debut novel, They Could Be Saviors, Diana Colleen explores psychedelic therapy as a means to relieve “billionaire-ism” and the extractive, taker mentality. Can billionaires reclaim their humanity?

Lee Schneider's Utopia Engine Trilogy explores the near future in a world of climate change, AI, mind control, misinformation, and how we can find liberation.

An in-depth conversation with Bridget Lyons, author of Entwined: Dispatches From the Intersection of Species.

Do We Need to Colonize Mars to Survive? A Book Review of Dr. Peter Solomon's 100 Years to Extinction In 2017, Stephen Hawking warned that humanity had just 100 years to move beyond Earth or face extinction. That bold prediction frames my Earthbound podcast conversation with Dr. Peter Solomon, physicist, serial entrepreneur, and author of 100 Years to Extinction. We dig into the triggers threatening our survival (climate change, AI, nuclear war, misinformation) and whether a Mars colony is rea...

What does it mean to build a civilization on extraction and call it moral? That’s the question at the heart of this episode of Earthbound, a podcast about what it means to be human on a warming planet. We begin with Venezuela. The Trump administration’s justifications for military intervention shift and dance, but the subtext is hard to miss: Venezuela holds the largest confirmed oil reserves of any nation on Earth. Energy Secretary Chris Wright calls the timing a coincidence. Trump is more direct. The intent is clear, and so is the pattern. When fossil fuel interests collide with foreign policy, the story we tell ourselves rarely matches the one playing out in the world. From there, we ask the harder question. What is the moral character of a society convinced that fossil fuel extraction is not just an economic strategy, but a birthright? This episode draws on the work of neurophilosopher Patricia Churchland, who argues that human morality is rooted not in religion or ideolo…

In this conversation with Bill McKibben, a world-renowned author, climate change advocate, and founder of 350.org, we discuss his latest book, “Here Comes the Sun.” We explore how the cost of renewable energy, especially solar power, has decreased to the point where it is now cheaper than fossil fuels. Additionally, we examine the reasons why solar energy has surpassed fossil fuels in terms of new power production.

In a world of either-or thinking, where you’re expected to choose between hugging trees or hugging flags, Katherine Lacefield offers a refreshing alternative. The founder of Just Be Cause Consulting and host of the Just Be Cause Podcast joins us to dismantle the false binaries that plague environmental and animal rights movements. With candor and hard-won wisdom, she shares her journey from "crazy vegan" activism to a more nuanced understanding of how we create lasting change. Katherine reminds ...

With this bonus holiday episode, I revisit a short article I originally wrote for a now-defunct website and republished on Medium back in 2022. Blood and Cigarettes takes us back to Christmas Eve and the trenches of World War I, and how redemption can be found in the unlikeliest of places. Ever since I heard the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914, it has intrigued me. The poignant tale of the 1914 Christmas Truce serves as a powerful reminder of our shared humanity, even amidst the chaos of w...

What Would The Ocean Say If You Could Ask It A Question? Exploring the intersection of art, science, and environmental activism, this episode features thought provoking conversation with Joshua Harrison, director of the Center for the Study of the Force Majeure based at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The art-science environmental research collaborative challenges us to rethink our relationship with the planet and provoke us into thinking beyond the status quo and our long-held assum...

Vanquish the Storm Lords and Anthrogs! The power of stories to shape our understanding of the world is a central theme explored in this episode. We welcome Laurel Colless, an author dedicated to igniting the imaginations of young readers through her Peter Blue series of fantasy-adventure novels. By infusing her narratives with real-world environmental issues, Laurel not only entertains but also educates, allowing children and adolescents to confront the complexities of climate change. Our disc...

Wildfire Days "Wildfire is actually a natural part of our ecosystems and our landscape, particularly in the American West. Fires had been burning naturally for millennia and keeping the forest healthy." "It's the most incredible job. It's so fulfilling and exciting and fascinating... just seeing how fire moves on the landscape and how we can use fire intentionally to stop wildfires." -Kelly Ramsey The historical context of wildfire management reveals a legacy of suppression dating back to ...

Find your place in the world. Dig in, and take responsibility from there. -Gary Snyder When the world faces existential threats like climate change, how do we make ethical choices that matter? In this thought-provoking episode, host Tom Schueneman explores philosopher Thomas Rieder's groundbreaking book "Catastrophe Ethics: How to Choose Well in a World of Tough Choices." Opening with a powerful scene from Netflix's "Landman," this episode confronts the fundamental ethical dilemma of our time: w...

Reviewing A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith The notion of colonizing Mars often sounds like a thrilling adventure, but let’s hit the brakes on that rocket ship for a moment. Right off the bat, we tackle the idea that Elon Musk’s vision of a bustling Martian colony is, to put it mildly, a touch delusional. As we delve into the complexities of what it would actually mean to settle on another planet, we confront the sobering reality that space isn't just a hop, skip, and jump away; it’...

A conversation with David Lipsky, author of The Parrot and the Igloo Global warming is a long history spent in the hall of ironies, a statement that resonates throughout our discussion today. We delve into the fascinating yet troubling journey of climate science, tracing back to Svante Arrhenius, who first calculated the impact of accumulating greenhouse gases over a century ago, to the alarming forecasts of the 1950s that continue to haunt us. Amidst this, we uncover the unsettling tactics of c...

Roy Scranton's Learning to Die in the Anthropocene: Reflections on the End of a Civilization invites us to confront a sobering truth: we cannot escape our fate. As we grapple with the challenges of our time, Scranton emphasizes the importance of facing our future with patience, reflection, and love rather than panic or denial. His reflections draw from a life steeped in experience, including his service in Iraq, where he learned that truly living often requires us to embrace the reality of mort...