Philosophy Episodes

More Than Enough Light What is more addictive than fentanyl, cocaine, or heroin? Evan Jaqua’s answer is power. And once people have it, they will do almost anything to keep it. This is a solo episode, a short essay built around the ideas of Evan Jaqua and the Solutions Party, the political reform organization he founded. The interview tape didn’t meet the bar for broadcast, so I took his thinking and ran it through my own. I hope to have Evan back for a clean recording. For now, it’s just you an...

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…

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...

We live in turbulent times. Climate change, economic uncertainty, political upheaval. It can feel like forces beyond our control press in from all sides. And for millions of people, that pressure doesn't just weigh on the mind. It breaks through.In this episode, Tom Schueneman reflects on his own experience with depression, a period in 2014 when, despite a life he was grateful for, he found himself staring into what he calls a black hole every morning. He distinguishes between the blues, life’s natural melancholy, and the cold, one-dimensional grip of clinical depression. And he traces his path back: a walk along San Francisco Bay, the quiet healing of green space, and the decision to stop BSing a therapist and himself.This isn’t prescriptive advice. It's one person's story, told honestly. Because in a world that can feel increasingly untethered, the most courageous thing we can do may be to reach out, get outside, and keep going.

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 morta...