with Julia Galef
Julia and guest Vitalik Buterin (creator of the open-source blockchain platform Ethereum) explore a wide range of topics, including: Vitalik’s intellectually honest approach to leadership, why prediction markets appear to be biased in favor of Trump, whether it was rational to invest in Bitcoin ten years ago, Vitalik’s defense of life extension research against its … Read more
Julia and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt (The Righteous Mind) discuss his moral foundations theory and argue about whether liberals should “expand their moral horizons” by learning to think like conservatives. Julia solicits Jon’s help in understanding her disagreement with philosopher Michael Sandel, in episode 247, over the morality of consensual cannibalism. (February 17, 2020) Additional works mentioned … Read more
Matt Yglesias talks about One Billion Americans, his book arguing that it’s in the United States’ national interest to dramatically boost its population, by expanding immigration and having more babies. Matt and Julia also discuss arguments for and against the “YIMBY” movement, which pushes for building more housing; what they’ve both learned from reflecting on … Read more
Companies like Twitter and Facebook are increasingly willing to ban users — and even if you agree with their decisions, is it worrying that a few companies have so much power? Julia discusses with Julian Sanchez, expert on tech and civil liberties. (January 19, 2020) Additional works mentioned in the episode: Julian Sanchez’ personal website Julian’s Cato … Read more
Coleman Hughes explains why he favors a “colorblind” ideal and why the “race-conscious” camp disagrees with him. Coleman and Julia also discuss whether reparations are just, and what counts as racism. (January 5, 2020) Additional works mentioned in the episode: Coleman Hughes’ podcast and website Coleman on Twitter “Deepities and the Politics of Pseudo-Profundity” (October 2018) “The … Read more
Data scientist David Shor discusses some of the bad choices made by Democratic political campaigns. What’s the cause of the errors? Is it irrationality, coordination problems, or something else? (December 22, 2020) Additional works mentioned in the episode: David Shor on Twitter David’s July 2020 interview with New York Magazine David’s November 2020 interview with Vox Transcript (PDF)
Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel argues with Julia about human dignity, consensual cannibalism, and the case in his new book, The Tyranny of Merit, that meritocracy is to blame for recent populist backlashes in the U.S. (December 8, 2020) Additional works mentioned in the episode: The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? by Michael Sandel … Read more
Economist and Nobel Laureate Angus Deaton discusses the rise in “deaths of despair” in the U.S. – deaths from drugs, alcohol or suicide. What’s causing it, and how do we know? Also, Julia and Angus debate whether effective altruism can help the poor. (November 23, 2020) Additional works mentioned in the episode: Deaths … Read more
Rationally Speaking returns from hiatus with a look at a clash between two generations: Millennials, and their parents’ generation, the Baby Boomers. Faced with stagnant wages and rising costs of education, rent, and health care, Millennials have a tougher path to economic security than Boomers did. And a growing number of millennial writers argue that … Read more
November 25, 2019 This episode features a pair of interviews on a similar topic: First, Stephanie Lepp (host of the “Reckonings Podcast”) discusses what she’s learned from interviewing people who had a serious change of heart, or “reckoning,” including a former Neo-nazi and a former sex offender. What causes a reckoning? Second, Buster Benson (author of “Why Are We Yelling? The … Read more