These Fools welcome guest Allison Gerard, Managing Director of Moral Courage, to the podcast. Moral Courage, founded by Irshad Manji, teaches people of all ages “to turn heated issues into healthy conversations and sustained teamwork.” Allison shares her definition of moral courage and the factors in our societal discourse that make it imperative today. The discussion turns to politics, psychology, neuroscience, and of course the philosophical perspectives on morality. Tune in with us!

These Fools start out talking about the transient quality of work, family, community, and life in general, in the West and especially in the US, and muse about the role of “Place” in antidoting it. Aristotle, Hegel, Wendell Berry, Hopi prophecy, Freud, and other sources come up as the Fools consider how Place shapes identity, the nature of Nature, and the individual/collective, internal/external journeys we’re unfolding as we try to find our way towards meaning and coherence. Enjoy!

These Fools react to recent news and consider the ethical implications of cloning extinct species, and whether we could expect to give Dire Wolves belly rubs. This provides a jumping-off point to look at various philosophers’ views on ethics and how we can evaluate our actions in pursuit of “doing the right thing.” Happy listening!

These Fools start out talking about Brian’s recent musings on how the integration of image makes a “philosophical machine” like Tiger & Dragon works so much better than a more rational explanation of a similar concept. This leads to an exploration of the role of image in creating our semantic world, a conversation about Hesse’s Demian and the loss of innocence, and an admonition about the role of courage and authenticity in meeting the ethical complexity of our times. Thanks for listening!

These Fools discuss “getting older.” What do we mean by development? How do we know if we’re doing it right? How does our relationship to our mortality change as we get older, and what impact does that have on what development means to us? Fools draw on Sages from Eastern philosophy, Greek philosophy, German hermeneutics and phenomenology, and a bit of Monty Python. Join us!

These Fools consult the I Ching - the ancient Chinese oracle - about the current state of things. Brian explains the origin and history of the I Ching, how to use it, and its metaphysical essence, then shares the resulting reading and some interpretation.

These Fools are joined by Paul Fenn, Founder of Local Power and inventor of “Community Choice Aggregation” for municipal energy procurement. Paul shares his fascinating background that includes a deep relationship to philosophy, political theory, psychology, energy policy and municipal engagement, leading to a discussion of the state of the American psyche, (for which Paul has a fearless diagnosis,) and a discourse on “what we should do.” You won’t want to miss this one!

In this episode, these Fools take a recent X post by Jon Haidt as fodder for conversation, relating to our need to “regain our attention” and stop fragmenting ourselves and our reality. They explore the nature of fragmentation, discipline, self-improvement, and - most importantly - reveal the three methods of dragon-slaying. Happy listening!