Unsolicited advice

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  Analyzing Unhinged Am I The A**hole posts with Philosophy 04.10.2026 48min

  People from all over the internet flock to ask a very important question: Am I The A**hole? Today we are going to look at some of the most interesting finds from that subreddit, and see where philosophy is eminently applicable.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 Honouring Dead Brother's Wishes12:25 Fake Memories of a Tragedy21:23 Telling a Friend She is Awful30:57 Not Caring About a Baby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Dostoevsky's Warning to the Self-Destructive 04.10.2026 35min

  Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of the most brilliant and eclectic writers in history. And here we will examine one of his most personal books - The Gambler. It is a masterclass in how to ruin your own life through self-destructive acts, and we will look at it in detail today. Get ready to learn how noble intentions can set us on the path to misery, and how we keep ourselves there. Let's dive into Dostoevsky's Guide to Self-Destruction.Uploaded 05-07-24Support me on Patreon here (you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 How to self-destruct01:29 Money, Self-ignorance, and self-sabotage08:52 The Hedonic Roulette Wheel13:51 The Existential Threat of Compulsion22:55 The Eternal Hope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The 7 Levels of Logical Thinking 04.10.2026 54min

  Try Brilliant's tutor for free: https://brilliant.org/Unsolicitedadvice/ . You’ll also get 20% off an annual Premium subscription.Logic and Logical thinking is one of my favourite topics, and also one of the most interesting and important fields of study out there. But it is quite difficult to give a broad view of what the field is or what it is all about. So today we are going to look at the seven levels of logic, taking us all the way from little-to-no logic at all, all the way to more advanced logical areas.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 Pre-logic01:32 Fallacy-Mongering08:16 Basic Formal Logic14:50 First-Order Logic and Friends20:49 Specialized Logical Systems29:00 Using Maths to Study Maths41:54 Modern Logic ResearchSponsored by Brilliant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why Kafka Hated People 04.10.2026 35min

  Franz Kafka is one of the most brilliant yet anxious writers of the 20th century. And in his "Letter to my father" he outlines exactly where his fear of other people comes from. Here he outlines both his troubling relationship with his father Hermann, and gives a masterclass on the origins of his social anxiety, and social anxiety in general. So here is why Kafka hated people.Support me on Patreon here (you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 A Letter to His Father01:39 Judge, Jury, and Executioner09:27 A Crumpled Map16:18 Permanent Scars22:31 Gratitude, Fear, and Guilt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why You're So Lonely | Camus' The Stranger 04.10.2026 32min

  There are few experiences as terrifying as feeling totally alone. Being lonely and feeling alienated from everyone else around you. And nowhere is this explored better than in Albert Camus' landmark novel, The Stranger. So get ready to dive into this wonderful novel, and maybe answer the question of why we are so lonely.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 The Ultimate Outsider01:29 Indifference and Difference07:08 Judgement and Condemnation13:18 Confusion and Chaos20:22 The Comfort of The Absurd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Internet is All Ragebait Now. Here's Why 04.10.2026 58min

  It has become almost cliche to observe that the internet often seems to bring out the worst in us. Yet the question of why remains elusive. So today we are going to check out a number of philosophers who, in my view, can help us understand our current internet predicament, and hopefully try to solve it.Uploaded 22-06-26Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 The Dehumanizing Human15:04 Echo Chambers and Rationality29:06 Anonymity and Manners40:18 The Task of Love and the Future of The Internet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How Nihilism Destroys You | Tolstoy's Confession 04.10.2026 33min

  An Existential Crisis is a uniquely painful experience. It robs all the joy out of life and leaves us a heaping mess on the floor. But luckily, we can turn to some of the greatest minds in history to guide us through. And foremost among these is Tolstoy's Confession, where he outlines how he fell into existential despair, and how he eventually started to dig himself out of it.Uploaded 14-07-24Support me on Patreon here (you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more (occasional) philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 Tolstoy's Existential Crisis01:34 The Brutality of Nihilism08:13 Four Futile Paths14:27 Faith, Reason, and Conflict20:57 Finding Normativity: An Open Challenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  9 novels that are better than any self-help book 03.10.2026 52min

  Head to https://squarespace.com/unsolicitedadvice to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code UNSOLICITEDADVICEI have often said that I think reading good fiction and novels can improve your life, as much if not more than books written with that purpose in mind. So here is a list of phenomenal works of fiction to get you started, each of which I am confident will improve your life more than any self-help book out there.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/Here is a good production of Othello (I can't find the one I had in mind but it has Ian McKellen in so chances are it is fantastic): https://youtu.be/oX0cbcrMAdo?si=2aPO4BsUsK0lB6_n00:00 A Hopeful Apocalypse05:56 An Envious Tragedy10:18 An Existential Affliction16:03 Some Fabulous Fables20:34 Some Satanic Scribbles25:50 A Pessimistic Psychology31:31 Some Ancient Epics36:12 A Fraught Romance39:13 A Religious Experience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The War On The Humanities 03.10.2026 53min

  It is no secret that the humanities are under threat. This is for many reasons, but among them is the idea that the humanities are "useless". But at the same time, I am a bit dissatisfied with many of the ways we currently defend these fields. So today we re going to look at the war on the humanities, using Eric Adler's book "The Battle Of The Classics".Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 The Decline and Fall of the Humanities07:48 Critical Thinking is Not Enough15:57 What's the Point of The Humanities?24:27 How to Actually Defend the Humanities37:14 A Defence in Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How a Society Collapses 03.10.2026 35min

  The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare https://skl.sh/unsolicitedadvice08241Among the work of Albert Camus, there is one work that stands out as the bleakest story he has ever written. The Plague documents a pestilence that devours the town of Oran in French Algeria. It is a disturbing tale that explores the depths of human despair, as well as the heights of heroism that can thrive under the worst possible conditions. So let's explore how the world collapses, at the behest of a ruthless plague.Support me on Patreon here (you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more (occasional) philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 Plagues and Pestilence02:26 Denial and Illusion08:40 The Grief of Disaster16:12 The Banality of Goodness23:43 Temporary Peace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Debating Philip Goff on Consciousness, God, and Drugs 03.10.2026 2u 25min

  I am a naturalist, and Philip is a panpsychist, and as a result we disagree an awful lot on questions to do with consciousness and God. So we met up to chat about both of these topics, as well as the subject of religious experiences, and see what common ground we share. This was a very fun conversation, and I hope you enjoy!Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/Check out Philip's reply to my fine-tuning argument here: https://open.substack.com/pub/philipgoff/p/i-was-wrong-on-fine-tuningor-was?r=2ohjsz&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewerHere are Philip’s links - please do check them out :)‘Why? The Purpose of the Universe’: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Purpose-Universe-Philip-Goff/dp/0198883765/‘Galileo’s Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness’: https://www.amazon.com/Galileos-Error-Foundations-Science-Consciousness/dp/1524747963 Philip’s channel https://www.youtube.com/@philipgoffphilosophy Philip’s X: https://twitter.com/Philip_Goff00:00 Why Panpsychism Doesn't Help Explain Consciousness09:35 Why Panpsychism Does Help Explain Consciousness23:35 My Problems with the Panpsychist Argument40:05 Can we know the nature of consciousness intrinsically?59:56 Are the physicalist and panpsychist at argumentative bedrock?1:23:22 Philip's Religious Experience1:33:31 Are religious experiences reliable?1:40:10 Religious experiences and Orthodox Christianity1:50:16 Debating the fine-tuning argument2:14:06 What is the most interesting idea you've come across in the past year and why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Answering your personal and philosophical questions | 900k QnA 03.10.2026 1u 36min

  Thank you so much for 900 thousand subscribers! I am so grateful and I look forward to answering your questions!Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 How am I?05:58 What would I do if not philosophy?09:45 What are my non-philosophical hobbies?12:18 What do I want to be when I grow up?15:12 Why is emotional sincerity cringe?23:13 What defines philosophical literature?29:46 Where am I in the consciousness discussion?39:34 Favourite author style-wise42:27 How to not take disagreement personally47:22 do I journal?50:33 Which philosopher would I bring to the modern day?56:47 Did I like philosophy as a kid?1:01:38 Who is the smartest philosopher of all time?1:06:37 What do you think about Byung-Chul Han?1:11:17 Will I do videos about logic?1:17:04 What have I changed my mind on since starting the channel?1:22:43 What makes me angry?1:26:55 Should philosophers have beards?Here is a Frank Ramsey paper: https://www.fitelson.org/probability/ramsey.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  One star reviews of classic books that actually understood them perfectly 03.10.2026 52min

  Head to https://squarespace.com/unsolicitedadvice to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code UNSOLICITEDADVICEYou know the drill! Here are some one-star reviews of classic books. But this time I wanted to do something a little bit different. Rather than simply look to them for entertainment, I wanted to pick those reviews that, even though they were uniformly negative, actually had a very good point, and perhaps understood these works better than most other people.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 The Great Gatsby12:29 American Psycho21:18 Kafka: The Complete Stories28:52 Albert Camus' The Fall37:28 Montaigne's Essays Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Taking Philosophy Memes Seriously 03.10.2026 32min

  Ancient Greece had the philosophical dialogue, ancient Rome had the hexameter poem, the enlightenment had the essay, and the Romantics had the philosophical novel. But today, we will look at the modern choice for communicating philosophical ideas: memes. And rather than simply laugh or mock them, we are going to take them seriously to see what we can learn from them.Support me on Patreon here: https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:23 The Myth of Sisyphus03:03 Shopping Trolley Problem06:19 Frustrated Originality08:21 God and Freedom10:00 The Fear of Being Seen12:13 Philosophy is Annoying14:38 Partying in Absurdity18:08 Moral Monsters19:56 Relativism and its Issues21:44 Philosophy and Self-Help24:29 MC Hammer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why We're Obsessed with Identity (and why we should stop) | Dr. Alexander Douglas 03.10.2026 1u 34min

  In the modern world we are obsessed with identity - including the idea of "being yourself". I have expressed some scepticism of this idea in the past, but haven't quite been able to put my finger on why. So today we are talking to the wonderful Dr. Alexander Douglas all about his latest book - Against Identity - a critique of the very concept of a fixed identity. I hope you enjoy!You can find Alex's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DT1K9W2N/?bestFormat=true&k=against%20identity&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-ww_k0_1_16_de&crid=2I1NZ64U6309U&sprefix=against%20identityAnd his Substack here: https://substack.com/@alexxdouglasSupport me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 What's wrong with being yourself08:45 How does Daoism question identity?22:33 Should our identities be more fluid?31:20 Identity as social technology?36:45 Spinoza and identity50:00 The pressure of a fixed identity55:04 What is Girard's theory of mimetic desire1:17:20 Girard's Christianity1:24:55 What was the most interesting idea you came across in the past year and why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How to Win Any Debate (Without Being an A**hole) 03.10.2026 33min

  Start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel 🎉. Take this quiz for up to 60% off your subscription ➡️. Here: https://bit.ly/unsolicitedadviceaugPhilosophers have always been pretty sceptical about debate, and for pretty good reason. Underhanded tactics can be used to manipulate, sway, and mislead. But Aristotle wanted to know how we could rehabilitate debate for someone who did not just want to do these things, but wanted to strive for an honest persuasive approach. So here is how to win a debate, without being a nefarious so-and-so.Support me on Patreon here (you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more (occasional) philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 The Art of Persuasion02:10 Why Learn Rhetoric06:50 Reasons and Persons13:01 I've got a feeling (woo-hoo)18:28 Knowing me knowing you (aha)22:49 A Touch of Style Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  So, what is actually in the Book of Mormon? | Heliocentric 03.10.2026 2u 5min

  I have a soft spot for the weirdest and most wonderful aspects of religious life, and someone who shared my adoring attitude here is @HeliocentricOfficial. I was lucky enough to have Jared stay at my house recently, and I knew I had to have him on the podcast.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 Who is Sweet Daddy?07:10 How did you come to Atheism?11:45 What is actually in the Book of Mormon?33:51 What was it like being in a Jehova's Witness Church?54:42 What is Christian Science?01:12:50 Why are you a nihilist?1:27:35 Why are conversations about God and morality so difficult?01:56:46 What is the most interesting idea you've come across in the past year and why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  When is Ignorance Bliss? | Professor Jimmy Licon 03.10.2026 1u 51min

  Ignorance is one of the most maligned concepts out there. For many of my videos I take it for granted that knowing more is always better. And yet the philosopher Jimmy Licon offers a different perspective. His work highlights where ignorance is beneficial, both ethically and epistemically.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/Professor Licon's Substack: https://substack.com/@syntheticsocratesProfessor Licon's Youtube channel: https://youtube.com/@uncommonwisdomllc?si=0gAAWQjEY9oNn8WG00:00 What are the benefits of ignorance?14:53 What are the benefits of not thinking?24:52 When is virtue signalling good?45:11 Should politics be less transparent?1:07:35 Should our politics be less rational?1:27:45 Will AI kill philosophy?1:43:13 What is the most interesting idea you've come across in the past year and why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Self-improvement has sold us a lie 03.10.2026 57min

  Self-improvement is a noble aim, but can it go too far? I think it can, but I also think that in our rush to condemn self-improvement and self-optimisation, we often forget that obsession is sometimes a wonderful thing, and we ought not to condemn it wholesale.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 The cult of self-optimisation07:54 Keeping Score22:41 The existential temptation of optimisation38:14 In defence of obsession Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Is God Evil? 03.10.2026 33min

  Head to https://squarespace.com/unsolicitedadvice to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code unsolicitedadviceThe Problem of Evil is one of those questions that has stayed with philosophers and philosophy as a whole for millennia. It can be summed up in a single statement: why would an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God allow evil to exist in the world? And this all raises one question: is God evil?Support me on Patreon here (you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 Theodicy and Theology01:58 The Problem(s) of Evil07:11 Good Beyond Pleasure and Evil Beyond Pain12:14 Divine Command Theory18:31 The Incomprehensibility of God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices