Within Reason

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  #165 Buddhist Emptiness Explained - Jan Westerhoff 31.08.2026 1ч 44мин

  Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.Come to my North American tour this November: https://www.alexoconnor.com/p/tour.Jan Westerhoff is a German philosopher and orientalist with specific interests in metaphysics and the philosophy of language. He is currently Professor of Buddhist Philosophy in the Faculty of Theology and Religion of the University of Oxford.Get Jan Westerhoff's books here.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Nāgārjuna, The “Second Buddha”6:03 The Middle Way9:16 Ontological Nihilism20:00 Are Madhyamaka Buddhists Nihilists?38:56 How Emptiness Escapes Causal Arguments for God45:40 Preempting Immanuel Kant?50:37 Emptiness1:10:07 How to Escape Suffering1:16:54 Visualising Emptiness1:20:30 Is Consciousness Empty?1:34:28 Reality Without SubstanceCONNECT:My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskepticFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskepticInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: @CosmicSkepticThe Within Reason Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/16wUbvDT95dxzpG2KEhakK?si=3196e07690bb489dCONTACT:Business email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #164 The Chosen Creator: Putting Words in Jesus' Mouth? 09.08.2026 2ч 14мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.Dallas Jenkins is an American film and television director, writer and producer. He is best known as the creator, director, co-writer and executive producer of The Chosen, the first multi-season series about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. LINKS:Watch the trailer for season six of The Chosen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nymMxV88QyY&feature=youtu.beSeason six premieres November 15th on Prime Video, with three episodes at launch and new episodes weekly through December 6th. And the story doesn't end on streaming — the season finale arrives as a feature film, exclusively in theaters, on March 12th, 2027.Follow The Chosen:https://www.thechosen.tv/en-ushttps://www.instagram.com/thechosentvseries/https://www.tiktok.com/@thechosentv?lang=enhttps://www.facebook.com/InsideTheChosenhttps://www.youtube.com/@TheChosenSeriesFollow Dallas: https://www.facebook.com/DallasJenkinsOfficialhttps://www.instagram.com/dallas.jenkins/https://www.youtube.com/@DallasJenkinsOfficial TIMESTAMPS:(00:21) What is The Chosen’s Purpose?(04:01) Is It Appropriate to Embellish the Story of Jesus?(14:05) Harmonising the Gospel Accounts(36:40) Do Actors Sometimes Theologically Disagree?(48:02) Controversial Additions to the Show(56:14) Why Didn’t Jesus Heal Little James?(01:14:47) Depicting Judas Iscariot(01:33:25) The Women of The Chosen(01:40:37) Stories Left Out of the Show(01:46:58) Watching The Chosen As an AgnosticCONNECT:My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskepticFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskepticInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskepticBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #163 Religion is an Obligation - Ross Douthat 31.07.2026 1ч 48мин

  Get all sides of every story and be better informed at ⁠https://ground.news/AlexOC⁠ - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.VIDEO NOTES:Ross Douthat is an American journalist who is a correspondent for the CBS News program 60 Minutes. Prior to joining CBS, he was a conservative columnist at The New York Times, a senior editor at The Atlantic, and film critic for National Review. He has written on religion, politics, and society.Get "Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious": https://amzn.to/4fw2bIJTIMESTAMPS:(0:00) Is Religious Belief An Obligation?(17:44) Pantheism vs Theism(23:35) The Connection Between Mind and Universe(43:32) The Fine-Tuning Argument(49:18) The Problem of Evil(1:06:26) Is Belief in God Enough?(1:20:53) Animal Suffering(1:34:37) Is Heaven Hierarchical?CONNECT:My Website YouTubeInstagramTikTok⁠TwitterFacebookCONTACT:Business email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #162 Two Million Subscriber QnA 30.07.2026 51мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack. TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) – Intro(0:18) – My YouTube Watch History(01:33) – What Do I Want to Be Remember For?(10:13) – Will I Do a PhD?(13:06) – Warzone(13:28) – How Many Philosophers Does It Take to Screw in a Light Bulb?(14:14) – My Music Channel(14:30) – My Career if I Wasn't a YouTuber(15:49) – Things I Struggle With(17:58) – Favourite Beatles Song?(19:20) – Daily Life and Episode Prep(23:09) – Favourite Debate?(27:17) – Which Country Do I Want to Visit?(27:30) – Which Country Do I Never Want to Visit?(28:09) – Which Person from History Would I Want to Talk To?(31:47) – Who Am I a Fan Of?(32:18) – Favourite Sport and Club?(39:25) – Favourite Dish and Beverage?(40:23) – What Is One Thing You Regret? - CONNECTMy Website: https://www.alexoconnor.comSOCIAL LINKS:Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskepticFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskepticInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: @CosmicSkepticThe Within Reason Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/16wUbvDT95dxzpG2KEhakK?si=3196e07690bb489d - CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #161 What’s the Point of Going Back to the Moon? Chris Hadfield - 15.07.2026 57мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Chris Hadfield is a retired Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, test pilot, and CSA astronaut. As the first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, he has flown two Space Shuttle missions and also served as commander of the International Space Station. Get Chris's book Final Orbit.TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) Have We Lost Interest in Space Travel? (3:56) What Is There To Learn In Space? (12:01) Is Space Exploration National Or Global? (18:00) Will Civilians Need Training To Go To Space? (22:35) The Psychological Challenges of Space Exploration (26:28) Are Astronauts Thrill Seekers? (34:33) Writing Fiction As An Astronaut (42:58) How Chris Became a Novelist (50:32) The Biggest Risk Chris Has Ever Taken (53:09) How Chris Tackles FearCONNECT:My Website YouTubeInstagramTikTok⁠TwitterFacebookCONTACT:Business email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #160 Every Theory of Consciousness - Robert Lawrence Kuhn 02.07.2026 2ч 20мин

  Get all sides of every story and be better informed at ⁠https://ground.news/AlexOC⁠ - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Robert Lawrence Kuhn is an American public intellectual and investment banker. He is also an author, television producer, columnist and commentator, especially on topics related to China. Kuhn is the creator of the PBS series ⁠ @CloserToTruthTV ⁠.View the Landscape of Consciousness Map ⁠here⁠. TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) The Landscape of Consciousness Map(16:32) Materialism(26:58) What Counts As Materialism?(45:12) The Difference Between Panpsychism and Materialism(49:36) What’s the Difference Between Panpsychism and Idealism?(58:12) Idealism and Monism(1:03:51) Do All These “Theories” Really Differ?(1:08:40) Dualism and Property Dualism(1:20:30) Are Psychedelic Experiences Significant?(1:32:02) The “Challenge” Category(1:42:36) Quantum Theories of Consciousness(1:47:57) Integrated Information Theory(2:01:53) Theological Approaches to Consciousness(2:15:33) How Theory of Mind Brings Us TogetherCONNECT:My Website YouTubeInstagramTwitterFacebook⁠TikTok⁠⁠CONTACT:Business email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #159 Aristotle: The World's Greatest Philosopher? 25.06.2026 1ч 24мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.John Sellars is a Reader in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, a visiting Research Fellow at King's College London and a Member of Wolfson College, Oxford. His books include Lessons in Stoicism, The Fourfold Remedy, Aristotle and his work has been translated into over a dozen languages.Get John Sellars' books here.TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) What’s So Great About Aristotle?(03:06) Actuality and Potentiality(12:59) Forms: Aristotle vs Plato(20:02) The Four Causes(25:16) Evolution and Final Causation(29:40) Did Aristotle Believe In God?(32:38) The Unmoved Mover(38:58) The Soul (Is Not What You Might Think)(48:51) How Aristotle Invented Formal Logic(55:54) The Nicomachean Ethics(01:15:56) Ethics as Descriptive(01:21:04) Where To Start With AristotleCONNECT:Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠Business Email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #158 Could Consciousness Be an Illusion? 18.06.2026 2ч 7мин

  Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Keith Frankish is a British philosopher specialising in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, and philosophy of cognitive science. Read Keith's essay, "Illusionism as a theory of consciousness" (2016).Find Keith's website here.Keith Frankish and Philip Goff co-host a channel 'Mind Chat', where they debate panpsychism versus illusionism, and explore cutting-edge thought on consciousness:  / @mindchat   TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Is Consciousness An Illusion? (4:02) Do We Have a Private World? (10:00) The Nature of Visual Experience (20:13) Is Awareness Behavioural? (28:17) Isn’t Introspection Itself a Private Experience? (33:04) Philosophical Zombies (43:05) What Motivates Illusionism? (50:02) Psychedelics and the Dissolution of the Self (59:23) Why Are Philosophers Always Categorising? (1:10:31) Does Alex’s Triangle Exist? (1:21:40) Is Pain Just a Reaction to Stimulus? (1:49:05) Is Pain an Emergent Phenomenon? (1:55:52) What Illusion Is Actually Happening? (1:59:07) Can AI Be Conscious? CONNECTMy Website: https://www.alexoconnor.comSOCIAL LINKS:Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskepticFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskepticInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskepticCONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #157 How a Blind Man Sees the World - Tommy Edison 08.06.2026 1ч 4мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.@TommyEdisonXP is a blind YouTuber and radio presenter. He got his start online as the “Blind Film Critic”, reviewing movies despite being unable to see them, and thereby offering a unique angle on their storytelling.TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) Being a Blind YouTuber(2:03) How Do You Understand Blindness If You Are Blind From Birth?(4:26) Being Blind in School(7:20) Tommy’s Early Life(12:11) Has Life Become More Accessible For the Blind?(19:35) How Vision is Embedded in Our Language(21:35) How Does A Blind Person Watch A Movie?(25:40) What Does Tommy Know About Colour?(27:51) Mary’s Room(32:16) Can A Blind Person Play Video Games?(35:39) The Questions People Are Too Afraid to Ask(41:42) How Does A Blind Person Understand Attractiveness?(44:27) What Can We Make More Accessible?(48:24) Why Electric Cars Aren’t Best For Everyone(51:33) Is Offering Help Patronising?(54:35) What Can Tommy Do That People Think He Can’t?(58:32) Why Tommy Chooses Joy CONNECTMy Website: https://www.alexoconnor.comSOCIAL LINKS:Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskepticFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskepticInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #156 Mysticism: The Heretics Who Got Too Close to God - Simon Critchley 26.05.2026 1ч 17мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.Simon Critchley is a British philosopher, author and professor at The New School in New York. He is best known for his work on existentialism, mysticism, ethics and continental philosophy, and is the author of books including The Book of Dead Philosophers, Faith of the Faithless and Mysticism. Get Simon's book Mysticism ⁠here⁠.TIMESTAMPS:(7:52) What is Mysticism?(18:58) Unification With the Divine(29:58) Mysticism and the Self(40:38) Why Are So Many Mystics Women?(48:41) The Limits of Language(59:54) Was Pascal a Mystic?(01:03:21) Where Does Simon Stand on Mysticism?(01:11:22) Where Should We Start With Learning About Mysticism?(01:15:36) Imagery in Simon’s BookCONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKS:Twitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #155 AI Music is Not Music - Adam Neely 13.05.2026 1ч 57мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at www.huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack.Adam Neely is an American bassist, YouTuber, and jazz musician based in New York City. His YouTube content includes Q&A videos, vlogs about performing music, and video essays about online music culture. As a musician, he performs with groups including the electro-jazz duo Sungazer and the instrumental band Aberdeen.Watch Adam's video on Suno here.TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) Music and Philosophy(5:17) Can You Cheat in Music?(9:07) What is Suno?(25:20) Can You Use AI Musically?(32:21) Is AI Just the New Sampling?(38:40) AI and Inclusivity(46:21) Is Music Becoming Narcissistic?(57:26) Does Great Art Require Ego?(01:07:04) Are AI Music Tools Inevitable?(01:22:55) How Would Adam Improve Suno?(01:35:44) Are We Removing the Humanity From Music?(01:44:18) Is Jazz the Blueprint?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKS:Twitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #154 Happiness: Epicurus' Ancient Guide - Jonny Thomson 04.05.2026 1ч 48мин

  Get all sides of every story and be better informed at ⁠https://ground.news/AlexOC⁠ - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Jonny Thomson is a philosopher and the founder of ⁠PhilosophyMinis ⁠. He is on the Executive Board for the British Philosophy Association and is a staff writer at Big Think.Get Jonny's upcoming book, ⁠The Art of Enough: The Ancient Epicurean Philosophy of Finding – and Keeping – Happiness⁠TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Are Epicureans Selfish?(05:30) Why Epicureanism?(10:31) Who Was Epicurus?(16:42) Godless But Not Atheistic(23:21) Epicurus’ Metaphysics(27:24) Why Focus on Pleasure?(35:29) Epicureanism vs Utilitarianism(48:59) What About Immoral Pleasures?(53:02) Could AI be Epicurean?(01:00:50) The Experience Machine(01:10:59) Why Epicurus Didn’t Like Sex(01:16:21) Are Influencers Watering Down Ancient Philosophy?(01:20:06) Are You In Control of Your Happiness?(01:26:33) Epicureanism vs Stoicism(01:32:36) Epicurus on Death(01:36:42) Do We Have a Happiness Crisis?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKS:Twitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #153 If Anyone Builds It, EVERYONE Dies - AI Expert on Superintelligence 26.04.2026 1ч 35мин

  Get all sides of every story and be better informed at ⁠https://ground.news/AlexOC⁠ - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Nate Soares is an American artificial intelligence author and researcher known for his work on existential risk from AI. In 2014, Soares co-authored a paper that introduced the term AI alignment, the challenge of making increasingly capable AI’s behave as intended. Nate is the president of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, a research nonprofit based in Berkeley, California.Get the book, ⁠If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All⁠.TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Is This an Exaggeration?(04:31) What Is Unique About the Threat of AI?(11:28) What is Superintelligence?(21:25) From Chess Computers to Murderous Machines(27:52) What Really Drives AI Systems?(44:29) Evidence AI Is Already Turning Against Us(56:03) How We Are Helping AI Take Over(01:01:21) Why Would AI Seek Power or Control?(01:07:42) Some Worst-Case AI Scenarios(01:18:38) What Do We Do About This Now?(01:32:53) How Has AI Changed in the Last Six Months?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKS:Twitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #152 Why AI Will Never Be Conscious 20.04.2026 1ч 41мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at ⁠https://huel.com/alexoconnor ⁠(Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Anil Seth is a British neuroscientist and professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex. A proponent of materialist explanations of consciousness, he is currently amongst the most cited scholars on the topics of neuroscience and cognitive science globally. Read Anil's essay, ⁠"The Mythology of Conscious AI"⁠.TIMESTAMPS(00:00) The Difference Between Intelligence and Consciousness(03:55) What’s Stopping the Replication of Consciousness in AI?(17:01) Can You Separate What the Brain Is From What It Does?(22:20) Is Conscious Experience Just Predictions From the Brain?(26:48) Why Do We Project Consciousness Onto LLMs?(37:27) Can Consciousness Exist Without a Body?(42:25) Why We Liken the Brain to a Computer(52:11) Is There An Evolutionary Reason For Consciousness?(56:29) Studying Unconscious Perception?(1:01:21) Is Consciousness Unified? Split-Brain Patients(1:15:10) Attention and Consciousness(1:19:04) What Would a Conscious Chatbot Even Look Like?(1:25:13) Consciousness as a Controlled Hallucination(1:34:19) Do Scientists Actually Study “Consciousness” At All?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKSTwitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #151 John Lennox - What Nearly Dying Taught Me About God 13.04.2026 1ч 18мин

  Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.John Lennox is a Northern Irish mathematician, bioethicist, and Christian apologist originally from Northern Ireland. He has written many books on religion, ethics, the relationship between science and God, and has had public debates with atheists including Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Exclusive discount: Listeners to my show can get 30% Off John Lennox’s autobiography, My Story when shopping directly from his publishers. Visit https://spckpublishing.co.uk/my-story and enter AOC30 at checkout to get 30% off. TIMESTAMPS(00:00) How Pressure Can Produce the Best Work(02:29) Does the Incarnation Make Sense?(06:22) John’s Richard Dawkins Debate(14:39) What Did the New Atheists Get Wrong About God?(26:21) Science Cannot Explain Everything(31:22) What Did the New Atheists Get Right?(35:18) Why Does God Hide From So Many People?(44:36) Why Does God Allow Arbitrary Suffering?(56:25) Is Faith “Belief Without Evidence”?(1:00:33) How Could God Punish a Mere Lack of Faith?(1:08:14) How Christopher Hitchens Agreed with Jesus(1:13:03) Does Christianity Cause Evil?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKSTwitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #150 Materialist AND Panpsychism are True - Galen Strawson 08.04.2026 57мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Galen Strawson is a British analytic philosopher and literary critic who works primarily on philosophy of mind, metaphysics, John Locke, David Hume, Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche.TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Is Radical Emergence Possible?(08:15) Can Physics Describe Consciousness?(12:01) Is Everything Made of Consciousness?(18:34) Why Are People Resistant to Panpsychism?(21:19) Can Experience Alone Tell Us What Consciousness Is?(23:50) Does Consciousness Require Complexity?(29:03) Panpsychism vs Idealism: What’s the Difference?(36:08) The Combination Problem(40:03) What is the “Self”?(43:16) Do We Even Need to Explain Consciousness?(48:25) Is Consciousness a Scientific or Philosophical Question?(53:25) Is It Possible for AI to Become Conscious?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKSTwitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #149 My Problem With C.S. Lewis - Philip Pullman 02.04.2026 1ч 27мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Philip Pullman is one of England's most cherished and celebrated writers. Author of the popular His Dark Materials series of books (later adapted into a film, The Golden Compass (2007), and a 2019 HBO/BBC drama series), his novels are dripping with philosophical and religious themes. Get Philip Pullman's Books ⁠here⁠.TIMESTAMPS(0:00) C.S. Lewis Tells Filthy Lies(5:12) Childhood Innocence is Overrated(10:09) Religion in Philip’s Novels(21:26) How to Improve the Story of Jesus and the Gospels(27:43) The Connection Between Music and Fiction(36:24) Books vs Movies(43:38) Consciousness in The Book of Dust(50:05) Should Novelists Go Back and Update Their Books?(56:11) The Omniscient Narrator(1:00:12) How Movies Changed Novels(1:05:49) Why Subtitles Are So Popular Now(1:10:56) The Role of Philosophy in Philip’s Novels(1:13:27) Philip’s Writing Process(1:20:11) The Fear of AI in Creative IndustriesCONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKSTwitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #148 Blaise Pascal: Philosopher, Mathematician, Genius - Graham Tomlin 25.03.2026 1ч 34мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Graham Tomlin is a British theologian, author and former Church of England bishop. Get Graham's book, ⁠Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World⁠. Graham's organisation, ⁠Seen and Unseen⁠. TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Can Blaise Pascal Be Categorised?(03:05) Who Was Blaise Pascal?(11:12) Pascal’s First Conversion(17:19) Pascal’s “Night of Fire”(21:59) Did Pascal Reject Reason?(31:45) Pascal’s War With Descartes(42:31) Did Pascal Invent the Bus?(45:42) The Heart Has Its Reasons, Of Which Reason Knows Nothing(50:03) How Pascal Invented Probability Theory(52:29) Pascal’s Wager(1:15:35) The Pensées(1:18:30) Pascal’s “Two Minds”(1:22:39) The Importance of Boredom(1:26:58) Why Should Atheists Read Pascal?(1:31:34) What Would Graham Ask Pascal?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKSTwitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #147 What is PURE Consciousness? - Thomas Metzinger 18.03.2026 2ч 3мин

  Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Thomas Metzinger is a German philosopher and Professor Emeritus of theoretical philosophy at the University of Mainz. His primary research areas include philosophy of mind, philosophy of neuroscience, and applied ethics, particularly focusing on neurotechnology, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.Get The Elephant and the Blind: The Experience of Pure Consciousness: Philosophy, Science, and 500+ Experiential ReportsTIMESTAMPS(0:00) The Minimal Phenomenal Experience Project(11:34) Is MPE New Age Meditation?(17:07) Collecting Reports of Pure Consciousness(25:48) Lucid Deep Sleep - Thomas’ Experience(32:19) Does Consciousness Require Complexity?(39:29) The Power of Meditation(45:32) Is Meditation Always a Positive Experience?(53:13) Is a MPE Actually an Experience?(01:11:21) Your Brain is Not Telling You the Truth(01:20:08) Analysing Minimal Conscious Experiences(01:27:26) Is Meditative Enlightenment Unethical?(01:32:37) Western Ignorance of Eastern Tradition(01:40:13) “Coming Home”(01:44:29) The Political Implications of MPE(01:52:40) Should Ketamine Be Legalised?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKSTwitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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  #146 The Most Complicated Thing in the Universe: What is the Brain? 08.03.2026 2ч 24мин

  Get all sides of every story and be better informed at ⁠https://ground.news/AlexOC⁠ - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Matthew Cobb is a British zoologist and Emeritus professor of zoology at the University of Manchester.Get his book, ⁠The Idea of the Brain: A History⁠, Closer to Truth's Map of Consciousness: ⁠loc.closertotruth.com/map⁠.TIMESTAMPS(0:00) The Minimal Phenomenal Experience Project(11:34) Is MPE New Age Meditation?(17:07) Collecting Reports of Pure Consciousness(25:48) Lucid Deep Sleep - Thomas’ Experience(32:19) Does Consciousness Require Complexity?(39:29) The Power of Meditation(45:32) Is Meditation Always a Positive Experience?(53:13) Is a MPE Actually an Experience?(01:11:21) Your Brain is Not Telling You the Truth(01:20:08) Analysing Minimal Conscious Experiences(01:27:26) Is Meditative Enlightenment Unethical?(01:32:37) Western Ignorance of Eastern Tradition(01:40:13) “Coming Home”(01:44:29) The Political Implications of MPE(01:52:40) Should Ketamine Be Legalised?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKSTwitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]