Philosophy After Hours

In this inaugural "shooting the shit" episode, we're playing it a bit loose. We discuss the absurdity of God's promise to Abraham in the book of Genesis, online bullying, whether we could avoid the drive to masturbate if it meant we would contract coronavirus, and the little pleasures that come with teaching undergraduates. Hear what we think.

If you want to contact us, hit us up at therilkeanzoo[at]gmail.com. Also, find us on Patreon at patreon.com/therilkeanzoo.

Text:

Genesis 22:1-14

This week we discuss issues of race. Can black people be racist? Do all Trump supporters hate black people? When did we first realize ourselves as racialized? Hear what we think.

If you want to contact us, hit us up at therilkeanzoo[at]gmail.com. Also, find us on Patreon at patreon.com/therilkeanzoo.

Text:

Fernando Pessoa, A Little Larger than the Entire Universe: Selected Poems, ed. and trans. Richard Zenith (London: Penguin Books, 2006), 28.

In this episode we discuss the nature of plastic surgery. Is it inherently egoistic and superficial? Or does cosmetic surgery offer a means of better expressing and realizing our "deeper" self? Can it ever be taken too far? Hear what we think.

If you want to contact us, hit us up at therilkeanzoo[at]gmail.com. Also, find us on Patreon at patreon.com/therilkeanzoo.

Text:

Wright Mills, The Power Elite (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 360-361.

In this episode we talk about video games. What kinds of skills are involved in playing video games? Are such skills less impressive than the skills put on display by, say, athletes? Do video games offer only escapism or can they prove instructive for navigating life? Hear what we think.

If you want to contact us, hit us up at therilkeanzoo[at]gmail.com. Also, find us on Patreon at patreon.com/therilkeanzoo.

Text:

Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet, ed. Richard Zenith (New York: Penguin Books, 2003), 234.

In this episode we discuss personal grooming and the role played by practices of self-nurturing in the formation of the social self. What do our grooming habits tells us about who we are? How might brushing one's hair or showering be relevant to one's political and civic participation? Can cuticle care shed light on our metaphysics? In answering these questions, we entertain a long discussion on the so-called nature-history/culture/nurture distinction. And we explore the idea of grooming as a practice of self-learning, which influences (implicitly or explicitly) how we socially enact our identities.

If you want to learn more about show, visit us at philosophyafterhours.com. There you can find links to our socials and how to become a Patreon member.