Episodes
-
Philip Goff x Graham Oppy | Finite Theism vs. Naturalism
Philip Goff and Graham Oppy discuss finite theism and naturalism! You can now buy the paperback of Why? The Purpose of the Universe here Linktree
-
Is Consciousness Physical? w/ Miles K. Donahue
Here's my appearance on Mile's Donahue's channel! Linktree
-
Alex Malpass on Demons and Questions for Atheists
This was originally a livestream on Alex Malpass' channel. Linktree
-
Finite Theism vs. Unlimited Theism
Finite Theism YouTube Playlist Linktree
-
Terminal Lucidity: A Failed Anti-Materialist Argument
Does terminal lucidity refute physicalism? Linktree
-
Young Apologists Interview - Atheism, Hell, Aliens, Mormonism, and the Simulation Hypothesis
I was graciously invited on the Young Apologists Podcast to discuss my backstory, apologetics, atheism, aliens, the simulation hypothesis, the LDS religion, panpsychism, religious experiences, what would convert me to Christianity, and what I would ask God if I had the chance. Young Apologists -...
-
Moral Argument OBVIOUSLY TRUE???
Crashing out over a tweet about the moral argument. Moral Argument Debunked (Playlist) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg... Linktree https://linktr.ee/emersongreen
-
Bigfoot: Living or Legend?
Micah Edvenson and I have a reasonable discussion about Bigfoot, the no body argument, the difficulty of finding remains in the woods, footprint casts, the Patterson-Gimlin film, the comparison with gorillas and chimpanzees, the compatibility of the volume of eyewitness sightings and the supposed...
-
Michigan Dogman: My Encounter with a Cryptid
My appearance on Otherworld about my experience with a cryptid. YouTube https://youtu.be/bBU8vXNmyFw?si=VD98PzHdcD26nK-a Substack post going into more detail: https://emersongreen.substack.com/p/t... Linktree https://linktr.ee/emersongreen Episode 113: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 1...
-
God & Philosophy of Language (w/ Joseph Lawal)
Does philosophy of language give us reason to think that God, if he exists, is more like us than classical theists expect? I’m joined by philosopher of language Joseph Lawal to discuss an argument from his paper, 'God An Alien or An Alien God?' His argument aims to push us away from the strongest...
-
Is mind-body interaction a problem for dualism? Ralph Stefan Weir vs. Ben Watkins
Ralph Stefan Weir and Ben Watkins debate whether there is a sound argument from mental causation to materialism. Is the interaction problem for substance dualism fake or fatal? My interview with Dr. Weir on substance dualism: • You Are A Soul — w/ Ralph Stefan Weir Dr. Ralph Stefan Weir is the...
-
Free Will: Still Real
I respond briefly to Alex O'Conner's free will skepticism, specifically to an objection attributed to Schopenhauer: You can do what you will, but you can't will what you will. While I agree that we can't have ultimate responsibility for our actions, I think we can be responsible for our actions....
-
Emerson Green, Tim Mulgan, & Joanna Leidenhag at Durham University
Durham University hosted a conference about panpsychism, pantheism, and panentheism last November, and I was graciously given the opportunity to respond to Joanna Leidenhag and Tim Mulgan. Professor Leidenhag and Professor Mulgan both spoke about alternative models of theism, and I offered a few...
-
Philosophy of Dreaming
We explore the nature of dreams. We discuss Daniel Dennett's cassette theory, which questions whether dreams are genuine experiences that occur during sleep, instead suggesting that dreams are spontaneous memory insertions at awakening. This theory contrasts with the common view that dreams…
more -
Aetherism: A New Theory of Consciousness
We explore Paul Draper's "psychological aether theory" or "aetherism". In addition to gravitation, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak interactions, there is a fifth fundamental interaction: A field of consciousness, a world-soul or mental aether that interacts with our brains. "How does…
more -
FATAL problem for dualism?? Response to Monistic Idealism
Monistic Idealism's video Both Sides Brigade - Interacting with the Interaction Problem My dualism playlist Majesty of Reason on the interaction problem You Are A Soul w/ Ralph Stefan Weir Linktree
-
Could you have been an alligator?
We dive into the philosophy of personal identity, exploring whether a consistent "self" persists through time despite physical and mental changes. Is there an essential core that endures transformations? We examine the Ship of Theseus, the deadly and murderous teletransporter which murders…
more -
Philip Goff, Re-Animator
Explore zombieland with Philip Goff and I as we discuss type-b physicalism, the link between conceivability and possibility, Goff’s differences with David Chalmers, and much else related to the conceivability argument against materialism. First Zombie Argument Video Support the podcast Linktree
-
You Are A Soul w/ Ralph Stefan Weir
Ralph Stefan Weir joins me to discuss his book, The Mind-Body Problem and Metaphysics: An Argument from Consciousness to Mental Substance. We talk about the myth of the interaction problem, the connection between theism and the soul, the implausibility of property dualism, substance dualism in...
-
Atheism & materialism are not the same thing
I am once again begging apologists to stop treating atheism and materialism as interchangeable concepts. It's intellectual laziness at best and dishonesty at worst. This was originally a short video posted on my youtube channel. Linktree
-
The Hidden Mind: For Privacy and Against Illusionism
Today, we explore the privacy of consciousness, a feature of the mind rejected by qualia antirealists. (summary of the arguments begins at 43:45) A few of the papers and books referenced: Is Mental Privacy Defensible? Jaffer Ahmed Explaining Mental Privacy - Colin McGinn Other minds are neither...
-
78 - Ghosts? Yeah, why not. Ghosts.
Today we discuss three skeptical arguments from Wang Chong, a first-century Chinese philosopher who railed against the belief in ghosts. Although the skeptics who initially presented these arguments to me seemed to think they were decisive, I was unimpressed and wanted to explain why I think they...
-
77 - The Knowledge Argument Against Physicalism - A New Angle
Today we discuss Mary the color scientist, her cousin Fred, and a colorblind Norwegian neuroscientist. Specifically, we talk about why Philip Goff thinks "phenomenal curiosity" threatens the ability hypothesis and the phenomenal concept strategy, ruling out moderate forms of physicalism.…
more -
76 - Philip Goff's Conversion to Christianity
We discuss Philip Goff’s conversion, the online reaction to it, and what his “heretical Christianity” involves. Is he a real Christian? What does he think about the resurrection, the ascension, the miracles of Christ, the virgin birth, the trinity, inerrantism, the atonement, and God’s nature?…
more -
75 - Why panpsychism is counterintuitive
I give three reasons why panpsychism typically strikes us as counterintuitive, and why we shouldn't credit our innate bias against it. David Papineau: Physicalists who find panpsychism counterintuitive haven’t truly freed themselves from dualist thinking Jonathan Birch on overconfidence about...
-
74 - Return of the Zombies: Phenomenal Transparency
Today we continue our exploration of the conceivability argument, covering the best response in the physicalist arsenal, and why it doesn't help physicalists escape the hoard of zombies in the end. Linktree
-
73 - Zombie Argument Against Physicalism
Today we discuss David Chalmers' conceivability argument against physicalism: the zombie argument. Linktree
-
72 - The Core Theory vs. Strong Emergence
The core theory, weak and strong emergence, micro-reductionism, and Sean Carroll’s skeptical argument against everything. Is Dr. Carroll correct in holding that physics has ruled out the afterlife, the soul, fundamental consciousness, parapsychology, and other immaterialist claims? Linktree Sean...
-
AMA
I recently asked for your questions, and I posted my responses on YouTube here. We touch on compatibilism, NDEs, aliens, euthanasia, abortion, death anxiety as an atheist, idealism, incest, Islam, Mormonism, subjectivism, psychophysical harmony, and more. (For those listening via podcast, I left...
-
71 - Against Epiphenomenalism
Epiphenomenalism is the view that mental states have no effect on anything. The feeling of pain, counterintuitively, does not cause your aversion, mentally or physically. Beliefs don’t cause behavior. None of our actions occur in virtue of our thoughts, feelings, or sensations. Inspired by…
more -
What is consciousness, anyway? (Appearance on Shannon Q)
Here's my interview on Shannon Q's YouTube channel where we discuss dualism, panpsychism, personal identity, and other topics in the philosophy of mind! Linktree
-
70 - Substance Dualism w/ Michael Huemer
Dr. Michael Huemer joins me to defend interactionist substance dualism, the view that the mind and body are composed of different substances and can exert causal influence over each other. Knowledge, Reality, and Value: A Mostly Common Sense Guide to Philosophy Linktree
-
69 - Alien Apologetics w/ Jimmy Akin
Wouldn’t aliens manage to avoid crashing their ships, given how advanced they’d have to be? Aren’t the distances between life-supporting planets too vast to feasibly travel? If figures in the government actually knew something, wouldn’t a cover-up involve too many people to keep the secret for...
-
68 - Encountering Mystery w/ Dale Allison
Today I’m speaking with Dr. Dale Allison, historian and author of Encountering Mystery: Religious Experience in a Secular Age. The subtitle of the book notwithstanding, the unusual experiences we discuss are not explicitly religious. They’re usually interpreted through a religious lens (often...
-
67 - The Skeptic's Error and the Moorean Shift
Today, we discuss Agrippa's trilemma and look at our hands. Epistemology Playlist Understanding Knowledge - Michael Huemer Linktree
-
66 - Wittgensteinian View of Concepts (The Failure of Analysis)
Today, we discuss the idea that understanding a concept is not a matter of knowing a definition. As philosopher Michael Huemer argues, our main access to a concept comes “not through directly reflecting on the concept, but through activating the dispositions that constitute our understanding.”…
more -
65 - The Defeasibility Theory: What is Knowledge?
What is knowledge? What does it mean to know something? Today, we discuss the defeasibility theory, which adds a fourth condition to the famous "justified true belief" analysis of knowledge. We also touch on Gettier cases, certainty, and what contemporary analytic philosophy is all about (the...
-
The Hypothesis of Indifference - Breaking the Binary
We take a short break from our epistemology series to talk about the hypothesis of indifference, a limited God, natural teleology, pan-agentialism, and how value-orientation in the universe is not binary but rather comes on a continuum. For reference, Paul Draper (1989) characterizes the…
more -
64 - Internalism: The Nature of Justification
This is part one of a series about epistemology, the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge and justification. When does something count as knowledge? How can we be justified in accepting mathematical truths, moral truths, and truths about the external world? Can I trust my perceptual...
-
Veganism & Metaethics w/ Perspective Philosophy
Perspective Philosophy and I speak about metaethics, intervening in wild animal suffering, veganism, the toll of working in a slaughterhouse, ethical intuition, moral disagreement, and a few metaphysical questions about contingency and necessity. Full interview here Linktree
-
63 - How can panpsychists sleep?
“On panpsychism, how can there ever be unconsciousness, like in the case of dreamless sleep?” As far as objections go, this is a pretty weak one, but I decided to take the opportunity to talk about death, sleep, states of unconsciousness, and how panpsychists see the mind and its place in nature....
-
62 - What's the Best Explanation of Psychophysical Harmony? w/ Philip Goff & Dustin Crummett
Philip Goff and Dustin Crummett debate psychophysical harmony, God, axiarchism, pan-agentialism, natural teleology, and explore some neglected terrain between theism and the hypothesis of indifference. What are our options in explaining the fine-tuning of consciousness? Subscribe on YouTube…
more -
61 - The Vagueness Argument Against Physicalism
When did consciousness first evolve? If physicalism is true, we’d expect it to have evolved gradually, just as other complex biological phenomena evolved gradually. But the transition from feeling nothing to feeling something couldn’t have been gradual. No matter how minimal a conscious…
more -
60 - Why I Support Abolition of the Death Penalty
In many ways, I'm the ideal audience for apologists of capital punishment. I believe in free will, I think human beings are responsible for their actions, I’m not opposed to retribution in all cases, I believe there are virtuous qualities to revenge, and I think some people deserve to die.…
more -
Sentientism Interview (pt. 2)
linktr.ee/emersongreen Subscribe on YouTube Consider supporting the show on Patreon here or Counter Apologetics here Listen to our sister show, Counter Apologetics here Music by ichika Nito and used with permission. Full interview on the Sentientism podcast Twitter @waldenpod @OnPanpsychism
-
Sentientism Interview (pt. 1)
linktr.ee/emersongreen Subscribe on YouTube Consider supporting the show on Patreon here or Counter Apologetics here Listen to our sister show, Counter Apologetics here Music by ichika Nito and used with permission. Full interview on the Sentientism podcast Twitter @waldenpod @OnPanpsychism
-
59 - Metaethics & Moral Realism w/ Michael Huemer
Dr. Michael Huemer joins me to discuss moral realism vs. antirealism, ethical intuitionism, phenomenal conservatism, moral disagreement, and much else in moral philosophy. Ethical Intuitionism Knowledge, Reality, and Value: A Mostly Common Sense Guide to Philosophy William Lane Craig vs. Erik...
-
Call In Show #2 - Intelligent Theists, Ultimate Justice, Necessity
Is the intellectual tradition of theism evidence in favor of it? What about the atheistic tradition? ... Does atheism sap your moral motivation? Do Christians even believe in ultimate justice? ... Do contingency arguments succeed? What does it mean for something to be necessary? Leave a voicemail...
-
58 - Defending Libertarian Free Will w/ Necessary Being & John Buck
I'm joined by two proponents of libertarian free will to discuss determinism, the phenomenology of free choices, how "ought implies can" could prove we have the ability to do otherwise, and much else. linktr.ee/emersongreen YouTube Support the podcast at patreon.com/waldenpod or /counter Listen…
more -
57 - Is Utilitarianism the Only Good Ethical Theory? w/ Matthew Adelstein
I'm joined by Matthew Adelstein of Deliberation Under Ideal Conditions for Utilitarianism 101. We also talk about a few basic things everyone needs to know to be conversant in moral philosophy. YouTube Matthew's Channel Matthew's Blog (Bentham's Bulldog) Consider supporting the show on Patreon…
more
About this show
Walden Pod is a philosophy and science podcast with an emphasis on the philosophy of religion and philosophy of mind. Hosted by Emerson Green of the Counter Apologetics Podcast and the Emerson Green YouTube Channel.
Hosted by
Emerson Green