Voter Ethics

Voter Ethics

Author: Political Theory 101 April 3, 2023 Duration: 1:24:29
Alex and Benjamin discuss The Ethics of Voting (Princeton UP, 2011) by Jason Brennan, a contemporary political philosopher with a right-libertarian bent. They explore the consequences of thinking about voting from the standpoint of the individual. They talk about "harm reduction," and explore the many reasons it is hard to predict the consequences of elections in a straightforward way.

Ever wondered how the ideas that shape our world actually work? Political Theory 101 digs into the concepts and arguments that form the foundation of our political lives, moving beyond the daily headlines to examine the deeper currents of thought. Each episode takes a single idea-like justice, liberty, or power-and unpacks it, tracing its history and exploring its modern implications. You’ll hear clear explanations of complex philosophers and texts, making centuries of debate accessible and relevant to contemporary issues. This isn't about partisan talking points; it's about understanding the frameworks that different ideologies use to justify their views. The podcast is a resource for anyone looking to build a more informed perspective, whether you're a student, an engaged citizen, or simply curious about why societies are organized the way they are. While the show remains freely available to all listeners, its continued production is supported by a community of patrons. You can find Political Theory 101 across major streaming platforms, ready to add some depth to your playlist and provide a richer vocabulary for understanding the forces that govern us.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 96

Political Theory 101
Podcast Episodes
States of all Sizes & Polarity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:43
Edmund and Benjamin discuss states of different sizes and different distributions of power among states. There's lots of discussion of polarity, hegemony, and other big ticket international relations ideas.
Politics and Morality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:34
Edmund and Benjamin discuss more recent discussions of the relationship between politics and morality, positioning them in relation to some of the historical theories they've previously discussed.
Concepts of Currency [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:03:06
Edmund and Benjamin discuss the changing understanding of currency, from the gold standard to Bretton Woods and even quantitative easing. They also spend some time debunking myths about Roman money in the 4th century...
Aesthetics and Politics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:08
Edmund and Benjamin discuss aesthetic theory and how it intersects with the political. Many Germans feature in this episode--Kant, Harder, Fichte, and so on.
Meditation and Buddhism with Charlotte Newman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:43
Edmund and Benjamin are joined by Charlotte Newman for a discussion of the political potential of meditation and Buddhism. Charlotte has a YouTube Channel, 'Talking Calm', which you can find here: https://youtube.com/cha…
Concepts of Liberty [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:56
Edmund and Benjamin discuss different conceptions of liberty. They go beyond Isaiah Berlin's positive/negative distinction, examining republicans ways of thinking about the concept, its relationship to 'freedom', and som…
Concepts of Equality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:14
Edmund and Benjamin discuss the very different ways equality can be understood, including different units of comparison, currencies of justice, and distributive principles. They also discuss the advantages and disadvanta…
The Late Frankfurt School and the Cultural Turn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:52:22
Edmund and Benjamin return to the Frankfurt School, discussing the evolution of the theory of history as theorists incorporated more and more thoughts from Weber, Freud, and Heidegger. In the hands of the Americans, this…
Weber on Maturity, Capitalism, and Protestantism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:57
Edmund & Benjamin return to Max Weber! This time, we're discussing Weber's thoughts on the "immaturity" of the German bourgeoisie, along with the way Weber connected capitalism to religion.