Brain in a Vat

Does the State protect or curtail freedom? Are communities more important than individuals? Should freedom be constrained by virtue?

Black Mirror's episode, White Bear, is full of interesting philosophical problems. Are you still responsible for a crime you committed even if you've …

Do your current moral values require you to stop eating meat? Will going vegan actually prevent animal cruelty? Is the vegan movement a force for good?

Are Jews entitled to their own homeland?  Is the Israeli response to the massacre of civilians perpetrated by Hammas on October 7th justified? Should …

This older conversation about war sheds light on the current conflict in Israel and Gaza. Are soldiers fighting for the wrong side ever justified in …

Are women generally exploited in pornography? Even in cases where women report that their pornography career is empowering, have they nevertheless been degraded? And if heterosexual pornography undermines women’s …

Should we be allowed to sell our organs on the open market?  Would the poor be exploited under such a system? And does organ donation impose an …

Is the restriction on having additional sexual or romantic partners similar to the restriction on having additional friends? Should you allow your …

Does the clone of a murderer deserve to be punished? Is the clone with the murderer’s memories and dispositions guilty of the murder? And has justice been served if the clone is punished, even if the original murderer …

Was dropping the bomb on Hiroshima justified? Is Ken the real star of Barbie? Three Oppenheimers weigh in on the film event of the year. Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy …

Is it permissible for members of one group to appropriate the cultural practices of another? Is there anything wrong with cultural appropriation at …

Is sex work actually work? Is prostitution always a form of exploitation? And show we legalize or decriminalize prostitution?

Recently, Eron Fasser and Mark Oppenheimer debated Hamza Tzortzis and Mohammed Hijab on whether Atheism or is Islam more rational. This episode discusses the arguments made and strategies employed by both sides. Were …

Would it be better to live forever than to die? Is the goodness or badness of death dependent on the future quality of our lives? Is death so bad …

What is knowledge? Does a justified true belief count as knowledge? And is our knowledge lucky?

Parfit altered the landscape of the philosophy of identity. We speak to David Edmonds about his recently released biography on this influential philosopher, and ask: what made Parfit the man he was?

A debate held at the University of Johannesburg. Does God Exist? How can something come from nothing? Are God's commands moral?

Would the world be better if we didn’t recognize genders?

In such a world, there would be males and females, but nothing associated with what it …

Mark Oppenheimer presents a live seminar at St Andrews. The talk features footage from a prominent hate speech trial that Mark appeared in as a lawyer. What is hate speech? What is the value of free speech? Do some …

Oxford University Press refused to publish Alex Byrne's book on gender. We discuss whether women are adult human females and whether sex is the same …

Experiencing grief at the death of a person we love or who matters to us―as universal as it is painful―is central to the human condition. In Grief, …

Should we implement affirmative action when determining which students are admitted to universities? Should affirmative action be based on race or …

As technology improves, ethical problems deepen too. Flying cars and ChatGPT are convenient, but may benefit some at the cost of harming others. Is …

Do we have ethical obligations to all animals or only cute and majestic ones? Is factory farming worse than hunting? We answered these questions and more at a live event hosted by The Inside Out Center for the Arts. …

Is a two state solution desirable to resolve the Arab Israeli conflict? Does Israel have the right to be a Jewish state? Do other states have an …

Are human beings social creatures? Do social groups have an important role to play in political life? Can hermits lead meaningful lives?

Are some ideas too controversial to publish in your own name? Is it cowardly to use a pseudonym?  Does the journal for controversial ideas ghettoize important topics?

Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen and Porter Kaufman Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): …

Should we preserve monuments, even if they offend us? Do we have a right to call for monuments to be removed in other countries? Does Ghengis Khan …

Traditionally, we celebrate American soldiers with strong displays of gratitude, including national holidays and monuments. But is this …

Is it wrong to bring new life into the world? Is adopting a child a moral obligation? Is parenting meaningful? 

What do anti-semites and ultra orthodox Jews have in common? How did the ivy league discriminate against Jews? Is America still a safe haven for …

Is it possible for us to lead meaningful lives? Is there an ultimate point to our existence? Can we enrich our lives with the pursuit of love, …

Will technology improve or worsen our lives? And should social media and AI be used to prevent hurtful speech?

Why do we laugh at some jokes but not at others? Is dark humor always funnier? Should some comedians be censored?

Should we implement affirmative action when determining which students are admitted to universities? Should affirmative action be based on race or …

Were indoctrinated or brainwashed Nazi soldiers morally responsible for their actions? Were they responsible for their repugnant beliefs? And were …

Should you be required to get a parental license from the State before you can raise your own children? Do the wishes of parents matter at all – or …

Should you fear future pain even if your future self will not remember who you are now? If an identical copy of you is created, would you survive …

In a world where machines can seemingly generate art instantly, and often better than humans can, should we feel sorry for artists? But is AI …

How do we weigh the needs of cats to roam freely, with the millions of birds they kill each year? What duties do we owe our pets? And are some animals more valuable than others?

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What are your favorite episodes of Brain in a Vat? We've taken ours and made them into books. With special forewords from leading philosophers and exclusive …

Kershnar presents a dilemma: we’re responsible for our decisions because they’re caused by our psychology. But do we choose our psychology? If we do, …

Mark and Jason join their producer in this retrospective season finale.  

Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff 

Editor and Producer: …

What does it all mean? If we live on a pail blue dot in a vast and uncaring universe can our lives have cosmic meaning? Is it better never to have been born?

Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff 

Editor and …

Do we have a right to sex, and is there an obligation to sexually fulfill the disabled? Should sex work be not only legal, but obligatory?  

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Should we remove offensive monuments at the cost of erasing history? Is there an unacceptable cost to open borders? And what would a just tax system …

Are moral facts baked into reality, the way facts about socks or rocks are? Or should we think about morality in a more pragmatic way: that it …

Why should we punish the guilty? Is it because they’ve done something wrong, to remove them from society, or to dissuade others from wrongdoing?

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Utilitarians and Kantians struggle to account for the care we should provide loved ones over strangers.  

Can Ubuntu, or African Ethics, provide a …

Could we be systematically mistaken about the world around us? Would we be wrong about everything if we turned out to be a brain in a vat, a mind …

Is lying ever justified? Is it permissible to kill one innocent person to save many others? Learn more about the views of one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th Century.

Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason …

Is racial profiling always wrong, even if used by an AI to decrease crime? Should we use AI to judge criminal cases,  recommend sentences for the …

Do reporters have special moral obligations? Is it ever justified for governments to shut down newspapers? Should private companies like Paypal be …

Dan Shahar defends the view that eating meat is permissible, even though meat farming is not. Is this a coherent position?  

Presenters: Mark …

Is gender a social construct? Is gender distinct from sex? And can you be wrong in your beliefs about your own gender?

Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer …

Should Judges decide if and when women are entitled to abort their pregnancies? Should this choice be left up to congress? If abortion is immoral, …

What exactly makes us feel disgusted? Is disgust for a person or group ever justified? And is disgust useful, or should we try to eliminate it?

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Do defectors generally do something wrong when they contradict their group's values or beliefs? And is it permissible for the group to silence them, especially if it's a minority group?

Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and …

Are transathletes a minority group that warrant special protection?  Is the purpose of sport to be inclusive or fair? Should the Olympics exclude the …

If most voters are misinformed, is democracy legitimate? What sort of voting system should we have in its place? And should some votes count more …

Is immortality a blessing or a curse? Would eternal life be boring, meaningless, and amoral?

Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff 

Editor …

Why is free speech valuable? Should there be any limits on what we are allowed to say? Should we tolerate words that are hateful?

Hosted by Mark …

How do scientists and philosophers work together to make progress on the nature of the cosmos, the meaning of life, and what it means to flourish? The John Templeton Foundation funds work on the intersection of …

Can music be objectively good (or bad)? How should we understand fundamental disagreement about preferences and values? And should philosophical …

Are we obligated to save strangers? Does it matter whether those strangers are in different countries or our in own? And even if we are not obligated, have we done something wrong if we help but not in the most …

What makes a good apology? Are we ever obligated to apologize even though we did nothing wrong? And how should we deal with apologies in this highly …

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a magnificent mess. The film raises questions around the meaning of life, the nature of the multiverse, and how …

When is death preferable to living?  Are there fates worse than death? And what sort of future society should we build?

Lionel Shriver discusses her …

Ben Stiller's superb series, Severance, raises fascinating questions about the nature of personal identity. Are we minds or brains? Is it possible for two persons to inhabit the same body? And can a person survive gaps …

As Russia wages an unjust war against Ukraine, questions around the ethics of war abound. Are soldiers fighting for the wrong side ever justified in …

What is an "Aha" moment, and why does it matter for our lives? Sophie Grace Chappel argues that our ethics and value system should be formed around …

Could you be a brain in a vat, or be living in a simulated or virtual reality? Could you live a meaningful, valuable existence even if you were?

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Why is the truth important? Who decides what the truth is? Is there such a thing as objective, eternal truth, or is truth simply a matter of …

What is creativity and how does it work? Is all creativity valuable? What are the pre-conditions for creativity, and how should Jason overcome his …

If everything was created by a cause, is God the creator of the Universe? Is God an uncaused cause? Could God have abandoned his creation?  

Majesty …

Lia Thomas, a trans woman, has sparked controversy by competing in and winning women’s collegiate swimming events. Should Thomas and other trans …

Is evolution the root cause of racism, rape, and disgust? Are differences between men and women a result of both nature and nurture? Are some forms …

Dune contains a sophisticated moral dilemma - should Paul Atreides sacrifice billions of lives to avoid humanity's extinction? The answer echoes …

Some of the world's greatest discoveries were made by those on the fringe. Should scientists be encouraged to explore crazy ideas? Does the search …

Is your sexual orientation determined by the sex or the gender of the person you’re attracted to? How does gender fluidity impact sexual orientation? Are there other sexual orientations like demisexuality, …

Are Jean Jacques Rousseau's confessions trustworthy? Can we consciously decide to forget our sins? Should we be held accountable for all of our …

How important is it to treat people with dignity, or respect? Do institutions and groups, rather than individuals, owe us dignity? And if we have to …

Should citizens have the right to bear arms? Are guns necessary to defend yourself from criminals, invading militants, and your own government? …

Should we sacrifice our time and convenience to save animals? Jeff Sebo argues we must, but more than that, it's in our self-interest to do so. 

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Is there life after death? Are near-death experiences meaningful? Are they similar to other altered states like meditation and drug induced …

Travis Timmerman shows us what can we learn about morality, democracy, and exploitation from Squid Game.

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Is it possible to be morally responsible for a choice even if you could not have chosen otherwise? Can you have free will even if God knows ahead of …

Does a fetus have a right to its mother's womb? Are we obligated to have as many children as possible? And must pro-lifers assassinate abortion doctors?

We recently aired an episode with Stephen Kershnar on sexual taboos. A clip from that episode has been viewed over a million times on Twitter, and on many news channels. We address the controversy surrounding Stephen's …

Should there be an age of consent? Is it wrong to fantasize about someone against their will? Is it wrong to lust after someone because of their …

What makes the 'you' of yesterday the same 'you' today? Should we care about future people who don't yet exist, and should we prevent climate change …

Is there a core to who we are that is unchanging or unique? Do people have characters, personalities, or neither?

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In our final episode for 2021, we reveal a surprise we've been working on all year, and tell you about the exciting episodes planned for 2022.

Destructive forces have been eroding the University of Cape Town, Africa’s leading university. David Benatar tells the sad, true tale of what has been transpiring. It is a saga of lunacy, criminality, pandering, and …

What are possible worlds? Could you have been born to different parents, and could the laws of physics be different? Barry Lam explains how David …

Is it possible to hope for something good, but feel despair that it won't happen? Is it virtuous to feel hopeful? Can hoping make you act recklessly? 

In a world where we disagree about pretty much everything - about borders and abortion, marriage and monogamy, wars and meat-eating - how do you maintain confidence in your own moral position? And can you convince the …

Marginalized people, animals, found objects, wires and childlike drawings inhabit the unlocatable worlds presented in Ballen's artworks. Ballen describes his works as existential psychodramas that touch the subconscious …

Rebecca Tuvel, Dan Cullen and Eric Samson interview Peter Singer about pandemic ethics. Are lockdowns and mandatory vaccines morally justified? What …

Should you disobey the law, at least some of the time? If justice isn’t simply enforcing the law, then what is it? And what sorts of laws would we …

Should certain weapons be banned from use in war? Are there limits on the amount of force countries should use to protect their citizens? Is it ever …

Is Democracy the best political system? Plato thought not. But what is the best alternative? Clif Mark, from the podcast Good in Theory, joins us …

Is the art separate from the artist? Can a moral defect in a film undermine its aesthetic quality?

What would a world without imagination be like? Why do we feel sympathy, fear or excitement for fictional characters? And can imaginary actions be …

Are human being merely sophisticated robots? Do we have mental states or can we be understood only through our behavior?

There's a growing trend to distrust scientists. Sometimes they get the facts wrong, or align with a political party. What should we do in the face of …

Andy Kuper, the founder and CEO of LeapFrog Investments, tells us how his PHD in philosophy led him to marry profit with purpose, by creating investment funds with deep impact on the lives of 200 million low-income …

Is cryonics a viable route to immortality? Is immortality desirable, or would it present us with endless boredom and meaninglessness?

Is being addicted to love or chocolate the same as being addicted to cocaine?

Would it be better to live forever than to die? Is the goodness or badness of death dependent on the future quality of our lives? Is death so bad …

What is forgiveness, and when is it appropriate? What does it mean to apologize to a group of people, and for that group to forgive? Is forgiveness …

John Rawls is widely regarded as the greatest modern liberal philosopher. Does his theory of justice lead to a fair society?   

Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail

Should you sacrifice one innocent person to save many? Can you justify killing one annoying politician to save millions of people from suffering a …

Is 'mental disorder' purely a dysfunction, or are there important advantages to being psychologically different? Do depression and anxiety serve a …

What makes Hollywood slackers like The Dude so enchanting? Are slackers the unsung heroes of the pandemic, or a bunch of useless bums?   

Read …

Should we ban offensive speech? Should we tolerate racism and transphobia? Should everything that is immoral also be illegal?

Is murder wrong? Can evolution fully explain why we think certain actions are immoral? And can we believe moral truths with even greater certainty …

What if you navigated the world through echo location instead of sight? What if cats could gain all of the traits of humans? What if you were a brain …

What makes your life go well? Can you be wrong about whether you are happy? And can happiness be bad for you?

Is sex only a matter of biology? Are there conflicts between trans rights, women's rights, and gay rights? Is it possible to change genders?  

Buy …

What transforms a collection of individuals into a social group? Jason Werbeloff argues the answer is: nothing. There are no social groups. No …

What can a runaway train, a patient wrapped head to toe in bandages, and man condemned by the gods to roll a rock for eternity teach us about leading …

Are thought experiments useful for telling us about the nature of reality? What are the limitations of thought experiments, and should we trust them …

Should we care whether we cause others suffering? Do we have duties or obligations to others? Shaun Stanley thinks there are no moral reasons for …

Many believe Woke ideology to be a source of positive change in society. Helen Zille thinks otherwise. Could Wokeness be dangerous? 

You can find …

Are there some areas of life where men are worse off than women? Are these disadvantages always the product of sexism? If we recognize a second …

David Edmonds of Philosophy Bites fame regales us with a fiery story about Ludwig Wittgenstein's only meeting with Karl Popper. David also gives us a behind the scenes tour of the world's best loved philosophy show.    

What is hate speech, and what are the limits of free speech? Should pornography be censored in the same way we censor speech?  

Mari's Book: …

Are some animals more equal than others? Do zoos protect animals or are they solely designed for our amusement? Should we test medicines on animals?

In a polarized world where everyone is certain, who should you believe? Are certain beliefs immoral? And how seriously should we take conspiracy …

Would a just God allow us to suffer? Could God rewrite history to remove the bad bits?   

Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail

Can we construct a society free of state coercion and inequality? Is there a place for Capitalism in that society?  

Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail

Are there certain questions that should never be asked? Is Philosophy useful? And have philosophers made any progress in answering the BIG questions? …

What can we learn about public shaming from the Black Mirror episodes Hated in the Nation and Nosedive? Are there ever cases where someone deserves …

If God is dead, did morality die with him? Are artists, writers and lovers more valuable than the rest of us mere mortals? Find out what Friedrich Nietzsche thought in our new series on great philosophers.  

Brian's …

What is horror, and why do some of us willingly terrify ourselves by watching or reading the genre? Is horror poor quality fiction, or can it offer us a unique opportunity for empathy and moral growth?  

Jacob's book: …

Are universities a safe space for dangerous ideas? Does a right to academic freedom guarantee a culture that tolerates controversial views? Should …

Are all Gods created equal? Are certain divine attributes less likely to be real given that multiples faiths exist?  Are religions like different …

Does a fetus have a right to life? Should there be any limitations on the choices that a woman makes over her own body?   

Nathan's book: …

Anarchism, or the view that we should not have a government, seems impractical. But Michael Huemer believes there is a way to understand Anarchism …

What's it like to be unable to recognize faces? 2% of the population have a neurological condition called prosopagnosia, or face blindness - …

Christopher Nolan's Tenet is a visual feast, but does it make any sense? Eron Fasser explains if you can you time travel to change the past and if …

A round up of our favorite episodes and some insight into how we make the show. We will be on a hiatus until January. Let us know in the YouTube comments who you want to see us interview in the coming year.

Is the Supreme Court merely a political body made up of warring liberals and conservatives? Should Judges apply laws that are unjust? Will the …

What makes life worth living? How valuable are truth, beauty and morality? If life is ultimately meaningless from the perspective of the universe is …

Is it possible for your actions to be free, even if they are determined? And would an indeterministic universe make us any freer? If we don't have …

If your vote has only a tiny chance of influencing the outcome of an election, is it irrational to vote? Does voting grant legitimacy to repugnant candidates? Is voting always an obligation, or are there situations that …

Is virtual sex outside of a relationship cheating? How should we determine a person's gender? Should the same rules apply to race?  Rebecca's …

We have a philosophical conversation with an artist about her latest exhibition. Dom's paintings explore the social and sexual mores of the last twenty years through the lens of our current values.

Are you just a physical body? If you have a brain transplant do you stay with your original body or move with your brain? Could the existence of an …

Is it wrong to destroy an AI if it can have a conversation with a human being? If a robot expresses suffering is it wrong to torture it? Should we …

Are some animals more equal than others? Are game reserves a part of nature if they are man made?  Is global warming universally bad or does it benefit some species?

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Atom bombs, diamond billionaires, and hate mail have a special role to play in this bonus episode.   Brain in a Vat Store: smarturl.it/Lockdownbook 

Is cancel culture destroying our institutions? Should Holocaust deniers have the right to speak? What is hate speech, and should it be illegal?

Brain …

Is it wrong to only have a sexual preference for certain races? Can you have sex without being objectified? Is there a moral limit on our sexual fantasies?  

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What does it all mean? If we live on a pail blue dot in a vast and uncaring universe can our lives have cosmic meaning? Is it better never to have been born?

Could purposely infecting volunteers with the Coronavirus help us reach herd immunity or develop a vaccine more rapidly? Is it wrong to expose people …

Can you be revolted and attracted to the same person? Can concepts be beautiful? Does art need to create sensations to be enjoyed?   IMDB: …

Who deserves to be punished? Should the State kill killers and rape rapists?  Should we abolish the police and the prison system?  

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Culturals groups have different beliefs about what is morally right and wrong. Does a tolerant outlook mean that we should accept these different …

Is love everlasting? Can we love more than one person at the same time?  

Do we choose our lovers for the wrong reasons?

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Is it wrong to root for the bad guy in a horror movie? Is evil a matter of who you are or what you do? What makes an action supremely evil?

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What do Greta Thunberg, #BLM and #Metoo have in common? Are these moralising quests to end climate change, racism and sexism motivated by the will to do good, or merely the will to look good?  

Grandstanding: The Use …

Were you outraged when Cecil the lion was killed by a hunter? Are you against rhino poaching? Do you order extra bacon with your cheese burger? Are some animals more equal than others?

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Can God exist if the world is filled with suffering? And are there compelling arguments for or against God's existence?
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What is art? Why is art valuable? If enough people feel hurt by a piece of art or public monument, should we hide or destroy the work?

Facebook …

"Defund the police. Violent protests are justified. Anyone against Black Lives Matter is a Nazi." How would you engage with these views? We ask Peter …

Do you live in a simulation? And if you do, could you live a valuable life?   We talk with Kenny Pearce this week to find out. 

Read Kenny's Berkeley …

Does the colour of your skin, the texture of your hair, or the shape of your nose make you part of a racial group? Is race a social construct based …

When Tuvok and Neelix accidentally merge into a single man in a transporter accident, Captain Janeway has to make a tough decision:  Should she kill …

Are lockdown regulations lawful? Do we have a duty to obey the law? What if the law is immoral, contradictory or unknowable? 
The famous philosopher …

Imagine you build a time machine. Is it possible for you to travel back in time, meet your grandfather before he produces any children, and kill him?  Time travel is a sci-fi staple. Is Back to the Future …

Your brother has been missing for months and there is mounting evidence that he is dead. Is it rational to hope that he is alive and keep searching for him?  

Is it rational to have faith in the existence of God …

Language is ambiguous at the best of times, think about how much gets lost in translation. Imagine hearing a tribesman in a remote land utter the …

What can eating Marilyn Monroe's thigh and the pain of teenage heartbreak tell us about the value of human life? We discuss what makes life worth living and ending.

John Rawls thought we needed to wear a veil of ignorance to remove our biases before deciding on the rules of a just society. Are his ideas useful in …

An out-of-control trolley is rumbling toward five innocent people trapped on a track. You can divert the trolley onto another track by pulling a …