IdeaLogical

One of our most popular episodes is back just in time for Halloween!Where did Halloween come from? Is it pagan or Christian? Why do we carve jack-o'-lanterns, dress up in costumes, and give candy to strangers?Zach traces the strange history of Halloween and how centuries of traditions eventually became the holiday we know today.

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David Hume challenged nearly everything we think we know about reality, morality, religion, and even ourselves. His arguments were so influential that Immanuel Kant had to rethink the foundations of Western philosophy.

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Most people don't become smarter overnight—but they can stop making the habits that keep them stuck. In this video, we break down 10 Habits of Dumb People—the common behaviors that quietly undermine good judgment, clear thinking, and personal growth. See how many you've noticed... or fallen into yourself.

Watch now and let me know which one you think is the most damaging.

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“Is America a Christian Nation?”

Just this question alone causes conflict. In this lecture we go over some of the history, context, supreme court cases, and statistics to see if America is a so-called “Christian Nation.” You’ll find that the answer depends on the often-repeated logical fallacy of equivocation. Since the issue has often been co-opted by both sides for irrelevant and unrelated purposes, we cut through the bullsh*t so you don’t have to.

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In this episode, we explore the “death of expertise.” We no longer esteem experts in certain fields because we don’t know whom to trust. Furthermore, AI can instantly generate arguments, summaries, and explanations on almost any subject – but the people using AI lack the education, discernment, knowledge of its limits, or research methodology needed to use it correctly. Access to information is not the same thing as understanding. We will discuss how culture is reshaping authority and public discourse—and why the illusion of expertise may be one of the defining problems of the modern world.

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This episode contains everything from people supporting totalitarianism to people projecting their insecurities onto us. Check out this second edition of “Helping the Haters”, as we explore and comment on some of the wild posts we get online. Enjoy!

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About 11% of the world’s population ascribes to beliefs that would make them charismatic or Pentecostal. Charismatics also make up a large voting block in the U.S. In this episode, we take a critical look at the history and beliefs of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.

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If everything is physically determined, how can we have any sense of free will? If theism is true -- and God knows what we are going to do -- how can we have any sense of free will? Regardless of your worldview, there is no easy solution to the philosophical problem of human freedom.

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Why do some faces stop you in your tracks, why does confidence turn heads, and why does chemistry seem impossible to ignore? In this episode, we dive into the biology, neuroscience, and psychology behind sexual attraction to uncover what really drives desire—and why men and women often prioritize different traits. Prepare to challenge your assumptions as we separate scientific evidence from popular myths about what makes people irresistible.

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How do words mean? Even reading that question assumes a lot of things that may not be accurate. In this lecture, we tackle the sticky issues within the philosophy of language -- what is it and how does it work? Get ready to have your world destroyed.

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We had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. David Edmonds who co-hosts the most successful philosophy podcast of all time: Philosophy Bites. In this episode, Dr. Edmonds discusses the issues of free will, animal ethics, AI, and much more! Check out this fascinating discussion.

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Are you happy? Do you want to be happy? Why is it so hard to find happiness? In this episode, we evaluate a philosophy of happiness to find out if life has more good or bad moments, to what degree does our brain chemistry affect our happiness, and whether we even deserve to be happy.

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He is one of the most influential thinkers of the 17th century. He has a system that solves all the problems of philosophy, but it comes at a high cost. How is God related to the world, do we have free will, and how can we be happy? Who is the philosopher known as Benedict Spinoza?

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For most of world history, we didn’t have universities. Where did they come from? Which ones are good? Do you need to go to college or not? How have educational standards gone down and how can we fix it? In this episode we take a look at the history of the institution that trains all the other institutions - the university.

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What could be more basic than the idea of matter? In this episode, we take a look at the idealism of George Berkeley and his case against matter. You are guaranteed to have your mind blown (and to have your worldview unravel) as you hear an argument that is counter-intuitive but hard to disprove.

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In this episode we chat with Dr. Joe Rigney about social justice, intersectionality, emotionalism, and more. Dr. Rigney serves as a Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College. He is a conservative cultural critic regarding various political and religious topics.. He is the author of eight books, including the one discussed in this interview: The Sin of Empathy*Follow Joe:*https://twitter.com/joe_rigneyhttps://www.amazon.com/Sin-Empathy-Compassion-Its-Counterfeits/dp/B0DV3L5KR3*Follow Zach:*https://www.instagram.com/zachlee_isppc/https://twitter.com/zacharytleehttps://isppc.org/0:00 Exploring Social Justice Through Different Perspectives3:38 Biblical Justice Versus Modern Social Justice Perspectives12:10 Systemic Injustice and Its Evolution in Modern Society17:06 The Intersection of Postmodernism, Critical Theory, and Social Justice24:57 The Debate Between Empathy and Sympathy in Modern Society31:50 The Importance of Steady Hands Over Empathy in Surgery33:15 The Complexity of Sympathy and Empathy in Moral Contexts36:30 The Manipulation of Compassion in Modern Christian Contexts42:31 Determining the True Victim Before Offering Compassion46:46 The Dangers of Prioritizing Winsomeness Over Faithfulness in Churches53:24 The Fragmented State of Modern Cultural and Moral Debates#socialjustice #race #politics #gender #empathy #sympathy

In this episode we chat with the founder of Austin Justice Coalition, Chas Moore. Chas is a progressive leader on the themes of racial and social justice. In this interview he discusses issues such as race, intersectionality, empathy, immigration, oppression, and more.

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In this episode we look at some of the wild, false, and less-than-helpful comments that people post on social media regarding our content. The goal is to teach and clarify (though occasional teasing will also be permitted). Enjoy the first in a series of videos calling out the haters.

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Dr. Greg Sadler is the President of Reason IO - an organization that seeks to make philosophy accessible to the public. Additionally, as a member of the American Philosophical Practitioners Association (APPA), he uses philosophy to help counsel people through personal challenges and difficult life decisions. He is an expert in stoicism, ethics, and the history of philosophy.

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What do you think before you think? What are the blind spots and starting assumptions that you don’t even know you have? If you get your starting assumptions wrong, every view you have on politics, family, religion, money, etc. will be wrong. In this episode we talk about presuppositions and how to find your starting point.

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0:00 Understanding Presuppositions and Their Impact on Critical Thinking6:27 Exploring Presuppositions in Stories, History, and Science13:00 Challenging Presuppositions in Politics, Family, and Religion24:41 The Influence of Presuppositions on Religious Beliefs and Debates29:08 Uncovering Presuppositions in Business and Personal Beliefs