Best James Wilson Institute Podcasts (2025)

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Selfish and Selfless Philosophies SPECIAL | JD Vance, Pope Francis, and the 10 Commandments 45:09

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1d ago45:09

45:09

What can JD Vance's arguments with Pope Francis teach us about selfishness, altruism, and the morality of the modern world? Join the team at the IAI for four articles about egoism, self-sacrifice, and everything in between, analysing a range of subjects, including: Friedrich Nietzsche and his rivalry with former maestro Arthur Schopenhauer; the 10 …

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Natural Property Rights with Prof. Eric Claeys 47:29

2d ago47:29

47:29

What are the pre-political grounds of property rights? What are the just uses of property according to natural rights and the natural law? In this Anchoring Truths Podcast episode, Prof. Eric Claeys, presents his research on these questions inspired by his new book Natural Property Rights. Claeys, discusses the ways a natural right to property is j…

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The Eight-Minute Flight w/ Derek Ruth 44:16

3d ago44:16

44:16

In his autobiographical book, Derek Ruth explains, “During my time in heaven, Jesus gave me a choice, but I had no idea what the choice would entail. I believed I would come back to earth and continue living like I had been for the first twelve years of my life. I had no idea the trials and tribulations I would face in order to regain my life. And …

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Being mindful in a mindless world | Ellen Langer 22:46

4d ago22:46

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The mindful body with Ellen Langer Can mindfulness be contagious? Ellen Langer's research certainly seems to suggest that's the case. As Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and the author of 'The Mindful Body', Ellen has racked up decades of experience and numerous awards during her investigations into the impact of mindful living. In thi…

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319 | Bryan Van Norden on Philosophy From the Rest of the World 1:12:39

5d ago1:12:39

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It is common to refer to philosophy as "a series of footnotes to Plato." But in the original quote, Alfred North Whitehead was more careful: he limited his characterization to "the European philosophical tradition." There are other traditions, both ancient and ongoing: Chinese philosophy, Indian philosophy, Africana philosophy, and various indigeno…

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The beautiful in philosophy | Babette Babich, Paul Ernest, Ankhi Mukherjee, Sarah Wilson 42:00

8d ago42:00

42:00

The good, the bad, and the beautiful What is beauty? Why are we so drawn to it? And should we be - or is it a distraction? The philosophy of aesthetics and beauty has a long and fascinating history. Over the millennia, while we mostly agree on the essential nature of this ephemeral thing, "beauty", we disagree on the reasons why it is important, on…

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Can We Stop World War 3 By...Grilling? The Danger of Putting Faith in Politics 1:21:42

10d ago1:21:42

1:21:42

In this bonus episode of Biblical Anarchy, host Jacob Winograd re-releases a recent livestream from the LCI Greenroom featuring Chris Spangle, founder of the We Are Libertarians podcast network. As tensions rise with Iran and the world inches closer to another war, the conversation explores a provocative question: What if the most rational response…

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A world without values | Janne Teller, Dale Turner, Robin van den Akker, Isabel Hilton 44:37

11d ago44:37

44:37

Once values such as justice and equality were agreed upon by all. Now they are identified by some as vehicles to entrench or overturn power. On the left, 'justice' as a means to sustain and impose privilege, 'truth' as an attempt to claim enduring authority. On the right, 'diversity' and 'equality' as means to undermine the status quo in favour of …

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318 | Edward Miguel on the Developing Practice of Development Economics 1:20:39

12d ago1:20:39

1:20:39

Economics is seeing an upsurge in the importance of controlled, reproducible empirical studies. One area where this has had a great impact is on development economics, which studies the economies of low- and middle-income societies. Edward Miguel has been at the forefront of both the revolution in empirical methods, and in applying those techniques…

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Lincoln's Prophetic Statesmanship with Edward Erler 50:53

16d ago50:53

50:53

In the pantheon of intellectual giants of modernconservatism, standing first among equals is the late professor Harry Jaffa. Jaffa, who influenced generations of students from his academic perch at Claremont Graduate University, might have been the 20th century’s greatest scholar on the thought of Abraham Lincoln. Jaffa, who along with JWI Founder …

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Ep. 100: Christian Anarchy Is Going Mainstream – And That's a Good Thing 1:08:27

17d ago1:08:27

1:08:27

Christian anarchism used to be a fringe idea—even within libertarian and Christian circles. But something has changed. In this special 100th episode of the Biblical Anarchy Podcast, host Jacob Winograd reflects on the journey from the early Daniel 3 Podcast days to now, and how the word "anarchy" went from being controversial to central. Joined by …

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The challenge to optimism | Angus Deaton 21:34

18d ago21:34

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The economy is a vital part of the way we understand our lives and our politics more generally. But after years of growth, development, and progress, on the surface everything is rosy. But as Nobel Laureate Angus Deaton argues, behind the big picture many people have been left behind by the modern economy, and this is precisely because of the blind…

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The Persistence of the Ideological Lie w/ Daniel Mahoney 1:51:02

18d ago1:51:02

1:51:02

In his essay, “How the Great Truth Dawned,” Professor Gary Saul Morson muses, “Why is it, Solzhenitsyn asks, that Macbeth, Iago, and other Shakespearean evildoers stopped short at a dozen corpses, while Lenin and Stalin did in millions? The answer is that Macbeth and Iago ‘had no ideology.’” Notwithstanding its rabid inhumanity, Professor Daniel Ma…

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317 | Nicole Rust on Why Neuroscience Hasn't Solved Brain Disorders 1:14:50

19d ago1:14:50

1:14:50

The human brain is extremely complicated, but decades of careful neuroscientific research have revealed quite a bit about how it works, including how certain genes affect particular brain behaviors. Nevertheless, this progress has not led to quite as much improvement in the treatment of brain disorders as we might expect. I talk with neuroscientist…

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Ep. 99: Is James Lindsay Twisting Just War Theory to Defend Israel? 34:24

24d ago34:24

34:24

In this episode of the Biblical Anarchy Podcast, Jacob Winograd takes aim at James Lindsay’s recent comments on Israel’s war in Gaza and challenges him for doing the very thing he criticizes in others: abandoning principle for political tribe. While Lindsay often warns about the “woke right” using moral language to mask power grabs, Jacob argues th…

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Searching for the purpose of life |Babette Babich, Frank Tallis, Jonathan Webber, Sandra Laugier 45:53

25d ago45:53

45:53

The journey in search of the destination Does life have a purpose? Is that what gives life meaning? Or is it the journey that matters the most? Join our four speakers - Nietzschean philosopher Babette Babich, clinical psychologist Frank Tallis, existentialist philosopher Jonathan Webber, and linguist philosopher Sandra Laugier - as they explore the…

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AMA | June 2025 3:23:07

26d ago3:23:07

3:23:07

Welcome to the June 2025 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape! These monthly excursions are funded by Patreon supporters (who are also the ones asking the questions). We take questions asked by Patreons, whittle them down to a more manageable number -- based primarily on whether I have anything interesting to say about them, not whether the questio…

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Nietzsche, the birth of tragedy, and the technology trap | Babette Babich 24:19

1M ago24:19

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Nietzsche, the birth of tragedy, and the technology trap with Babette Babich Babette Babich discusses Nietzsche, the importance of tragedy, and the danger of technology interfering with our judgement. Babette Babich is a world renowned Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University in New York. In this in-depth interview, she looks to Nietzsche's Bi…

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Best of Times & Worst of Times for Pro-Life Movement? Featuring Jennie Bradley Lichter 53:46

1M ago53:46

53:46

Could it possibly be the best of times as well as the worst of times for the pro-life movement? This has been a topic we have visited before on this show. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case, immediate celebration met the harsh realities of how divided the country remains on abortion. The political reaction to the Dobbs decisio…

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Ep. 98: Why the Relationship Between Israel and Christians Matters 51:20

1M ago51:20

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In this deeply personal and theologically grounded solo episode, Jacob Winograd explores the question: Why do Christian libertarians—and Christians more broadly—need to talk about Israel? With a fusion of political analysis, historical context, and biblical exegesis, Jacob challenges the theological assumptions that undergird modern Christian Zioni…

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The Way of Heaven & Earth: Exploring the Catholic Both/And w/ Matt Becklo 1:28:02

1M ago1:28:02

1:28:02

As Matthew Becklo asserts, “The Catholic faith is full of paradoxes, but its greatest paradox is this: that all of its both/ands unleash this ultimate either/or, and all of its communion compels this unavoidable decision.” Are we with Christ or against him? And how do we balance the dynamic tensions (faith or reason, discipline or passion, spirit o…

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316 | Niayesh Afshordi and Phil Halper 1:28:50

1M ago1:28:50

1:28:50

Einstein's general theory of relativity, plus some reasonable assumptions about the universe and what it's made of, has a remarkable implication: that as we trace cosmic evolution into the far past, we ultimately hit a singularity of infinite density and curvature, the Big Bang. Did that really happen? Einstein's theory is classical, after all, and…

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Ep. 97: Why This Powerful Debate With Andrew Wilson Exposed Christian Nationalism 40:36

1M ago40:36

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One year after stepping into the Crucible debate stage with Andrew Wilson, Jacob Winograd returns to reflect — not to rehash, but to reckon. In this episode, Jacob candidly unpacks what he got right, where he fumbled, and how his thinking has evolved since going toe-to-toe with one of Christian Nationalism’s most articulate defenders. From the limi…

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The philosophy of fun | Myriam François, Freya India, James Tartaglia 50:35

1M ago50:35

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The essential philosophy of fun Do we need to have fun or is it an unnecessary excess? Are we living in an age of fun's decline, what with the moralism and strictures of Gen Z, or is there something else going on? On this panel, our three guests - philosopher James Tartaglia, film-maker Myriam François, and writer Freya India - dive into the idea o…

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315 | Branden Fitelson on the Logic and Use of Probability 1:28:55

1M ago1:28:55

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Every time you see an apple spontaneously break away from a tree, it falls downward. You therefore claim that there is a law of physics: apples fall downward from trees. But how can you really know? After all, tomorrow you might see an apple that falls upward. How is science possible at all? Philosophers, as you might expect, have thought hard abou…

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Neoliberalism: A Soviet nightmare | Abby Innes 31:25

1M ago31:25

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There is an old Soviet joke, ‘Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man. Communism is its exact opposite.’ On the surface, neoliberalism, with its emphasis on free markets, competition and privatisation, is as far removed as possible from the Soviet Union. But behind the policies, could they be guided by the same false utopianism? Abby Innes, pr…

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Make Racism Great Again? The Rise of Identity Politics on the Right with Cody Cook 1:12:13

1M ago1:12:13

1:12:13

In this bonus episode, I sit down with Cody Cook to wrestle with some uncomfortable questions facing the liberty movement today. We talk about the rise of identity politics—not just on the left, but increasingly on the right—and whether libertarianism can offer a true alternative or if it's being co-opted by tribal instincts and reactionary impulse…

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Fixing Nationwide Injunctions with GianCarlo Canaparo 43:11

2M ago43:11

43:11

Can one federal district court judge, even temporarily, be more powerful than the President of the United States? That’s the issue at the heart of the critical debate over the legal remedy known as the nationwide injunction. The deployment of this legal remedy by federal district court judges has increased significantly in the past ten years, most …

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William F. Buckley, American Impresario w/ Lawrence Perelman 1:50:23

2M ago1:50:23

1:50:23

What happens when a young man with an entrepreneurial heart and gifted piano-playing hands writes a letter to renowned public intellectual William F. Buckley, Jr. offering to play a concert for him out of gratitude? A lifelong friendship of shared musical appreciation and warm conversation begins. Join me and Lawrence Perelman as we unfold his uniq…

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The dark side of chasing rewards | Paul Bloom, Nancy Sherman, and Dan Ariely 46:48

2M ago46:48

46:48

Something for nothing Do rewards and incentives damage our humanity? In much of our personal and professional lives, we receive rewards for good behaviour and carrying out our responsibilities. But, evidence now suggests there are risks to this approach. Studies show rewards can damage wellbeing, fostering dependence and undermining our own sense o…

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314 | Karen Lloyd on the Deep Underground Biosphere 1:09:18

2M ago1:09:18

1:09:18

There are living creatures dwelling deep below the surface of the Earth, as deep as we are able to drill. These hearty microorganisms are related to more familiar life forms on land and under water, but the operate and survive in ways that are quite different from what we're familiar with. They live off of nutrients that have penetrated from the su…

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Dave Decamp on Iran, Yemen, Ukraine, and Gaza: What Are We Even Doing? 1:12:13

2M ago1:12:13

1:12:13

This is a bonus episode, originally produced as a Livestream from the LCI Greenroom. Here is the original Livestream description: Tonight in the LCI Green Room, Jacob Winograd sits down once again with Dave DeCamp, news editor at Antiwar.com, for a wide-ranging and timely conversation on America’s entanglements abroad. From escalating tensions with…

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Rethinking the Enlightenment | Historian Aviva Chomsky 26:24

2M ago26:24

26:24

The spectre of the Enlightenment What the Enlightenment a net positive or a net negative? Or is that the wrong question, and should we look at it simply as a historical period? Join Professor of History Aviva Chomsky as she dissects one of the most important periods in modern history from the lens of a critical historian. The Enlightenment was not …

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313 | Eric Topol on the Changing Face of Medicine and Aging 1:12:03

2M ago1:12:03

1:12:03

Medical science is advancing at an astonishing rate. Today we talk with leading expert Eric Topol about two aspects of this story. First, the use of artificial intelligence in medicine, especially in diagnostics. This is an area that is a perfect match between an important question and the capabilities of machine learning, to the point where AI can…

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Was Karl Marx misunderstood? | Terry Eagleton on the forgotten ideals of Marxism 24:23

2M ago24:23

24:23

Why Marx was right Having fallen out of favour around the turn of the century, Marxism is now back in fashion, often playing the role of an alternative to the increasingly right-wing politics of the modern world. Once the guiding ideology of Korean guerillas and Hampstead screenwriters alike, Marxism is back and taking universities and intellectual…

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Restoring the Classical Legal Tradition in Practice and Education with Julia Mahoney 1:02:12

2M ago1:02:12

1:02:12

For a special episode of the Anchoring Truths Podcast, we bring you a presentation featuring Prof. Julia Mahoney of the University of Virginia School of Law. Prof. Mahoney examines how the Classical Legal Tradition has been making a return in American law. She discusses some recent opinions that provide a hopeful opportunity for its return to legal…

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Ep. 96: What Would You Do? Daryl Cooper, Israel, and Rethinking World War 2 56:47

2M ago56:47

56:47

In this episode of the Biblical Anarchy Podcast, host Jacob Winograd dives deep into the controversial conversations sparked by historian Daryl Cooper, particularly around World War II, Churchill, and the Israel-Gaza conflict. Jacob opens with a gripping monologue inspired by Cooper’s Martyr Made series that humanizes the Palestinian perspective an…

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How G.K. Chesterton Sees the World w/ Duncan Reyburn 1:41:19

2M ago1:41:19

1:41:19

How are we to look at the world? Through a brilliant lens of hope, wonder, and gratitude? Or through a shadowy lens of despair, cynicism, and selfishness? The journalist, wit, and Catholic convert G.K. Chesterton is an extraordinary model who mastered the art of a marveling Catholic vision. Join me and Dr. Duncan Reyburn as we explore his excellent…

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The power and the pitfalls of narrative | Matthew Beaumont, Ruth Padel, and Theodore Dalrymple 42:34

2M ago42:34

42:34

Lost in stories Is life a story or a sequence of events? Our narratives enable us to make sense of the complex, often confusing, world that we live in. And yet there is a risk that rather than helping us to truly understand this world, narratives can hide reality from us, providing delusional states of mind in its place. From witch hunts to cults, …

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AMA | May 2025 3:38:06

2M ago3:38:06

3:38:06

Welcome to the May 2025 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape! These monthly excursions are funded by Patreon supporters (who are also the ones asking the questions). We take questions asked by Patreons, whittle them down to a more manageable number -- based primarily on whether I have anything interesting to say about them, not whether the question…

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Ep. 95: Dave Smith vs. Douglas Murray: The Important Lesson on History, Power, and Truth 58:13

2M ago58:13

58:13

In this episode of the Biblical Anarchy Podcast, Jacob responds to the recent debate between Dave Smith and Douglas Murray on the Joe Rogan Experience, using it as a springboard to explore the deeper issues at play: narrative control, revisionist history, blowback, and the Christian response to war. Jacob unpacks why labeling alternative historical…