In this episode, the Front Porch Philosophers talk about politics and the upcoming election. Raymond asks Jared and Mike questions about their incentives for voting and their perspectives on several political topics including money in politics, the electoral college, voting in the South, and their perspectives on the current political parties. Most importantly, Jared discusses the duties that come with being a citizen in a democracy. If you have questions or would like to hear more about...

In this episode, the Front Porch Philosophers reflect on the exceptional work of the late Chadwick Boseman. Specifically, they discuss the importance and gravity of his work as the Marvel hero Black Panther. Topics of discussion include themes dealing with colonialism, black masculinity, and personal stories about how the untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman impacted young fans. Rest in power Chadwick Boseman. May your artistic legacy live on in the hearts and minds of those you...

In this episode, the Front Porch Philosophers talk about the idea of white ignorance, race, racism in America (including scientific, cultural, and economic racism). Jared, Michael, and Raymond are not black, nor do they feel as though they can speak on behalf of black people (or anyone else but themselves for that matter), but they are white, southern, and have been known to be ignorant white people on many occasions. If you want to hear three philosophers talk about their understanding of...

In this follow up episode, the Front Porch Philosophers discuss the idea of transhumanism. They frame this discussion by examining the TV series Upload. What is transhumanism? (You might ask.) Well, its best explained as a theory that technology can be used to free and save humanity from its limitations. Transhumanists are especially concerned with death and the possibility of cheating it by using technology. Join Jared, Michael, and Raymond on the front porch to learn more about this strange...

In this episode, the Front Porch Philosophers discuss the idea of 'humanism'. Humanism is a philosophical movement that seeks to understand what it means to be human. Your hosts (Jared, Michael, and Raymond) discuss this broad-reaching idea by talking about a few important points: 1) what is 'humanism' (what is the goal?), 2) how does it work, 3) why is it important (if it is at all), 4) how does it apply to discussions about politics, ethics, morality, and social theory at large. Join them...

In this episode, Mike wants to talk about the apocalypse or at least apocalyptic literature and thinking. Join the Front Porch Philosophers as they discuss the history, development, and logic of apocalyptic thinking. Mike begins by discussing the nature of time, beginning in Augustinian thinking, and explains how the ideas surrounding time have changed and slowly impacted apocalyptic thinking. Jared gives us a view into the early Christian mindset before turning to the American evangelical...

With all the hype from American politics, especially from Berniecrats, the new political question is what does democratic socialism mean? In this episode, Jared, Michael, and Raymond have an in-depth conversation about the nature of democratic socialism. They lay out the history of the idea of socialism, the bad versions, the good versions, and all the negative stereotypes. More importantly, they shed light on the difference between revolutionary socialism and democratic socialism--this is...

The hosts of the Front Porch Philosophers podcast are in sunny California with special guests Kirsten Gerdes and Lucas Scott Wright. Jared and Raymond look to the expertise of these two scholars for insight into the global phenomenon: identity politics. What are identity politics? When and where did this idea originate? Is it inevitable that our politics will be grounded in identity? And how does American identity politics compare with other countries? We ask Kirsten and Lucas these questions...

Do you think aliens exist? Or maybe you do already and think that they have already visited us! In this episode, Jared, Michael, and Raymond debate the existence of alien life forms and talk about the evidence that supports the UFO=alien connection. Michael is a die-hard 'hopeful' that aliens have in fact visited this planet, but Jared and Raymond are more skeptical. So listen to this episode and see what you think! They will get into all of the nitty-gritty details and theories: the Drake...

In this episode of the Front Porch Philosophers podcast, we've invited a special guest on to talk about Post-modernism. You may have heard of this term 'post-modernity'. Maybe you've heard critiques blame post-modernist for the 'post-truth era'. Or maybe you learned about some of these intellectuals from your introduction to philosophy class in College. But, honestly, it's just as likely that you don't know what 'post-modern' means, which is why we brought on an expert. Join Jared, Michael,...

Do you ever wonder about cults? You watch an episode of your favorite TV drama and low and behold its another cult murder or mass cult suicide. Today, the Front Porch Philosophers podcast is joined by Cameron, a cult expert. Cameron is currently working on his PhD and has made cults the centerpiece of his research. Jared, Michael, and Raymond are very excited to invite Cameron to the front porch, and they hope that you enjoy this front porch discussion about cults. Join the Discussion: ...

All hallows eve is a special time of year that brings up spooky stories about ghosts, ghouls, and everything paranormal you can imagine. In this bonus episode, Jared, Michael, and Raymond talk about their beliefs about ghosts, and what philosophical principles and concepts are at the roots of America's cultural obsession with the paranormal. Join them on the front porch to talk about this scary philosophical subject, and be safe this year as you venture out into the world for candy and...

Welcome back to another episode of the Front Porch Philosophers podcast! Jared, Michael, and Raymond look into popular superhero lore and the political ideology called fascism. For decades there have been occasional critiques raised against superheroes for portraying images of fascism. They explore this critique and try to add some much-needed nuance to the conversation. They mostly talk about Batman, Ironman, and Captain America, but the hosts of the Front Porch Philosophers also briefly...

Hey everyone! Jared, Michael, and Raymond are back with an episode on the subject/topic of ethics. The debate is on as Jared and Raymond try to convince the very skeptical and typically contrarian in spirit--obviously Michael--that ethics is actually important for the average individual. Join them on the front porch as they layout a variety of different ethical ideas and examples. They don't always disagree, but it's fun to hear academics argue. Don't forget to push that subscribe button!...

In this episode, Jared, Michael, and Raymond continue their debate about free will and determinism. Raymond took notes from the previous discussion and posed several questions to Jared and Michael. Can we still talk about free will in an age of neuroscience and biology? Can we ever avoid arguments regarding determinism? Is it possible to conceive of a concept of freedom without having a "free will"? Join them in this episode to find out answers to these questions and more.  Join The...

In this episode, Jared, Michael, and Raymond breakdown the free will and determinism debate. They explain the historical background of the debate and then explain the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Finally, each of them chooses a side--pick a position on the debate. They will have to defend their positions in Part 2 of this two-part series. If you have an idea for an episode or a philosophical topic that interests you, then join the discussion! Join The...

Hello all! We are back! In this episode, we are going to talk about the philosophy of religion. This is a special episode for Jared and Raymond. They are both philosophers of religion, i.e., they specialize in this field of research. We want to talk about the uniqueness and awesome-ness that is the philosophy of religion. Rest assured, this is not an episode on theology. Anyone can do philosophy of religion, with or without actually having a personal belief in religion. We talk about the...

Jared, Michael, and Raymond discuss the importance of philosophy. But what is philosophy? Why should people care about getting some philosophical education? They start with some basic definitions, and then our three hosts argue and complain about the rest. It seems like each host has an ax to grind in this episode. Jared gets frustrated with the self-help trend. Raymond is jealous of the social sciences. And all three of them agree that picking up a philosophy book from time to time would be...

In this episode, Jared, Michael, and Raymond talk about religion. Immediately, the contrarian (aka Michael) argues that religion is an antiquated description of reality. The religion scholars (Jared and Raymond), of course, push back on this attack. So, let's figure out what religion really is? Why do people dedicate their lives to it? How is one religion different from another? Michael also wants to know how religion is anything but an attempt to describe reality, i.e., like science does....

Truth? What is it anyways? This is definitely a good moment to catch up on the different forms of truth. In this episode (part 2 of a series on truth) the guys pickup with Raymond arguing that religious forms of truth are different from empirical and propositional forms of truth (see part 1 of this series). Michael is not sure he wants to go that far, and Jared ends up moderating (but ultimately siding with Raymond). Join the Front Porch Philosophers Podcast as these three academics argue...

Was this the debate of the decade? Was there a clear 'victor?' Join Jared, Michael, and Raymond on the front porch while they analyze and critique the debate between Slavoj Zizek and Jordan Peterson. They begin by giving their first impressions of the debate, and then address topics and points of argument that they found interesting. (They are definitely frustrated with the results of the exchange.) Join them on the front porch for insight and critiques of both Zizek and Peterson.  Join The...

What exactly is free speech? Jared, Michael, and Raymond discuss the particular issues with regards to free speech. Jared and Michael discuss the history of the idea, while Raymond brings up issues about deplatforming and hate speech. Where do we draw the lines between free speech and hate speech? Join us and find out what we are thinking and more! Join The Discussion: Twitter l Patreon l Resources 

In this bonus episode, the front porch philosophers discuss Marxism. Zizek and Peterson are set to debate! But before you check it out we suggest listening to our analysis of Marxism. Today, Marxism is often mischaracterized and misunderstood. We dive into Karl Marx's political and economic philosophy so anyone interested in the debate will have a better understanding of his thinking beforehand. Even if you don't watch the debate, we hope you enjoy this analysis. (P.s. Join us next week for...

BONUS! This is a bonus episode on the Slavoj Zizek and Jordan Peterson debate. Subject matter: Jared tries not to roast Peterson, Michael is suspicious of Zizek, and Raymond tries to keep them on topic. (Psychoanalysis, capitalism, and Peterson.) Thanks for listening!  Join The Discussion: Twitter l Patreon