agorapublications.com Author & Narrator Total Products: 22 See Their Titles Featured in: Modern Philosophy Political Philosophy Drama Contemporary Issues

See All Titles by Albert Anderson

See All Downloadable Titles by Albert Anderson

Introduces the Human Nature series by focusing on two modern developments in biology: Darwin’s theory of evolution and the Human Genome Project.

Contemporary physics opens the possibility that causality as described by Aristotle and ideas as presented by Plato are real causes — essential dimensions of the world of nature.

This podcast predicts the next stage of human evolution. Androids will replace humans, because they are better fit to survive. Written in 1968, it anticipates "The Matrix" and books by Ray Kurzweil.

This podcast interprets and comments on “Minds and Machines: A Modest Proposal,” in light of developments in artificial intelligence during the past four decades.

This podcast treats three concepts — behaviorism, determinism, and materialism — that poison and undermine essential human values, and considers an antidote proposed by Immanuel Kant.

Perhaps even worse than poison are values that pretend to be beneficial and are actually pernicious. Happiness is one such value, especially when it is defined as part of human nature.

Human nature cannot be separated from the search for the meaning of life. Two different ways of thinking are essential for this philosophical quest, what the ancient Greeks called logos and mythos.

Many people hold a view of human nature that incorporates both body and soul as separate substances. Some philosophers think that sound rational arguments can be provided to justify this belief.

Do personal human souls exist after individual human bodies die? This podcast explores the idea of mind and the myth of personal immortality in the context of Plato’s Phaedo.

Scientific materialism flourished when Newtonian physics ruled, but contemporary physics destroyed the foundations of classical physics and opened the way for rethinking the nature of reality itself.

Three works that present Kant’s ethical world view are included: What is Enlightenment? (1784), Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals Morals (1785), and Toward Lasting Peace (1795).

I will consider two fundamentally different visions of world community: 1. A single nation presides over a global empire; 2.A common human community preserves autonomy, mutual respect, and diversity.

The cosmopolitan idea guides thinking about a world community. Issues that would benefit from applying the cosmopolitan idea: global warming, crossing national borders, and nuclear proliferation.

The U. S. should take the lead in developing a form of society that can serve as a model for the world. I propose mandatory national service that would include military and nonmilitary options.

Building on the transformation from theism to humanism during the Renaissance, modernism spawned the nation state. If the state is not based on a covenant with God, where are its roots to be found?

Plato’s Philosopher King and Hobbes’ Leviathan promise peace, order, and security, but they conceal the truth to build their empire. I explore contemporary versions of justifying secrets and lies.

The United States has created an empire that seeks to dominate the world, how long will it last? Chalmers Johnson and Niall Ferguson think it is already in decline. This podcast will explore why.

This podcast treats the ethical philosophy that grew out of the Enlightenment (with a focus on Kant’s ethics). It part of the search for the foundations on which a world community might be based.

Nationalism, spawned by modernism, presents a formidable dilemma. Now we must ask: Does Kant provide the political foundation on which a world community might be conceived in the postmodern era?

Kant proposed the cosmopolitan idea as a way of eluding the threat of perpetual war among states. I consider the possibility of a postmodern era in which that cosmopolitan idea replaces nationalism.

Podcast #8 searches for values that are truly universal and appropriate for the world community, requiring that we transcend national boundaries and go beyond our time, culture, and specific values.

Rather than building empires to dominate the world community, individual people and governmental representatives should use the cosmopolitan idea formulated by Kant as a universal guide for decisions.