Dialexicon

About Dialexicon

A podcast dedicated to promoting philosophical education and deep reflection. We invite philosophers from around the globe to discuss philosophy in the context of contemporary injustices – all at an easy-to-understand and digestible level. New episodes weekly on Friday.

Publisher

Rohan Goyal, Saurish Srivastava

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Apr 2022

Latest episode

24 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

47 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Sept 2026

   Constructing a Nation — Prof. Joseph Carens

   Who gets to belong to a political community? What makes a border legitimate? And if nations are human conceptions, could we build them differently? This episode features Joseph Carens, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto and one of the most influential voices in the contemporary ethics of migration. He is the author of The Ethics of Immigration and of the landmark essay "Aliens and Citizens: The Case for Open Borders," which helped establish immigration as a central question in political philosophy. In this episode, Carens argues that nations are historical constructions rather than natural facts, and that anyone living as an ongoing member of a community deserves recognition as one. He makes the case that restrictions on movement function today much as they did under feudalism—sorting life chances by accident of birth—and explains why free movement is better understood as an indicator of a just world than a solution for an unjust one. He also discusses assimilation, citizenship tests, equal incomes in a market economy, and the open question of what AI will do to all of it. Dialexicon is a free podcast dedicated to promoting philosophical education and deep reflection. We invite scholars from around the globe to discuss philosophy in the context of contemporary social issues—all at an easy-to-understand and digestible level. Website: https://dialexicon.org (https://dialexicon.org/) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ab9iObuaUb0VDo4R9lLH4 (https://open.spotify.com/show/6ab9iObuaUb0VDo4R9lLH4)YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dialexicon (https://www.youtube.com/@dialexicon) Chapters(0:00) Introduction(2:47) From Theology to Political Philosophy(11:44) What Political Philosophy Asks(15:36) The Academic, the Activist, and the Politician(23:19) Why Justice Became the Central Question(31:27) Nations as Historical Constructions(43:21) Who Ought to Be a Citizen?(59:29) Feudalism, Borders, and the Right to Move(1:10:02) Assimilation and the Limits of Belonging(1:19:38) Markets, Equality, and What AI Might Change(1:27:24) Advice for Young People(1:29:14) Closing Remarks Keywords: political philosophy, immigration, open borders, citizenship, birthright citizenship, nationalism, patriotism, global justice, migration ethics, pluralism, multiculturalism, assimilation, egalitarianism, political theory, John Rawls

2. 

   25 Aug 2026

   Reckoning with Global Justice — Prof. Thomas Pogge

   What makes a society just? Why do vast global inequalities persist? And are wealthy countries merely failing to help the poor—or actively contributing to their poverty? This episode features Thomas Pogge, the Leitner Professor of Philosophy and International Affairs and Director of the Global Justice Program at Yale University. His work focuses on global justice, poverty, inequality, human rights, and the institutions that shape the global economy. In this episode, Pogge explores how philosophical ideas about justice translate into the institutions that shape everyday life. Moving from Rawls and Kant to poverty, political power, and climate change, he argues that injustice is often built into the rules themselves—not simply the result of individual choices. The episode ultimately asks what we owe others when the systems we benefit from may also be helping produce their disadvantage. Dialexicon is a free podcast dedicated to promoting philosophical education and deep reflection. We invite scholars from around the globe to discuss philosophy in the context of contemporary social issues—all at an easy-to-understand and digestible level. Website: https://dialexicon.org (https://dialexicon.org)Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ab9iObuaUb0VDo4R9lLH4 (https://open.spotify.com/show/6ab9iObuaUb0VDo4R9lLH4)YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dialexicon (https://www.youtube.com/@dialexicon) (0:00) Preview(0:21) Introduction(1:07) Thomas Pogge’s Journey to Political Philosophy(6:45) Kant, Rawls, and What Justice Requires(20:58) Democracy, Political Power, and Economic Inequality(25:27) Patents, Medicine, and Rethinking Innovation(33:47) Global Justice, Resources, and the Global South(46:05) Tax Havens, Multinational Corporations, and Borders(54:47) Climate Change and Our Responsibilities(1:03:05) What Philosophy Is Really For(1:07:10) Closing Remarks Keywords: global justice, Thomas Pogge, political philosophy, John Rawls, Immanuel Kant, inequality, poverty, global economy, democracy, money in politics, pharmaceutical patents, healthcare, Global South, multinational corporations, tax havens, resource extraction, climate change, human rights, economic justice, philosophy

3. 

   8 Aug 2026

   Locating the Mind — Ms. Caitlin Mace

   What exactly does it mean to think? Where are memories stored? And can studying the brain really tell us how the mind works? This episode features Caitlin Mace, a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh whose research focuses on the philosophy of neuroscience. She previously earned her master’s degree in philosophy from California State University, Long Beach. In this episode, Mace explores the relationship between philosophy and neuroscience, asking what scientists can—and cannot—learn by breaking the brain into its component parts. She discusses reductionism, mental representation, optogenetics, and the challenge of determining where memories are physically stored. She also examines false memories, the surprising ways our recollections change over time, and whether memory might extend beyond the brain itself. Dialexicon is a free podcast dedicated to promoting philosophical education and deep reflection. We invite scholars from around the globe to discuss philosophy in the context of contemporary social issues—all at an easy-to-understand and digestible level. Website: https://dialexicon.org (https://dialexicon.org/) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ab9iObuaUb0VDo4R9lLH4 (https://open.spotify.com/show/6ab9iObuaUb0VDo4R9lLH4) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dialexicon (https://www.youtube.com/@dialexicon) Chapters (0:00) Introduction (0:58) Caitlin Mace’s Journey from Psychology to Philosophy (2:39) Where Philosophy and Science Meet (4:22) What Is the Philosophy of Neuroscience? (6:39) Can Philosophy Change How Neuroscience Is Done? (8:29) How Do We Divide the Brain Into Functional Parts? (10:36) What Does It Mean for the Brain to “Represent” Something? (13:45) Using Optogenetics to Study the Brain (16:43) Reductionism: Can the Mind Be Reduced to the Brain? (19:59) Could Memory Exist Outside the Brain? (23:27) False Memories and the Reliability of Recollection (27:59) Tracking Personal False Memories Through Movies (32:53) What Neuroscience Says About Misremembering (35:13) The Content Indeterminacy Problem (40:37) Where Is Information Actually Stored in the Brain? (44:21) Applying the Indeterminacy Problem to AI (45:51) Does AI Really Represent or Think? (49:49) AI Ethics, Companionship, and Education (52:29) Advice for Young People Interested in Philosophy (55:08) Closing Remarks Keywords: philosophy of neuroscience, neuroscience, philosophy of mind, memory, false memory, consciousness, reductionism, mental representation, optogenetics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, AI consciousness, philosophy of AI, brain, cognition

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

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