PHILOSOPHY FOR THE REAL WORLD

About PHILOSOPHY FOR THE REAL WORLD

This is a series of podcasts by Professor Thomas White about the practical usefulness of philosophy--philosophy for the real world. We live in a culture that bombards us with messages about what we should buy, value, believe, and how to vote. But how do we decide what's going to advance our interests--rather than the interests of the people trying to persuade us? Each podcast applies philosophical tools that will help you clearly understand a critical issue before taking any action. The goal of these podcasts is primarily practical—to show you how applying philosophical tools can put you in a position where you have maximum control over your decisions.

Publisher

PHILOSOPHY FOR THE REAL WORLD

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Feb 2026

Latest episode

7 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

9 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Jun 2026

   Episode 9. A troubling business ethics issue. Potemkin terrorism, or How the information industry is playing us.

   As explained in Episode 3, the two warring tribes narrative that virtually the entire news/information/opinion industry promotes is false. Companies do this because it’s profitable. This episode explains the mechanism they use—Potemkin terrorism.

2. 

   26 May 2026

   Episode 8. Absorbing a distorted view of history without noticing it.

   Can simple, ordinary objects in our environment be giving us a distorted view of history? Are there any practical, negative impacts?

3. 

   9 May 2026

   Episode 7. A biological basis to ethics: flourishing.

   One of the simplest, most practical, and objective approaches to ethics is actually based in biology–the concept of flourishing. This episode looks at Martha Nussbaum’s explanation of the concept.

4. 

   15 Apr 2026

   Episode 6. Our problem isn’t voter fraud, it’s voter ignorance and incompetence.

   This is the first episode to look at a practical question related to social and political philosophy. We look at “social contract theory” and an interesting question it raises about who should be entitled to vote.

5. 

   3 Apr 2026

   Episode 5. Saint Augustine. Vice contains its own punishment.

   Episode 2 described the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates’ idea that “vice harms the doer.” This episode describes the remarkably similar idea advanced by the fourth century Christian thinker Saint Augustine that vice contains its own punishment.

6. 

   17 Mar 2026

   Episode 4. Logical fallacy. Unwarranted generalization and stereotyping.

   This is the first episode dedicated to examining logical mistakes. This episode looks at the “informal fallacy” of “unwarranted generalization and stereotyping”–one of the most common examples of logical mistakes in political rhetoric.

7. 

   18 Feb 2026

   Episode 3: How well do you know what Americans think? Or, we’re all being played.

   Think of this as a test. Sorry about the cryptic episode title, but saying too much will be a spoiler.

8. 

   16 Feb 2026

   Episode 2: Why do the right thing?

   “Doing the right thing” is often difficult because it means putting other people’s interests ahead of our own. The ancient Greek thinker Socrates has an interesting–and surprising–perspective because he argues that “vice harms the doer.” The selfish thing, then, is to avoid that harm by doing what’s right.

9. 

   16 Feb 2026

   Episode 1: Philosophy for the Real World. Introduction.

   This is the first in a series of podcasts by Professor Thomas White about the practical usefulness of philosophy–philosophy for the real world. This episode identifies the main areas of philosophy we’ll be applying: logic, ethics, knowledge, living with others in community. For a general introduction to philosophy, see my Discovering Philosophy (Hackett). Click here for information.

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Contact PHILOSOPHY FOR THE REAL WORLD

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.