Moral Mayhem
by Regan Arntz-Gray & Vaishnav Sunil
Latest episode
Optimizing Towards Nothing
Optimizing Towards Nothing
About this podcast
Hosted by real-life partners, Vaishnav and Regan, Moral Mayhem offers non-batshit-crazy, good-faith commentary from the center-right (in the words of a listener). Always irreverent, sometimes funny.
moralmayhem.substack.com
Episodes
The newest 20 of 47 episodes
- Optimizing Towards Nothing · 45 minSteven Bartlett said two glasses of wine ruined three days of his life, and the internet lost it. Who is more fragile, Stevie boy or the internet? Get full access to Moral…
- Is Libertarian Paternalism an Oxymoron? · 1 h 1 minIn this episode, we discuss Cass Sunstein’s “Why Nudge?” and his defense of “libertarian paternalism,” the idea that the state should steer people toward better choices and can…
- Debunking Creedal Beliefs: Abortion, Vaccines and Daryl Cooper · 40 minIn this episode, we discuss philosopher Hrishikesh Joshi's paper "Debunking Creedal Beliefs." A creedal belief is one where: (1) there's little personal cost to being wrong, (2)…
- Self-Interest and the Good Life with Greg Salmieri · 1 h 21 minIn this episode, we sit down with Greg Salmieri, senior scholar of philosophy at the Salem Center at UT Austin, to discuss ethical egoism—the theory that central to what makes an…
- From Peterson's Lobsters to Trump's Fine People: Matt Teichman on Conversational Implicature · 1 h 30 minIn this episode, philosopher and host of the Elucidations podcast, Matt Teichman, joins us to explore conversational implicature & the hidden rules that help us understand what…
- Gender Grievances and Feminism with Bryan Caplan · 55 minIn this episode, we talk with Bryan Caplan about his letter to his daughter on feminism. We cover whether women have been historically disadvantaged, how male and female…
- Markets, Morality, and Middlemen: Defending Finance Bros · 1 h 25 minIn this episode of Moral Mayhem, we stick up for those without a voice — bankers and hedge fund managers. We explore why middle men and financiers - from ancient moneylenders to…
- Dating and Discourse with Jacob Falkovich · 1 h 46 minThis week we were joined by our friend Jacob Falkovich. Jacob publishes some of the best “White-pilled” dating advice out there on his blog Second Person, and in addition to…
- Is Love Blind? · 1 h 16 minWe’re talking about Love is Blind, the ‘scientific’ dating ‘experiment’ to discover how shallow reality TV stars really are (see the video version on Youtube). The show involves…
- Robin Hanson (Part Two): Cash, Cradles and Careers · 32 minIn this episode, we chat with Robin Hanson about his proposed solution to falling fertility rates in the US: since each newborn is effectively responsible for hundreds of…
- Robin Hanson (Part 1): Why Unchallenged Values Become Existential Threats? · 1 h 37 minIn this conversation, we chat with Robin Hanson about his thesis on cultural drift, exploring the implications of the global monoculture and reduced selection pressures on the…
- The Hanson Hypothesis: Global Unity or Collective Suicide? · 1 h 0 minIn this episode of Moral Mayhem, we discuss and debate the ideas presented in Robin Hanson's essays on cultural drift. We examine his central argument that the emergence of a…
- Everybody Hates Legal Immigrants · 40 minIn this episode, we explore the moral tension surrounding illegal immigration in the United States. We discuss: * The ethical implications of deporting people who have built…
- Adverse Selection in Dating and Job Markets: The Hidden Costs of Easy Filtering · 1 h 6 minIn this episode, we discuss the hidden pitfalls of modern dating apps and job search platforms. We explore how the necessity of filtering large pools of candidates, combined with…
- Moral Mayhem with Maxim Lott: Election Betting Markets, Presidential Debate and Norm Violations in American Politics · 1 h 6 minIn this episode, we sit down with Maxim Lott (author of Maximum Truth) to dive into prediction markets, focusing on election betting markets. We explore liquidity, market depth…
- Categories, Prediction Error and Discrimination · 1 h 15 minIn this episode of Moral Mayhem, we bravely wade into the minefield of racial groups and racism. We start with the usefulness of race as a category and when it might be…
- Moral Mayhem with Alex Kaschuta: Pragmatism over Radical Ideas in Life, Love and Politics · 1 h 16 minIn this episode, we chat with Alex Kaschuta, writer and host of the Subversive podcast. We discuss: --> Alex's journey from diversity management to dissident right activism to…
- The Moral Status Quo: Misguided Mercy and Modern Antisemitism · 1 h 45 minWe’re joined for a second time by Martin Greenwald aka The Socratic Psychiatrist on Substack. We discuss whether corporal punishment would be a more ethical alternative to…
- Moral Mayhem with Chris Best · 60 minIn this episode, we chat with Chris Best, CEO and Co-Founder of Substack. We discuss Substack's origin story, revenue model and its effects on the information ecosystem. We also…
- Fighting Over Fetuses: The Morality, Politics and Future of Abortion · 1 h 14 minIn this episode, we dissect (no pun intended) the issue of abortion, discussing both the object level political and moral considerations and the political polarization around the…
