José is troubled by his sexual fantasies of women because it objectifies them. Danielle and José consider: Does sexual desire always or necessarily involve the dehumanizing objectification of others? Is it morally acceptable to objectify someone in the privacy of your own mind or will that objectification always spill out into the way you interact with others? Is it possible to keep sexual fantasies completely separate from workplace relationships? Are there solutions to the social problems in which people are forced to navigate their sexual desires along with their desires to see others in their full humanity?
Read MoreJosé and Danielle respond to some listener criticism of episode #45: Everybody Has to Live Somewhere. They talk about what they got right—and wrong—in that episode, and they reflect more generally on how engaging with criticism can enrich and deepen our understanding of the world, each other, and ourselves.
Read MoreJosé and Danielle consider our ethical responsibility when we participate in gentrification. Is gentrification simply a natural process of changing neighborhoods, or do we have some responsibility for its negative impact on—and displacement of—poorer residents?
Read MoreSpecial guest Lucy Collins joins Danielle and José to talk about motherhood and death. They explore the idea that motherhood allows women to be uniquely in touch with death, aging, and change. This experience is full of vulnerability and a confrontation with one’s life experience that cannot be ignored.
Read MoreDanielle wonders if the choice to have a child is morally unjustifiable. Given over-population, the current environmental crisis, and the potential for a future full of hardship and suffering, is it ethical to have kids? José defends parenthood as an expression of human development.
Read MoreIs it ok to laugh at racist jokes? Does it make you racist? Does it matter who is telling the joke? José tries to stake a position between calling out racist jokes as harmful, and not becoming so politically correct that we take ourselves too seriously. Also, Danielle and José each tell—and laugh at—some racist jokes.
Read MoreIn this episode, we welcome special guest Dr. Cori Wong, a feminist philosopher who chats with us about feminist friendship. Cori considers the current tensions that exist between white women and women of color in the “feminist movement” and considers how we can do better in bridging the gaps between ourselves and people who are different from us, to stand in solidarity and in friendship with them.
Read MoreJosé is troubled by his sexual fantasies of women because it objectifies them. Danielle and José consider: Does sexual desire always or necessarily involve the dehumanizing objectification of others? Is it morally acceptable to objectify someone in the privacy of your own mind or will that objectification always spill out into the way you interact with others? Is it possible to keep sexual fantasies completely separate from workplace relationships? Are there solutions to the social problems in which people are forced to navigate their sexual desires along with their desires to see others in their full humanity?
Read MoreWhy is it so hard for white people to talk about racism? Danielle and José talk about white fragility—the idea that white folks are emotionally fragile, and blow up or shut down, when it comes to talking about race. Danielle offers some ideas about why she and so many of her fellow white people have such a tough time, (they’re terrified of being called a racist, for example), and what they should do about it.
Read MoreDanielle and José talk about cultural appropriation. What’s wrong with a white person wearing a Native American headdress for Halloween? Where is the line between cultural exchange and appropriation? To what extent is it legitimate for an artist to draw from other cultures in order to make something new? We end, as always, with what we've been thinking about and give some recommendations.
Read MoreDanielle and José discuss whether the mainstreaming of feminism has sold it out to capitalist interests. Can we be both a feminist and a capitalist? Is capitalism inherently patriarchal? Does feminism require a kind of collective action that capitalism works to undermine? How does capitalism exploit women’s unpaid labor of childrearing and household care? Are ad campaigns that promote feminist ideas actually feminist or just another way to sell products? We end with recommendations for what we’ve been thinking about since the last episode.
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