Four guys with varying experiences in the world of music talk about performing, listening to and working with music. We explore a few questions like - What are the challenges facing the music industry today? How can music shape identity and meaning? Can any genres be considered pretentious or is pretention a myth? Is there a valid argument for "culturally appropriating" music? And can pop music be considered a bad thing?
Drawing from our gigging experiences and academic study we chat about the psychology of music, its appeal as a universal language and how it can be seen as a kind of therapy.
Our thoughts summarised: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/thoughts-on-music.html
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Editing by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
Connor and Jack have an increasingly drunken chat about rising streaming platforms and the decline of movie theatres. Is there something romantically irreplaceable about the experience of going to the movies or does streaming really have it all? How should one behave when attending the pictures? And are these changes actually good for the movie industry after all? Find out… maybe… probably.
Tom Cruise Rant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e5n4eJ_TVg
Colin Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates: https://youtu.be/itdfe5yQ0Hg
The "Camerawork" of Toy Story 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcZ2OY5-TeM
Mark Kermode & Simon Mayo's List: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-25710924
A New Hope Audience Reaction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzRveOGMflo
The Palace Cinema: https://cinderpal.com/cinderford/now/
Our Thoughts Summarised: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/thoughts-on-cinema.html
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Editing by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
For our 50th episode we thought we'd try something a little different… Our off the cuff conversation takes us from experience machines to belief in god, free will, happiness and humanism. We ask whether it makes sense to think of a non-religious life as meaningless and whether "unearned" or "false" happiness is desirable (or indeed, even possible). What is the relationship between meaning and happiness and is there something valuable in the pursuit of both? We'd love to have more improvised chats like this and expand on a lot of these ideas in the future.
Articles by Connor & Nye:
https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/herefordshire-humanists.html
https://nyejames.com/blog/
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
This is what the wait has been for... Two drunk blokes talking about giants.
Giambattista Vico was an Italian Enlightenment philosopher and historian who, for some reason, believed in giants. Though somewhat obscure, his ambitious work "Scienza Nuova" attempts to combine all humanities into a single subject and explain the cyclical nature of human history and has influenced countless thinkers.
Giants have featured in the mythologies and folklore of virtually every civilization. Human or other-worldly, whether a metaphor for the violent forces of nature or a relic bygone ages, giants are often used to explain magnificent phenomena. We look at common themes from Celtic, Norse and Greek myths. Despite global similarities, giants can differ greatly in their nature. Religious beliefs, storytelling, cultural attitudes and maybe even fossils can help explain how and why giants stand so tall across the stories of humanity.
Our thoughts, summarised: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/thoughts-on-vico--giants.html
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Editing by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
Why do atheists and theists never seem to convince one another? Why do modern debates about God never work? What exactly is the difference between reason and religion?
When medieval Christians like Thomas Aquinas got their hands on the logic and rationalism of Aristotle they worked to combine their scripture with the reason of philosophy… but would it work? Years later we still try to prove and "unprove" god but perhaps there is another solution. Søren Kierkegaard, whilst struggling with his own faith seemed to suggest a reason why Christians and atheists just can't seem to get along and keep arguing past one another…
Pencil drawing of Kierkegaard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Søren_Kierkegaard#/media/File:Søren_Kierkegaard_(1813-1855)_-_(cropped).jpg
Our essays can be found here: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/the-writing-room.html
Previous episode: https://youtu.be/M9uUjjTu_T4
*Right, so we lost a bit of this episode whilst recording online… we mostly managed to cover it, apologies however for any funny sounding audio in one or two places*
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
We've all heard of it but have you ever wanted to find out what Quantum Mechanics actually is? Well here's a Christmas treat! As promised, Nye explains QM from the ground up; starting with the history and context of why and how it was theorised. Going through all the major scientific developments and players leading up to its inception, we break down some of the relevant concepts and round it all off with a bit of a chat.
Apologies for any minor audio issues or repetition of points made in other podcasts.
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Editing, audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
The Dark Ages; philosophy is all but unknown to this world of staunch faith and brutal conflict. A relatively new religion has arisen in the Middle East, carving out an empire from the Pagan and Christian Kingdoms left in the wake of the collapse of the ancient world. As their culture grows and interacts with others, pioneering Muslim intellectuals are tasked with translating the works of antiquity as they are unearthed from the past....
In a revolutionary gamble, Al Kindi challenged convention by suggesting that the calculative reason of Aristotle was akin to the revelation found in scripture and faith. Could he convince the pious of his time to adopt philosophy or had he failed before even beginning?
We've written a bunch of uni essays on these subjects that can be found here: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/the-writing-room.html
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
Philosophy graduates attempt to understand science.
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
Named after Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi, the Fermi Paradox characterises the contradiction between optimistic probabilistic arguments for the existence of life elsewhere in the universe and the lack of evidence for it. In this podcast Nye explains why most estimates (such as the Drake equation) are so high and covers the suggested explanations for this famous contradiction. In doing so Nye unpacks many of the statistics that highlight the extraordinary vastness of space and the miracle of life itself.
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
Outraged by the death of his mentor Socrates, and the thoughtlessness of ancient Greek society, a young Plato set off travelling on his adventures. It was during this time that Plato turned to writing his first dialogues. Using the character of Socrates in some of the craziest ancient fan fiction ever written, Platonic dialogues explored questions of truth, reality, virtue and the soul; often all at once.
While Alfred North Whitehead's statement that "All of philosophy is a footnote to Plato" - may be the philosophical equivalent of saying "stairway to Heaven is the world's best song" - he wasn't far wrong! In exploring these questions, Plato set the ball rolling for topics like epistemology, the mind-body problem, indirect realism and political philosophy. Though his answers may leave something to be desired to the modern reader, Plato's burning questioning and inexorable influence is still nonetheless felt today; from classrooms, counselling and even Hollywood blockbusters like the Matrix.
These early dialogues generally focus on more grounded issues like courage, justice and art and seem to reflect the qualities of the recently deceased Socrates more accurately. However, even at such an early stage, we can begin to see how Plato's method established Western thought itself...
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
What's the point in fasting? How do we stick to a diet that works? These are some of the questions we ask in this episode as we explore Julian Baggini's book, Virtues of the Table.
The debates and attitudes around knowing when not to eat are equally as crucial to flourishment as questions concerning where food comes from and the importance of good cooking. We explore how blanket rules and blind adherence can confuse these practices in a "post-death-of-god" world and how misunderstood nutritional health can be in the contemporary times.
Gordon Ramsay on Onions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCGS067s0zo
Julian Baginni: https://www.julianbaggini.com
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
This week, Sam and a very congested Connor talk about Judo. While we do chat about the history and contextual origins of the practice, we also talk about Judo as a martial art and, as you might expect, its ethical and intellectual dimensions.
Since Sam does Ju-Jitsu, we try and enquire as to how physical craft can cultivate moral virtues and help shape character; tackling both logistical problems and big blokes in dressing gowns within the same art.
The Hardcore History podcast that Sam mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oErYYBNCHh4
Harry & Paul sketch that Sam mentioned (there's a few): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKL7Qem0k8U
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
Despite being mistaken for Hertfordshire or confused with Somerset, tiny Herefordshire is packed with interesting stories, the world's best cider and irreplaceable natural beauty.
Zach and Connor chat about some of the strange tales, historic Herefordian landmarks and the intrinsic value of nature in this more laidback episode.
Mappa Mundi: https://www.themappamundi.co.uk
Weston's Cider: https://www.westons-cider.co.uk
Flag Competition: https://www.the-shire.co.uk/herefordshireflag
Hereford Cathedral: https://www.herefordcathedral.org
Wye Valley: https://www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk
Offa's Dyke" https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/offas-dyke/
Bulmer's Cider: https://www.bulmers.co.uk/age-gate?dest=%252F
Visit Herefordshire : https://www.visitherefordshire.co.uk
Our Thoughts Summarised: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/thoughts-on-herefordshire.html
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
Food and the issues surrounding it have never been more important. Culinary attitudes and traditions can reveal a lot a about a period or place and we live in a world of staggering choice and raging debates. Cultivating attitudes and questions to not just what we eat and how we do it but where it comes from, what it says about us, how it fits into broader ideas relating to how we live our lives, how we think about meals and when to stop eating are some of the most unavoidable, fundamental and neglected areas of ethics. From animal rights and cultural traditions to class issues, food says a lot. If you like either philosophy or food then this one's probably gonna be worth a listen... If you like both then you're laughing!
The first in a three part series, this one in particular focuses on contemporary philosopher Julian Baggini and the issues surrounding the sourcing of food... Where does "good" food come from and how can we be sure? Should we shop local or at large "commercial" chains? Is veganism the way forward? Is there a moral reason to shop seasonally? How should we feel about labels like FairTrade, free range and organic? We also talk about nutrition, moral virtues and most importantly, how most of these ideas are all interconnected.
Over the next few episodes we'll talk about fasting and dieting as well as cooking and eating.
The points we made, summarised: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/sourcing-food.html
Julian Baginni: https://www.julianbaggini.com
Peter Hitchens ranting about skinny cappuccino: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oac_O5u3Dnc
Bow hunter, Cameron Hanes: https://www.youtube.com/user/cameronhanes
Sam Harris' wife on pansychism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqP5ukwyfp0
Westons Cider: https://www.westons-cider.co.uk
'Gangster gardener', Ron Finely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdISPtllh1U
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
Connor and Sam take a moment to discuss how the reality of ethics is much more complex, banal and terrifying than anything found in fiction.
Evil is not a cartoony mysterious force and usually not committed knowingly, making it scarier than anything we could ever know.
Should religious institutions play a role in politics? Should our heritage and beliefs be reflected in public life? Or should the private and subjective relationship with God be kept out of civic life? Should the State remain neutral and not impose belief or inequality onto those who happen to think differently?
Secularism can mean a lot of different things to different people and there are a plethora of historical reasons for that. In some cases it protects religious freedoms, in others it curtails religious influence, and in many situations it does both.
In this episode we take a very brief look at these issues over a cider or six and discuss one of the most misunderstood and topical ideas going.
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
Armed with more than a few chilling "ghost stories" to hand, we explore the claims of the paranormal from both personal experience and rational thinking. We convey the value of scepticism, criticism and critical thinking and talk a little about how ghosts suddenly became scary as they drifted out of religious and natural contexts and into the modern horror genres of fiction. We also touch on genies or djinn, pseudoscientific theories and the similarity between religious belief and the belief in spooky ghosts…
- An article by Connor: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/are-sceptics-close-minded.html
- The TED talk mentioned: https://youtu.be/n8yhaFd_GpM
- A good video on Jinn (there are other good videos on spirits in folklore here too): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvdedlbyrQM
- Some thoughts on the paranormal: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/thoughts-on-spooky-ghosts.html
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
Across the world, thousands of religious adherents believe they can "experience God", but what exactly does this mean? Back for Series III, but still podcasting over Discord, Connor, Sam and Joe set up their microphones to talk about mysticism.
This chat takes us to the poetry, dancing and sword-swallowing of Islamic Sufi mystics to Zen Buddhists and even bonkers English esoteric traditions. We talk about these more experiential branches of faith and what they get up to. In a heated discussion, we also discuss why "spiritual", might be an unhelpful word. Drawing upon the philosophy and psychology of religion from thinkers like William James, we offer our thoughts on religious experience and how they fit into what we might call "unconventional" religion.
…Connor also invents the phrase "whatever your biscuit".
Some thoughts on religion, mysticism and spirituality: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/thoughts-on-mysticism.html
Sufi music mixed with tales of coming of age: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQVlNt6DAxY
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
We're back! In our first episode we decided to chat a little about ethics and how different moral theories tackle questions of right and wrong...
Mostly focusing the classic theory of utilitarianism, our new guest Al argues for its application in moral situations. Meanwhile Connor and Joe take a more sceptical view, questioning whether moral rules and theories actually help guide moral action at all.
Diving into concepts like moral sainthood and virtue we ask if we can we quantify or conceptualise morality or whether we're committing a category error by thinking that ethics is something we can reason and calculate. We ask whether is moral action is even the best way to think about ethics. Is character, or something else entirely, a better way of truly capturing the heart of ethics?
...Al wanted this episode to be called Big ethics with Big Al and we thought that was terribly funny.
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
SPOILER WARNING. To cap off Series Two, we thought we would talk about one of our favourite films - Ex Machina; a science fiction thriller released in 2014. Ex Machina concerns artificial intelligence and handles themes about technology, purpose and consciousness with a bit of religious mythology thrown in.
Part review, part analysis: we give an overview of the film's themes and run through some of the general ideas relating to AI mentioned in the movie… The Turing Test, The Chinese Room, Mary's Room (or the Knowledge Argument), Machine ethics and AI Consciousness. We also talk a little about Devs, Frankenstein, Annihilation and Westworld.
Emergence Explained: https://youtu.be/X_IuG3kJY_g
Our thoughts summarised: https://twobeersuntilphronesis.weebly.com/thoughts-on-technology.html
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Edited by Connor.
Audio & music mastering / production by Nye James.
Jingles recorded by Nye (guitars) & Connor (harmonica, mandolin)
