Philosophy accessible to all, everywhere.

The Institute for Philosophy in Public Life bridges the gap between academic philosophy and the general public. We cultivate discussions between professional philosophers and those with an interest in the subject, regardless of their experience or credentials.

IPPL is founded on the premise that anyone can do philosophy, and we recognize that philosophy relates to our day-to-day lives. Philosophical communities are fun, fulfilling, and essential for democracy.

Because there is no ivory tower.

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WHY? Philosophical Discussions Aboute EVERYDAY LIFE

Public radio show and podcast

Currently in its eighteenth year on public radio, Why? is a thoughtful, engaging, accessible, and non-adversarial conversation with today’s most engaging thinkers. No question is off limit; no challenge is too difficult.

Philosophical Currents

Public radio show and podcast

A monthly public-radio show and podcast presenting a philosopher’s analysis of the most important news stories and cultural events. From Supreme Supreme Court decisions to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, no news isn’t worth exploring.

PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS EVERY DAY

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The official blog of Why? Radio dedicated to the host’s exploration of philosophy in all of its forms. It also features “Ask A Philosopher,” a philosophical advice column.

Philosophy IS A GREAT MAJOR

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PIAGM.com is a clearinghouse for information explaining why philosophy is an excellent college major. From high salaries to flexible skills, this is a site to go for data and personal accounts explaining why philosophy is a good choice for undergraduates.

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The latest episode of WHY? Radio
Adrian Bardon

“Why Do People Deny Such Obvious Things?” with guest Adrian Bardon

So much of politics today is about people denying things that others know to be perfectly true. From science to economics, to religious belief, people not only wave away obvious falsities, but they proudly act inconsistently. How can someone dismiss expertise but insist on having a surgeon, when they need one? Why do some people cite research proving climate change but ignore the studies that defend genetically modified food? On this episode, we explore denialism and inconsistency, while trying to make sense of personal belief.

Adrian Bardon is Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest University. He is the author of A Brief History of the Philosophy of Time and The Truth About Denial: Bias and Self-Deception in Science, Politics, and Religion both published by Oxford University Press.

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This month’s discussion of current events:
dog in the wind

Happy or Content: Rethinking What A Good LIfe Really Means

Philosophers spend a lot of time discussing the meaning of happiness but don’t explore the idea of contentment as much. Surely there is a fundamental difference between feeling fulfilled and recognizing that things don’t need to get better. In this episode, Craig and Jack explore the tension between joy, pleasure, and satisfaction, and investigate the place of morality, emotions, and reason in these feelings.

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PQED: Philosophical Questions Every Day

“what is empathy for?”

The battle over empathy is more than just politics. It’s actually about nihilism, masculinity, and the stability of the American republic.

Empathy makes you weak. This is a message that Charlie Kirk is supposed to have communicated to his millions of followers. Interestingly, he never actually said this; Elon Musk is the one who did. In an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience, Musk remarked that “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy. The empathy exploit. They’re exploiting a bug in Western civilization, which is the empathy response.” You should care about other people, he reluctantly concedes, but then he doubles down: “there’s so much empathy that you actually suicide yourself.”

Kirk’s comments about empathy are different but more extreme. Criticizing Bill Clinton, he opines: “I can’t stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that—it does a lot of damage.” Kirk also looks like he will concede his point by admitting that some people should, at times, feel sympathy for others, but he waves that conversation away. He is assuming that the distinction between empathy and sympathy is both clear and significant. It is not.

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Read the new (fREE) Book from Why? Radio Host
Jack Russell Weinstein

israel, Palestine, and the trolley problem

On the futility of the search for the moral high ground

Arguments about Israel and Palestine are almost always accusatory and polemical. Rather than learning from one another, opponents jockey for the moral high ground trying to find that one attack they believe proves their side to be completely on the right, without compromise. This means Israel’s advocates dismiss Palestinian land claims without due consideration and Pro-Palestinian voices falsely accuse Israel of the most heinous modern crimes: colonialism, genocide, and apartheid. None of this is productive or healthy.

In Israel, Palestine, and the Trolley Problem: On the Futility of the Search for the Moral High Ground, philosopher Jack Russell Weinstein interweaves philosophy, history, politics, and personal experience to expose the argumentative mistakes we all make too often. Mapping out moral psychology—how we actually make moral decisions—and using the famous Trolley Problem as a metaphor, Weinstein paves the way for a new, more empathetic exchange of ideas about today’s most puzzling moral dilemma: how to find peace in the Middle East.

Jack Russell Weinstein is Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor and Director of the Institute for Philosophy in Public Life at the University of North Dakota. He is also the host of the public radio show/podcast Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life.

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We have switched our video hosting to Vimeo.
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YouTube has deleted our account. We don’t know why. We’ve received no notice or justification, and no one in customer service will engage with us (there’s no phone number to call). We have copies of most of our videos, but thirteen years of followers, likes, and data are now gone, not to mention the thousands of links from websites around the world that are now dead. There’s nothing we can do about it. There’s no way to recover what we lost. It’s both devastating and frustrating. We are helpless in the face of the uncaring juggernaut that is Google. Kafka would be proud.

As a result, we have started a new channel on Vimeo.
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It will take a while to populate it, but if a particular video you want is missing, email us and we’ll get it up as soon as we can. We apologize for any inconvenience and dead links on your sites.

You are invited to participate in a wide range of philosophical activities, from asking questions of some of the world’s most thoughtful people on our radio show and podcast, to sitting in a coffee shop with a dozen intellectually curious octogenarians. Read our blog and our magazine, or learn why philosophy is a great major with employable graduates.

Please explore our site and enjoy. We welcome all of your feedback. Send us your thoughts via our comment form.

Why? Radio and IPPL needs your help more than ever.

we get no ACTUAL money from the University of North Dakota.

And really, if you won’t support philosophy, who will?

Every guest on Why? Radio and every person who works with IPPL donates his or her time. This keeps our costs low and means that everyone associated with our programs is happy to be doing what they can for us. Your contribution goes a long, long way.

Thank you! We appreciate your generosity!

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Donors receive thank-you gifts, music CDs that have  themselves been donated to us.

For gifts of $25 or more, you will receive the world jazz CD Lua e Sol from Mark Weinstein (while supplies last). This is the album that contains all of the wonderful music that makes up the show¹s soundtrack.

For gifts of $100 or more, you will receive a handful of his CDs, remarkable music from Brazil, Cuba, and some straight-ahead jazz. You can visit Mark¹s website and listen to his other music at http://jazzfluteweinstein.com/

For donations of $250 or more, you will receive the CD¹s and be named on the air as an episode¹s sponsor. You¹ll be a role-model for all of our listeners.

About © This page and its the intellectual property of IPPL are ©️ 2008-2025, Jack Russell Weinstein