What value might there be in having fewer rules? In episode 129 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk to philosopher and host of Hi-Phi Nation Barry Lam about his book, Fewer Rules, Better People: The Case for Discretion. They discuss the problems with legalism and bureaucracy and the importance of discretion, as well as how the emergence of AI affects decision-making, and the negative impact of too many rules on our criminal justice system. Are we obliged to follow government rulings? Why is the ‘by the book bureaucrat’ the biggest villain of all? And how can we train people to make better discretionary decisions? In the bonus, your hosts consider the effects of decisions based on private morality and whether there are cultural differences in discretion.

Works Discussed:

Ronald Dworkin, Taking Rights Seriously
Barry Lam,  Fewer Rules, Better People: The Case for Discretion
Plato, Crito

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Episode 128 – Cleanliness

How often should we be showering each day to remain ‘clean’? How many times can we re-wear our jeans before they become dirty? In episode 128 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a look at cleanliness. They get into how humans have turned cleanliness into art, the double standard of cleanliness for humans vs pets, and the historical weaponisation of cleanliness against marginalised groups, such as queer people and people of color. Why are we so focused on dirt when it is nothing more than matter out of place? And what is up with TikTok’s obsession with the Clean Girl Aesthetic? In the bonus, Ellie and David discuss cleanliness as a social construct, dirtiness and isolation, and Michael Serres’ excremental theory of property.

Works Discussed:
Bruce Bagemihl, Biological Exuberance
Dana Berthold, “Tidy Whiteness: A Genealogy of Race, Purity, and Hygiene”
L’Oreal Blackett, “In The “Hygiene Olympics” Black Folks Always Win — But Aren’t We Tired?”
Mary Douglas, Purity and Danger
Virginia Smith, Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and Purity

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Is Trump’s presidential reign turning the US into an oligarchy? Or did the US fall into oligarchic rule many years ago? In episode 127 of Overthink, David and Ellie dive into what an oligarchy looks like, the dangers of a country’s power being in the hands of the wealthy few, and whether or not oligarchic rule is new for the US. They look to the ancient Greeks for ideas on which form of government is conducive to the good life and explore how Aristotle’s notion of pleonexia relates to the current state of the US. Your hosts investigate how oligarchy morphs into tyranny, and try to answer the question, “How can we resist an oligarchy?” In the bonus, Ellie and David look at the four different types of oligarchy discussed by Jeffrey Winters.

Works Discussed:

Aristotle, Politics

Gordon Arlen, “Aristotle and the problem of oligarchic harm: Insights for democracy”

Thom Hartmann, The Hidden History of American Oligarchy

Plato, Republic

Luke Winslow, Oligarchy in America

Jeffrey Winters, Oligarchy

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Website | overthinkpodcast.com
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Email | dearoverthink@gmail.com
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