Episodes

  • John Mackey - The Entrepreneur Philosopher Behind Whole Foods
    Oct 30 2025

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    John Mackey is an entrepreneur and the cofounder and visionary behind Whole Foods Market, where he grew the company to 540 stores with annual sales over $22 billion. He serves on the Board of Directors for Conscious Capitalism, The Motley Fool, CATO Institute, The Institute for Cultural Evolution, and Students for Liberty. His next business venture is Love.Life.

    Dr. Jared Oliphint received his PhD in philosophy, and teaches philosophy at the college level. His published work has focused on metaphysics, philosophy of language, conceptual engineering, social ontology, and metaethics.

    Love.Life's website: https://love.life

    John Mackey's books:

    The Whole Story: https://amzn.to/47ck8rK

    Conscious Leadership: https://amzn.to/4oHD4V7

    Conscious Capitalism: https://amzn.to/3LtBI1F

    (affiliate links)

    Chapters

    00:00 The Journey into Philosophy

    08:49 Critical Thinking and Leadership

    11:10 The Role of CEOs and Entrepreneurs

    16:04 Mission-Driven Business

    19:51 Soulmate Conversations with Jeff Bezos

    22:31 The Impact of Purpose on Business

    25:45 Philosophical Influences and Personal Growth

    31:30 Comparing Past and Present Ventures

    36:00 Continuity of Mission: From Whole Foods to Love Life

    42:06 Introducing Love Life: A Holistic Health Club

    48:27 Building Community: The Social Aspect of Health

    52:24 Philosophy and Health: Exploring Deeper Questions

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    Keywords

    philosophy, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, holistic health, mission-driven, leadership, community, purpose-driven, Whole Foods, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Love.Life

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    1 hr
  • Dr. Lorraine Besser - The Good Life Isn't Boring
    Oct 16 2025

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    Dr. Lorraine Besser is a philosopher, author, and professor at Middlebury College in Vermont. A specialist in both contemporary and historical moral psychology, her current research focuses on theories of happiness and well-being. She is the author of the trade book, The Art of the Interesting, and two academic books, Eudaimonic Ethics and The Philosophy of Happiness.

    Lorraine Besser's website: https://lorrainebesser.com

    Dr. Jared Oliphint received his PhD in philosophy, and teaches philosophy at the college level. His published work has focused on metaphysics, philosophy of language, conceptual engineering, social ontology, and metaethics.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction to the Good Life

    02:55 Philosophical Foundations of the Good Life

    05:33 Psychology Meets Philosophy

    08:49 The Role of Happiness in the Good Life

    11:53 Meaning and Purpose in Life

    14:55 The Concept of Psychological Richness

    17:39 Integrating Happiness, Meaning, and Interest

    35:22 The Value of Interestingness

    38:09 Resilience and Challenge in the Good Life

    41:43 Mindfulness and Engaging with Challenges

    44:58 Navigating Digital Distractions

    50:54 The Balance of Seeking Interesting Experiences

    54:32 Purpose and the Pressure to Find It

    57:09 Understanding Boredom and Engagement

    01:02:32 Future Research on Boredom and Self-Expansion

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    Keywords

    good life, philosophy, happiness, meaning, psychological richness, resilience, boredom, self-expansion, Aristotle, Plato

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Maddie Rowley - Working for The Free Press and Seeking the Truth
    Oct 2 2025

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    Madeleine Rowley is an investigative reporter covering immigration, financial corruption, and politics. She is a 2023-2024 Manhattan Institute Logos Fellow with previous bylines in The Free Press, City Journal, and Public. As a U.S. Army spouse for almost a decade, she's lived in six states and spent two years in Jerusalem, Israel. She currently resides on the East Coast with her husband and daughter. (From Maddie's Free Press bio)

    Maddie Rowley's work for The Free Press: https://www.thefp.com/w/madeleine-rowley

    Follow Maddie on X: https://x.com/Maddie_Rowley_

    Dr. Jared Oliphint received his PhD in philosophy, and teaches philosophy at the college level. His published work has focused on metaphysics, philosophy of language, conceptual engineering, social ontology, and metaethics.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction and Background

    02:00 Career Path and Journalism Journey

    05:51 The State of Journalism Ethics

    09:50 The Free Press: A New Perspective

    14:02 The Role of Diversity in Journalism

    17:47 Motivation Behind Storytelling

    22:02 Understanding NGOs and Their Impact

    25:56 Access and Relationships in Journalism

    30:58 Navigating Remote Work and Family Life

    32:17 Mentorship and Learning in Journalism

    34:37 Insights from the Inside: Media Relationships

    37:35 The Free Press and Other Networks

    41:18 Challenges in Investigative Reporting

    45:44 The Importance of Uncovered Stories

    49:28 Advice for Aspiring Journalists

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    Keywords

    journalism, ethics, investigative reporting, The Free Press, transparency, media landscape, storytelling, access, relationships, aspiring journalists

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    52 mins
  • Zuby: Influencing Millions with Philosophy and Positivity
    Sep 18 2025

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    From his website (https://www.zubymusic.com): Zuby is an independent rapper, author, podcast host, public speaker, and creative entrepreneur with over 2 million followers on social media. He was born in England, raised in Saudi Arabia and is a graduate of Oxford University. He has sold tens of thousands of albums and books independently, performed in 10 countries, and gained 50 million+ online video views. His podcast 'Real Talk with Zuby' has surpassed 20 million downloads and streams, and reaches thousands of listeners every week. Zuby has done interviews with Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, Piers Morgan, and many others. He is the author of two books, 'Strong Advice: Zuby's Guide To Fitness For Everybody' and his children's book 'The Candy Calamity'.

    Dr. Jared Oliphint is the founder of Selling Plato (www.sellingplato.com), received his PhD in philosophy, and teaches philosophy at the college level. His published work has focused on metaphysics, philosophy of language, conceptual engineering, social ontology, and metaethics.

    Chapters

    00:00 Exploring Philosophy and Human Nature

    16:57 The Journey of a Multi-Talented Creator

    29:51 Resilience and Overcoming Challenges

    39:30 Insights from Interviewing Influential Figures

    54:47 The Hunger for Substance in Conversations

    01:01:04 Advice for Aspiring Content Creators

    Links:Zuby's fitness book: https://zubymusic.gumroad.com/l/zubyfitness

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • L.A. Paul - Transformative Experience and Practical Philosophy
    Sep 4 2025

    ✍🏻 Get my FREE 17-page paper-writing guide: https://sellingplato.kit.com/freepapertemplateand create your own newsletter using my affiliate link with Kit here: https://partners.kit.com/ichm6j4wln2bDr. L.A. Paul (lapaul.org) is the Millstone Family Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Cognitive Science at Yale University, where she leads the Self and Society Initiative for the Wu Tsai Institute. Her research explores questions about the nature of the self and decision-making and the metaphysics and cognitive science of time, cause, and experience. She is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Humanities Center, and the Australian National University. She is the author of Transformative Experience and coauthor of Causation: A User’s Guide, which was awarded the American Philosophical Association Sanders Book Prize. Her work on transformative experience has been covered by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, NPR, and the BBC, among others. And in 2024, she was profiled by The New Yorker here https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/12/09/the-philosopher-l-a-paul-wants-us-to-think-about-our-selvesYou can see the interview with Tim Ferriss we reference here: https://youtu.be/iyRAAMnaJqk?si=pI_Gw5fyvlCmaDEEDr. Jared Oliphint is the founder of Selling Plato (www.sellingplato.com), received his PhD in philosophy, and teaches philosophy at the college level. His published work has focused on metaphysics, philosophy of language, conceptual engineering, social ontology, and metaethics.Chapters00:00 Technical Challenges and Solutions01:59 The Tim Ferriss Interview05:51 Bridging Philosophy and Public Engagement11:48 Influences from David Lewis17:34 The Appeal of Existentialism23:34 Personal Experiences in Philosophy29:00 Teaching Philosophy in the Age of AI34:45 Transformative Experiences in Philosophy40:38 Philosophy and Personal Life Choices46:03 The Evolution of Philosophy as a Discipline51:32 Future Projects and Philosophical Counseling🎙️ SUBSCRIBE to the Selling Plato podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TBXs4TY8wt06KNg6Osm8v?si=wJa0rwPbTFahYQf2gxzMHQ📲 CONNECT on:X: https://x.com/sellingplatoTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@selling.platoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sellingplato/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sellingplatoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sellingplatoThreads: https://www.threads.net/@sellingplato

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    53 mins
  • Episode 17 - Dr. Brandon Warmke: The Massive Moral Failures of Academia
    May 8 2025

    Brandon Warmke will be Associate Professor of Humanities at the Hamilton School of Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida starting in Fall 2025. He is currently Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University and was, during the 2023–2024 academic year, a visiting fellow at the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Warmke works on various moral, social, and political topics in both philosophy and psychology, including moral responsibility, forgiveness, free expression, and public discourse. With Justin Tosi, he has written for CNN, Aeon, The Conversation, and MarketWatch, and their academic work has been featured by The Atlantic, New York Times Magazine, HuffPost, Scientific American, Forbes, Vox, Commentary Magazine, and The Guardian. In addition to publishing nearly three dozen articles, he has published two books, both co-authored with Justin Tosi: Why It’s OK to Mind Your Own Business (Routledge, 2023) and Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk (Oxford University Press, 2020). He also edited Forgiveness and Its Moral Dimensions (Oxford University Press, 2021) with Dana Nelkin and Michael McKenna. (From the Hamilton School site)

    Chapters:

    00:00 Philosophers and Political Discourse

    11:19 The Standards of Rigor in Academia

    21:41 Self-Selection and Political Diversity in Academia

    30:00 Understanding Left and Right Perspectives

    40:06 Teaching Controversial Issues in the Classroom

    48:41 Teaching Philosophy: Approaches and Ethics

    56:59 Navigating Neutrality in the Classroom

    01:04:30 The Role of Psychology in Philosophy

    01:11:24 The Importance of Forgiveness in Today's Society

    01:19:11 Transitioning Academic Roles: A New Chapter at the Hamilton School

    01:26:28 Reimagining Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities

    Links from the show:

    Personal website: https://brandonwarmke.com/

    X: https://x.com/BrandonWarmke

    Brandon Warmke's profile at the Hamilton School: https://hamilton.center.ufl.edu/people/brandon-warmke

    Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk (Oxford University Press, 2020): https://a.co/d/gZ3adY6

    Forgiveness and Its Moral Dimensions (Oxford University Press, 2021): https://a.co/d/38Qh80a

    Why It’s OK to Mind Your Own Business (Routledge, 2023): https://a.co/d/9ONbzk9

    Dr. Jared Oliphint is the founder of Selling Plato (www.sellingplato.com), received his PhD in philosophy, and teaches philosophy at the college level. His published work has focused on metaphysics, philosophy of language, conceptual engineering, social ontology, and metaethics.

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    Keywords:

    philosophy, political discourse, academia, rigor, viewpoint diversity, teaching, forgiveness, Hamilton School, conservative principles, academic standards

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    1 hr and 34 mins
  • Episode 16 - How Colleges Actually Work
    Apr 24 2025

    Few people know how colleges work. What does "R1" mean? How are professors incentivized? Why do graduate students teach college courses? What's a SLAC?

    Dr. Jared Oliphint is the founder of Selling Plato (www.sellingplato.com), received his PhD in philosophy, and teaches philosophy at the college level. His published work has focused on metaphysics, philosophy of language, conceptual engineering, social ontology, and metaethics.

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    Keywords

    college, university, R1, R2, SLAC, research, teaching

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    15 mins
  • Dr. Nathan Howard - Reasons Why We Do What We Do
    Apr 10 2025

    Dr. Nathan Howard is an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Toronto, specialized in moral philosophy, particularly concerning questions at the intersection of ethical theory and practical reasoning about the nature of moral motivation and the role of virtue in ethical life.

    Chapters

    00:00 The Intersection of Ethics and Parenthood

    02:43 Building Connections: The Role of Relationships in Academia

    05:51 The Journey Through Graduate School: Challenges and Triumphs

    08:53 Specializing in Philosophy: Finding Your Niche

    11:42 The Evolution of Philosophical Interests: Language and Ethics

    14:59 The Evolution of Philosophical Interests

    20:53 Understanding Reasons in Metaethics

    24:41 The Nature of Reasons

    38:51 Exploring the Ontology of Reasons

    52:51 Teaching Philosophy: Engaging Students with Reasons

    55:34 Exploring Non-Cognitivism and Ethics

    57:55 Teaching Philosophy: Reception and Classroom Dynamics

    01:01:15 The Value of Philosophy Beyond Academia

    01:05:22 Writing Philosophy Papers: Structure and Strategy

    01:13:34 Challenges in Philosophy: Financial Pressures and Standards

    01:18:16 Personal Journey: Music and Philosophy

    01:26:01 Aesthetics and Ethics: Intersections and Interests

    Links from the show:

    Dr. Howard's PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/nathan-howard

    The book, "The Fundamentals of Reasons": https://a.co/d/1RqMvHcDr.

    Jared Oliphint is the founder of Selling Plato (www.sellingplato.com), received his PhD in philosophy, and teaches philosophy at the college level. His published work has focused on metaphysics, philosophy of language, conceptual engineering, social ontology, and metaethics.

    ✍🏻 Get my FREE 17-page paper-writing guide: https://sellingplato.kit.com/freepapertemplate

    🎙️ SUBSCRIBE to the Selling Plato podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TBXs4TY8wt06KNg6Osm8v?si=wJa0rwPbTFahYQf2gxzMHQ

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    Keywords

    philosophy, ethics, bioethics, reasons, academic career, writing, philosophy of language, meta-ethics, University of Toronto, David Lewis, Derek Parfit

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    1 hr and 36 mins