Advertise on podcast: Chasing Leviathan

What happens to our character when being dishonest becomes easier and more rewarding than ever before?  Wake Forest University philosophy professor Dr. Christian Miller joins host PJ Wehry to discuss the "honesty crisis" and how modern technology reshapes our most fundamental virtue.  Dr. Miller explores the findings of The Honesty Project and his book The Honesty Crisis: Preserving Our Most Treasured Virtue in an Increasingly Dishonest World. They examine the psychological and philosophical boundaries of honesty to reveal how motivation is just as important as truth-telling.  In this conversation they explore:  Why honesty requires more than just accurate behavior and must include selfless or dutiful motivations. The flaws of a "mixed bag" character where people act honestly in some settings but reliably cheat in others. How the rise of AI and the internet created a "double-fold" crisis by increasing the incentives to lie while making it easier to avoid detection.The specific moral dangers of sermon plagiarism and why using AI to generate religious messages compromises the integrity of the speaker.Why celebrity culture creates a negative feedback loop that encourages protecting a public image through deception. Practical strategies for maintaining honesty through community accountability and frequent moral reminders. This is a conversation for anyone interested in psychology and ethics who wants to understand the hidden forces eroding our integrity and how to build a more honest life.  Make sure to check out Dr. Miller's book: The Honesty Crisis: Preserving Our Most Treasured Virtue in an Increasingly Dishonest World 👉 https://a.co/d/03WsKT5Y Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. Timestamps 0:00 Introducing Dr. Christian Miller2:06 Honesty: Beyond Simply Not Lying9:03 How Philosophy and Psychology Research Honesty Together16:01 Six Honesty Crisis Case Studies Driven by Technology19:26 What Makes Sermon Plagiarism Dishonest30:00 When Executives and Professionals Secretly Outsource Thinking to AI39:07 Turning AI-Generated Sermons Into Books and Prestige41:34 How Celebrity Status Directly Incentivizes Lying and Spin45:57 Lance Armstrong, Coverups, and Protecting a Public Image52:28 Can We Realistically Stop Student Cheating With AI54:48 Deepfakes, Accountability, and Rebuilding Honest Character Today

How does recognizing our deep physical and social connections change the way we understand human nature? University of Cincinnati philosophy and psychology professor Dr. Anthony Chemero joins host PJ Weary to challenge traditional Western philosophy and explore the embodied nature of cognition. Dr. Chemero unpacks his book Intertwined Creatures: The Embodied Cognitive Science of Self and Other. Together they discuss the intersection of cognitive science and feminist theory to show how deeply our environments and social circles shape who we are. In this conversation they explore:  How feminist critiques of traditional philosophy reveal that our earliest experiences as infants are shared rather than isolated. The flaws of the Cartesian worldview that treats the self as a hidden mind sparsely connected to a mechanical body. Using the pub crawl from the movie The World's End to explain why viewing other people as unthinking blanks is a fundamental failure of understanding humanity. What flushing toilets and far-from-equilibrium thermodynamics teach us about the self-organizing nature of human behavior. The physical and social constraints that effortlessly coordinate our actions when we move a sofa or dance with another person. The concept of shared public moods and how our emotions are often collective rather than purely internal.This is a conversation for anyone interested in psychology and philosophy who wants to break free from the illusion of isolation and embrace a deeply connected human experience. Make sure to check out Dr. Chemero's book: Intertwined Creatures: The Embodied Cognitive Science of Self and Other 👉 https://cup.columbia.edu/book/intertwined-creatures/9780231223195/ Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. Timestamps0:00 – Introduction1:13 – Grad School, Feminism, and the Limits of Analytic Philosophy2:10 – From Chomsky to Dennett to Feminist Cognitive Science3:16 – Discovering Feminist Political Theory and Embodiment4:22 – Embodiment, Social Interaction, and What People Really Are4:45 – AI as Blanks and The World’s End Analogy5:33 – Why No One Around You Is a Blank6:16 – The Problem of Other Minds7:26 – Philosophy, Real Life, and Promoting Social Change8:46 – What Is a Person? Traditional Views vs Feminist Critique9:50 – Mothers, Infants, and Shared Experience10:30 – Minimal Self, Narrative Self, and a Three Year Old’s Identity11:32 – From Newborn Coexperience to Semi Autonomy12:20 – Robinson Crusoe, Technology, and Minds Without Others13:11 – Culture, Chairs, and How Social Norms Shape Perception15:00 – Are Some Cultures More Communal Than the West15:58 – How Roles and Rooms Quietly Shape Our Choices16:38 – What Are Dynamical Systems in Cognitive Science18:01 – Far From Equilibrium Thermodynamics and Living Systems19:19 – Bringing Dynamics into Neuroscience and Cognition20:11 – Frisbee Catching and Why Minds Extend Beyond the Skull20:39 – Self Organization, Constraints, and Everyday Common Sense22:28 – Toilets, Whirlpools, and How Order Emerges Without a Leader24:23 – Actions as Self Organizing Rather Than Commanded25:00 – Social Constraints, Bowls, and How Groups Shape Behavior25:27 – Carrying a Sofa Together as Joint Action27:19 – Moods as Public and Shared Rather Than Private28:37 – Personality, Moods, and Emotions Across Timescales29:10 – Shared Emotions and the Feel of Being in an Argument29:34 – Power, Hierarchy, and Antagonistic Coupling30:11 – Belittling, Culture, and How Reactions Are Learned30:59 – Novels, Violence, and How Books Shape Collective Mood31:59 – Beyond Cartesian Mind Reading32:37 – Conversations, Grumpiness, and Shared Affective Fields36:03 – Truth, Activism, and Why Theory Choice Is Moral37:02 – Chomsky, Nativism, and Morally Dubious Pictures of Persons38:17 – How Intertwined Selves Reshape Parenting and Gender39:44 – Emotional Connectedness as the Human Default40:01 – Individual Health as Community Health40:28 – Environment, Regulation, and Why the World Matters for Persons41:22 – Inverting Harmful Policies Through Interdependence41:50 – Descartes, Souls, and the Myth of Radical Independence42:47 – Relationships as Systems With Their Own Integrity45:00 – Microbiomes, Air Quality, and the Fragility of Thought47:09 – Jeff VanderMeer, Area X, and Transformative Environments50:00 – Violence, Mobs, and When Social Dynamics Go Wrong51:25 – Concluding Thoughts

Are we powerless against the march of modern technology, or can we reclaim our agency to foster true human connection?  Writer, cultural historian, and photographer Dr. Dan Turello joins host PJ Wehry to rethink our relationship with technology and explore its potential to improve the human condition. Turello, a technology and humanity fellow at the Center for Future of Mind, AI, and Society at Florida Atlantic University, unpacks his book, Connection: How Technology Can Make Us Better Humans.  Together they discuss moving past tech-pessimism and determinism to understand how our tools and social structures shape our lives. In this conversation they explore:  Why we need to view technology not just as screens and algorithms, but as the fundamental ways humans relate, negotiate, and build communityThe surprising lessons on counterculture, wealth, and institutional bureaucracy we can learn from 13th-century Franciscan monks like St. Francis and Jacopone da TodiHow an autonomic nervous system crisis forced a shift from a purely intellectual "neck-up" mindset to a deeply embodied way of livingReclaiming our agency over our devices—like choosing a flip phone—to dictate how and when we connect with the worldWhy portrait photography acts as an unpredictable, embodied dance of trust and authentic expression rather than a cerebral pursuitAcknowledging the cognitive impact of social media by giving readers permission to consume books in a non-linear, "choose your own adventure" styleThis is a conversation for anyone exhausted by tech-anxiety who wants to build healthier, more intentional relationships with their devices and their own bodies. Make sure to check out Dr. Turello's book: Connection: How Technology Can Make Us Better Humans 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXNQQX17 Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. Timestamps0:00 Introducing Dan Trello1:36 Three Origin Stories Behind the Book3:43 Franciscans, Battlestar Galactica, and Fear of Tech5:37 When the Body Revolts and Embodiment Practices10:01 Climbing, Poetry, and Non-Logical Knowing11:33 Emotions, History, and the Wolf Story13:43 What Franciscans Teach About Technology17:44 Medieval Finance and Franciscan Resistance19:33 Jacopone’s Radical Poverty and Paradox24:36 Asceticism, Institutions, and Technology26:52 Bodies, Nature, and Harmonious Tech Use28:03 The Mammoth Fable and Relational Technology32:35 Facebook, Phalanx, and Social Arrangements35:10 Flip Phones, Smartphones, and Agency35:54 Embodiment Practices and Photography38:47 Can We Still Read Long Books Deeply43:33 How Academics Read and Partial Reading47:13 Living Embodied in an Overconsuming Culture49:11 Concluding Thoughts

What comes after the endless critiques of postmodernism?  Williams College professor Dr. Jason Ananda Josephson Storm joins host PJ Wehry to rethink the trajectory of the human sciences and chart a course for the future of academic theory.  Dr. Storm, the Francis Christopher Oakley Third Century Professor of Religion and Chair of Science and Technology Studies, unpacks his book, Metamodernism: The Future of Theory. Together they discuss how scholars can move past deconstruction and begin building again.  In this conversation they explore: 🔷 Why starting with critique is necessary but terminating in critique fails to move conversations forward. 🔷 How academic disciplines systematically dismantled their own core categories like art, religion, and society. 🔷 The frustrating cycle of scholarly "turns" that repeat past mistakes without interdisciplinary awareness. 🔷 Reclaiming the liberal arts as a practical guide for living a life worth having lived. 🔷 The shift from academic destruction to compassionate philosophy after the birth of his daughter. 🔷 Critical virtue ethics and the importance of struggling together to build a better world despite pervasive suffering.  This is a conversation for anyone exhausted by constant skepticism who wants to find constructive ways to engage with society and scholarship.  Make sure to check out Dr. Storm's book: Metamodernism: The Future of Theory 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/022678665X Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. Timestamps0:00 Introduction5:00 Beyond Postmodernism10:00 Humanities, Jobs, and Lives Worth Having Lived15:00 Teaching “The Meaning of Life” and Guiding Students Toward Flourishing20:00 Epistemic Communities, Self-Deception, and Critical Virtue Ethics30:23 How Categories Like “Art,” “Religion,” and “Society” Fall Apart38:38 What Metamodernism Tries to Build44:11 Academic Incentives, Jargon, and Trying to Do No-B******t Philosophy53:05 The Impact of Fatherhood1:02:07 Critical Virtue Ethics

What do Hegel and Heidegger have to do with the struggles faced by liberalism today?  Duke political philosopher Dr. Michael Allen Gillespie joins host PJ Wehry to rethink the philosophical foundations of modern history and the crisis we're living through now. Dr. Gillespie, Professor of Political Science at Duke University, revisits his landmark book, Hegel, Heidegger, and the Ground of History, to examine what these two towering figures reveal about the trajectory of Western civilization. In this conversation they explore: Why Fukuyama's "end of history" never arrived and what replaced itHegel's master-slave dialectic and what it tells us about how consciousness drives historyHeidegger's warning: the "forgetfulness of Being" as the root of modern nihilismWhat it means to ask for the ground of history and why that question remains urgentThe tension between human freedom and natural causation at the heart of modernityHeidegger's destruction of Western metaphysics and what he was trying to clear space forWhy Heidegger may have misread Plato, and what we lose because of itThis is a conversation for anyone who suspects something has gone deeply wrong in the modern world and wants to understand why. Make sure to check out Dr. Gillespie's book: Hegel, Heidegger, and the Ground of History 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0226293777/ Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

Can beauty actually reveal God? Oxford theologian Dr. Mark McInroy joins host PJ Wehry to explore Hans Urs von Balthasar's radical claim that beauty is not decoration, but the very structure of divine revelation. Dr. McInroy, Associate Professor of Contemporary and Systematic Theology at the University of Oxford, unpacks his book Balthasar on the Spiritual Senses: Perceiving Splendor, a guide to one of the most important (and most difficult) Catholic thinkers of the 20th century. In this conversation they discuss: What Balthasar means by "spiritual senses"How beauty functions as a transcendental property of being itselfWhy God's self-disclosure in Christ is fundamentally sensory, not merely rationalThe concept of "splendor"Why beauty, truth, and goodness are inseparableHow perceiving divine beauty is available to all Christians, not just mysticsIf you've ever felt that a great work of art, a piece of music, or a moment in nature pointed toward something beyond itself, Balthasar has a theology for that experience. Make sure to check out Dr. McInroy's book: Balthasar on the Spiritual Senses: Perceiving Splendor 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199689008 Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, host PJ Wehry sits down with Dr. Yuval Avnur, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Humanities Institute at Scripps College. They dive into Dr. Avnur's new book, Why Read Pascal Today?, and explore why Blaise Pascal remains one of the most vital voices in the philosophy of religion. Dr. Avnur challenges the traditional understanding of Pascal's Wager. Rather than a cold, calculated bet designed to force belief, Avnur explains that Pascal viewed human nature fundamentally as a "heart with a belief-forming mechanism attached to it." Together, PJ and Dr. Avnur discuss: Pascal’s Augustinian roots and his skepticism toward "pure reason"Why the condition of our hearts dictates the evidence we are willing to seeThe "crisis of desire": Why endless distraction leaves us unsatisfiedWhat does a 17th-century philosopher have to say about our modern lives? Dr. Avnur breaks down why we can have every comfort at our fingertips yet remain entirely empty, and how a "Pascalian" approach can help us engage with one another more humanely—seeking to understand the heart rather than just winning the argument. Make sure to check out Avnur's book: Why Read Pascal Today? 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1009321447/ Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ sits down with Dr. Michael Sawyer, Professor of African American Literature and Culture at the University of Pittsburgh. They dive deep into the philosophy behind Dr. Sawyer's latest book, The Door of No Return: Being as Black. Dr. Sawyer challenges traditional academic boundaries, arguing that Black aesthetic practices—from the novels of Toni Morrison and Ralph Ellison to the musical performances of Bob Marley and Aretha Franklin—are profound philosophical statements in their own right. Together, PJ and Dr. Sawyer discuss:🔷 The limitations of W.E.B. Du Bois's "double consciousness"🔷 How Hegel's dialectic outlines the anti-black world🔷 Toni Morrison's vision of a non-dialectical "third world" of sovereign blackness What does it practically mean to push past the Middle Passage and imagine a world beyond anti-blackness? Dr. Sawyer explains how this speculative philosophy translates to a day-to-day reality where systemic tragedies like the death of Breonna Taylor simply do not happen. Make sure to check out Sawyer's book: The Door of No Return: Being-As-Black 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439925577Use the code: 25FNBK at tupress.temple.edu/books/the-door-of-no-return for a 25% discount! Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Paul Moser to discuss his book, God on Trial: Testing for the Divine. They explore why traditional philosophical arguments often fail to reveal the true nature of God and why the search for the divine requires a shift from intellectual spectacle to moral participation.  Dr. Moser challenges the "spectator" approach to theology, arguing that God is not interested in satisfying human curiosity with miraculous signs or undeniable logic. He contends that God’s primary goal is not merely to be believed in, but to be trusted and partnered with, specifically through the "Gethsemane struggle" of aligning human will with divine love. He advocates for a shift from demanding evidence from God to becoming evidence for God through righteous character.  The conversation also covers the crucial difference between "gift-giver" theology and true relational intimacy, the role of the "fruit of the Spirit" as the tangible personality traits of God, and why effective prayer is less about asking for favors and more about becoming a "fellow worker" in God's redemptive plan. Make sure to check out Moser's book: God on Trial: Testing for the Divine 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DST8MH5Y Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Barbara Rosenwein to discuss her book, Generations of Feeling: A History of Emotions, 600 to 1700, and the decade-long research process required to bridge the traditional academic silos of the medieval and early modern periods. Dr. Rosenwein introduces her concept of "emotional communities," explaining how groups throughout history, much like modern political parties, have maintained distinct norms and values regarding what is felt and expressed . She challenges the linear view that modern society has reached a "pinnacle" of emotional development , arguing that historians have often "read out" emotions from the past , and advocates for understanding historical figures on their own terms rather than through modern judgment. The conversation also covers the evolution of friendship from the virtue-based models of Aristotle and Cicero to modern romantic ideals , the shifting biological theories of emotion from the heart to the brain , and why expanding our emotional vocabulary is essential to becoming fully human. Make sure to check out Rosenwein's book: Generations of Feeling: A History of Emotions, 600 to 1700 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1107097045 Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ Wehry is joined once again by political theorist Dr. Chris Yeomans to discuss his recent work on republicanism, political participation, and the legacy of Hegel. The conversation centers on why republicanism has reemerged as a serious framework for political thought and how Yeomans traces its development from contemporary neo-republican theory back through nineteenth century labor republicanism and into the classical civic tradition rooted in Aristotle. Rather than treating political philosophy as an abstract exercise, the episode situates these ideas within lived questions of freedom, agency, and civic responsibility. PJ and Dr. Yeomans explore how modern political discourse often flattens freedom into individual choice or non-interference, while republican traditions emphasize freedom as non-domination and active participation in shared political life. Yeomans explains why Hegel remains a difficult but indispensable figure for understanding these debates, particularly when it comes to the role of institutions, ethical life, and the formation of citizens. The discussion also addresses common misunderstandings of Hegel as either an authoritarian thinker or a simple apologist for the state, offering a more nuanced account of how his philosophy engages republican concerns. Throughout the episode, the conversation returns to questions of work, labor, and political belonging, especially in the context of modern democracies that struggle with disengagement and polarization. This episode will be especially relevant for listeners interested in political theory, republicanism, Hegel, civic participation, and the philosophical foundations of freedom in contemporary society. Make sure to check out Yeomans' book: Hegel and Republicanism: Non-Domination, Economics, and Political Participation 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1009705334 Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Eric Jacobsen, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washington, to discuss his book Three Pieces of Glass: Why We Feel Lonely in a World Mediated by Screens. Together they explore how modern life, shaped by smartphones, automobiles, and screen-mediated environments, quietly reshapes our relationships, our neighborhoods, and our sense of belonging. Rather than treating loneliness as only a personal or psychological problem, Jacobsen reframes it as a civic and cultural issue rooted in how we build and inhabit our shared spaces. The conversation moves through the hidden costs of car-centered development, the loss of walkable neighborhoods, and the rise of placeless places that fail to hold human stories. Jacobsen explains how habits formed since the mid-twentieth century have trained us to see others as obstacles rather than neighbors, while also hollowing out the everyday relationships that once created social trust and connection. Drawing on urban theory, theology, and lived experience, he makes the case that loneliness is not only about missing close friendships but also about losing meaningful ties to place, community, and civic life. Throughout the episode, PJ and Dr. Jacobsen discuss placemaking, social capital, and the importance of ordinary relationships with neighbors, shopkeepers, and strangers who slowly become acquaintances. They also reflect on how Christian theology, common grace, and the pursuit of the common good can help believers collaborate with their wider communities for the flourishing of shared spaces. This episode will resonate with anyone interested in technology and culture, urban design, Christian theology, or the growing crisis of loneliness in modern society. Make sure to check out Jacobsen's book: Three Pieces of Glass: Why We Feel Lonely in a World Mediated by Screens 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1587434229 Check out our blog on www.candidgoatproductions.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. 

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ Wehry is joined by philosopher Dr. Adebayo Oluwayomi, assistant professor of philosophy at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, to discuss his book Foundations of Black Epistemology: Knowledge, Discourse, and Africana Philosophy. The conversation examines how philosophical canons are formed, who is recognized as a knower, and how Black thinkers have often been treated as secondary or optional within Western philosophy. Dr. Oluwayomi argues that philosophy is never neutral and that canon formation reflects deeper questions of power, exclusion, and epistemic harm. They discuss major figures such as Immanuel Kant and G. W. F. Hegel, focusing not only on their influence but also on the racial assumptions that are frequently ignored in philosophical education. The episode then turns to Black intellectuals including Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, and Huey P. Newton, showing how their work contributes substantively to epistemology, moral reasoning, political theory, and liberation movements. Dr. Oluwayomi's work challenges inherited assumptions about philosophy, knowledge, and authority, and asks what is lost when entire traditions are treated as peripheral rather than foundational. Make sure to check out Dr. Oluwayomi's book: Foundations of Black Epistemology: Knowledge Discourse in Africana Philosophy 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439925488 Check out our blog on www.candidgoatproductions.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. 

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Kalliopi Nikolopoulou discuss the intersection of ancient tragedy, justice, and cosmology. Drawing from Dr. Nikolopoulou’s book Hunting for Justice: The Cosmology of Decay in Aeschylus' Oresteia, the conversation explores how the relationship between nature and justice has been severed by modern political thought. Together, they examine Aeschylus’ Oresteia—the only fully surviving trilogy of Greek tragedy—to trace the move from tribal blood-feuds to the establishment of the Areopagus, the world's first courtroom. The discussion engages the philosophical tension between the "Solar" order of Apollo and the "Chthonic" justice of the Furies, asking whether human reason alone can sustain a civic community. Analyzing the trial of Orestes and its famous hung jury, Dr. Nikolopoulou critiques the Hegelian view of progress, suggesting that when justice is reduced to a mere social construct, it loses its vital alignment with the natural world. The episode explores concepts such as ananke (necessity), the "theological politics" of Athena, and the inherent arbitrariness that persists within even the most rational legal systems. This conversation is essential for those interested in classical philology, legal theory, environmental ethics, and continental philosophy. Rather than viewing the Oresteia as a simple story of legal evolution, Dr. Nikolopoulou reframes it as a warning about the limits of human technology and craft in the face of mortality. Scholarly yet accessible, this episode speaks to the need for a "cosmological" justice that remains open to the biological and existential realities of the human condition. Make sure to check out Dr. Nikolopoulou's book: Hunting for Justice: The Cosmology of Dike in Aeschylus’s Oresteia 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFSSGKL4 Check out our blog on www.candidgoatproductions.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. 

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Jin Park explore the idea of marginality and why it matters for understanding power, identity, and social change. Their conversation is grounded in Dr. Park’s book, Marginality: Solidarity, and the Fight for Social Change, which brings together philosophy, Buddhist thought, ethics, and lived experience to examine how societies organize themselves around centers and margins—and what that means for those who live at the edges. Dr. Park reflects on her own journey from Korea to the United States, showing how questions of gender, race, class, and institutional authority are never merely abstract. She argues that marginality is not just a personal experience but a structural condition shaped by language, law, and violence, and she challenges common assumptions about hierarchy, justice, and equality. Along the way, the conversation opens up a rich interdisciplinary dialogue between philosophy and religion, emphasizing reflection, humility, and the limits of our own perspectives. Rather than offering easy conclusions, this episode invites listeners into deeper questions about responsibility, agency, and what meaningful change actually looks like in everyday life. It is a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation that treats philosophy not as a set of detached ideas, but as a lived practice with real consequences for how we understand ourselves and others. Make sure to check out Dr. Park's book: Marginality: Solidarity and the Fight for Social Change 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJF2NYN9 Check out our blog on www.candidgoatproductions.com  Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.  These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.