Unsolicited advice

Head to https://squarespace.com/unsolicitedadvice to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code UNSOLICITEDADVICEUploaded 31-08-26Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of my favourite authors, and almost universally recognised as one of the greatest writers of all time. He left behind not only his novels and published works, but a plethora of journals and notes that some very interesting scholars have used to investigate his writing process. We are going to look at just some of their work now.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 A Timely Timeless Man16:54 Breaking News25:25 A Prisoner and a Prophet37:01 The Process of Creation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you so much for 900 thousand subscribers! I am so grateful and I look forward to answering your questions!Uploaded 29-05-26Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 How am I?05:58 What would I do if not philosophy?09:45 What are my non-philosophical hobbies?12:18 What do I want to be when I grow up?15:12 Why is emotional sincerity cringe?23:13 What defines philosophical literature?29:46 Where am I in the consciousness discussion?39:34 Favourite author style-wise42:27 How to not take disagreement personally47:22 do I journal?50:33 Which philosopher would I bring to the modern day?56:47 Did I like philosophy as a kid?1:01:38 Who is the smartest philosopher of all time?1:06:37 What do you think about Byung-Chul Han?1:11:17 Will I do videos about logic?1:17:04 What have I changed my mind on since starting the channel?1:22:43 What makes me angry?1:26:55 Should philosophers have beards?Here is a Frank Ramsey paper: https://www.fitelson.org/probability/ramsey.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Head to https://squarespace.com/unsolicitedadvice to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code UNSOLICITEDADVICEUploaded 14-07-26You know the drill! Here are some one-star reviews of classic books. But this time I wanted to do something a little bit different. Rather than simply look to them for entertainment, I wanted to pick those reviews that, even though they were uniformly negative, actually had a very good point, and perhaps understood these works better than most other people.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 The Great Gatsby12:29 American Psycho21:18 Kafka: The Complete Stories28:52 Albert Camus' The Fall37:28 Montaigne's Essays Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ignorance is one of the most maligned concepts out there. For many of my videos I take it for granted that knowing more is always better. And yet the philosopher Jimmy Licon offers a different perspective. His work highlights where ignorance is beneficial, both ethically and epistemically.Uploaded 16-06-26Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/Professor Licon's Substack: https://substack.com/@syntheticsocratesProfessor Licon's Youtube channel: https://youtube.com/@uncommonwisdomllc?si=0gAAWQjEY9oNn8WG00:00 What are the benefits of ignorance?14:53 What are the benefits of not thinking?24:52 When is virtue signalling good?45:11 Should politics be less transparent?1:07:35 Should our politics be less rational?1:27:45 Will AI kill philosophy?1:43:13 What is the most interesting idea you've come across in the past year and why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps Nietzsche's most famous phrase is "God is dead and we have killed him". But we rarely stop to think about what Nietzsche actually meant by this. And it is a worthy task, because this simple statement has been misinterpreted over and over again in a myriad of different ways, and we could do with separating the wheat from the chaff.Uploaded 11-04-24Support me on Patreon here (thank you you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 God is Dead01:09 Enlightenment Problems Require Existential Solutions07:04 God is Dead and So are We12:42 God is Dead so Become a God19:59 Atheism Taken Seriously Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crushes are a fascinating aspect of human life. They have a tendency to reduce even the most rational person to a neurotic mess. But what exactly is it that makes a crush so powerful and so painful, and why do we get them? Well, this question is explored in detail in Stendhal's magnificent book On Love. And we will explore this very topic in this video.Uploaded 31-08-24Support me on Patreon here (you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 A Touch of Irrationalism01:43 Crystallisation and Fantasy08:24 Love's Labour's Lost (and Won)15:09 Identity, Vanity, and Ego21:26 Dignifying the Crush Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ancient Greece had the philosophical dialogue, ancient Rome had the hexameter poem, the enlightenment had the essay, and the Romantics had the philosophical novel. But today, we will look at the modern choice for communicating philosophical ideas: memes. And rather than simply laugh or mock them, we are going to take them seriously to see what we can learn from them.Uploaded 05-08-24Support me on Patreon here: https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:23 The Myth of Sisyphus03:03 Shopping Trolley Problem06:19 Frustrated Originality08:21 God and Freedom10:00 The Fear of Being Seen12:13 Philosophy is Annoying14:38 Partying in Absurdity18:08 Moral Monsters19:56 Relativism and its Issues21:44 Philosophy and Self-Help24:29 MC Hammer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Head to https://squarespace.com/unsolicitedadvice to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code unsolicitedadviceUploaded 23-08-24Debates about God are almost always pitched as between atheists and theists. But we do not give very much thought to the middle position. What about the skeptic's position on the issue? What are the strong arguments in favour of agnosticism?Support me on Patreon here: https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN7Image: Square made of Two Triangles. Credit to Michael Angelkovich. Licenced under CC 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en00:00 Agnosticism and Scepticism02:02 The Limits of Analogy07:32 The Problem of Understanding God14:12 Possibilities, Plausibility, and You20:05 Knowledge, Belief, and Doubt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To learn for free on Brilliant, go to https://brilliant.org/Unsolicitedadvice/ . You’ll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription.Uploaded 04-02-26The term "Parasocial Relationships" has become quite the hot button issue lately. With the rise of social media, they are seemingly growing at a rapid pace. So what is the future of parasocial relationships, and what harm can they do?Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 Sociality and Parasociality13:29 Parasocial Relationships: The Good and The Bad21:42 The Parasocial World36:58 The Future of ParasocialitySponsored by Brilliant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-improvement is a noble aim, but can it go too far? I think it can, but I also think that in our rush to condemn self-improvement and self-optimisation, we often forget that obsession is sometimes a wonderful thing, and we ought not to condemn it wholesale.Uploaded 20-09-26Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 The cult of self-optimisation07:54 Keeping Score22:41 The existential temptation of optimisation38:14 In defence of obsession Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn for free on Brilliant for a full 30 days: https://brilliant.org/Unsolicitedadvice/ . You’ll also get 20% off an annual Premium subscriptionUploaded 14-05-26I am often told that "all relationships are transactional". I think this is not only a lie, but a pernicious lie, and here is exactly how I respond to it. Moreover, the popularity of this phrase points to a wider set of cynical attitudes that have gripped our collective psyche, and I want to unpack them.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 The Presumption of Transaction12:14 Egoism and the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy21:52 The Seduction of Cynicism34:49 Cynicism within LimitsThis video is sponsored by Brilliant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Very few philosophers have been misconstrued and misunderstood as much as Friedrich Nietzsche. And he was truly terrified of this eventuality, so much so that he repeatedly says not to mistake him in his works. So in that spirit, we are going to examine the top 5 myths about Nietzsche that I see floating around the internet. I hope you enjoy it!Uploaded 06-05-24Support me on Patreon here: https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN7Article: https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/38564/chapter-abstract/334362033?redirectedFrom=fulltext00:00 The Myths of Nietzsche01:19 Nietzsche the fascist07:27 Nietzsche the cruel14:11 Nietzsche the hedonist19:48 Nietzsche the nihilist24:47 Nietzsche the incoherent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of people get the sense that there is something deeply wrong with modern philosophy. And how very unphilosophical it would be to not at least attempt to address this idea, and see if there is anything in it (personally, I think there is actually quite a lot in it). So I have invited philosopher and lecturer @DrWalterVeit onto the show to discuss them with me. I hope you enjoy!Uploaded 21-02-26Here is Walter's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DrWalterVeitAnd here is his Substack: https://substack.com/@walterveit?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pageBoth are excellent and I highly recommend them!You can find Walter's book here: https://www.routledge.com/A-Philosophy-for-the-Science-of-Animal-Consciousness/Veit/p/book/9781032343617Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 What is wrong with modern philosophy?11:15 Why intuition is often unreliable?25:00 What is the role of Thought Experiments in Science?32:11 What can evolution teach us about the mind?42:49 Why philosophers should study animals?46:35 What is pathological complexity and why does it matter?01:08:45 How do we test Walter's theories?01:18:15 Do we set the bar for testing consciousness too high?01:38:15 My doubts about panpsychism01:48:00 Does Illusionism have a branding problem?01:52:25 What is conceptual engineering and why does it matter?02:01:40 What is the most interesting idea you've come across in the past year Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I love a philosophical thought experiment, and I love a tier list. So today we are going to rank some of the most famous thought experiments in history. Thank you so much to the friend who was kind enough to send me his list to react to.Uploaded 17-08-26Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 Mary's Room10:27 Ship of Theseus16:01 The Teleporter Problem25:55 Utility Monster33:10 Euthyphro Dilemma38:06 Russell's Teapot43:22 Fake Barn Country51:45 Are you a Brain in a Vat?58:46 Wittgenstein's Beetle in a Box1:07:17 Chinese Room Argument Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Head to https://squarespace.com/unsolicitedadvice to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code UNSOLICITEDADVICEUploaded 15-02-26An article went viral last year from British Vogue, called “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?”. And amongst all the cries about how love is embarrassing now, I wanted to ask whether this is anything new. Is it instead the case that love has always been embarrassing? I think so, and I would like to say why.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/Links:Is having a boyfriend embarrassing now: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/is-having-a-boyfriend-embarrassing-nowThe Rise of the Highfivesexuals https://open.substack.com/pub/cartoonshateher/p/the-rise-of-the-highfivesexuals?r=2ohjsz&utm_medium=ios00:00 Boyfriends, Girlfriends, and Shame09:31 Love has Always Been Embarrassing22:07 The Independence Obsession Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Head to https://squarespace.com/unsolicitedadvice to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code unsolicitedadviceUploaded 17-07-24The Problem of Evil is one of those questions that has stayed with philosophers and philosophy as a whole for millennia. It can be summed up in a single statement: why would an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God allow evil to exist in the world? And this all raises one question: is God evil?Support me on Patreon here (you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 Theodicy and Theology01:58 The Problem(s) of Evil07:11 Good Beyond Pleasure and Evil Beyond Pain12:14 Divine Command Theory18:31 The Incomprehensibility of God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When The Matrix was released in 1999, it sparked a brand new way to express an old philosophical problem - a sceptical scenario. So let’s dive into the world of scepticism, the simulation hypothesis, and more, to see what they consist of, and how we might be able to refute them.Uploaded 20-04-24Support me on Patreon here (thank you you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 The Simulation Hypothesis01:27 A Sceptics Guide to Scepticism05:15 "Stuff Obviously Exists"10:49 The Contextualist16:46 Brains in Vats and "Brains" in "Vats" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I invited my good friend Alex O'Connor (@CosmicSkeptic) onto the channel to talk about the biggest unanswered questions in philosophy, as well as what he has changed his mind on in the past decade on YouTube. I hope you enjoy!Uploaded 23-01-26Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 What have you changed your mind on?16:28 Why do we need to know what the mind is?22:15 What is Idealism?42:17 What is Truth?57:30 The Split Brain Experiments1:04:28 Is Panpsychism just Physicalism?1:09:45 Is the Universe God?1:21:59 Where do our atheist-theist debates go wrong?1:31:36 How do you respond to Thomas Aquinas?1:47:09 How to get in the head of a philosopher?1:52:09 What is the best idea you encountered last year?1:57:45 We're doing a show together! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Franz Kafka is one of the most brilliant yet anxious writers of the 20th century. And in his "Letter to my father" he outlines exactly where his fear of other people comes from. Here he outlines both his troubling relationship with his father Hermann, and gives a masterclass on the origins of his social anxiety, and social anxiety in general. So here is why Kafka hated people.Uploaded 09-07-24Support me on Patreon here (you wonderful person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSign up to my email list for more philosophy to improve your life: https://forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 A Letter to His Father01:39 Judge, Jury, and Executioner09:27 A Crumpled Map16:18 Permanent Scars22:31 Gratitude, Fear, and Guilt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn for free on Brilliant for a full 30 days: https://brilliant.org/Unsolicitedadvice/ . You’ll also get 20% off an annual Premium subscription.Uploaded 10-04-26The way we talk about books online has been bothering me for a while, and I wanted to talk a bit about it. We'll be talking a bit about ragebait, a bit about snobbery, and a bit about literacy, and we'll try to paint a slightly different way forward.Support me on Patreon here (you lovely person): https://patreon.com/UnsolicitedAdvice701?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkSubscribe to my Substack here for more of my writings: https://josephfolley.substack.com/00:00 Literary Ragebait10:20 The Origin and Variety of Snobs23:40 The Capture of Value35:45 The Worship of KnowledgeThis video is sponsored by Brilliant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices