Startup Rebels

Utilitarianism I: The Price of Happiness

Imagine a society of unlimited abundance, profound science, and beautiful art. A society where everyone is thriving, beautiful, and happy. Now imagine there is a dark, twisted secret at the heart of this utopia that makes it all work. Would it still be worth it?

 

Today we're talking about Ursula K. LeGuin's story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. A thought experiment that tests the limits of utilitarianism: The moral framework that strives to maximize the happiness of the greatest number of people.

This is the first in a three part series on utilitarianism. This week, we'll focus a key critique of the philosophy, next week we'll dive into J.S Mill's original essay on the topic, and the week after we'll discuss the modern Princeton utilitarian: Peter Singer.

 

You’re probably learning wrong

Did you know that the most effective means of learning often feel the least productive? That the majority of people learn in ways that promote the illusion of knowing as opposed to knowledge itself?

How much of what you learned in school has really stuck with you? If you're like most people, the answer is not much.

Use counter-intuitive but effective learning methods backed up by psychological research to learn more effectively and get ahead!

Hannah Arendt on the Plight of Refugees

Over 10 million people have been displaced in Ukraine by Russian aggression. It's easy to get lost in the statistics and lose the human face of tragedy. Hannah Arendt was a German-Jewish philosopher who fled the third reich and became a refugee.

She chronicled the experience of displacement in a moving essay titled "We Refugees". Today, we'll dig into her experience and try and empathize with the suffering of refugees, then and now.

Donate to UNICEF to provide medical aid to the Ukraine.

 

 

Thucydides on World War 3

A dictatorship and a democracy go to war, tearing the world apart. Though their values are deeply opposed, most people in both camps don't want to fight, and yet they are drawn inexorably into conflict. Sound familiar?

A crucial case study used by the Naval War College for analyzing a possible conflict between the U.S and China is Thucydides' Peloponnesian War. There are many parallels as well with a conflict between the U.S and Russia.

One of the first histories ever written, Thucydides looks at the war between Athens and Sparta to explore what happens when a democracy and a dictatorship go to war. The parallels are deep and insights into today's circumstances are surprising.

 

Learn Jiujitsu, Learn Anything

Why is the way you learn jiujitsu the ideal mode of learning anything? How can you improve knowledge transfer so the things you learn actually stick and translate to the real world? Why is most formal education useless and non-transferable?

 

These are the questions we'll explore in today's episode.

Family: Not peaceful, not pleasant, not at one

"The common defense of the family is that, amid the stress, and fickleness of life, it is peaceful, pleasant, and at one. But there is another defense of the family which is possible, and to me evident. This defense is that the family is not peaceful and not pleasant and not at one" - G.K Chesterton.

 

Today, we're talking about a life-changing essay by Chesterton on family, neighbors, the narrowness and largeness of our lives, the strength of regular people, and the aristocracy of weak nerves that pretends to be an aristocracy of strong muscles.

J.S Mill on Free Speech and Censorship

Misinformation, hate speech, platforming, de-platforming, free speech, and censorship. Almost any recent controversy you can name touches on these topics. Should we allow people to spread hate online? Should we allow tech monopolies and governments to suppress the free expression of individuals? Who should decide and on what basis?

John Stuart Mill articulated one of the most powerful, deep, and comprehensive arguments for free speech in an essay called On Liberty. His world-changing argument is as relevant today as it was 163 years ago, and arguably much more so.

Dig into this deep and contentious topic with us on this episode of Reading Rebellion and transform your understanding of the nature of liberty.

H. P. Lovecraft: Harrowing & Perturbing Short Stories

Join us as we discuss two short stories from one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th century. Although unheralded in his time, H. P. Lovecraft has come to be one of the most revered authors of supernatural and horror fiction, and has influenced generations of horror writers since his death in 1937.

Let us know what you think at contact(at)rdmr.io, and join the waitlist at rdmr.io.

Neuromancer and the Beginnings of Cyberpunk

William Gibson's "Neuromancer" is a foundational piece of science fiction, and is one of the earliest works in the cyberpunk genre. Join us as we discuss the famous Huge and Nebula award winning book, and dive into themes like addiction, nihilism, and artificial intelligence.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend! You can reach us at contact(at)rdmr.io with any questions or comments, and you can sign up for our waitlist at rdmr.io.

Dune: The Rise of Paul Atreides

This week, we're talking about one of the greatest pieces of Sci-Fi ever written: Frank Herbert's "Dune". Hear about the ruthless psy ops campaigns of the Bene Geserit, the role of honor and loyalty in leadership, and how bad the final season of Game of Thrones really was.

Tune in to hear Ayon's triumphant return, and our first 3 person episode!

Let us know what you think at contact(at)rdmr.io, and join the waitlist at rdmr.io.