Shows
Moral MayhemSelf-Interest and the Good Life with Greg SalmieriIn this episode, we sit down with Greg Salmieri, senior scholar of philosophy at the Salem Center at UT Austin, to discuss ethical egoism—the theory that central to what makes an action good, what makes it right, what makes it moral—is that it benefits the person taking it.Salmieri argues that unlike other living creatures who follow biological algorithms, humans must consciously compose their lives through reason. We dive deep into why this leads to a specific form of rational egoism, one grounded in understanding human life as a creative, self-sustaining system. Salmieri explains why valu...2025-06-011h 21
Moral MayhemFrom Peterson's Lobsters to Trump's Fine People: Matt Teichman on Conversational ImplicatureIn this episode, philosopher and host of the Elucidations podcast, Matt Teichman, joins us to explore conversational implicature & the hidden rules that help us understand what people mean beyond their literal words. We dive into Paul Grice's cooperative principle and discuss a few real-world examples where communication famously broken down, like the infamous Kathy Newman/Jordan Peterson interview and Trump's "very fine people" comment. We also discuss implicatures in the corporate world and dating etiquette. Matt helps us unpack why some conversations go catastrophically wrong, how different communities develop their own communication norms, and why sometimes saying things indirectly...2025-04-221h 30
Moral MayhemGender Grievances and Feminism with Bryan CaplanIn this episode, we talk with Bryan Caplan about his letter to his daughter on feminism. We cover whether women have been historically disadvantaged, how male and female experiences stack up today, the problems with viewing identity groups through a justice lens, arranged marriages, the gender pay-gap or lack thereof, and more. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2025-02-2655 min
Moral MayhemMarkets, Morality, and Middlemen: Defending Finance BrosIn this episode of Moral Mayhem, we stick up for those without a voice — bankers and hedge fund managers. We explore why middle men and financiers - from ancient moneylenders to modern hedge funds - are unique objects of scorn in the eyes of the public. We discuss the ethics of payday lending and consumer credit, the social value of public markets, positive externalities of active management and the oft-repeated claim that finance “sucks up too much talent”. In our introductory segment, we discuss Shrimp Welfare — a recently trending topic on Substack and the assumptions that underpin the Effective Altruism...2024-11-271h 25
Moral MayhemDating and Discourse with Jacob FalkovichThis week we were joined by our friend Jacob Falkovich. Jacob publishes some of the best “White-pilled” dating advice out there on his blog Second Person, and in addition to being a great Twitter follow he’s also known for putanumonit. We discuss the importance of agency in dating, the negativity bias prevalent in dating discourse, and the limited use-cases for dating apps. Jacob suggests taking a break from the metanarratives about dating (and how hopeless it is) to focus on your actual experiences—who are you meeting, what kind of things do you want to do with a partner...2024-11-121h 46
Moral MayhemIs Love Blind?We’re talking about Love is Blind, the ‘scientific’ dating ‘experiment’ to discover how shallow reality TV stars really are (see the video version on Youtube). The show involves men and women dating in pods where they can hear but not see one another, and ultimately getting engaged “sight unseen” (at least if they want to stay on the show). We discuss how the ‘experiment’ can be understood as an attempt to solve an adverse selection problem for people who feel they overweight looks, or a particular type, to their own detriment and whether they achieve the promise of the show. And at t...2024-11-051h 16
Moral MayhemRobin Hanson (Part Two): Cash, Cradles and CareersIn this episode, we chat with Robin Hanson about his proposed solution to falling fertility rates in the US: since each newborn is effectively responsible for hundreds of thousands in national debt obligations, governments could endow parents with a portion of their children’s future tax payments - creating a win-win scenario where both parents and the nation's fiscal future benefit. Robin also shares his approach to his career, risk-taking and how to succeed as a polymath. Relevant Links:Policy proposal to incentivize higher fertility (Robin Hanson)Can we afford to buy marginal bab...2024-10-2932 min
Moral MayhemRobin Hanson (Part 1): Why Unchallenged Values Become Existential Threats?In this conversation, we chat with Robin Hanson about his thesis on cultural drift, exploring the implications of the global monoculture and reduced selection pressures on the long-term future of humanity. We think through the mechanisms for and potential solutions to cultural drift, such as deep multiculturalism, human-level AI, adaptive transcendent narratives, prediction markets (futarchy) and more.Links to Hanson's posts on Cultural Drift:Rational CultureWhen Lawyers SingFloppy vs Stiff ConceptsCulture Drift Predicts DecadenceBetrayed by CultureLinks to other work by H...2024-10-261h 37
Moral MayhemThe Hanson Hypothesis: Global Unity or Collective Suicide?In this episode of Moral Mayhem, we discuss and debate the ideas presented in Robin Hanson's essays on cultural drift. We examine his central argument that the emergence of a global monoculture, coupled with reduced existential pressures such as war and famine, enables the persistence of biologically maladaptive cultural values— falling fertility rates being the case in point. Some related questions we touch on:-- The challenges of aligning incentives and welfare across space and time-- The feasibility of consciously shaping cultural values-- The interplay between technological progress, economic incentives, and fe...2024-10-191h 00
Moral MayhemEverybody Hates Legal ImmigrantsIn this episode, we explore the moral tension surrounding illegal immigration in the United States. We discuss:* The ethical implications of deporting people who have built lives in America* The disparity in moral outrage between the fates of legal and illegal immigrants* The selection effects of illegal immigration * The fiscal impact of unauthorized immigrants * The need for democratic consensus on immigration policy versus circumventing laws* How the perception of border control affects the ability to have rational immigration policy discussions? Get full access to...2024-10-0839 min
Moral MayhemAdverse Selection in Dating and Job Markets: The Hidden Costs of Easy FilteringIn this episode, we discuss the hidden pitfalls of modern dating apps and job search platforms. We explore how the necessity of filtering large pools of candidates, combined with the limitations of relying on easily legible traits, can lead to counterintuitive outcomes.We discuss:* Why the traits easiest to filter for aren't always the most important* How correlated preferences among users amplify filtering effects* The composition of candidate pools and why being in the pool longer isn't always a good sign* The paradox of how stringent filtering can lead...2024-09-201h 06
Moral MayhemMoral Mayhem with Maxim Lott: Election Betting Markets, Presidential Debate and Norm Violations in American PoliticsIn this episode, we sit down with Maxim Lott (author of Maximum Truth) to dive into prediction markets, focusing on election betting markets. We explore liquidity, market depth, and whether concerns over market manipulation hold water. We also indulge in some meta-political analysis, offering our intuitions on the best arguments and tail risks for each candidate in the current race. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-09-121h 06
Moral MayhemRacism as Prediction ErrorIn this episode of Moral Mayhem, we bravely wade into the minefield of racial groups and racism. We start with the usefulness of race as a category and when it might be appropriate to view the world through this lens. We touch on genetic diversity, interracial relationships, affirmative action, cultural assimilation and more. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-09-061h 15
Moral MayhemMoral Mayhem with Alex Kaschuta: Pragmatism over Radical Ideas in Life, Love and PoliticsIn this episode, we chat with Alex Kaschuta, writer and host of the Subversive podcast. We discuss:--> Alex's journey from diversity management to dissident right activism to cultural commentary--> The evolution of dating in the age of apps and changing economic roles--> The risks of reflexively manifesting one's abstract ideological beliefs in relationships and one's personal life more broadly--> Costs and benefits of speaking openly about evolutionary biology and group differences --> The difficulties of maintaining ideological consistency while following one's intellectual curiosity...2024-08-261h 16
Moral MayhemThe Moral Status Quo: Misguided Mercy and Modern AntisemitismWe’re joined for a second time by Martin Greenwald aka The Socratic Psychiatrist on Substack. We discuss whether corporal punishment would be a more ethical alternative to extended prison time, critiques of soft parenting and the infamous Collins’ “bop”, antisemitism and the cynical weaponization of rights based language and more. Also, Vaish teaches Regan and Martin some regional Indian stereotypes and the three of us finally admit how powerful and manly we think the online right is.Links:On the ethics of corporal punishment (Martin Greenwald)Wesley Fenza’s review of Bad Therapy2024-08-161h 45
Moral MayhemMoral Mayhem with Chris BestIn this episode, we chat with Chris Best, CEO and Co-Founder of Substack. We discuss Substack's origin story, revenue model and its effects on the information ecosystem. We also speculate on the effects of remote work on productivity and trust, on why Canadians are more woke on average, and why Chris thinks Silicon Valley is still the best place to build a startup. Stay till the end for some fun "rapid fire" questions. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-08-0859 min
Moral MayhemFighting Over Fetuses: The Morality, Politics and Future of AbortionIn this episode, we dissect (no pun intended) the issue of abortion, discussing both the object level political and moral considerations and the political polarization around the issue. We discuss the rights based framing of abortion but also spend time on the less discussed utilitarian/consequentialist frame. We discuss the reasonable moral intuitions on both sides and the tendency of each side to misrepresent the other. We end with a series of thought experiments to illustrate how advances in technology might affect our moral intuitions on the topic. Get full access to Moral Mayhem...2024-08-021h 14
Moral MayhemBiden's Exit Strategy: To Praise or Not to Praise?In this episode of Moral Mayhem, we dive into the recent political upheaval in the United States. We discuss our first impressions of Kamala Harris, debate the complexities surrounding Joe Biden's decision to step down, and the broader issues of norm violations in American politics. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-07-2535 min
Moral MayhemMental Illness, Drug Use, Criminal Justice, Therapy Culture and More with Dr. Martin GreenwaldIn this show, Regan and I chat with psychiatrist and author of the publication Socratic Psychiatrist, Dr. Martin Greenwald. Martin shares his experience treating serious mental illness, while contextualizing it both historically and politcally. We discuss the relationship between serious mental illness and drug use, the bar for involuntary treatment and the feedback loops between psychiatric care and the criminal justice system. We also talk about therapy culture and the risks of identifying with one's diagnosis, while highlighting where we disagree with the "Bryan Caplan-esque" view on mental illness. Martin is a lot of fun to chat with so...2024-07-192h 02
Moral MayhemAntiNatalism: Where Social Justice meets Negative UtilitarianismIn this episode, we talk about family YouTube channels and very briefly, the ethics of abandoning children before diving into the main topic: psychological and philosophical drivers of antinatalism. We discuss the relationship between climate change and fertility, between mental health and a suffering-focused worldview and finally, the downsides of using shame to promote pronatalism. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-07-161h 12
Moral MayhemStatutory Rape & India’s GazaIn this episode of Moral Mayhem, we dive into two unrelated topics: statutory rape laws in the western world and the state of Kerala in India. We explore the complexities of age-based consent laws, discussing agency, cultural norms, and the unintended consequences of well-intentioned legislation. Then we shift gears to examine Kerala's unique position in India - a state with high human development indices but a bleak economic future. We touch on its history, including the caste system, Christian influence, and current political landscape. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-07-0947 min
Moral MayhemPresidential Debate, Mary Harrington's Low IQ Babies and University AdmissionsIn this episode, we chat about the presidential debate and Biden's cognitive decline, respond to Mary Harrington's tirade against embryo selection and talk in depth about the objective function of universities, admission criteria, affirmative action, DEI and more. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-07-0454 min
Moral MayhemMoral Mayhem with Garett Jones: Prisoner's Dilemmas in Politics, Business and LifeIn this episode, we welcome our first repeat guest back on the show, GMU economist Garett Jones. We discuss Garett's first book, the Hive Mind, comparing social versus individual returns to IQ. We spend a bulk of the episode talking about the mechanics of cooperation at the micro and macro scales - why smarter people are more cooperative, the 3Ps of repeated prisoner's dilemmas, principal agent problems in politics and business and Garett's advise to corporations and managers. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-06-271h 21
Moral MayhemMoral Mayhem with Richard HananiaIn this episode, we sit down with Richard Hanania, prolific blogger, political commentator and author of the book "The Origins of Woke". We explore how civil rights law has shaped modern culture, debating the unintended consequences of anti-discrimination policies. We also discuss declining fertility rates, examining cultural versus economic factors. The conversation concludes with a discussion on Israel, and why it might be the most illuminating political debate of our time. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-06-201h 29
Moral MayhemBryan Caplan on Housing, Immigration and FertilityIn this episode, we sit down with Bryan Caplan, economics professor at George Mason University and author of several popular books including Open Borders, The Myth of the Rational Voter, and most recently Build Baby Build. We dive into Bryan's case for radical deregulation in housing, exploring how both the left and right could find common ground on the issue. In the next segment, we discuss Bryan's advocacy for open borders, seeking his response to concerns raised by others like Garett Jones around cultural persistence and assimilation. Finally, we examine policy proposals aimed at reversing declining fertility rates and...2024-06-061h 18
Moral MayhemThe Invisible Shackles: Mental Health Labels and Personal AgencyIn this episode, we chat about the increased normalization and diagnosis of mental health conditions like ADHD, autism and depression, exploring the balance between the benefits of increased awareness and the potential risks of over-diagnosis and false positives. We also flirt with the relationship between psychological dysfunction, personal identity and free will. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-05-3055 min
Moral MayhemThe Optimal Rate of SexismIn this episode, we talk about the difference between accepting and pathologizing sex differences, parsing the bell curve of the opposite sex, dynamics of the dating market, what pick up artists get right and more. In the last segment, we also talk about how the anti-woke crowd, that we usually agree with, are reading Andrew Huberman totally wrong.Links to mentions:Regan's appearance on Alex Kaschuta's podcastPeter Attia interviews Andrew Huberman on his "life story"Andrew Huberman interviewing James Hollis Get full access to Moral...2024-05-231h 19
Moral MayhemWestern Civilization & The Paradox of IntoleranceLinks and Resources:Tickets to Regan's Salon: End of Faith by Sam HarrisWikipedia: Karl Popper - Paradox of IntoleranceYou can email us your thoughts, feedback or ideas for episodes to moralmayhempod@gmail.com Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-05-1657 min
Moral MayhemContra Freddie DeBoer on the honest case for socialismIn this episode, we respond to Freddie DeBoer's case for socialism, in which he concedes that capitalism has driven massive welfare improvements, yet contends that it's rational to replace this process with a much more redistributive one now that society has made "sufficient" progress. We lay out all the reasons why we disagree and also hash out our mutual disagreements on the moral need for redistribution. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-05-091h 04
Moral MayhemHow much of education is signaling?In this episode, we explore the question of why people value education? Do revealed preferences make a better case of education as a costly signal or a mechanism for human capital development? While it's obvious to most people that the answer is unlikely to be binary, we hash out our priors and work through some of the arguments for either side. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-05-0259 min
Moral MayhemWarriors of Columbia, Anonymous Speech and the Future of LiberalismLinks: Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-04-251h 28
Moral MayhemBeliefs That Sterilize The World with Malcolm CollinsMalcolm Collins joins us to explore the alarming decline in fertility rates and its potential consequences for civilization. We discuss the role of religion and the rise of a "shadow religion" threatening to sterilize the world. Malcolm also shares his take on the implications of depopulation, the dangers of fascistic ideologies posing as progressivism, and the importance of a culture that values technology and pluralism in ensuring a flourish future.Links and ResourcesMalcolm and Simone’s podcast: Based Camp Youtube, also on Substack, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Discord channel for pro-natalistsMalcolm and...2024-04-101h 12
Moral MayhemCanada: Politeness, Wokeness, and Assisted DyingIn this episode, Regan and I talk about topics that have landed Canada, her homeland, in the news recently - immigration, euthanasia and yes...wokeness. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-04-061h 02
Moral MayhemAI, Institutions, and the Future of Human Flourishing with Sam HammondIn this episode, we interview Sam Hammond, a senior economist at the Foundation for American Innovation, about AI's potentially transformative impact on our institutions and economic growth. Sam shares his insights on how AI might affect centralization, coordination, and cooperation, drawing from his background in institutional economics. We explore various AI scenarios, the changing nature of value, and examine these issues through the lens of human evolution and meaning.You can find and follow Sam's work on:Twitter: @hamandcheeseSubstack: Second BestFoundation for American Innovation Get full...2024-03-1955 min
Moral MayhemCareers: Aligning Stated and Revealed PreferencesIn this episode, we explore why our career choices often fail to align with our stated values. We discuss what helped each of us course correct and delve into the interplay of money, meaning, and personal risk tolerance in career decisions. We explore the hidden influence of status quo bias, the strategic tradeoffs between intellectual stimulation, impact, and well-being, and the implications of discounting the quality of life in our later years. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-03-1353 min
Moral MayhemAnimal Welfare and Moral Weight with Bob FischerIn this episode, we interview Bob Fischer, a philosopher and senior researcher at Rethink Priorities. While discussing his work estimating the intensity of valenced states of farmed animals, we touch on likelihood of sentience, hedonism as a theory of moral value, evolutionary functions of pleasure and pain, correlation between intelligence and intensity of experience states We also discuss the implications of Bob's work for cause prioritization and how risk aversion should impact philanthropic allocations across human welfare, animal welfare and existential risk. Bob is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Texas State University, a Senior Research Manager for R...2024-03-051h 12
Moral MayhemNational IQ, Immigrants & the Wealth of Nations with Garett JonesIn this episode, we interview Garett Jones, an economist at George Mason University Our discussion, initially aimed at Garett's latest book The Culture Transplant ends up delving into themes across his works - IQ as an externality, mechanisms that drive institutional quality, cultural persistence in immigrant diasporas, theories of assimilation and more. We also take a ambitious short detour to speculate on Singapore's secret to success.Here are links to Garett's books, all of which we couldn't put down:The Culture Transplant10% Less Democracy The Hive Mind Get full access to M...2024-02-211h 03
Moral MayhemA Canadian Take on IndiansIn this episode, Vaishnav presses Regan on her observations of India. We riff on food, arranged marriages, sexual conservatism , politeness vs niceness and more. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-02-1331 min
Moral MayhemEliezer's Call Option on LoveGuilty pleasure episode - we couldn't help but comment on the ongoing saga on twitter, catalyzed by Eliezer Yudkowsky's endorsement of buying a call option on love i.e communicating to your partner that the contract of marriage comes with an option to leave them for someone with mate value >=X. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-02-0737 min
Moral MayhemMeditations on Effective AltruismIn this episode, we try and bring you both an outside and inside view on EA. We discuss both its features and its bugs but as general supporters of the movement, we take liberties to meditate on it's cultural ethos, ideological biases and inconsistencies.. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2024-01-2349 min
Moral MayhemEconomics of ImmigrationIn this episode, we ask two broad questions about immigration from the host country's perspective:What are the parameters that make immigration net positive for the host country?How should immigration policy change to maximize human welfare?Resources and Links: Net economic cost of immigration (Netherlands) : https://demo-demo.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Borderless_Welfare_State-2.pdfReview of Garrett Jones' Book: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-culture-transplant-review-immigrations-legacy-11670794152https://cis.org/Report/Welfare-Use-Immigrants-and-USBornhttps://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/18/us/undocumented-immigrants-taxes-cec/index...2024-01-1339 min
Moral MayhemFree Speech: How slippery is your slope?In this episode, Regan and I get abstract about another topical talking point: Free Speech. We unpack our intuitions on the the cash value of free speech, incitement to violence and offense as limiting principles, and the edge cases (no pun intended) of pornography and hate speech. We conclude by unwisely opining on anti-semitism and Harvard's new found first amendment absolutism. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2023-12-251h 34
Moral MayhemAre we our identities?In this episode, we dissect identity politics and its usefulness as political tool. Unfortunately, we don't stop there and ruminate on identity itself and ever ever so lightly brush against disability and fat activitism. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2023-12-051h 19
Moral MayhemIsrael/Palestine: The Other Side of StatehoodIn our debut episode of 'Moral Mayhem,' we delve into the deeply contentious Israel-Palestine conflict, focusing on a critical yet overlooked perspective. We set aside the political details of the current conflict and focus on the underlying morality of advocating for Palestinian statehood, examining how the right to self determination trades off against individual liberty and welfare of future generations. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe2023-11-2539 min