Unlimited Opinions - Philosophy, Theology, Linguistics, & More

Does George Lakoff understand nothing about conservative morality? Maybe! Join us as we discuss his idea of Strict Father Morality, a system that he thinks conservatives believe in, with respect only for authority and strict punishments for those who do wrong. Somehow, Lakoff misses the fact that conservatives tend to believe in an objective morality that exists beyond worldly authority, but that does not stop him from professing his ideas, nor does it stop us from heavily criticizing this chapter of Moral Politics! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Which came first? Foundational moral thinking or metaphors that we use to express those foundations? George Lakoff seems to think the language came first! Join us as we try to figure out Lakoff's chicken-or-the-egg moral system as he outlines the metaphor of accounting and how morality is viewed as a system of transactions. Are we all really just trying to reach net zero in our moral obligations, or is there something much deeper to morality? Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Our very first episode with a live studio audience! Join us as we discuss what linguist George Lakoff views as the worldviews of liberals and conservatives. In this episode, we examine what Lakoff thinks confuses liberals about conservative views (while also just attempting to refute the conservative opinion), the different words that people on the right and left use, and what he sees as the goal for studying these worldviews. Despite his accurate assessment of what each worldview is, we find a lot to criticize in this chapter, and go on many, many tangents! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

In this episode, we discuss George Lakoff's completely analytical, opinion-free, 100% objective explanation of what he views as the role of cognitive linguists in examining liberal and conservative worldviews. We discuss whether or not unconscious thoughts truly exist, the importance of categories, and Lakoff's ever-present idea of conservatives being a mysterious "gorilla in the mist!" We also discuss what he gets severely wrong about the relation of political opinions to moral philosophy, and why your moral beliefs truly matter in political conversation. Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

In this first episode of Season 8, we look at the preface to our new book: George Lakoff's Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think, which examines the different linguistic metaphors that liberals and conservatives use to shape their worldview. We discuss Lakoff's plan for the book, how he draws his conclusions, and the immense amount of biases that he presents just in the introduction. We also go on many rants, including one about an Easter egg hunt that is spurred by the acknowledgements! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Is the sexual revolution the true cause of moral relativism, or are the two intertwined? In this final episode covering Peter Kreeft's A Refutation of Moral Relativism, we look at some of the biggest cultural issues in the world today, particularly contraception, abortion, and divorce. We also take a retrospective look at the book as a whole, discussing what we admire about Kreeft's writing, how ahead of his time he was, and our own predictions for the fruits of relativism going forward! Give us suggestions for books to read for Season 8 by following us and tweeting us ideas! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

We were always destined to publish this episode, at least according to the crazy determinists! In this episode, we discuss the philosophical assumptions that one must make in order to be an absolutist, particularly regarding metaphysics and epistemology. We look at flawed theories such as nominalism, determinism, materialism, and more, all while we go on endless tangents! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Do you want to hear our thoughts on Bryan Fiel's 1990 play Dancing at Lughnasa, a story of five sisters in 1936 Ireland? Do you want to hear our thoughts on the arguments in favor of moral absolutism? Luckily for you, we have those exact things in this episode! Join us as we discuss how language proves absolutism correct, the poor track record of relativism, and how relativists only extend tolerance to those that they like. We also go on many tangents, including one about a long-held legal precedent: if a man puts something down his pants, he intends to keep it. Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

What does hemlock taste like, and if drank in a small enough dose, can we find out? This important question and much more is discussed in this episode of Unlimited Opinions, as we examine where the philosophy of relativism came from. We talk about how reductionism has led to a complete lack of acceptance of anything beyond the physical world and how this has impacted morality, and especially how this has impacted education. We also talk about how reductionism refutes itself and how it just makes someone miserable! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Do good intentions make acts good, or do we need something more? Did we simply evolve morality as a beneficial social system? Are relativists really just the most judgmental people of all time? Find out as we continue discussing Peter Kreeft's A Refutation of Moral Relativism, examining even more common arguments for moral relativism and how easily they are refuted! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Does Jesus just get us, or does he call us to something more? Is He really all about tolerance, or is there an objective truth beyond that? Join us as we discuss how our values aren't just ingrained in us by society, why absolutists promote freedom more than relativists, and how those proclaiming that everyone needs to be tolerant really aren't tolerant at all! We also puzzle over how someone can be caught plagiarizing something in a field that is entirely subjective! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

"Be better:" the new horrible slogan for Unlimited Opinions! In this episode, we look at Peter Kreeft's answer to one of the most difficult objections to moral absolutism: if there are absolute moral truths, why have there been cultures with wildly different moral norms? We examine his answer of this argument asserting its own conclusion as part of its evidence, how different societies may not have as different of moral codes as people think, and why using your own feelings to determine morality is a bad idea. Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Does the existence of a moral conscience prove moral absolutism right? This is the question on the table as we continue reading Peter Kreeft's A Refutation of Moral Relativism. We discuss the four sources of data for moral absolutism (our conscience, our interpersonal understandings, our language, and human history) to see if they back up the difficult position of the absolutist! We also talk about the issues with modern psychologists and go on a very long tangent about the nature of the death penalty! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Introducing our new product: Unlimited Opinions Deconstructed Peanut Butter!* Join us as we look at the history of relativism according to Peter Kreeft, beginning with the devil in the Garden of Eden, the rise of nominalism, and the eventual prominence of complete Deconstruction. We also talk much about how language shows us the truth, the ill effects of relativism in the modern day, and the importance of humor. Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions *Unlimited Opinions Deconstructed Peanut Butter is just sand and should not be consumed.

In this episode, we find a new favorite feature of the podcast: relative buzzing! We also continue looking at Peter Kreeft's conversation between an absolutist and relativist, this time examining how exactly to define moral relativism, separating it out from metaphysical, epistemological, and religious relativism. We also discuss how we're facing a new, dangerous form of epistemological relativism that says that people really can't know anything about someone else, and how this is seen in the world today. And as always, we go on several side tangents, including about the "one-shirt" murderer and Apocalypse Now! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Season Premiere! Join us as we begin discussing Peter Kreeft's wonderfully written A Refutation of Moral Relativism: Interviews with an Absolutist. In this episode, we talk about the structure of the book and Kreeft's use of the dialogue format, the importance of truth in a society, whether our current society is truly relativist or just another flavor of absolutist, and how we got to where we are. We also talk about the issues with the spread of American culture and how America is perceived by the rest of the world, and the dangerous ideology of obfuscation that is permeating the Left's attitude towards language, gender, and much else! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Happy New Year! Join us as we have a more free-form discussion not attached to a particular Season of Unlimited Opinions! We look back at some of our highlights from 2023, including reading James Hitchcock's History of the Catholic Church and Austin Freeman's Tolkien Dogmatics, and especially our first episode of Unlimited Guests where we were fortunate enough to host Dr. Freeman himself. We also talk about the Latin Mass, problems with modern society, and how we want to bring more guests on the podcast in the new year. We've also decided on our book for Season 7: Peter Kreeft's A Refutation of Moral Relativism! Thank you all for the best-performing year in Unlimited Opinions history, and we look forward to having you join us for Season 7! Follow us on Twitter for updates on when new episodes are live (and for a chance to join us as a guest on an upcoming episode)! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

We end Season 6 on a fitting note: the aftermath of Vatican II and a crisis in Catholicism! Join us as we talk about the continuing fights between aggiornamento and ressourcement, the decline in vocations and obedience, and the overall issues with the conciliar spirit. We also discuss Pope Francis' recent statement on blessing same-sex couple, go on many rants, and discuss our new favorite supervillain: the Gay Jesuit! Give us book suggestions for Season 7 by tweeting at us! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

The long-awaited discussion on Vatican II! In this episode, we look at the theological current preceding the Council, the different core blocs in the proceedings, and what the Council actually decided. We realize that Vatican II really mandated very little, but left much up to interpretation, which has led to widespread confusion and a crisis in the Church since then. We also talk about our own ill feelings towards modernization efforts and what we think the Catholic Church needs at this time. Follow us on Twitter, and send us suggestions for books to read for Season 7! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions

Finishing our discussions on the modern English-speaking countries, we focus here on the United States and Australia! We discuss the "phantom heresy" of Americanism, the Church's position on social issues, the connections between Catholicism and politics, and a lot about abortion! We also go off on many side tangents, including about how we are distantly related to one of Notre Dame's Four Horsemen!