Why Atheism is not Nihilistic

There are few philosophers more sought after than Albert Camus. His thoughts on absuridsm and living in a meaningless world have gone down in history for their insight and their radicalism. But today we are going to examine Camus's final published novel, where he gives a deep analysis of an existential crisis in the modern age, and how we might inadvertently be lying to ourselves about almost everything.Uploaded 20-05-24Support 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/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 The Fall of Man01:58 A Supposedly Idyllic Life08:34 Innocence Lost15:55 Rebellion and Cynicism21:33 The Judge-Penitent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I sat down with @lanceindependent to talk morality, metaethics, and moral relativism. We particularly focused on the mistakes people tend to make about moral and metaethical relativism.Uploaded 08-12-25Support 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/Lance's Blog: https://www.lanceindependent.com/Lance's Website: https://lancesbush.owlstown.net/Lance's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lanceindependent00:00:00 Comparing Ethics and Metaethics00:00:56 Introducing The Moral Realist/Anti-Realist Debate00:11:58 Misconceptions About Moral Relativism00:19:16 The Overcomparison Fallacy00:28:01 How to Know if Someone is a Moral Realist/Anti-Realist00:48:08 How Reliable Are Our Moral Intuitions? 00:52:01 Multiple Meanings of “Intuition”00:53:50 Advancing Our Understanding Through Moral Disagreements01:00:02 Everyday Disagreements01:01:49 The True Function of Disagreements01:13:48 Moral Relativists in Society01:18:15 Social Goals Causing Fluidity in Moral Stances01:20:49 Experimental Philosophy and Metaethics01:37:20 Arguments from Formalism01:48:52 Logical Positivism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An argument that has become increasingly popular in apologetic or cultural apologetic circles is arguing for the cultural influence of Christianity through the "Tom Holland Argument". I talked to a prominent Christian critic of that argument to see why he thinks Christians should not take this route.Uploaded 26-08-26Also check out Matt’s Substack here! It is really good!: https://substack.com/@thisisleisfullofnoises?r=2ohjsz&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=stories&shareImageVariant=imageSupport 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 the "Tom Holland Argument"06:20 Why shouldn't Christians use it?16:46 The trouble with defining Christianity29:15 The difficulty of writing history through ideas41:15 Your morals aren't self-evident50:30 History, Epistemology, and Storytelling55:35 What are some good arguments for cultural Christianity?1:03:15 When are historical arguments persuasive?1:12:46 Secular Ethics and Self-Help Bros1:22:30 What I envy about religious people1:27:40 Can everyone go to Heaven?1:39:07 What was the greatest idea you came 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

Head to https://squarespace.com/unsolicitedadvice to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code UNSOLICITEDADVICEUploaded 17-12-25Gavin Ortlund (@TruthUnites) has recently argued that atheism as a philosophical position implies despair and nihilism. I disagree with him on this point, and would like to say a few words as to 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/00:00 Is Atheism Unliveable?13:22 Christians have a point!22:09 Atheism Strikes Back38:31 Reconstructing the Argument Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aren't statistics wonderful things. If used correctly they can provide profound illumination on how the world is. But let's say you didn't want to do that. How would you use every trick in the book to manipulate, fool, and lie to people with statistics to believe whatever you want them to. Well, that is just what we are going to look at today.Uploaded 04-06-24Support 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 on Correlation and Causation: https://www.nature.com/articles/nmeth.358700:00 Fantastic Statistics and Where to Find Them02:04 Devious definitions04:48 Strange inferences07:47 Samples and Representativeness12:01 The Average Joe16:17 The Buttery Biscuit Base Rate Neglect19:26 The Abuse of Proportions23:03 Correlation and Causation26:59 Causation and Attribution Errors29:30 The Dazzle of StatisticsStandard Deviation Curve example: By Ajay Raavi MD JD - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116977508Spurious correlations website: https://tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations 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 10-06-26I love a hot takes video. We have done a few about philosophy, but I am interested to see your hottest takes on literature, and books more generally. There are some really spicy ones here, and I'm looking forward to reading 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 Literature is Just Content10:31 Audiobooks Don't Count15:11 Intention and Interpretation26:50 Movies are Better than Books34:42 Modern Books are Bad38:35 We care too much about relatability Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few philosophy books as iconic as Plato's Republic. It is simultaneously an examination of what "goodness" is, a metaphysical treatise, and a political manifesto. And today we are going to look at this wonderful ancient text, and ask whether its insights are applicable to our own time. And how, just maybe, we might be able to fix politics.Uploaded 25-05-24Support 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/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 Politics and Philosophy01:44 The New Metallic Order08:01 Educating a State13:50 The Rule of Wisdom19:28 The Failed States Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sophists are potentially the most hated philosophers in history. But as far as I can tell, this is based on a series of misunderstandings and misrepresentations. When we look at the existing evidence in more detail, what is instead revealed are a group of interesting and original thinkers. So here is my sophist apologia. I hope you enjoy it.Uploaded 04-06-26Support 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/00:00 The Villainous Sophist07:50 Arguments Leading Nowhere24:27 Corrupting the Youth36:30 Man is the Measure of All Things45:00 What to do about the Sophists Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George Orwell's 1984 is one of the most famous and infamous books in history. But for all its fame and glory we rarely stop to ask what the underlying philosophical messages are. But here we will unpack Orwell's masterpiece to uncover the political, philosophical, and existential horrors that lie beneath.Uploaded 30-03-24Support 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/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN700:00 Orwell's Nightmare01:26 1984: A Brief Synopsis07:31 The Impersistence of Memory12:50 Language and Thought18:41 Punishing Passions24:46 The Abolition of Privacy31:01 The Deathless Drive37:51 Empty Joy or Painful Truth45:38 Helplessness and Hopelessness52:38 What's the Point of 1984? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to https://ground.news/unsolicited to understand how different perspectives shape our worldview. Save 40% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan with my link.Uploaded 23-12-25The Great Gatsby is one of the most famous novels of all time. And while many analyses focus on its sociological insight, I wanted to do something slightly different. I want to read The Great Gatsby as an extended meditation on the nature of failure, and the impossibility of human satisfaction. I hope you enjoy.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/00:00:00 The Great Gatsby00:14:16 Deceit and Desire00:27:31 Abandoning the Present00:41:31 You Can't Handle The Truth00:55:57 Beauty and Power01:12:10 The Master of Failure Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices