Dylan joins Zach to dig into the concept of hypocrisy. They focus on two questions: 1) What is hypocrisy? 2) Why are accusations of hypocrisy so appealing? Like typical philosophers, they find the concept to be more nuanced and rich than you might expect. The episode gives 9 insights/discoveries about hypocrisy. With them you should be able to decode the mysteries and frustrations of public discourse.
(TW/CW: the episode includes some discussion of extreme hypothetical examples about murder and racism.)
iTunes
Overcast
PlayerFM
In the conclusion, Dylan and Zach discuss 3 more fundamental and inescapable insights into the concept of hypocrisy. They focus on the question of why accusations of hypocrisy are ineffective, especially in politics. And yet, sometimes (not in politics) they are. When you’re called a hypocrite, a part of you is embarrassed. How does all this work?
In the final point, Zach proposes a distinction that explains everything—including the important concept of ‘whataboutism‘.
iTunes
Overcast
PlayerFM
[…] the GOP showed, yet again, their selective empathy and willingness to jettison all moral principles for the sake of power, it is worth panning back to notice how effective their tactics truly are. We […]
LikeLike
[…] See the hypocrisy episodes. […]
LikeLike
[…] improve with respect to awareness of the relevance of racism, but that is at most an abstract charge of hypocrisy. Though serious, it isn’t a rejection of veganism’s basic tenants, which is what a nonvegan […]
LikeLike
[…] is special to Democrats. Republicans revel in the confirmation that the other side is full of a) hypocrites and b) partisans who don’t, in fact, care about […]
LikeLike