78: God Is A Question, Not An Answer With Dr. William Irwin

You're listening to the Stoic Solutions Podcast - practical wisdom for everyday life. I'm your host, Justin Vacula with episode 78: God is a Question, Not an Answer with Dr. William Irwin. Dr. Irwin -- fond of the Stoic tradition mentioned in his book -- joins me again on this podcast following his appearance on episode twelve to talk about his new book 'God is a Question, Not an Answer.' We discuss intellectual humility, virtues associated with doubt, and the importance of philosophical reflection. Visit my website at stoicsolutionspodcast.com where you can email me; connect with me on social media; find past episodes; and join my Discord chat server for interactive discussion. Support my work through Patreon, Paypal, and referral links by visiting the donate tab on my website. William Irwin is the Herve A. LeBlanc Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Philosophy at King’s College in Pennsylvania. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including The Simpsons and Philosophy, The Matrix and Philosophy, and Seinfeld and Philosophy. His writing has appeared in the New York Times blog The Stone, and he has been interviewed by numerous media outlets including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education, USA Today, the BBC, CNN, NPR, and MSNBC. Irwin is best known for having originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books with Seinfeld and Philosophy (1999), The Simpsons and Philosophy (2001), and The Matrix and Philosophy (2002). He was editor of these books and then General Editor of the Popular Culture and Philosophy Series through Open Court Publishing. In 2006, Irwin left Open Court to become the General Editor of The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series which includes Metallica and Philosophy (2007) and Black Sabbath and Philosophy (2012) among other volumes. His newest book, 'God is a Question, Not an Answer: Finding Common Ground in Our Uncertainty' is now available on Amazon.com and other retailers. He joins me today following the book's recent publication. I'm grateful for having the opportunity to read a pre-release version of the book and contribute with edits and thoughts. Thanks, Dr. Irwin. -- Support my work through Patreon and Paypal and use referral links http://justinvacula.com/donate/ Find Justin Vacula online and listen to past content: Main website: http://www.stoicsolutionspodcast.com/ SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/justinvacula iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stoic-philosophy/id1264404483 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/justinvacula Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/justin-vacula/stoic-philosophy Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?authuser&u=0#/ps/I4gq7yzmfr63glwfvin2kmciifq Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoicSolutionsPodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/StoicSolutions Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/justinvacula Engage at home or on-the-go with podcast listeners and people interested in Stoicism & Philosophy in my new interactive easy-to-use Discord chat channel: http://justinvacula.com/2018/04/02/stoic-solutions-podcast-discord-chat/ Podcast music, used with permission, is from Fairyland's album 'Score to a New Beginning.' View their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Groupe.Fairyland.Officiel/ John Bartmann offered free consultation and audio edits for episodes 51-63. https://www.johnbartmann.com/ Resources: http://justinvacula.com/resources/ -- Show Notes: Dr. Irwin's new book 'God is a Question, Not an Answer: Finding Common Ground in Our Uncertainty' - https://amzn.to/2EaHaBY Meet Dr. Irwin for his speaking engagement with the NEPA Freethought Society in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pennsylvania area on January 5 of 2019 - https://www.meetup.com/NEPAFreethoughtSociety/events/256872498/ Find Dr. Irwin online - https://staff.kings.edu/wtirwin/

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I'm creating podcast episodes offering practical wisdom for everyday life -- solutions to modern human concerns -- informed by the ancient philosophical school of Stoicism popularized by thinkers including Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. Improve your quality of life by implementing a strong mental framework informed by Stoic Philosophy! I explore topics such as gratitude; acceptance; overcoming adversity; finding meaning in life; moderation; dealing with change; friendship; loneliness; and anger.