Philosophical discussions presented by VIU and other Canadian students of philosophy, alumni, and au

Series:

The Canadian Philosophy Show

  » # Episodes: 12
  » Most Recent: 18 Nov, 2021
  » Website: https://chly.ca

Uploaded by:

Arbie Fru

https://chly.ca

Length: 0:58:52
Uploaded: 9 Nov, 2021

Recording Date: 6 Sep, 2021
Recording Location: Nanaimo, BC
Logsheet: none
Language: English
Topical for: Timeless
Status: Complete, Ready to Air
Copyright:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Program Title: 2021-09-06 The Canadian Philosophy Show #527
Description: Since the advent of contemporary economies, ordinary people have been increasingly able to access luxury goods, beyond exclusively those needed for survival. This ability has led to concerns about what we currently know as consumerist culture, which is a tendency for the average person to spend a considerable proportion of their income on non-essential consumerist goods. This tendency to spend on non-essential consumerist goods is argued to be in excess of providing a reasonable turnover rate of currency to utility points, or happiness.

On the show, Nicole argues that the average person tends to over-indulge in their purchases due to a lack of critical thinking and introspection about the merits of these goods—specifically in terms of the overall satisfaction that these goods provide. One explanation for this consumer tendency may be related to the concept of capitalist realism as described by Mark Fisher—the idea that capitalism is the only viable economic system, and thus there can be no imaginable alternative. Another explanation may be an existential one, that our lives are largely devoid of intrinsic meaning and purpose, so we turn towards material objects to fill this need. As such, we are living as the “last man” - a concept coined by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in “Thus Spoke Zarathustra". As the last man, we are tired of life, afraid of taking risks, and seek only comfort, security, and trivial enjoyment. The last man is unable to self-actualize and work towards building meaning and purpose in his life.
Some questions we ask in this show are: Is there a false dichotomy between a lifestyle of a) decadent consumption and wealth and b) one of virtuous restraint and poverty? In other words, is there a sweet spot between Paris Hilton and Diogenes? In terms of values, does much of the basis of Western philosophy conflict with the notion of being able to appreciate modern luxuries? If we must be concerned on building virtue and repressing menial desires, such as pleasure, what are we supposed to do about our surrounding consumerist culture and the expectations that come from living in this reality? Throughout history, why has there been an appeal to move towards a lifestyle of minimalism, such as monasteries and off-grid living?

Host(s): Michael Robert Caditz, Teagan Marshall, Nicole Kirigin, David Pham
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