Unlimited Opinions - Philosophy, Theology, Linguistics, & More

Where does all of our recycling go? To the dump! Join us as we discuss the myths of recycling, the rationale behind organized crime, the illusion of social security, the ill effects of "affordability" measures, and much more! We also discuss many anecdotes, from funny t-shirts to...

In keeping with our timely opinions, we think that Thomas Sowell is the bee's knees! Join us as we finish discussing his writings on social issues, covering the true purpose of the culture war, the meaninglessness of "equality," the lack of discipline in modern society, and much...

Join us for another wide-ranging conversation on Thomas Sowell's thoughts on social issues! In this rant-laden episode, we discuss the overdiagnosis of autism, the problems with viewing history by our own standards, and the racist practice of dismissing the achievements of white people. We...

A new season, a new book! Join us as we start discussing The Thomas Sowell Reader, covering social issues ranging from America's warped education system, the loss of the traditional family, the impact of poverty, and more! We also recap the 2024 election, comparing the results to...

According to Orestes Brownson, America is truly a Catholic country! Join us as we discuss the final chapter of The American Republic: Its Constitution, Tendencies, and Destiny, as we break down Brownson's vision of the future of the United States. We discuss the importance of...

How do we manage the battle between rampant individualism and all-consuming socialism, two ideologies rooted in pure humanism? Orestes Brownson's answer: Catholicism! Join as we discuss Brownson's views of the political future of the United States, and how we need to fight for a future...

Should we continue to punish the South, or readmit them as full citizens of the United States? Join us for Orestes Brownson's great answer to this question, and some less than great answers to some other questions! We discuss his view of the contradictions between the Executive and the...

In perhaps the most convoluted chapter of Orestes Brownson's The American Republic, we discuss secession, and how that relates to modern American politics. We discuss why secession does not make a state an independent sovereign, and instead is the state giving up its existence as...

How does the government of the United States actually function, and how does it relate to Orestes Brownson's idea of a providential constitution? We discuss this and more as we continue our discussion of the constitutions of the United States of America, including our first place where we...

Are we finally starting to disagree with something Orestes Brownson has said? Find out as we discuss how Brownson applies his theories of the two constitutions to the American Founding, and whether or not the Constitution created the American people, or if the American people existed long...

The United States: one sovereign people, or really fifty different sovereigns in a trench coat? Find out as we discuss Orestes Brownson's description of America, eventually concluding that the American people were one unified whole long before 1787. We also discuss many other vitally...

Who really is the sovereign, and why is their job to promote the common good of the people of the nation? Find out as we conclude our discussion of the two constitutions of a nation, how the history of Rome reflects this idea, and when the overthrow of a ruler may be warranted!

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Is there a difference between the constitution of the people and the constitution of their government? How are those two constitutions related, and what is the role of God in their development? What about societies with terrible morals? Find out the answers to these questions and...

In this episode, we finally end our discussion of Orestes Brownson's description of where authority comes from! We talk about why the spiritual authority does not grant temporal authority to kings, and how authority really has divine origins as expressed mediately through the people! We...

Is sovereignty really held by the people themselves, acting as the voice of God? Or is government just a natural evolutionary development? Or does God supernaturally give certain people the divine right to rule? Orestes Brownson says no to all three! Hear our thoughts on his refutations of these...

In this episode, we examine all of the reasons why Orestes Brownson believes that social compact theory is not a good explanation for the origin of government! By the end of this episode, we're pretty convinced that he's right! We break down the issues with the theory, including the...

In this episode, we break down how Orestes Brownson views the authority of the state as coming from proprietorship of territory, rather than from the private rights of individuals. We also discuss what makes a society barbaric, how a republic should promote the common good, and why we need to...

Is loyalty one of the highest virtues? Is politics really founded on communion with God? Are libertarians really about liberty, or just licentiousness? Orestes Brownson has the answers to all these questions and more in his description of the nature of government! We discuss his description,...

A new season, with a more optimistic topic! For this season, we'll be reading Orestes Brownson's 1865 work The American Republic: Its Constitution, Tendencies, and Destinies. In this book, Brownson, a former socialist and Catholic convert, discusses what the nature of America...

Good riddance to George Lakoff's Moral Politics! In this season finale, we discuss the last section of Lakoff's book, in which he lays out his reasons for being a liberal. His reasons are of course based on his book-long characterization of conservatives as being stupid,...

This guy doesn't even know about federalism! Join us as we discuss George Lakoff's magnificent discussion on how he is confused by the concept of federalism, and how he divides up other varieties of liberals and conservatives. We also discuss how Lakoff fundamentally refutes his entire...

At this point, our criticisms of Lakoff have even started boring even us, so in this episode, we use his brief (and incorrect) descriptions of liberal and conservative approaches to Christianity and abortion as jumping-off points for our own ideas. We discuss the necessity of a hierarchy within...

Is this our angriest episode yet? Possibly! Join us as we discuss George Lakoff's thoughts on some of the most controversial topics: affirmative action, gay rights, education, the environment, and much more! As always, we point out the issues with an overly simplistic description of the...

As we all know, conservatives simply view the legal system in a very simple formula: more punishment = more good. Conservatives are certainly not concerned with a millenia-old theological, philosophical, legal, and moral tradition that argues for the responsibility of an individual's free...

Ignoring his horrible takes on conservatism, George Lakoff actually does a decent job of explaining the liberal worldview on social programs and taxes. Maybe this shouldn't be surprising - he definitely agrees with the liberals on everything. Join us as we discuss his analysis of liberal...

George Lakoff is right about one thing: conservatives do not like Hillary Clinton. In this episode, we look at Lakoff's descriptions of how liberals and conservatives categorize the ideal and worst citizens. Do conservatives really just care about upholding the current authority?...

In this episode, we actually give Lakoff some credit! He is embarking on a good project: analyzing liberal and conservative speech into a cohesive cognitive worldview. Unfortunately, he still can't seem to understand conservatives. We look at his descriptions of how liberals misunderstand...

Despite not really understanding morality, Lakoff does accurately describe the views of the nurturant parent! Join us as we discuss his description of this moral system that believes that people who need help should be treated like children, that promoting your self-interest is a moral good, and...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

"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...