Public Philosophy

BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS Ep3: “The National Anthem” with Ammon Allred

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Ethics, Philosophy, Politics, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Television Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS Ep3: “The National Anthem” with Ammon Allred

In Episode 3 of BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, I am joined by one of my absolute favorite human beings, Dr. Ammon Allred, who is also quite literally the only person with whom I feel comfortable recording a conversation about Black Mirror‘s inaugural episode, “The National Anthem.” And, after having recorded said episode, I’m already having second thoughts about…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 21: “Hang the DJ” with John Torrey

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Ethics, Philosophy, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 21: “Hang the DJ” with John Torrey

  For Episode 21, I am joined by Dr. John Torrey to talk about whether or not we each have (and can find) “The One,” dating apps, the freedom to make bad choices, simulated relationships, and “Hang the DJ” (Season 4, Episode 4 of Black Mirror), which first premiered in 2017. This is the penultimate…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 13: “Be Right Back” with Samir Chopra

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Emergent Tech, Ethics, Philosophy, Politics, Public Philosophy, Race and Racism, RMWMTMBM Archive, Samir Chopra, Technology, Technology and Human Values Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 13: “Be Right Back” with Samir Chopra

  For Episode 13, I am joined by Dr. Samir Chopra to talk about intelligent robots, personhood, the complicated machinations of human grieving, and “Be Right Back” (Season 2, Episode 1 of Black Mirror), which first premiered in 2013. Listen/Download BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast episodes  Subscribe to BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast Support/Donate to BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast My…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 16: “Arkangel” with Shannon Mussett

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Emergent Tech, Ethics, Philosophy, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Women and Gender Issues Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 16: “Arkangel” with Shannon Mussett

 For Episode 16, I am re-joined by Dr. Shannon Mussett to talk about surveillance technologies, helicopter parenting, the differences between Gen X and Gen Z childhoods, how we might avoid raising a generation of sociopaths, and “Arkangel” (Season 4, Episode 2 of Black Mirror), which first premiered in 2017. Listen/Download BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast episodes  Subscribe to BLACK…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 17: “White Bear” with Charles Mills

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Justice, Philosophy, Public Philosophy, Race and Racism, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Women and Gender Issues Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 17: “White Bear” with Charles Mills

For Episode 17, I am joined by Dr. Charles Mills to talk about punishment, non-ideal theories of justice, why philosophers love science fiction, and “White Bear” (Season 2, Episode 2 of Black Mirror), which first premiered in 2013. Listen/Download BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast episodes  Subscribe to BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast Support/Donate to BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast I’ve been…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast, Ep10: “Nosedive” with John Danaher

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Emergent Tech, Ethics, Philosophy, Politics, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast, Ep10: “Nosedive” with John Danaher

  For episode 10, I am joined by Dr. John Danaher to talk about social credit systems, the ubiquity of ranking metrics, whether or not its possible to go “off the grid,” and “Nosedive” (Season 3, Episode 1 of Black Mirror), which first premiered in 2016. Listen/Download BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast episodes  Subscribe to BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS…

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Hotel Bar Sessions podcast: A brief history

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Hotel Bar Sessions, Philosophy, podcast, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive Comments Off on Hotel Bar Sessions podcast: A brief history

I can’t be sure who’s still regularly checking in on this blog, but those of you who are have surely noticed that I’ve shifted my energies from blogging to podcasting over the last year. Beginning in November 2020, I did a 22-episode run of my first podcast BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, in which I interviewed philosophers,…

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No Exit: The Problem with Facebook’s Algo-Policing

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Artificial Intelligence, Emergent Tech, Ethics, Facebook, Politics, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Social Media, Technology, Technology and Human Values Comments Off on No Exit: The Problem with Facebook’s Algo-Policing

On Tuesday, this blog– which I very much consider an extension of myself– was finally released from Facebook jail, after having been “inside” for more than a month. I was reported by a user (who I do not know IRL and who is not a “Facebook friend” of mine) for violating Facebook’s “Community Standards,” specifically the…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep1: “15 Million Merits” with Shannon Mussett

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Emergent Tech, Ethics, Philosophy, Pop Culture/Film/Literature, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Television Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep1: “15 Million Merits” with Shannon Mussett

  I’m sooooo excited to announce the release of our first episode of BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast! As you may have heard– from my endless self-promoting on FB and Twitter– this podcast will be structured as a series of conversations between myself and some very smart people as we talk/think through the technology, philosophy, morality,…

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Black Mirror Reflections podcast

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, BMR podcast, Ethics, Philosophy, Politics, Pop Culture/Film/Literature, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values Comments Off on Black Mirror Reflections podcast

  I’m in the process of recording the first few episodes of a (limited series) podcast entitled Black Mirror Reflections, which will be released next week. I’ve written a lot about Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror on this blog over the years, I regularly teach a course entitled “Technology and Human Values,” and I incorporate Black Mirror episodes in several…

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