OVERTHINK

In episode 129 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk to philosopher and host of Hi-Phi Nation Barry Lam about his book, Fewer Rules, Better People: The Case for Discretion. They discuss the problems with legalism and bureaucracy and the importance of discretion, as well as how the emergence of AI affects decision-making, and the negative impact of too many rules on our criminal justice system. Are we obliged to follow government rulings? Why is the ‘by the book bureaucrat’ the biggest villain of all? And how can we train people to make better discretionary decisions?

In episode 128 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a look at cleanliness. They get into how humans have turned cleanliness into art, the double standard of cleanliness for humans vs pets, and the historical weaponisation of cleanliness against marginalised groups, such as queer people and people of color. Why are we so focused on dirt when it is nothing more than matter out of place? And what is up with TikTok’s obsession with the Clean Girl Aesthetic?

In episode 127 of Overthink, David and Ellie dive into what an oligarchy looks like, the dangers of a country’s power being in the hands of the wealthy few, and whether or not oligarchic rule is new for the US. They look to the ancient Greeks for ideas on which form of government is conducive to the good life and explore how Aristotle’s notion of pleonexia relates to the current state of the US. Your hosts investigate how oligarchy morphs into tyranny, and try to answer the question, “How can we resist an oligarchy?”