Blinded by Science

Interview and discussion about science, truth, and capitalism on the "What's Left?" podcast

Photo by Wikimedia Commons - CC 2.0

I recently had the pleasure of appearing on the What’s Left? podcast, which describes itself as a “weekly political discussion challenging the mainstream left.” I learned about What’s Left through George Borg, a visiting assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, with whom I wrote an op-ed for The Daily Pennsylvanian that was featured last month on Handful of Earth.

George and I were invited on the podcast to discuss the topic of science and truth as it relates to the left. Over the course of this extended interview and discussion, we explore the following themes, among others:

• Our personal trajectories in relationship to the problem of science and truth

• The position of experts and the role of expertise

• The function of science under capitalism

• Whether the function of science can be transformed under a different economic system

• The interplay between the school system and the scientistic worldview

• The contributions and limitations of Marxist philosophy of science

• The role of the petite bourgeoisie in the pandemic response

• The relationship between the medical freedom movement and the conflict in Gaza and Israel

• Whether regulatory capture should be the focus of contemporary political critique

• The appropriate scale for politics in a time of emboldened technocratic repression

I found the discussion to be intellectually stimulating and politically significant and would encourage anyone with an interest in some of the topics above to have a listen. Thanks to the hosts of this episode—Andrew Libson and Kenny Zepeda—for the opportunity to discuss these important issues!

Here’s the YouTube video of the podcast (and the episode title’s musical inspiration):