Hi-Phi Nation
Hi-Phi Nation is philosophy in story-form, integrating narrative journalism with big ideas. We look at stories from everyday life, law, science, popular culture, and strange corners of human experiences that raise thought-provoking questions about things like justice, knowledge, the self, morality, and existence. We then seek answers with the help of academics and philosophers. The show is produced and hosted by Barry Lam of UC Riverside.
- Update frequency
- every 14 days
- Average duration
- 43 minutes
- Episodes
- 64
- Years Active
- 2016 - 2023
The Loophole
Two men committed a double murder in rural Maine in 1990. Only one pulled the trigger. The state prosecutor decided to try them separately, but that was a mistake, and both were acquitted. Then the F…
00:42:35 |
Sat 13 Jun 2020
Punishment without End
A teen-aged girl gets caught with a suitcase stuffed with powdered cocaine, and she comes before a federal judge. That judge learns that a felony conviction carries punishments for life for her. He e…
00:55:47 |
Sat 06 Jun 2020
Redemption in Solitary
Erick Williams tells the story of how one bad night in the chow hall got him into solitary confinement at Walpole. The path out of solitary, and eventually out of prison, took another decade. On this…
00:50:57 |
Sat 30 May 2020
Gender Justice
On this episode, we look at feminist and progressive prosecution; how does a prosecutor balance the aims of prosecuting more gender-based crimes while also being sensitive to the problems of mass inc…
00:56:38 |
Sat 23 May 2020
The Informant
This week we go inside investigative operations in NYPD internal affairs and in the war and drugs to look at the police use of discretion to selectively break laws in order to pursue the bad guys. On…
00:51:43 |
Sat 16 May 2020
Police Discretion
Is a mobile home a home or a car? Is a car parked inside a home part of the home? The answer to these stoner philosophical questions determine the scope of police power. Over the last 100 years, the …
00:51:25 |
Sat 09 May 2020
Hi-Phi Nation Plus: Mens Rea versus Moral Luck
In this Slate Plus segment, Barry is joined by Sarah Lustbader to discuss the issues raised in Episode 1: Criminal Minds. Sarah expresses skepticism about the significance of mens rea in ordinary pro…
00:21:43 |
Sat 02 May 2020
Criminal Minds
One place where law and morality are supposed to agree is that there should be no crime without a criminal mind, what is called “mens rea” in criminal law. But there have been a proliferation of crim…
00:55:24 |
Sat 02 May 2020
Sponsored: Delivering Extraordinary Experiences with Customer Experience Expert Liliana Petrova
When it comes to closing a deal, generating client referrals, or getting repeat business, understanding how to elevate the customer’s experience can make all the difference, and can often be a philos…
00:31:28 |
Thu 16 Apr 2020
Season 4: Crime and Punishment (Trailer)
From writing criminal laws to rights denied to the formerly incarcerated, every single stage of the criminal justice system runs on unquestioned assumptions about right and wrong, responsibility and …
00:03:48 |
Sat 11 Apr 2020
YOLO Apologetics
Drake coined “YOLO,” short for “you only live once” in 2011, and then later apologized for all the douchiness it subsequently engendered. But the spirit is ancient, and cross-cultural, speaking deep…
00:43:04 |
Sat 22 Jun 2019
The Illusionist
Pyotr Tchaikovsky composed and conducted his final symphony in 1893. He died 9 days later, after having knowingly drunk an unboiled glass of water during a cholera epidemic. Deep into the symphony, S…
00:37:45 |
Sat 08 Jun 2019
Uncivil Disobedience
In Australia, vegan and animal liberation activism has recently become intense and disruptive, invading farms, restaurants, and city centers. They’re doing everything from rescuing animals to blockin…
00:48:32 |
Sat 25 May 2019
For Women Only (pt. 2)
In the 40 years since the events at Olivia Records, gender categorization seems to pop up sporadically in the mainstream press, leading to what sociologists Laurel Westbrook and Kristen Schilt call "…
00:48:50 |
Sat 11 May 2019
For Women Only (pt. 1)
It is currently very difficult to get your gender legally changed in the U.K, That might change. In recent months, philosophers have been drafted into making complicated and contentious arguments abo…
00:51:57 |
Sat 27 Apr 2019
Demons of Democracy
Preschool kids get their first taste of democratic participation when they vote on their class name, and democratic private schools try to display the value of democracy by making kids vote on everyt…
00:54:04 |
Sat 13 Apr 2019
Name of God (2019)
A few days after the New Zealand Mosque massacre, Dr. Thaya Ashman heard about a woman who was too afraid to come out in public in her hijab for fear of being targeted. So Dr. Ashman had an idea to i…
00:54:37 |
Sat 30 Mar 2019
The Forever War
This year will mark the 18th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, the forever war characterized by regime change, a surge, drawdowns, and then re-engagement across three Presidential administration…
00:50:04 |
Sat 16 Mar 2019
No Offense
What if you could sue someone for calling you a racial slur? In the 90s, one country that always looked very similar to America decided to allow it, rolling back the rights to free speech in the inte…
00:48:16 |
Sat 02 Mar 2019
Risky Business
How many innocent people should we be allowed to arrest and jail in order to prevent a single dangerous person from being free? The Supreme Court has refused to answer this question, but algorithms h…
00:49:44 |
Sat 16 Feb 2019
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