Hotel Bar Sessions

What can Frantz Fanon and Friedrich Nietzsche teach us about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict?

[NOTE: This episode originally aired on October 11, 2024.]

This week, we're joined by Zahi Zalloua (Whitma…

The HBS co-hosts learn why it's not just about pronouns.

[This episode originally aired in November 2023.]

In recent years, society has witnessed a seismic significant shift in our understanding of gen…

Who, if anyone, is speaking truth to power these days?

In the Season 12 finale of Hotel Bar Sessions, we take a deep dive into Michel Foucault’s late lectures on parrhesia, the ancient Greek concept o…

Do universals “exist”? Are they real? And why are we talking about porcupines so much?!

In this episode, Leigh, Rick, and Devonya dive headfirst into one of philosophy’s oldest and knottiest questions…

Can democracy be saved from totalitarianism? 

In this episode, the co-hosts are joined by political theorist Dr. Peg Birmingham (DePaul University) for an urgent discussion on the topic of totalitaria…

Carlos Amador on Latin American aesthetics, precarity, and what it means to be completely f*cked.

In this episode, the HBS crew welcomes Carlos Amador—Associate Professor of Spanish in the Department…

This week, we're pulling up a seat at the intersection of faith, governance, and democracy as we take on the Establishment Clause—that little First Amendment provision that’s supposed to keep church …

Who's afraid of DEI? And why?

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives have become institutional mainstays in corporate and academic settings—but they are currently under att…

When does decorum keep us civil-- and when does it keep us silent?

From courtroom etiquette to the Oval Office, from department meetings to NFL sidelines, decorum shapes our public interactions—but wh…

Who gets to decide who we are?

In this episode, Rick Lee and Devonya Havis pull up a chair with philosopher and political theorist Falguni Sheth to talk about the ways identity is shaped, claimed, and…

When nothing is clear, how do we decide?

Many people prefer their morality to be straightforward—right or wrong, good or bad, clear as day. But more often than not, human life is a mess of contradicti…

Can anyone be trusted anymore?

Trust is the glue that holds our social world together, yet it’s one of the most fragile bonds we have. In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Rick, Leigh, and Devonya d…

Who gets to judge right and wrong? And on what grounds?

In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Leigh, Rick, and Devonya talk about judgment—what it is, when we need it, and whether it’s a skill or jus…

How, and for what, are we responsible?

What does it even mean to be responsible? Is it about blame? Credit? Or something else entirely? 

Leigh, Devonya, and Rick hash it out over drinks, tackling every…

Is ChatGPT usurping the authority of the "Author"? Or is it just a pretender to the throne?

We're opening up the question of "authority" to extend well beyond the usual suspects of kings, generals, or…

The HBS co-hosts savor the complexities of a dish best served cold.

Is revenge ever ethical? Can it be a form of justice, or is it always about personal satisfaction? In this episode, Rick Lee, Leigh …

Is "virtue" an outdated concept? And why is there a bear in this classroom?!

This week at the hotel bar, Rick, Devonya, and Leigh are digging deep into the idea of virtue. What does it mean to be virt…

This week's episode is a REPLAY of a previously-aired episode from Season 9.  HBS will return with all new episodes on January 10, 2024. Stay tuned!

The HBS hosts wonder how a hard heart is melted and…

This week's episode is a REPLAY of a previously-aired episode from Season 9.  HBS will return with all new episodes on January 10, 2024. Stay tuned!

The HBS hosts dig into Jacque Derrida's philosophy …

What if morality was law-governed in the same way as logic and physics?

The Hotel Bar Sessions hosts close out Season 11 with a deep dive into one of philosophy’s most important moral principles: Imma…