Is Being Smart Worth the Depression? - Alex O’Connor & Joe Folley (4K)

Go see Chris live in America - https://chriswilliamson.live Alex O’Connor is a YouTuber, writer and a podcaster. Joe Folley is a philosopher, writer, and host of the Unsolicited Advice YouTube channel. Philosophy has spent thousands of years trying to teach us how to live well. But the deeper you go, the darker it gets. So what’s the point? What can we take from all that heaviness, and how do we find beauty in the darkness to make our own lives better? Expect to learn if philosophy always meant to be practically applicable, or if that is that a modern reinterpretation, which ancient schools have been most unfairly ignored, which branches of philosophy should be jettisoned entirely, why everyone hate philosophy of mind, the differences between academic and practical philosophy, the darkest philosophies you’ve probably never heard of, why modern discourse always feel ironic and why no one speaks earnestly any more and much more… - 0:00 Can Philosophy Actually Help You Live Better? 6:04 Is Modern Philosophy Trying to Be Too Intellectual? 11:44 What Do Philosophers Often Overlook? 22:35 Why Philosophy Can Feel a Bit Depressing 33:41 Is Life Worth Living? 44:47 Why Context Matters in Understanding Philosophers 54:24 Why is There Growing Interest in Panpsychism? 01:08:40 Is Consciousness Unified? 01:23:59 Emotivism 101: The Morality of Emotion 01:29:03 Is Morality Just Vibes? 01:40:59 Emotivism and the Incest Question 01:49:05 Do Philosophy Influencers Have a Moral Duty? - Get Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get $100 off the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostAlex O’ConnorguestJoe FolleyguestGuestguest

Oct 27, 20251h 58mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: October 27, 2025
Duration: 1h 58m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Go see Chris live in America - https://chriswilliamson.live Alex O’Connor is a YouTuber, writer and a podcaster. Joe Folley is a philosopher, writer, and host of the Unsolicited Advice YouTube channel. Philosophy has spent thousands of years trying to teach us how to live well. But the deeper you go, the darker it gets. So what’s the point? What can we take from all that heaviness, and how do we find beauty in the darkness to make our own lives better? Expect to learn if philosophy always meant to be practically applicable, or if that is that a modern reinterpretation, which ancient schools have been most unfairly ignored, which branches of philosophy should be jettisoned entirely, why everyone hate philosophy of mind, the differences between academic and practical philosophy, the darkest philosophies you’ve probably never heard of, why modern discourse always feel ironic and why no one speaks earnestly any more and much more… - 0:00 Can Philosophy Actually Help You Live Better? 6:04 Is Modern Philosophy Trying to Be Too Intellectual? 11:44 What Do Philosophers Often Overlook? 22:35 Why Philosophy Can Feel a Bit Depressing 33:41 Is Life Worth Living? 44:47 Why Context Matters in Understanding Philosophers 54:24 Why is There Growing Interest in Panpsychism? 01:08:40 Is Consciousness Unified? 01:23:59 Emotivism 101: The Morality of Emotion 01:29:03 Is Morality Just Vibes? 01:40:59 Emotivism and the Incest Question 01:49:05 Do Philosophy Influencers Have a Moral Duty? - Get Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get $100 off the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Chris Williamson
host
Alex O’Connor
guest
Joe Folley
guest
Guest
guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and Alex O’Connor, Is Being Smart Worth the Depression? - Alex O’Connor & Joe Folley (4K) explores is Philosophy Practical Or Just Depressing Intellectual Masturbation Today? Alex O’Connor and Joe Folley discuss how ancient philosophy tightly linked metaphysics, ethics, and practical guidance for living, in contrast to much of modern philosophy’s fragmented and sometimes sterile specialization. They explore Stoicism, Aristotelian ethics and friendship, pessimism, nihilism, antinatalism, and how dark philosophies can paradoxically console or even amuse. The conversation then turns to philosophy of mind and panpsychism, using split-brain patients and combination problems to question what consciousness is and how unified it really might be. Finally, they examine emotivism about morality and the ethical responsibilities of being public-facing philosophers whose ideas may influence people wrestling with life-and-death questions.

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