Veridical

EP46: Political Division is Good (My time with John Cuturilo and the Your Listener Podcast)

John Cuturilo and Jack Sezer — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:16:37 -0500

I was invited onto John Cuturilo's podcast, Your Listener, to speak on some of my gut reactions to the political landscape in America. We avoided (or tried to avoid) specific references to accommodate potential speech law violations.
Reach John at: https://www.yourlistener.com.au/

EP45: Dr. Neil Levy: You Are Not Responsible For Anything (How Luck Runs the World)

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:51:08 -0500

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Neil Levy about how luck influences nearly everything in our lives. We explore his thesis developed in his work, Hard Luck, and the moral and political implications his arguments have for our lives.

Dr. Neil Levy's page: https://www.uehiro.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-neil-levy

EP44: Rafael Holmberg: Psychoanalysis, Philosophy, Existentialism, and You

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:41:28 -0500

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Rafael Holmberg on the antagonistic relationship between philosophy and psychoanalysis. Although this podcast might be dense for those unfamiliar with the fields explored, it might serve as a useful perspective of the interdisciplinary relationship between philosophy and psychology. We also discuss Holmberg's back and forth with the famous philosopher, Slavoj Zizek.

Holmberg's Substack: https://substack.com/@rafaelholmberg

EP43: David Edmonds on Derek Parfit, his life, and normative ethics

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 17:03:29 -0600

In this episode I speak with Dr. David Edmonds regarding his biography of Derek Parfit, my philosophical hero. Parfit lived a fascinating life marked by massive success, but also tragedy. We explore these finer points and explore Parfit's approach to ethics.
David Edmonds' Philosophy Bites: https://philosophybites.com/about/
David Edmonds' profile: https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/research-in-conversation/our-place-world/david-edmonds

EP42: What Matters? Speaking With an Epicurean (Jonny Thomson)

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:31:22 -0500

In this episode, I speak with Jonny Thomson, a former Oxford philosophy professor who now hosts PhilosophyMinis on social media and writes for BigThinkers. Jonny is a philosopher interested in an array of topics, particularly Epicureanism. We speak on a variety of topics but morality and meaning in particular.
Follow Jonny here: https://bigthink.com/people/jonnythomson/

EP41: UnFu*king America with Zee Cohen-Sanchez

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 17:33:15 -0500

In this episode, I speak with Zee Cohen-Sanchez about politics, organizations, mobilization, Trump, and more.
Support the UnFuck America tour: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/unfuckamericatour?refcode=web
Follow Zee and Sole Strategies: https://www.sole-strategies.com/team/zee-cohen-sanchez

EP40: Minor Spats(1) w/ Drew Mills fighting about Christian Ethics and Politics

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 15:06:32 -0500

I begin a new series, Minor Spats, where I engage with individuals on their beliefs that I find repugnant, undemocratic, or blatantly immoral. In this episode, I speak with Drew Mills, a former political campaign worker and now ideological opponent.

EP39: Fixing the Message w/ Notsoerudite politics, rhetoric, philosophy, and more

Jack Sezer — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 13:24:39 -0500

In this episode, I speak with political streamer Notsoerudite (Kyla Turner). We discuss the state of the two parties, the effective or ineffective messaging of both parties, the issue of male loneliness, and conspiracy theories.
Follow Kyla on her platforms here: https://linktr.ee/notsoerudite
My Substack: https://substack.com/@jacksezer

EP38: Inventing the Suicide Pod: Dr. Nitschke and Voluntary Euthanasia

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:13:16 -0500

In this episode I speak with Dr. Philip Nitschke about his work at Exit International, the Sarco Pod, and the philosophical arguments around voluntary euthanasia.
You can support and learn more about Exit International here: https://www.exitinternational.net/
Subscribe to my Substack for Free: https://substack.com/@jacksezer

EP37: Philosophy and Abortion with Luke Roelofs

Jack Sezer — Mon, 19 May 2025 10:42:18 -0500

In this episode I speak with Dr. Luke Roelofs about abortion, identity, continuity, ethics, and politics.
Support Luke and his work: https://www.lukeroelofs.com/
Subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@jacksezer

EP36: Alec MacGillis: Private Schools, Vouchers, Taxpayer Dollars, and Chaos

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Fri, 16 May 2025 11:36:06 -0500

I speak with Alec MacGillis regarding his recent writing at ProPublica. We discuss private schools, taxpayer dollars, private vouchers, the education system, and more.
Support Alec MacGillis' writing here: https://www.propublica.org/people/alec-macgillis

EP35: Tim Whitaker: What the Heck is Going On With Christian Nationalism

Jack Sezer — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 12:26:36 -0500

In this episode I speak with Tim Whitaker from The New Evangelicals. We talk about the current state of U.S. politics, the rise of Christian Nationalism, Donald Trump, and other topics. Support Tim and TNE below.
Website: https://www.thenewevangelicals.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenewevangelicals/?hl=en

This episode was recorded before the GRACE investigations. Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Tim demonstrated valuable knowledge and a critical perspective on the topics at hand. Recording this podcast does not bear any connection to the matters of investigation.

EP34: Ukrainian Ana: The Ukrainian War and the Information Battlefield

Jack Sezer — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:58:10 -0600

In this belated episode, I speak with Ukrainian Ana regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, the role of the United States on the world stage, the personalities of Putin and Trump, and how we should view democracy in the context of war.
Ana's X account: https://x.com/UkrainianAna
Ana on Piers Morgan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ5pYYve_HY&t=1571s
My Essay: https://jacksezer.substack.com/p/my-thoughts-so-far-on-russia-and?r=27zkbv

EP33: Anthony Graves: 18 Years on Death Row

Jack Sezer — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 11:32:54 -0600

In this episode I speak with Anthony Graves, who was on death row for 18 years before being found innocent. We explore the ideas behind the death penalty, his experience, and the road ahead.
Anthony's Page: https://www.aclu.org/bio/anthony-graves
Peer Navigator: https://peernavigatorproject.org/
My Capital Punishment Lecture (password is SZ@rNEI8): https://www.philosophersforum.org/Archives.html
My Substack Article on the Death Penalty: https://jacksezer.substack.com/p/on-the-death-penalty?r=27zkbv

EP32: Richard Rothstein- How we can fight current de facto racism: Redlining, taxes, and community

Jack Sezer — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:32:27 -0600

In this episode I speak with Richard Rothstein, author of Color of Law and Just Action. We speak about redlining, the history of de facto and de jure racism, and the current effects of institutionalized racism.
Richard Rothstein: https://www.justactionbook.org/
My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/

EP31: End of Year Debrief: The Middle East, Donald Trump, and You!

Jack Sezer — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 10:38:26 -0600

I look back at some of the major touch points of this year and the optics of 2025. I discuss normative ethics, applied ethics, just war theory, and Donald Trump. I also discuss Trumpism as an ideology and how to combat it.
My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/

EP30: Post Election Debrief with Dr. Michael Lundie

Jack Sezer — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 09:50:25 -0600

In this episode I discuss the results of the 2024 election with Dr. Michael Lundie, the first return guest. We remark on Trump's campaign, the effect it had on others, the political discourse today, and looking forward.

My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/publish/home?utm_source=menu
Keep up with Michael Lundie: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Lundie

EP29: Brian Becker: Martin Heidegger, phenomenology, and religion

Jack Sezer — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 08:04:16 -0500

In this episode I speak with Dr. Brian Becker. We explore Martin Heidegger's Being and Time, his goals and philosophy, and more. We explore Descartes and the self as well as religion. Becker has a youtube channel approaching 10,000 subscribers and we would love to help him reach that goal so click the link and subscribe.
Brian's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SingularityasSublimity

EP28: Robin Maher: The Death Penalty

Jack Sezer — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 14:26:04 -0500

In this episode I speak with Robin Maher, the director for the Death Penalty Information Center. We explore the history, ongoing practices, and legal theory behind the death penalty. Support DPI and stay up to date on relevant death penalty information.
Robin's page: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/about/staff-and-board-of-directors/robin-m-maher-executive-director
DPI: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/
My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/publish/home?utm_source=menu

EP27: Derek Maus: Postmodernism, Philosophy of Literature, Fiction, History, and Politics

Hosted by: Jack Sezer — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode I speak with Dr. Derek Maus about Postmodernism, philosophies regarding various aspects of literature, how we read literature, poetic aspects of our political landscape, and other topics.

Derek's page: https://www.potsdam.edu/about/directory/faculty/mausdc
My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/publish/home?utm_source=menu

EP26: Oobah Butler: The Great Amazon Heist, Comedy, and New Journalism

Jack Sezer — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 17:29:43 -0500

In this episode I speak with Oobah Butler. Oobah has made waves on the internet with his unique and daring ideas. From turning his shed into the number one restaurant on trip advisor to infiltrating the business conglomerate Amazon to expose its terrible working conditions. Oobah is a fascinating man who is navigating his unique space exceptionally well. This is a nice break from the typical conversations held on this podcast and is a welcomed comedic relief.
Oobah's Website: https://www.oobahbutler.com/
Oobah's X: https://x.com/Oobahs

EP25: Connor Murray: A Sanity Check On Nuclear War

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

I speak with Connor Murray on the current state of nuclear-political affairs in the world. Connor reveals the political process of nuclear de-proliferation and efforts towards peace. We speak about the nature of nuclear war and how political affairs can heighten that risk.

Connor's Council For A Livable World Page: https://livableworld.org/about/meet-the-staff/connor-murray/

Music by Chillmore from Pixabay

EP24: Donald Trump the Martyr

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 16:18:13 -0500

I share some thoughts regarding the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump, and what this means for the future of our political-sociological landscape.

My Substack: https://jacksezer.substack.com/

Music by Chillmore from Pixabay

EP 23: David Kipping: Cool Worlds, Fermi paradox, aliens, NASA, and astrophysics

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:44:14 -0500

I speak with David Kipping, the host of the very successful Youtube channel, Cool Worlds. We speak on various topics regarding astronomy, aliens, and physics, with an important conversation on the political and economic ramifications on space exploration. Forgive me for my shaky audio in this episode.

Intro/Outro music by Oleg Fedak from Pixabay

EP 22: Jeff Schoep: leaving the Neo-Nazis, hatred, extremism, and anti-semitism

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Wed, 15 May 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode I walk through the journey and context of Jeff Schoep's life. We discuss his role in the American National Socialist Movement, the way he left the movement, and the work he is doing today. We explore various topics of extremism and hatred and I strongly encourage you to support the work he is now doing at Beyond Barriers.

Beyond Barriers: https://beyondbarriersusa.org/

Simon Wiesenthal Center: https://www.wiesenthal.com/

White Right: Meeting the Enemy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ0rhh5mbnA&t=1039s

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

EP 21: PreachersNSneakers (Ben Kirby): Christian wealth and ethics

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 11:51:16 -0500

In this episode I speak with Ben Kirby, the founder of Preachers N Sneakers, a social media sensation, podcast host, and controversial figure in the Christian wealth debate. We speak briefly on various subjects related to wealth, inequality, and morality. I was happy to speak with Ben and I urge you to read his book linked here.

PreachersNSneakers: https://preachersnsneakers.com/

PreachersNSneakers insta: https://www.instagram.com/preachersnsneakers/?hl=en

Intro/Outro Music: Music by Pumpupthemind from Pixabay

EP 20: Genocide: The Hollow Word

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 16:58:17 -0500

In this episode I read my Substack essay, Genocide: The Hollow Word. I speak about Aaron Bushnell and how purpose can be given to his vain death, the value of language and the need to preserve it, and the notion of 'genocide' in Israel/Palestine.

Music by Isaiah Mathew from Pixabay

EP19: Dr. David Patterson: Judaism, Nazism, The Holocaust, Terrorism, and Islam

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode I speak with Dr. David Patterson about the Jewish faith, the history of anti-semitism, the Nazis, and the moral relativism surrounding the conflict in Israel. Dr. David Patterson is well read on the subject and is an esteemed academic in the sector of Jewish studies. We reveal the linkage of ancient anti-semitism to the nazis and then to modern day terrorist sympathies. I hope to have more conversations like this and am grateful for the opportunity to learn.

Here are links relevant to the episode

https://isgap.org/

https://amchainitiative.org/

https://support.memri.org/site/SSurvey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=1620

Dr. David Patterson's page: https://profiles.utdallas.edu/david.patterson

My Instagram: Brilly_jack

As always, a huge thank you to the SmallWorld team!
Intro/Outro Credit: Music by Artem Hramushkin from Pixabay

EP18: Shirley Roper and Westboro Baptist: A Productive Conversation

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 04:00:00 -0600

In this episode I have a difficult and stifling conversation with the daughter of the founder of the Westboro Baptist Church, Shirley Roper. The Westboro Baptist Church is infamous around the world, and though few in number, they manage to cause quite the controversy. Though interesting, this conversation is stifling, difficult, and quite circular. I hope to improve my craft with every episode. Thank you for sticking with me on this journey.

Music by Virtuosound Studio from Pixabay

EP17: Dr. Michael Lundie: Identity Politics, Confirmation Bias, Metacognitive Sensitivity, and Belief

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 13:48:02 -0600

Bio: In this episode I interview Dr. Michael Lundie. We discuss various philosophical and political topics, attempting to find valuable and practical solutions to our current political divide. Michael provides us with tangible avenues to navigating our political landscape and shares thoughts on religion and free will. As always, thank you to the wonderful men at SmallWorld Media for making Veridical possible.

Michaels Instagram: @warrior_poet_bjj

Productive Politics: https://www.youtube.com/@ProductivePolitics

Braver Angels: https://braverangels.org/

Music by Pumpupthemind from Pixabay

EP16: Epistemology and Our New Year

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 23:00:00 -0600

Another year is upon us, and many of us have failed to account for the processes and capabilities of our minds. We need a radical transformation of our willingness to digest reality. Happy New Year.

(Outro Credit)
Purple Dream by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-yt
Creative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

EP15: Hunter Rees and Race, Religion, Israel, and Palestine

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 21:34:14 -0600

In this episode I speak with Hunter Rees. Hunter is well versed in the geopolitical tension, history, and context of the Israel region. We discuss the differences of race and religion, the role of religion, the philosophy behind the state of Israel, and its current response to the Oct. 7th attacks.

EP14: How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 04:00:00 -0600

In this episode I walk through Rosa Brooks' book, How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything. I discuss the value of linguistics and terminology, military operations other than war or MOOTW (moot-wah), the role that America plays in other countries' conflicts, the blurriness between war and peace, the increasing role of American military forces in jobs that should be allocated to civilian agencies, and other topics. As usual, thank you for listening.

My instagram bio: Brilly_Jack

SmallWorld's instagram bio: smallworldcast

EP13: Abraham Quinones and the Southern Border

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 21:28:08 -0500

In this episode, I speak with Veridical's first guest, Abraham Quinones. Abraham is a good friend of mine and we discuss immigration both legal and illegal, cartels, U.S. involvement, practical solutions, the philosophy of U.S. military intervention, and other relevant topics.

Intro/Outro Music:
Song: 'Lo fi'
Artist: PROFOUND BEATS
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhbqVfhOk-s&list=PLBYg09pfovDGQwdLU6IswwEYYP-qK6h7f&index=1

EP12: Better Never to Have Been

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sat, 12 Aug 2023 07:17:26 -0500

In this episode I walk through David Benatar's Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming Into Existence. I discuss his arguments and philosophical assumptions about human dignity, our quality of life, and why we should have a proper phased out extinction. I always discuss relevant topics such as abortion, infanticide, and rearing children in extreme circumstances. As always, I appreciate your willingness to join me in these book reviews.

Thank you to the Small World Media team for making this podcast possible.

Music Credit: "Mike Mineo"
Track Name: "Let Me Be The One"
Music written and performed by: Mike Mineo
• Mike Mineo on YouTube HERE: / themikestage
• Mike Mineo on Spotify HERE: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4IRbV...
• Mike Mineo on Instagram HERE: https://instagram.com/themikestage
• TOURING INFORMATION: https://mikemineo.com
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Full licence here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
• Music released by: Chill Out Records https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ

EP11: Reflections on Charlie Kirk Event

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Wed, 10 May 2023 13:28:29 -0500

In this episode I take a moment to reflect on my experience of the Turning Point USA event that was held at TCU. I play the audio of my interaction with Charlie Kirk and break down our conversation and provide my rebuttals. I discuss my challenges with having peers who support Kirk and individuals like him, and I also discuss ways I (and all of us) should be viewing our 'enemies'.
Big shout out to the team at Small World for making my podcast possible, I am in debt to their kindness and patience with me.

EP10: Jesus and John Wayne

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Mon, 08 May 2023 11:01:12 -0500

In this episode I cover Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristen Kobes Du Mez This book covers the history and attempts to answer the question of 'How did we get here'? Doing a historical unearthing of the relationship between evangelical culture to far right politics. How can we prevent this from occurring again? By learning this history and looking for repeating signs in the culture today.
Instagram: Brilly_Jack

EP9: All Quiet on the Western Front

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 21:50:46 -0600

In this episode, I discuss both the World War 1 2022 film and the 1928 novel, All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, a former World War 1 veteran. In light of the Oscar season and the 8 nominations this film racked up, I want to make the case for why this movie deserves an Oscar and why this should be required reading at some point in the education system. This movie is my second favorite movie of all time only falling short of Nolan's Interstellar.
For updates, follow my Instagram @brilly_jack

EP8: Thoughts for a New Year

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 12:14:21 -0600

As 2023 comes around the corner, I want to take some time for sporadic reflections and optimistic ambitions for the coming year. Happy New Year.

EP7: The Moral Landscape

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 06:00:00 -0600

In this episode I cover The Moral Landscape by Sam Harris. As a neuroscientist and philosopher, Sam offers many key insights into refining how we think and define morality itself. The book presents many great thought experiments, philosophical insights, and scientific observations that help put our moral conscience into a more clear presentation. I try a different format that is less rigid and more organic this episode, discussing the topics personally and objectively while walking through the book.

EP6: AMA Episode 1

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 05:57:26 -0500

This is my first ask me anything (AMA). I will broadcast when more ask me anythings are in que via my instagram. In this episode I answer questions regarding reprobation/predestination/freewill, murderers in Heaven and the atonement, and modern day pagan practices such as energy stones, witchcraft, and its fallibility.

Link to my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brilly_jack/

EP5: Trumpocracy

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0500

In this episode I cover David Frum’s book: Trumpocracy. Though I concede that Trump is a passed on topic, his identity cult and pseudo-religious clan is here to stay. With Liz Cheney losing the nominations to more Trump puppets, something must be said for the current state of affairs and our future.

EP4: Homo Deus: A brief History of Tomorrow

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 18:52:30 -0500

In this episode we explore the foreshadowed reality of our future with Yuval Noah Harari's book: Homo Deus: A brief History of Tomorrow. This book is a very turbulent venture through our history as homo sapiens, and challenges the reader to ponder how they want the future to look in the age of technology. The new age of technology is at our doorstep, and it is not going anywhere, we must embrace it but also learn how to ethically handle all the new power. Yuval believes that humans will replace God and achieve the status of divinity, his hypothesis is supported greatly throughout the book, though there are areas to challenge it. This book is one of the most powerful reads I have ever consumed, and I encourage everyone to buy the book!

EP3: The Composure of Hell

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sun, 24 Jul 2022 07:06:22 -0500

In this episode I read one of my academic papers for an eschatology class. I felt my glossing over of Hell in the previous episode left this podcast in a precarious position and I did not do the topic justice. For those that care for the inquiry, here is my full findings, and personal opinion on the Composure of Hell.

EP2: Heaven By Randy Alcorn

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 13:07:25 -0500

The book we discuss today is Heaven, by Randy Alcorn. Randy has personally impacted me beyond expectations with his direct writing style and hopeful speculations of our immortality. We walk through a lot of the book while not exhausting it’s whole narrative. Randy exhumes the existential anxiety for anyone suppressing the reality of death, we must confront the existence of our demise. I encourage the reading of this book!

EP:1 Welcome to Veridical

Hosted by Jack Sezer — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 09:34:15 -0500

Welcome to Veridical! This is the first episode of the journey that is Veridical. In this episode you will get to know your host Jack Sezer and learn what Veridical is all about.