Episode 46: Dr. Richard McGowan, Philosopher

Show Description:

Dr. Richard McGowan is a Philosopher and former Business Ethics/Philosophy Professor at Butler University. Doc grew up on the north Shore of Long Island, New York, then went on to earn is BA at Colgate University, MA at Washington State, and his PHD at Marquette University.

Dr. McGowan is an avid writer, and you can find his published articles in outlets like the Indianapolis Star, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times.

Show Highlights:

4:00-22:00: Doc McGowan talks about his childhood growing up in Long Island, and how he was able to create special bonds with his siblings, friends and father. He also gets into his professional background and how he found the philosophy/education path.
22:00-37:00: We dive into what it means to overcome small angers we face throughout the day, and we discuss why people form a divide on certain subjects, highlighting the victim mentality.
37:00-51:00: We get into the topic of media in today's society, and ponder why different news sources fail to complete their homework and due diligence when publishing a story. We compare media and technology today versus the way media operated in the past.
55:00-1:10:00: Doc McGowan talks about what is at stake as an individual when approaching an argument, and we talk about the healthy mindset when conversing with someone who holds an opposite opinion as you. We highlight the "courage vs. despair" dichotomy that every human faces when taking risks in this life.
1:10:00-1:35:00: In the final section of the episode, we discuss combining emotion and reason when you set out to do good in the world. We highlight the "rights, justice, utility, and care" argument and the importance of starting with commonality among people, then moving to diversity. Doc finishes the episode with his final advice to the listeners.