Pretty Much Pop #78: Chess Is Having a Moment w/ J.J. Lang

The high level of interest in The Queen’s Gambit has brought this most popular game back to the forefront of pop culture. Chess expert/teacher J.J. (who’s also a grad student in philosophy) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to consider chess culture, what gives this game its edge on other contenders (why not Terra Mystica?), player personality characteristics, and the effect of  Continue Reading …

How Could Scalar Consequentialism Ever Lose at Chess?

Consequentialism is the view that the appropriateness of an action is determined solely by its consequences and not by any additional moral demands. Consequentialism comes in many flavors, starting with the classic utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806–1873). Scalar consequentialism can be thought of as that version which does not judge an  Continue Reading …