The Radical Left

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 14 – Society 2 (Power) – Part 3: Did Dahmer deserve death?

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When a crime is monstrous, something deep inside us demands that justice be served. Retributive justice says the punishment should fit the crime, and for many, the death penalty feels like the only fitting response. But what happens when we cross that line? When we grant the state the authority to take life? Justice, after all, is not just about punishment—it’s about distribution. Who gets to decide? The same system that punishes often distributes suffering unevenly. The death penalty and incarceration disproportionately affect the poor and disenfranchised. This isn’t an accident. It’s a feature of who has power. As we reflect on justice, we must ask: Do we trust the deciders? Do we trust the system to get it right every time, especially when the stakes are irreversible?

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 14 – Society 2 (Power) – Part 1: Introduction – Who made you king?

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Before kings, crowns, and constitutions, we had the problem of how to live together without chaos. From divine right to social contract, humanity has tried many solutions to answer the question: Who should be in charge? Governments, at their best, are meant to serve practical needs—protection, justice, and infrastructure—but at their worst, they can confuse power with control. As we question the role of government, we must ask: Who made you king – and why? Is the government serving us, or are we serving it? We’ll dive deeper into these questions throughout the week.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 13 – Society 1 (Money) – Part 7: Summary – Will you miss the penny?

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Money was never the point. Mother Nature gave us everything first – food, shelter, water, and community – long before the idea of currency entered the picture. Money, a recent invention, was once a tool to help us trade and share, but somewhere along the way, it became a gatekeeper, controlling access to what we need. It’s not that life is unbearable, but our system has placed a distance between people and what truly nourishes them. This week wasn’t about forcing anyone off the train—it was about showing there are exits, other ways to live and value life. And as we look to the future, we must ask: will we miss the penny, or will we remember it as the moment we realized money was never the point?

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 13 – Society 1 (Money) – Part 6: Are you brainwashed?

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Money isn’t just a tool; it’s an indoctrination. From early childhood, we’re taught that competition, accumulation, and survival are intertwined. But what if we’ve been conditioned to trust numbers over neighbors? In times of crisis, it’s not money that saves us – it’s connection. Trust, cooperation, and mutual care are the real currencies that sustain us, and yet, we resist the idea that true wealth isn’t measured by coins, but by community. Let’s ask ourselves: is it practicality… or is it conditioning that keeps us locked into a system that isn’t working?

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 13 – Society 1 (Money) – Part 5: Why not make everything free?

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The penny’s gone, but what about the rest of the system? The idea of a moneyless, resource-based economy suggests that abundance is not only possible – it’s achievable. What if instead of currency, we focused on meeting human needs directly? This reflection challenges the limitations of scarcity, hoarding, and the age-old question of motivation. Can we design a system where resources, not profits, shape society? And what if the rich and powerful didn’t have to approve? Let’s explore a world without money.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 13 – Society 1 (Money) – Part 4: What’s better than money?

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Huckleberry Finn knew freedom didn’t come from accumulating wealth – it came from needing fewer permissions. Off-the-grid living shows us that value isn’t measured in dollars; it’s measured in community. Through barter systems, mutual aid, and local economies, we can reclaim wealth that isn’t found on a balance sheet, but in the trust and cooperation between people.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 13 – Society 1 (Money) – Part 3: What’s worse than slavery?

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Leviticus warned us that unchecked debt can enslave generations. The modern money system mirrors this warning, built on the impossibility of paying off debt with interest. It’s a system designed for scarcity and collapse, where wage slavery replaces traditional slavery. We work, but never quite catch up, because the rules are written by those who benefit from it. This isn’t the only way things have to work – it’s just the way those in power want it to work.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 13 – Society 1 (Money) – Part 2: Where does money come from?

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Most of us believe money comes from a mint, a vault, something tangible we can touch. But that’s a comforting myth. In truth, about 98% of the money we use doesn’t physically exist—it’s just numbers in a system. So what really gives money its value? It’s all about belief, agreement, and trust. And when we look closer at how money is created, we have to ask: who truly benefits from this system?

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 13 – Society 1 (Money) – Part 1: Introduction: What would you do if money weren’t an issue?

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What would you do if money weren’t a consideration? Would your choices change? It’s a simple question, but the answer could unravel everything you think you know about your daily life. We’re often ruled by money without even realizing it—our choices, our ambitions, our sense of worth all shaped by a system we rarely question. This week, we’ll peel back the layers and explore what truly drives us, before the need for money even enters the equation.

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