About this episode

The episode explores the dark philosophy of Jorge Luis Borges through the lens of chance and justice in society.

We’ve turned the basement into a casino! A man who turns to fortune-telling to assuage his conscience. A society that chooses its victims through a lottery. Does “mathematical fairness” absolve the citizens of Omelas, or does it simply creates a more sophisticated illusion of justice? Today it’s the dark philosophy of Jorge Luis Borges’s […]

People in this episode

Host: Steve Chisnell

Topics covered

• philosophy
• literature
• justice
• randomness
• society
• fortune-telling

Keywords

• Borges
• Omelas
• philosophy
• justice
• randomness
• lottery
• fortune-telling

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Omelas

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• Utopia’s Spare Parts: Star Trek & Ishiguro · March 21, 2026 · 49 min
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• Wandering Stars: Tommy Orange and the Sovereign Center · February 21, 2026 · 30 min

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