The Tyranny of Chance: Assis, Borges, and the Randomized Bargain

About this episode

The episode explores the dark philosophy of chance and justice through the lens of Jorge Luis Borges's work.

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
• chance
• justice
• lottery
• society
• Borges

Keywords

• Borges
• chance
• justice
• lottery
• philosophy
• Omelas
• society

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Omelas

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