Hi-Phi Nation is a podcast about philosophy that turns stories into ideas. It is the first story-driven, narrative podcast on contemporary philosophy. Each episode is about the compelling stories of ordinary and extraordinary human experiences, and transforms them into an examination of philosophical ideas.

Season one of Hi-Phi Nation is available now through iTunes and Google Play. You can also listen to the latest episode on the podcast’s website. At the time I am writing this blog, the podcast has released a Season One trailer, three preview episodes, and three official episodes. New episodes are released every Tuesday for 10 weeks.

Some of the topics covered in Hi-Phi Nation include stories from war, politics, public health and policy, science, and history. These topics raise philosophical questions, which are answered with the help of contemporary academic philosophers.

Hi-Phi Nation is hosted and produced by Barry Lam. He is an alum of UC Irvine and former program director and general manager KUCI 88.9FM. Barry Lam has a PHD in Philosophy from Princeton University, and is currently an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Vassar College and is Humanities-Writ Large fellow at Duke University.

Episode One is titled “The Wishes of the Dead”. It follows the story of the Hershey fortune to show how a 19^th century industrialist constructed the oddest business structure to ensure that his idiosyncratic wishes would be fulfilled hundreds of years after his death. The story raises questions about why we give the dead so much power in our lives, and what that says about how we find meaning in our own lives.