Nicolas is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies at the New College of Florida. In Fall 2023, he will join the College of Charleston as Assistant Professor of Philosophy.
In Sentientist Conversations we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “who matters?”
Sentientism is "evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings." The video of our conversation is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
We discuss:
00:00 Welcome
01:55 Nico's Intro
- Philosophy PhD in France (the moral status of animals - a #relational theory)
- PostDoc @nyuanimalstudies2689
- Chicago Uni Law School w/ #MarthaNussbaum
- Asst. Prof @NewCollegeofFL
- #Vegan, dad, runner
03:17 What's Real?
- "I'm a pretty strong naturalist"
- A non-religious family - #protestant parents "a minority in France & in Belgium"
- Religion classes in Belgium: Segregated into #Catholic, Protestant & "the others"
- Father's ethos: "Self discipline, a sense of integrity... and he hated the Pope... but he didn't really believe in god... some higher order of things that he was not sure about... an #agnostic more than a #theist "
- No particular revelation, but didn't believe in god after 12-13 yrs old
- "A strong distrust of religious authorities"
- Studying philosophy, drawn to #spinoza and #nietzsche
- "#nietzsche has really stuck with me"
- As a pre-teen "I remember thinking... nasty things about god then feeling very guilty..."
- "The world just made more sense for me without a supernatural entity that would be its creator & legislator"
- There's so much we don't understand... because of a strong commitment to epistemic humility... I'm not in the habit of ruling out a priori the existence of things that we think don't fit the current worldview. That being said... I don't believe in a god... supernatural entities... ghosts."
- #Meditation & #psychedelics "I think there is such a thing as mystical experiences but... don't reveal really anything that is possibly hidden from a broadly naturalistic understanding of the world"
- "The naturalistic framework makes you enquire about the world... in constant revision"
11:15 What Matters?
- "Anti-realist on many issues... I'm not a moral realist"
- "I don't think there are real mind-independent facts about morality"
- "A Protestant integrity"
- "I grew up with #punkrock... gave rise to some of my commitments with respect to #animalrights "
- Talking about #anarchism with dad: "I disagree with them politically... but some of the most moral people I've ever met are anarchists"
- "Whether or not you believe in god... you can still have a commitment to right & wrong"
- "What I think I took from punk rock & in part from Nietzsche... is that people come up with their own values... and have to get along somehow."
- "There's room for moral talk - I wouldn't be an ethicist otherwise"
- If anything is going to be right or wrong... it's going to be... the result of some form of constructive/deliberative/expressive process"
- "Of course I was tempted by #nihilism" & #relativism
- Having a "robust commitment to justice" while rejecting hierarchy/authority is arguably more moral? (why dad respected anarchists)
- "Nihilism was the big worry for Nietzsche at the end of the 19th Century"
- "Some values are worth promoting but we have to think about which values... but they don't have a bedrock that's independent"
- Even without moral realism we have "tools to criticise other communities' moralities"
- Descriptive vs. normative assessments
29:53 Who Matters?
1:15:11 Making a Better World?

...and much more. Full show notes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sentientism.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sentientism.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"I'm a Sentientist" wall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠this simple form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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