Critical Currents
By JAYDEN OH and FORREST ZENG
Throughout all of time, philosophy and politics have been interwoven without pause. The most impactful philosophers are those who have impacted society with their philosophies—even if those political impacts germinate unexplicitly from apolitical seeds.
Lower Aslan Bilimer, however, is no subtle political philosopher. This consequential, often controversial bridge between philosophy and politics is exactly the subject of his WPEA show Critical Currents.
“Critical Currents was born last year as a blog. It was a place for me to explore the intersection between philosophy and politics,” Bilimer said. “It has evolved into much more.”
Every week, Bilimer discusses with a guest topics ranging from John Rawl’s veil of ignorance to the existentialism and absurdism of Albert Camus. “I usually decide on a topic around Thursday of the week prior,” described Bilimer. “Usually, I have a bunch of floating ideas already.”
In preparation for each podcast, Bilimer typically conducts much research both from the internet, and also checking out books from the library. “Checking out books is a key part of the process, because it puts me in the mindset of researching,” Bilimer said. “Usually, I have it sitting at my desk the week of to remind me of the topic. And of course, I bring notes when I actually do the radio show.”
Bilimer also invites guest speakers every week onto his radio show, often students with experience in the topic at hand. “I look for people who are eloquent and knowledgeable in philosophy or politics. I especially love people who can speak about both,” Bilimer reflected. “I find these people through clubs and discussion at the dinner table at Elm. In the future, I’d like to bring on faculty, and perhaps members from Student Council. We’ll see where the tide takes me.”
As the host, Bilimer relishes disagreement with his guests. “The best moments for the show are when I disagree with my guests,” he said. “I love engaging in debates. Passion comes through. And I find that it can be productive to understanding the topic or issue at hand.”
Upper Samuel Altman, a former guest on Bilimer’s show, described the experience as “exhilarating.” To Altman, the mere experience of being live on a public radio station was incredibly memorable. He also praised Bilimer’s ability to keep the discussion flowing.
“The environment felt very relaxed. We got into deep conversation, and we felt free to disagree with each other,” he said. “It was a very impactful experience.”
The radio show aims to drum up greater discussion among the student body about philosophy and politics. Its also a reminder for students that they live within a society where rationality and knowledge are crucial for being good citizens and people.
“I want the radio show to serve as a reminder to reflect,” Bilimer concluded. “I want the Critical Currents to be a reminder to improve the quality of our lives through philosophical reflection and inquiry.”
Students can find Bilmler’s radio show at FM 90.5 at 5 P.M. every Wednesday, as well as on his website https://thecriticalcurrents.com, and @criticalcurrent on X.