When nothing is clear, how do we decide?

Many people prefer their morality to be straightforward—right or wrong, good or bad, clear as day. But more often than not, human life is a mess of contradictions, competing values, and gray areas. In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Rick, Leigh, and Devonya wade into the murky waters of ambiguity—what it means, how we experience it, and why we’re often so uncomfortable with it. From moral dilemmas and political rhetoric to aesthetics and queer theory, the hosts explore how ambiguity can be both a site of oppression and a tool of resistance.

Is ambiguity a lack of knowledge, or does it open the door for deeper understanding? How does power exploit uncertainty to maintain control? And why do we crave clarity in some parts of life but celebrate ambiguity in art, music, and literature? With philosophical insight, a dash of humor, and a deep appreciation for the chaotic bartender that is moral life, the hosts wrestle with the question: Can we ever truly escape ambiguity—or do we just have to learn to live with it?

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-172-ambiguity

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If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!

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Can anyone be trusted anymore?

Trust is the glue that holds our social world together, yet it’s one of the most fragile bonds we have. In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Rick, Leigh, and Devonya dive into the complexities of trust—what it means, how it functions, and why it’s so easy to break but so difficult to restore. From everyday acts of trust, like believing the grocery store clerk’s name tag, to the deep-seated political crisis of trust in institutions and democracy, the hosts explore trust as an epistemic, moral, and affective structure that shapes our relationships. Along the way, they discuss Derrida’s take on truth-telling, the role of consistency and shared values, and why mistrust often seems more apparent than trust itself.

But what happens when trust is shattered—whether between friends, citizens and their government, or even entire political factions? The conversation takes a sobering turn toward our current crisis of trust, examining how unmoored we feel when institutions, democratic processes, and even long-standing social contracts seem to be unraveling. Is trust something we can rebuild, or are we slipping toward a Hobbesian world of raw power? With humor, philosophical insight, and a healthy dose of frustration, the hosts wrestle with the question: how do we live together well when trust is in such short supply?

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-171-trust

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If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!

Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Who gets to judge right and wrong? And on what grounds?

In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Leigh, Rick, and Devonya talk about judgment—what it is, when we need it, and whether it’s a skill or just a faculty of reason. They start with Aristotle’s distinction between knowledge and judgment, move through Kant’s ideas about moral and aesthetic judgment, and consider how judgment functions in ethical reasoning, political life, and even artificial intelligence. The conversation raises questions about whether judgment is simply applying rules or if it requires something more—something closer to discernment, habit, or lived experience.

Can a decision be right or wrong if we can’t fully predict its consequences? Do moral rules always apply, or do some situations require exceptions? What happens when judgment operates within systems of power? These questions lead to reflections on everything from friendship to legal pardons to the ethics of AI. Whether you think of yourself as someone with good judgment or someone just trying to make better choices, this episode gives plenty to think about.

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/judgment

-------------------
If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!

Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!