Do universals “exist”? Are they real? And why are we talking about porcupines so much?!

In this episode, Leigh, Rick, and Devonya dive headfirst into one of philosophy’s oldest and knottiest questions: Is “porcupine-ness” a real thing, or just a name we slap on pointy animals?

Starting with the simple question of what makes a beer a beer (and not a Long Island iced tea), this wide-ranging conversation traces the debate from Plato and Aristotle to TikTok documentaries, Sally Haslanger, and Star Trek’s Borg. Along the way, the hosts wrestle with the metaphysical status of categories like “human” and “race,” the political risks and rewards of strategic essentialism, and why it might matter that something can be real even if it doesn’t exist.

Whether you’re a dyed-in-the-wool realist, a card-carrying nominalist, or just someone who likes their drinks served correctly, this episode offers an illuminating, and at times hilariously heated, exploration of how we classify the world—and why it matters.