Philosophy Talk

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel is without doubt one of the most influential philosophers of all time. He has, however, been largely ignored by American “analytic” philosophers of the twentieth century. John in particular, and Ken to a lesser extent, don’t know nearly as much about Hegel and his philosophy as they should. They will be lively if somewhat obtuse students for Allen Wood, Stanford’s res...

A lot of our thinking, and even our perception, has to do not only with what is, but what might be, and what would have been. That is, the imagination is an important part of our intellectual life. And learning to use our imaginations without losing sight of reality is part of growing up. What is the imagination, and what led Mother Nature to make it such an important part of our make-up? John and...

Are there some philosophers, philosophies, or philosophical issues you want to bone up on over the Summer?  Hegel’s Phenomenology of the Spirit probably isn’t a very good choice to take to the beach, but there are a lot of readable, beach-friendly classics and non-classics to add philosophical depth to your Summer Reading.  Ken and John discuss some of their favorites and pass on suggestions from...

Philosophical conceptions of justice have most often been directed at the nature of a just state. But many contemporary issues of justice reach across boundaries. Are our immigration policies fair and just? Can a just state invade another state in order to outfit it with a more just government? Can we defend economic policies that improve the lives of our citizens but an adverse impact on economie...

Being and Nothingness, the for-itself and the in-itself, bad faith, and the existential predicament; these Existentialist concepts were central to the philosophical scene in Europe and America after World War II. Join the Philosophers as they examine the ideas of Existentialism with Lanier Anderson from Stanford University.

Anything someone wants to call art?  Or are there some objective criteria, that not every instance of paint smeared on canvas and not every murder mystery meets?  What are the main philosophies of art?  Are any of them plausible?  John and Ken talk about the nature of art with Alexander Nehamas from Princeton University.

With what right do governments make and enforce laws? To what extent are citizens obligated to obey the law, even if a law is unjust? John and Ken talk about philosophy and the law with Jules Coleman from Yale University.

The pursuit of truth is often thought to be “intrinsically” valuable. Scientists and philosophers, who eschew religious rationales for their life’s work, take the pursuit of truth to be obviously a worthwhile enterprise. But what’s so great about truth? Sure, it’s good to know what’s for lunch, or the nature of the disease that plagues you, but is there any intrinsic or instrumental value in knowi...

Basketball, an American invention but a world-wide phenomenon, is sometimes characterized as the most athletic and aesthetic of sports. What makes a sport interesting? Valuable? Fun? Entertaining? What values does sport exemplify, and does basketball really measure up? Does commercialization undermine the values of sport? Ken and John discuss the philosophy of basketball with Frank Deford, one of...

Taking human life is wrong. But what if it is one’s own life? Is suicide worse or less bad than murder? Is it wrong at all? Can suicide be rational? How about helping another commit suicide? The Philosophers discuss the metaphysics and morality of taking one’s own life.

Plato claimed that numbers exist in some mind-independent abstract heaven. Nominalists claim that there is no such heaven. Clearly, we can’t see, hear, taste or feel numbers. But if there are no numbers what is mathematics all about? John and Ken count on a great discussion with Gideon Rosen from Princeton University, co-author of A Subject With No Object: Strategies for Nominalistic Interpretatio...

Being funny isn’t easy. Figuring out what makes things funny is even harder. Still, a number of psychologists (e.g., Freud) and philosophers (e.g., Bergson) have tried. Now computer scientists are trying to learn enough about humor to construct programs that can write good jokes; maybe an artificial stand-up comedian is on the way. Ken and John discuss the art, philosophy and science of humor with...

Monogamy is traditional in most cultures, and it is the law throughout America since Utah gave up polygamy to acquire statehood. Is there any philosophical basis for favoring monogamy over polygamy? Or any reasons grounded in clear empirical facts or social needs? With a looming shortage of females relative to males in large parts of Asia, is it time to question this traditional assumption about m...

Sociologist, historian, philosopher, editor, writer, and activist, W.E.B. Du Bois was one of the most influential intellectuals of the twentieth century. The first African-American Ph. D. from Harvard University, Du Bois died in Ghana after having renounced his American citizenship. In between he co-founded the NAACP and wrote The Souls of Black Folk (1903) as well as a number of other influential...

How should we decide what laws to pass? Should majority rule, even when they are legislating values? Ken thinks this results in tyranny. What kinds of values are there? There are values that are essential to democracy, e.g. education. Ken introduces the guest, Anna Eshoo, congresswoman of the 14th district of California. Are we in a culture war? What are the casualties like in a culture war? Is th...

Is philosophy the queen of the sciences, with the job of synthesizing, interpreting and evaluating the results of the particular sciences? Or should we adopt John Locke’s conception of philosophy as a handmaiden to science: clarifying concepts, definitions and assumptions? During the twentieth century the discipline of the philosophy of science emerged as a central part of philosophy. Ken and John...

Is there any reason to think the cause or causes of order in the universe bear an even remote analogy to human intelligence? Even if they did, would that mean these intelligent causes had the benevolence and sense of justice required of a Christian God? Is this whole issue one of science, religion, or philosophy? These questions, considered by Hume, have now become the focus of a national debate....

Does the value of preserving our environment conflict with the development of a world community in which all enjoy the fruits of human progress? Is the environment important intrinsically, or only as a source of pleasure and other goods for human beings? Ken and John discuss these and other issues with Terry Tamminen, Cabinet Secretary to California Governor Schwarzenegger, and an environmental ac...

The question of whether or not God exists is profoundly fascinating and important. What are the proofs of the existence of God? How can one prove that God does not exist? Join us as John and Ken explore issues such as religious experience, the Bible, evil, eternity, the origin of the universe, design, and the supposed connection between morality and the existence of God with Walter Sinnott-Armstro...

Immanuel Kant introduced the human mind as an active originator of experience rather than just a passive recipient of perception.  How has his philosophy influenced the world after him?  John and Ken dig into the brilliantly active mind of Kant with Peter Gilgen from Cornell University, editor of Back to Kant II: The Fate of Kant in a Time of Crisis.

The Constitution grants the freedom of speech to every citizen.  Journalists value it more than anything else.  Should the freedom of speech be unlimited?  Would unlimited freedom of speech do more good or bad to our society?  Would limited freedom of speech impact the monitoring power of news media and therefore threaten our society?  John and Ken discuss the philosophy behind the freedom of spee...

Who do we call friends?  Do we need friends out of love for others or for ourselves?  Is a life with friends necessarily a better life?  Ancient philosophers, such as Aristotle, wrote extensively on the topic.  John and Ken examine just what friendship means in the modern life with their friend, Martha Nussbaum, Professor of Law and Ethics, University of Chicago.

What are we talking about when we talk about Sherlock Holmes or Santa Claus? Something that doesn’t exist?  Something that exists only in the mind? Something that exists only in a fictional or imaginary world? Are statements about fictional objects true?  Is there a distinction between literal truth and “fictional truth?” John and Ken uncover the facts about fiction with Joshua Landy from Stanford...

Berkeley founded and defended idealism, the doctrine that there is not a material world; reality is the orchestration of ideas in minds, nothing more.  He influenced Hume, Mill, Russell, and many other philosophers.  John and Ken explore Berkeley’s ideas with David Hilbert from the University of Illinois at Chicago, author of Color and Color Perception: A Study in Anthropocentric Realism.

Why don’t we run out of the movie theatre when a monster shows on the screen? What kind of mental state is the willing suspension of disbelief? Why do fiction and drama affect our emotions even when we know they are not real? John and Ken examine the role of suspension of disbelief in the enjoyment of theatre, movies, video games, and what this trait reveals about the human mind in general.