Philosophy Talk - 07/13/11

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Atheism and the Well-Lived Life

Atheists don't believe in God – does that mean they don't find life meaningful?  Are atheists doomed to be grouchy nihilists, finding meaning only in criticizing theists?  Or does a world without God offer its own meanings and values to structure a well-lived life?  John and Ken search for a meaningful atheism with Louise Antony from UMass Amherst, editor of Philosophers Without Gods: Meditations on Atheism and the Secular Life.  This program was recorded in front of a live audience at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. 

Philosophy Talk - 07/06/11

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Lincoln

More than any other President, Abraham Lincoln is known for his words, from the Lincoln-Douglass debates to the second inaugural address, as well as his deeds.  What was Lincoln's basic philosophy, and did it change over the course of his Presidency?  John and Ken welcome back Chicago Public Radio's Resident Philosopher, Al Gini, to celebrate one of America’s most philosophical Commanders-in-Chief.

Philosophy Talk - 06/29/11

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Darwin

Daniel Dennett, Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies, Tufts University.

Charles Darwin was born 200 years ago.  His theory of evolution continues to shape our thinking, not only in biology, but also in psychology, economics, and all other attempts to understand human beings including philosophy.  Ken and John delve into Darwin's theory and its implications for philosophy with Daniel Dennett of Tufts University, author of Darwin's Dangerous Idea.

Philosophy Talk - 06/22/11

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Pornography

Rae Langton, Professor of Philosophy, MIT

Is pornography an art form, or simply anything that depicts genitals in action? Where does mere eroticism end and pornography begin? In the internet age, pornography appears to have become not only more accessible but also more acceptable in American society – is this a welcome loosening up of a conservative tradition, or is it the path to moral degradation? John and Ken probe the philosophical implications of pornography with Rae Langton, author of Sexual Solipsism: Philosophical Essays on Pornography and Objectification.

Philosophy Talks - 06/13/11

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Whodunit: The Language of Responsibility

Lera Boroditsky, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Stanford University

Who is responsible for the broken vase in the foyer?  How harshly should criminals be punished for their crimes?  Did Justin Timberlake mean to disrobe Janet Jackson during her infamous ‘wardrobe malfunction’?  Cognitive scientists have recently discovered some surprising ways in which the language we use influences how we think about responsibility and agency.  John and Ken are joined by Stanford psychologist Lera Boroditsky for a probing look at cross cultural variations in the language of responsibility.  This program was recorded in front a live audience at the Marsh Theater in Berkeley, California.

Philosophy Talks - 06/06/11

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Gay Pride and Prejudice

Gilbert Herdt, Professor of Sexuality Studies, San Francisco State University

The question of gay rights has become a hot button issue, with opposition taking on the air of a moral panic and support taking on the air of a righteous crusade.  John and Ken attempt to dispassionately examine the competing scientific, religious, and philosophical visions of the nature of gayness.  They explore the consequences of those competing arguments for and against gay rights with cultural and psychological anthropologist Gilbert Herdt, author of Moral Panics, Sex Panics: Fear and the Fight over Sexual Rights. This program was recorded in front a live audience at the Marsh Theater in Berkeley, California.

Philosophy Talks - 05/30/11

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Summer Reading List 2011

Summer's just around the corner – what philosophers, philosophies, or philosophical issues do you want to read up on?  Kant's Critique of Pure Reason may not be the obvious choice to take on vacation, but there are lots of readable, beach-friendly classics and non-classics to add philosophical depth to your summer reading.  Not to mention new and classic fiction books with a philosophical bent.  John and Ken share some of the philosophically-minded titles on their reading list and take suggestions from listeners and special guests.

Philosophy Talks - 05/23/11

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The Prison System

Kara Dansky, Executive Director, Stanford Criminal Justice Center

As of June 30, 2007, the prisons and jails in the land of the free held 2,299,116 inmates; one in every 31 American adults is in prison, on parole, or on probation. The state of California has more people in jail than China does, and this year expects to spend more on prisons than on higher education.  Is something wrong with this picture? John and Ken explore the nature of incarceration and rehabilitation with Kara Dansky, Executive Director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center.

Philosophy Talks - 05/16/11

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Beliefs Gone Wild

Michael Philips, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Portland State University

Our brains evolved on the African savannah, but are now expected to deal with complex statistical information and other intricate concepts every day. The result: beliefs gone wild. Ken and John reveal the traps that the mismatch between our brains and the world we live in pose for ordinary mortals with their guest, The Undercover Philosopher, Michael Philips. This program was recorded before a live audience at the Illahee Institute in Portland, Oregon.

Philosophy Talks - 05/09/11

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Cities, Gentrification, and Inequality

Frederic Stout, Lecturer in Urban Studies, Stanford University

In the 1960s, as many American cities burst and burned, the upper and middle classes fled to the suburbs, leaving behind a decaying infrastructure and a socially isolated urban underclass.  In more recent times, many urban centers have undergone re-gentrification, and with it the return of the upper classes, safer neighborhoods, and better services.  But gentrification often drives poor and working class people from the very places they had called home.  Is gentrification on balance a morally and socially good thing or bad thing?  Does it serve more to increase inequality or to lessen the isolation of the urban underclass?  John and Ken assess the moral cityscape with Stanford sociologist Frederic Stout, co-editor of The City Reader.