Philosophy in the News
- CIA Keeps Tabs On French Philosophy
A recent release obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveals that CIA operatives were studying French theory (Michel Foucault, Jacques Lacan and Roland Barthes) for political purposes in the late 20th century. (audio)
- Beyond Tolerance
The idea that a political order derives its authority, legitimacy, and justification from some kind of initial agreement or contract, whether hypothetical or tacit, has been a mainstay of political philosophy, at least since Hobbes. In Social Contract Theory for a Diverse World, Ryan Muldoon launches an original critique of social contract theory, both in its classical and current formulations, for not taking sufficient account of diversity. Muldoon discusses themes from the book. (audio)
- Disability and the Ethics of Transplantation
Mentally disabled people are turned down for organ transplants often enough that their rights are a rapidly emerging ethical issue in this corner of medicine.
- A Case for Majoring in Philosophy
When looking for a college major that will give students a return on investment, philosophy might be your best bet.
- Unsettled Identities
When Caitlyn Jenner first came out as transgender many applauded. But when Rachael Dolezal was outed for being white, the response was less encouraging. Both changed—but not in quite the same way. These high-profile cases can reveal much about the meaning of gender and race in an age of seriously unsettled identities. (audio)
- Is Terrorism “morally Distinctive”?
A critical discussion of recent developments in the philosophical discussion of what the special or “distinctive” significance of terrorism might be.
- Ethics and Criminal Justice
An interview with philosopher John Kleinig.
- Is Hunting Moral?
A philosopher unpacks the question.
- Tractatus Ramsified
A new familial biography of the philosopher whose critique sent Wittgenstein back to school.
- Professional Musicians: Rip
Philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith is worried about how impossible we are making it for muscians to thrive. "Whenever you listen to a streamed song, like it but don't buy it and instead stream it again, you are casting a vote for the future nonexistence of professional musicians."
- Thinking in the Deep End
If we met an alien whose intelligence derived through an entirely separate provenance from ours, would we recognize the sparkle in each other's eyes? In “Other Minds,” philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith hunts the commonalities and origins of sentience.
- Nussbaum Receives Highest Honor
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum has received the highest honor the federal government bestows for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities" in being invited to deliver the 2017 Jefferson Lecture at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
- Does Your Blood Run Blue?
Of course not. Yet, a surprising number of people think their blood is sometimes blue. Here is a simple (and politically neutral) example of a falsehood that seems resistant to information.
- Dead Trusts
Philosopher Barry Lam talks about what (if anything) we owe to the dead and for how long. (audio)
- Can Compassion Be Taught?
We all want our kids to grow into moral citizens, but getting there is complex. One way is to impart the notion of compassion, which seems like a good idea, but the path is not so certain. Whether it can be effectively taught, or modelled is open to scrutiny. And then, there's a lingering suspicion—from the Stoics to Kant—that emotion should not get in the way of sound moral decision-making. Laura D'Olimpio weighs it up. (audio)
- To What Extent Are You Truly Free?
In the early 21st century, Western-style freedoms are often presented as an ideal template for the rest of the world. Yet supposedly free democracies are also marked by substantial and growing disparities of wealth, power and status. Fellow citizens seem to be increasingly socially-disengaged, individualistic and narcissistic, and suffer record levels of psychological ill-health, reflected in (among other things) high suicide rates. So is this vaunted freedom simply an illusion?
- Democritus: Still Crazy After All These Years
Contemporary physicist Carlo Rovelli explains how the ancient philosopher Democritus gave us the most brilliant, important idea anyone has ever had. See also Big Think.
- Posthuman in the Post-era
In the 1960s Michel Foucault famously declared the end of humanity as we knew it—an all-encompassing worldview that held for over three centuries was deemed to be coming to a close. So, how's that going? Philosopher and one-time student of Foucault, Rosi Braidotti, explains how we got here and what's still to come.
- Safety of Self(less)-driving Cars
How many people could self-driving cars kill before we would no longer tolerate them? "What if we can build a car that's 10 times as safe, which means 3,500 people die on the roads each year. Would we accept that?"
- The Case for Multiple Loves
Philosopher Carrie Ichikawa Jenkins makes the case for polyamory — the practice of being openly involved romantically with more than one person at a time. See also this recent discussion with Dr. Jenkins on The Philosopher's Zone.