Philosophy in the News
- Data Mining Ethics Thriller Video Game
The ethics of data mining is coming to a game box near you. In the new video game, Orwell, a terrorist attack has occurred and players are granted surveillance access to the personal communications and files of all the suspects in the case. The player must choose what information to provide to security services, and what to hold back. "These choices will have consequences for those involved and effect the outcome of the story as it unfolds towards its dramatic conclusion." It's downright Orwellian!
- Aesthetics Imitates Art Imitates Reality
Does medieval art tell us anything about medieval theories of aesthetics? (audio)
- Getting Good with the Knowledge Thing
If virtue ethics was that good, virtue epistemology is going to be a-ma-zing! WiPhi explains this approach that takes intellectual virtue as the central concept in discussions of theory of knowledge. (video)
- 10 Underappreciated Islamic Philosophers
In this timeline, Peter Adamson, author of the History of Philosophy series, highlights ten underappreciated figures of the Islamic world, during and well beyond the medieval era.
- The Philosophy Op-ed
Five philosophy essays in the public sphere have been honored by the APA as the best opinion-editorials published by philosophers in the last year. Links to the essays can be found here.
- Philosophy of Mediocrity
A philosopher and a sociologist develop a theory of "kakonomics" to explain why sometimes things just reliably turn out crummy. Sometimes people conspire, whether consciously or unconsciously, to achieve either a low-quality or a mediocre outcome.
- Reality Check: What Nietzsche Really Meant
The death of God didn't strike Nietzsche as an entirely good thing. Without a God, the basic belief system of Western Europe was in jeopardy.
- The Origins of All Things…
...according to Anaximander.
- Splitting Dessert with Hume and Spinoza
An interview with philosopher Don Garrett.
- Erotes: Philosophy of Sex and Love
The Society for the Philosophy of Sex and Love (SPSL) has started a new blog, Erotes.
- Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories
What are conspiracy theories? Why do so many people believe ones that are clearly not warranted? And how do we tell the warranted ones from the others?
- Did You Want the Lab Burger or the Humane Burger? Do You Want Cheese with That?
Which world would be better: one in which all meat is grown in a lab or one which still contains humanely farmed animals (whatever that means)?
- Legal Ethics for Big Data
How big data analysis is changing legal ethics.
- Who Would You Let Drive the Trolley?
Who would you trust more: a person who always acts for the greater good, or a person who sticks to their moral principles? A recent study used the famous "Trolley Problem" — which asks subjects whether they would sacrifice one individual to save five others — to explore this question. In this experiment, participants rated the morality and trustworthiness of people depending on how they answered the trolley problem.
- Matrix Update: You Didn’t Make the Cut
Explaining the Putnamian argument that we are not living in the Matrix. We are as disappointed as you are. (video)
- Plato’s Bedroom
A review of philosopher David K. O'Connor's recent book Plato's Bedroom: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Love.
- Mixed Messages to Live By
Philosopher Jason Stanley reflects on the mixed messages his parents -- both survivors -- gave him about the Holocaust.
- Representational Art That Does Not Represent
Turner's whaling paintings, recently on display at the Met, do little to convey the whale or the whaling. Turner himself was never a whaler and likely never even saw a whale.
- The Ballet and Philosophy of Mind
An interview with philosopher Barbara Montero. "Why did I become a philosopher? Well, I suppose that there isn't anything that made me become a philosopher except for the forces and previous state of the universe, but I have a sense that that is not the answer you are looking for. You want me to explain the reasons why I decided to major in philosophy and then go on to graduate school and so forth. Certainly, there are various stories I like to tell about why I chose philosophy as my life's (second) path. But the thing is, it's rather difficult for me to know which stories illustrate the true reasons behind my actions and which are invented to make me look good. You still want me to give it a try? Okay..."
- Vita Activa: Hannah Arendt
A discussion of the several recent films about Hannah Arendt and what we see in a philosopher's biopic.