Philosophy in the News
- Free Will or Free Wont?
Neither. Trick question. But we're better off believing in free will no matter what.
- A World Without Why
An interview with philosopher Raymond Geuss. Does the world suffer from relativism and nihilism or is it imbued with meaning after all? Philosopher Raymond Geuss talks to four by three about his book A World Without Why, why clarity can be a function of repression, constructive versus radical criticism, and the role of art within philosophy.
- The Everlasting Check
The Everlasting Check: Hume on Miracles offers both a sympathetic reconstruction of Hume's argument concerning miracles and a series of illuminating reflections on the argument's nature and significance. The book is an ideal point of entry into the argument for students and general readers, but scholars too will find that it gives them plenty to learn from -- as well as plenty to contend with.
- Crisis for All
Our humanity is supposed to afford us certain inalienable rights. Then our current handling of refugees in crisis is a crisis of humanity for all.
- Consciousness Is Like the Back of Your Hand
When philosophers talk about the hard problem of consciousness, they are talking about the hard problem of figuring out how consciousness fits into the physical world. Philosopher Galen Strawson argues that this problem is hard not because consciousness is mysterious — not at all! — but because we don't understand enough yet about the nature of the physical world.
- Epistemic Angst
Many are introduced to philosophy by way of a confrontation with the kind of radical skepticism associated with Rene Descartes: Might I right now be dreaming? Might everything I think I know be the product of some grand deception perpetrated by a malevolent demon? Today, many philosophers seems simply to dismiss radical skepticism as unworthy of our attention; however, the skeptical challenge lingers, and, for many, is still a source of concern. Philosopher Duncan Pritchard discusses themes from his recent book Epistemic Angst: Radical Skepticism and the Groundlessness of Our Believing. (audio)
- The Fine Arts Reduced to a Single Principle
Philosopher Charles Batteux published his book (in French) in 1746. It is something of a puzzle why we have had to wait more than two and a half centuries for an English translation of the full book. The significance of the text is widely acknowledged. It is the first attempt to offer an explicit definition of the fine arts ("beaux arts") and to explain how the fine arts possess a unifying principle that distinguishes them from arts more generally.
- Hiddenness of God
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy has a new entry on the hiddenness of God. "Divine hiddenness" has traditionally referred to the alleged fact that God is hidden, absent, silent. In religious literature, there is a long history of expressions of annoyance, anxiety, and despair over divine hiddenness, so understood. However, “divine hiddenness” also refers to something else in recent philosophical literature, having to do with the absence of belief in God in some apparently otherwise willing subjects. This sort of hiddenness has been thought to raise questions about the existence of a perfectly loving God.
- If These Genes Could Talk
Bioethics research institute, The Hastings Center, has been awarded nearly $1 million from the John Templeton Foundation for a three-year project to study the ethical and social implications of gene editing. Included within the scope of the project is the taking up of "a variety of fundamental questions about how use of gene editing in humans might affect 'human flourishing' and core human values such as love, compassion, acceptance, and respect for those with disability."
- Is That Really a Thing?
Speakers and writers of American English have recently taken to identifying a staggering and constantly changing array of trends, events, memes, products, lifestyle choices and phenomena of nearly every kind with a single label — a thing. In conversation, mention of a surprising fad, behavior or event is now often met with the question, “Is that actually a thing?” Or “When did that become a thing?” Or “How is that even a thing?” Yes, this trend really is a thing. Philosophy graduate student Alexander Stern discusses its philosophical import.
- Hume’s Call to Action
Over the past 50 years, the philosopher who's played the most significant role in the cultural life of the United States isn't Richard Rorty, Jerry Fodor, or Martha Nussbaum, but rather Immanuel Kant -- because of his impact on postwar trends in moral philosophy. The result has been a focus on absolute obligations of duty and a disregard for the tangible desires of human beings, and an exclusive concern for what is justifiable rather than what is beneficial. The philosophy of David Hume can be seen as cultivating the opposite perspective -- attending to what actually motivates people instead of what just what they ought to do in principle; and calculating the advantages that emerged from a course of action as opposed to evaluating it only on its intrinsic merits.
- Global Justice
There's no doubt that we are all now citizens of the world. But when the claims of human rights necessarily rely on an expanded view of community, how far can the social contract stretch? Above the nation state level we're not entirely sure who or what should be the keeper of justice—and what it ultimately means for those most in need of protection. (audio)
- Genealogical Anxiety
Nietzsche argued that, much like our personal geneology, our sense of what is right or wrong emerged as a result of historical accident --- that our particular moral world view is contingent, upon relationships and motivation and agency — that is, history. "Genealogical anxiety" refers to the underlying anxiety that comes with the thought that our beliefs regarding ethics, politics, and identity may just be the result of arbitrary coincidences. Philosopher Bob Simpson discusses. (audio)
- Aristotle on Trolling
Need we say more?
- Justice and the State
An interview with philosopher Jonathan Wolff.
- Buddhist Ethics
An interview with philosopher Nicolas Bommarito.
- Socrates, Cynics and Flat-Nailed, Featherless Bipeds
Should philosophy be systematic or subversive? For a very long time, it's been both.
- Can Political Philosophy Change the World?
It's an election year and the air will clamour with the sound of promise and counter bid. But below it all might be a bedrock of ideas guiding party politics. Many would say that we have seen the twilight of political philosophy—yet words like human rights, equality, dignity, and freedom dominate the modern political lexicon. This discussion explores the widening gap between the world as it is and the world as some would prefer it. (audio)
- Mary and the Colorless Room
A short film by philosophy student Jordan Gibson, based on a famous thought experiment from Frank Jackson's paper 'Epiphenomenal Qualia' (1982). Includes a cameo appearance by philosopher Gary Hardcastle as The Doctor. (video)
- Why Is Simpler Better?
Ockham's Razor says that simplicity is a scientific virtue, but justifying this philosophically is strangely elusive. Philosopher Elliott Sober discusses.