Philosophy in the News
- Why Democracy?
Philosopher Michael Sandel poses the question "Why democracy?" and discusses it with a live audience in the Palace of Westminster.
- Why? Radio
A piece on philosopher Jack Russell Weinstein whose Why? Radio program is now in its seventh year.
- Wolff on Political Philosophy
An interview with philosopher Jonathan Wolff and his recommendation of five books in political philosophy.
- The Ethics of the ‘Singularity’
Some people argue that we will one day reach a point when our machines, which will have become smarter than us, will be able themselves to make machines that are smarter than them. The result? Superintelligent machines we cannot even imagine. Fantasy or nightmare, perhaps. Now, Nick Bostrom has been urging that we need to take steps to ensure that these superintelligent machines will be given our values, but philosopher Alva Noe argues that cannot stand. No, the ethical waters at the deep end of the pool are much scarier than that.
- Fichte and Rousseau
An interview with philosopher David James.
- Can Torture Ever Be Moral?
An absolute ban on torture does not distinguish between the torture of wrongdoers and the torture of the innocent.
- Philosopher Launches Global Health Impact Initiative
Philosopher Nicole Hassoun launched a Global Health Impact Initiative before the World Health Organization. In addition to tracking the global outreach of various medicines in relation to need, her Index has the correlative aim of helping to incentivize phamaceutical companies who increase access to fundamental medicines worldwide.
- In Defense of Desire Theory
A biographical piece on philosopher Anthony Bruckner.
- Philosopher Proposes New Theory of Time!
Slap-dash reporting and lots of hyperbole, but we always like to see philosophy in the headlines.
- The Stuff That Proofs Are Made Of
An interview with philosopher of mathematics, Penelope Maddy.
- Interactive Democracy
Contemporary advances in technology have in many ways made the world smaller. It is now possible for vast numbers of geographically disparate people to interact, communicate, coordinate, and plan. These advances potentially bring considerable benefits to democracy, such as greater participation, more inclusion, easier dissemination of information, and so on. Yet they also raise unique challenges, as the same technology that facilitates interaction also enables surveillance, as well as new forms of exclusion. Philosopher Carol Gould discusses themes from her recent book, Interactive Democracy: The Social Roots of Global Justice.
- A Philosophy Degree Earns More Than A Degree in Accounting
We talk a lot about the need for good jobs, … you don't necessarily need to major in software development or computer science to go far in this world. You can make a good living with a philosophy degree.
- Hey, No ‘No Problem’
Alva Noe on the use and misuse of the common expression, "No problem."
- Birmingham, January 29th, 1998
Philosopher Gregory Pence reflects back on the first fatal bombing of an abortion clinic in America.
- How to Be A Stoic
"I've recently become a Stoic.… Practicing Stoicism is not really that different from, say, practicing Buddhism (or even certain forms of modern Christianity): it is a mix of reflecting on theoretical precepts, reading inspirational texts, and engaging in meditation, mindfulness, and the like."
- Philosophy Beyond Academia
A conversation with philosopher José Zalabardo on philosophy and its social role beyond the university.
- Philosopher Aerialist
A piece on philosopher Meg Wallace and her other passion: performance on aerial silk. "Aerials and philosophy both require a lot of intellectual energy, confidence, and courage. Also, I find that being in front of a bunch of smart philosophers, presenting my ideas, takes as much steel guts as hanging on to mere fabric with your bare hands 20 feet in the air."
- The Bear As An End in Itself
Philosopher Christine Korsgaard defends a Kantian account of the status of animals. She argues that we should treat animals as ends in themselves and spells out what that means in practice.
- Where Have All the Philosophers Gone?
A review of Richard Marshall's recent collection, Philosophy at 3:AM.
- Race, Gender and the Metaphysics of Personal Identity
Would that still have been you, if that embryo had made a boy instead of a girl, or as a girl instead of a boy? Or if born a boy but raised a girl or vice versa? Or if born and raised one way or another, but underwent sex reassignment? Or if born and raised with one racial identity, but then had any "morphological markers" of it erased? A critical discussion of Anthony Appiah's "But Would That Still Be Me?"