Does being human entail emotion, empathy and heart? How might we see the human in ourselves and in others? We speak with Lisa Ruddick (University of Chicago) about literary criticism as an example of the failure to see the human. Can we pay attention in order to see the deeper things? In listening beyond the hollering or viewpoint of the other, perhaps we can see their humanity.

Books and articles referenced in this episode:

When Nothing is Cool article – Lisa Ruddick, The Point Magazine, 2015

The Principle of Charity: Assume the Best Interpretation of People’s Arguments – Effectivology.com

The Tyranny of Merit – Michael Sandel, 2020

Wild Geese poem – Mary Oliver

Episode Terminology:

Bourgeoise – having to do with the middle class; and focused more on materialism, money and possessions

Post Criticism – the “critical mode” is one that has seemed to be the default mode of thinking and evaluating. Post-critical is an attempt to move past this way of understanding.

Post Humanist – sometimes thought of as “technocratic”, post-human means moving past a consideration of the human, the heart, the empathetic

Hyper-Moralism – “an error in moral reasoning in which you extend moral blame to a place that it does not belong.” There is a great deal of hyper-moralism in many fundamentalist movements and expressions