Phi Fic

On Gottfried Leibniz’s Theodicy (1710).

Why does God allow so many bad things to happen? Leibniz thought that by the definition of God, whatever He created must be the best of all possible worlds, and his theodicy presents numerous arguments to try to make that less counter-intuitive given how less-than-perfect the world seems to us.

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This time we gripe about Habermas and reflect on what secondary sources we use. We consider whether to have an episode on anarchism and if we should ever have guests on who are hard-core adherents of the philosophy we're discussing. We reveal which reading we've covered has pleasantly surprised each of us the most.

Finally, we talk about how to front-load our episodes so that folks who do not sign up to hear the part 2's still get a satisfying, self-contained experience.

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We're just sharing a few minutes of part two here to get you all hot and bothered. You're welcome!

On Jürgen Habermas' "Actions, Speech Acts, Linguistically Mediated Interactions, and the Lifeworld" (1998), with guest John Foster.

What's the relation between individuals and society? Habermas says that language has ethics built right into it: I'm trying to get you to agree with me, to engage in a cooperative enterprise of mutual understanding.

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On "Theoretical Picture of a Free Society" (1934). What's the ideal living situation for us all, given the peculiarities of human nature? Weil describes fulfillment as coming from being able to picture goals and plans and knowingly put them into effect, so social groups need to maximize that power by being small and cooperative.

End song: "Libreville" by Bill Bruford, as interviewed for Nakedly Examined Music #25.

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In this episode, we are discussing the Pardoner's Tale from the Canterbury Tales, a book of stories by the Late Medieval poet Geoffrey Chaucer.  This follows up on our last episode, where we discussed other selections from the book, which is about a group of not-quite-pious pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral who pass the time by telling each other stories. Here is a link to that prior episode and a short introduction to the book.

The Pardoner's Tale, together with its Prologue, is a candidate for the best short story in the English language. It's about a corrupt "Pardoner," someone who sells indulgences for the Church (a practice leading to the Reformation). His Prologue is a confession of his own wickedness, told with unrepentant pride and glee. Silver tongued; he boasts of his skill in persuading people into giving him money for the sake of a religion he obviously no longer believes in. The story he tells is a sort of sermon in the form of a folktale. The moral of his tale is that greed corrupts -- so you should give him your money. This depiction is obviously a satirical attack on the Church's corruption, yet as a character, the Pardoner is strangely attractive, even seductive.

"Greed is the root of all evils.

Thus can I preach against the same vice

That I use, and that is avarice.

But although I am guilty of that sin,

Yet can I make other folk depart,

From avarice, and they repent of it."

-The Pardoner's Tale

Some have read the Pardoner as having residual religious impulses that make him a psychologically complex character, while others have viewed him as a figure of pure evil. Even if the Pardoner is evil, however, it's unclear what we are to take away from our encounter with him. Are we to conclude the Church at the time was also evil and should be abandoned? Does the Pardoner, like Milton's Satan, somehow unwittingly, perhaps Providentially, work toward the good even while pursuing evil? Might the Pardoner's thoroughly secular worldview and dim view of human nature actually be correct in certain ways?

If you'd like to learn more, here is a post that Daniel did for the PEL blog on the philosophical implications of the Pardoner's Tale. The participants in the discussion include the usual crew, Nathan, Cezary, Laura, Jennifer, and Daniel.

If you have thoughts, recommendations, or questions that you want to send our way, please do via [email protected].

Click to hear more Phi Fic.

Thanks to Christopher Nolen for our music.

Thanks to Allan Bowley for Audio editing.

Concluding on "The Needs of the Soul" from The Need for Roots (1943). This time we cover punishment, security, risk, private property, collective property, freedom of opinion, and truth.

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End song: "Even Though the Darkest Clouds" by liar, flower. Mark interviewed KatieJane Garside on Nakedly Examined Music #127.

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Continuing on "The Needs of the Soul" from The Need for Roots (1943). We got started in part one with our need for order, and in this part we add liberty, obedience, responsibility, equality, hierarchy, and honor.

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On "The Needs of the Soul" from The Need for Roots (1943) and "Meditation on Obedience and Liberty" (1937).

What are our needs that should then drive what kind of society would be best for us? Weil says we need liberty yet obedience, equality yet hierarchy, security yet risk... and none of these words mean quite what you'd think. And to start off, why do the many obey the few?

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