Philosophy Talk Starters

Everywhere we look -- in the media, in our political campaigns, in the hallowed halls of the academy -- we are confronted with an endless stream of BS, spin, propaganda, half-truths, and even outright lies. Yet for centuries, philosophers have argued that the pursuit of truth is both intrinsically good and instrumentally useful. But if truth is really both good and useful, then why is there so much BS around? John and Ken welcome Harry Frankfurt, author of "On Bullshit" and "On Truth," to discuss the relative value and utility of Truth and its alternatives.

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Lawyers are often thought to be hardly better than hired guns, who, in the words of Plato, are paid to "make the weaker argument the stronger" -- like the sophists of old. In fact, lawyers are legally and morally bound by stringent codes of ethics. Noted philosopher of law David Luban, of Georgetown University, is the guest as Philosophy Talk explores the ethical obligations of lawyers to their clients, to the court, and to society at large.

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Does the hijacking of words by political forces tell us something interesting about the nature of language and meaning? Would liberals by some other name smell sweeter, or are they really tax-raising, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, body-piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freaks? Ken and John welcome back Philosophy Talk favorite Geoff Nunberg, author of "The Way We Talk Now" and "Going Nucular," to explain the ABCs of "talking right."

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John and Ken welcome their special guest, noted scientist and entrepreneur, Craig Venter. From the mapping of the human genome, to the patenting of synthetic life forms, to bio-prospecting for genetic gold in the depths of the oceans and the deepest reaches of the world's rain forests, Craig Venter has been at the forefront of a revolution in genomics. Join the hosts and their guest as they explore the ethical, legal, and economic issues associated with the new genomics.

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On this special pledge-week episode, John and Ken open the phones and the inbox to their listeners, answering questions about art, politics, proof, and philosophy itself.

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Various forms of skepticism play important roles in the history of philosophy. Do we really know there are external objects? That there are other minds? That there is a distant (or even a not-so-distant) past? All the evidence we have for these things seems consistent with our being in a world in which they don't exist. What does this tell us about life? About philosophy? Our hosts discuss one of the deepest and most fertile philosophical traditions with John Greco from St. Louis University, editor of "The Oxford Handbook of Skepticism."

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More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/100th-episode.

It’s our anniversary! Join the philosophers for a celebration of the program that questions everything – except your intelligence – with a look back on the issues and the people that have made Philosophy Talk a hit.

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How do we communicate ideas with language? Where does the literal meaning of a word end and the subtle connotation begin? John and Ken tackle the semantics, pragmatics, and mysteries of meaning with Dan Sperber, co-author of "Relevance: Communication and Cognition."

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/athletic-beauty.

Figure skating is athletic and beautiful. How about a bone-crunching tackle? Or a spikes-high slide into second? Or a slam-dunk? Or an overweight sixty-year-old at a bowling alley? John and Ken discuss the nature of athletic beauty with Hans Gumbrecht, author of "In Praise of Athletic Beauty."

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/race-class-and-inequality.

The concept of equality is as important to America's self-conception as it is confusing. What sort of equality? Equality before the law; equality of opportunity; equal access to all the benefits of modern society? If we treat everyone the same, how can we take account of inequities due to race, class, gender and other factors? John and Ken put these questions and more to Elizabeth Kiss from Duke University.