Philosophy Talk Starters

A good novel can do many things. It can distract us from the humdrum of daily existence, stimulate our imaginations, and delight us with its creative use of language. But isn’t there something more we gain from engaging with fictional worlds and characters? Do we, for example, use literary texts to morally improve ourselves? Is there some deeper truth we’re supposed to learn from a good novel? Or do we use fiction to fine-tune certain cognitive capacities? John and Ken entertain the possibilities with Joshua Landy, author of How To Do Things With Fictions."

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/how-fiction-shapes-us

More at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/how-fiction-shapes-us.

A good novel can do many things. It can distract us from the humdrum of daily existence, stimulate our imaginations, and delight us with its creative use of language. But isn’t there something more we gain from engaging with fictional worlds and characters? Do we, for example, use literary texts to morally improve ourselves? Is there some deeper truth we’re supposed to learn from a good novel? Or do we use fiction to fine-tune certain cognitive capacities? John and Ken entertain the possibilities with Joshua Landy, author of How To Do Things With Fictions."

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/how-fiction-shapes-us

More at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/economics-science-or-cult.

With the recent global economic crisis, many people wonder if our economic policies are built on sound principles or on dubious, unscientific claims. What kinds of assumptions does Economics make about markets and the behavior of producers and consumers? What kinds of assumptions does it make about the rationality of individuals? How, if at all, are those claims empirically verified? Or are they just speculative theories proven false by the current crisis? John and Ken pursue their rational self-interest with Alex Rosenberg from Duke University, author of "Economics: Mathematical Politics or Science of Diminishing Returns?"

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/economics-cult-or-science

With the recent global economic crisis, many people wonder if our economic policies are built on sound principles or on dubious, unscientific claims. What kinds of assumptions does Economics make about markets and the behavior of producers and consumers? What kinds of assumptions does it make about the rationality of individuals? How, if at all, are those claims empirically verified? Or are they just speculative theories proven false by the current crisis? John and Ken pursue their rational self-interest with Alex Rosenberg from Duke University, author of "Economics: Mathematical Politics or Science of Diminishing Returns?"

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/economics-cult-or-science

The philosopher John Locke thought we had no innate ideas; our minds are blank slates, upon which experience writes. Nurture is everything, nature nothing. Modern popular genetics gives the impression that we are nothing but the stage on which a play written by our genes is performed; nature is everything, nurture nothing. What are the facts, and what are the philosophical principles that are used to interpret these facts? John and Ken nurture their conversation with Alison Gopnik from UC Berkeley, author of "The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind."

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/nature-vs-nurture

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/nature-vs-nurture.

The philosopher John Locke thought we had no innate ideas; our minds are blank slates, upon which experience writes. Nurture is everything, nature nothing. Modern popular genetics gives the impression that we are nothing but the stage on which a play written by our genes is performed; nature is everything, nurture nothing. What are the facts, and what are the philosophical principles that are used to interpret these facts? John and Ken nurture their conversation with Alison Gopnik from UC Berkeley, author of "The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind."

The Americans with Disabilities Act recognizes that people with disabilities are often prevented from leading productive and satisfying lives because social, school and work environments are often thoughtlessly and unnecessarily designed with only people with the standard set of abilities in mind. In many cases "reasonable accommodation" to the ways people with disabilities need to do things is required. What is reasonable? Elevators in schools? Probably. How about elevators in the Grand Canyon? What is a disability? Blindness? Certainly. How about obesity? Where do we draw lines, and on what principles? John and Ken test their abilities with Anita Silvers from San Francisco State University, author of "Disability, Difference, Discrimination: Perspectives on Justice in Bioethics and Public Policy."

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/disability

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/disability.

The Americans with Disabilities Act recognizes that people with disabilities are often prevented from leading productive and satisfying lives because social, school and work environments are often thoughtlessly and unnecessarily designed with only people with the standard set of abilities in mind. In many cases "reasonable accommodation" to the ways people with disabilities need to do things is required. What is reasonable? Elevators in schools? Probably. How about elevators in the Grand Canyon? What is a disability? Blindness? Certainly. How about obesity? Where do we draw lines, and on what principles? John and Ken test their abilities with Anita Silvers from San Francisco State University, author of "Disability, Difference, Discrimination: Perspectives on Justice in Bioethics and Public Policy."

Is love just a (second-hand) emotion? Is it a feeling? A disparate group of feelings, glandular responses, and ill-considered commitments called by a single word so that poets will have something to write about? A poor substitute for true friendship imposed upon us by lust? Or the deepest and most satisfying of human conditions? John and Ken question their love with Noel Merino from Humboldt State University.

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/love

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/love.

Is love just a (second-hand) emotion? Is it a feeling? A disparate group of feelings, glandular responses, and ill-considered commitments called by a single word so that poets will have something to write about? A poor substitute for true friendship imposed upon us by lust? Or the deepest and most satisfying of human conditions? John and Ken question their love with Noel Merino from Humboldt State University.