Philosophy Talk Starters

Is affirmative action a way of balancing out inequality? Or is it just another form of bias in admissions and hiring practices? And where's the line between fostering diversity and lowering standards? John and Ken affirmatively welcome Elizabeth Anderson from the University of Michigan, author of The Imperative of Integration.

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/affirmative-action

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/affirmative-action.

Is affirmative action a way of balancing out inequality? Or is it just another form of bias in admissions and hiring practices? And where's the line between fostering diversity and lowering standards? John and Ken affirmatively welcome Elizabeth Anderson from the University of Michigan, author of "The Imperative of Integration."

You can own a car or a bicycle. But what about an idea? If you invent a program it seems like you should have some say about its use. But can you really own the idea itself? Listen in and steal an idea or two from Larry Lessig, author of The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World.

More at: http://philosophytalk.org/shows/who-owns-ideas

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/who-owns-ideas.

You can own a car or a bicycle. But what about an idea? If you invent a program it seems like you should have some say about its use. But can you really own the idea itself? Listen in and steal an idea or two from Larry Lessig, author of "The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World."

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/paternalism-and-health.

Some diseases such as Alzheimer's inhibit our abilities to make decisions and lessen our quality of life. In cases like these, we often think that others are justified in stepping in and making decisions for that person. But what about the case where the person in question is relatively healthy but suffers, perhaps, from minor depression, or an anxiety disorder? When (if ever) is it OK to step in and take charge of someone else's life or body?

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/paternalism-and-health.

Some diseases such as Alzheimer's inhibit our abilities to make decisions and lessen our quality of life. In cases like these, we often think that others are justified in stepping in and making decisions for that person. But what about the case where the person in question is relatively healthy but suffers, perhaps, from minor depression, or an anxiety disorder? When (if ever) is it OK to step in and take charge of someone else's life or body?

Some psychologists claim to have demonstrated that humans are systematically, deeply and perhaps irredeemably irrational in their reasoning and decision making. But what is rationality and why does it matter? If we are really so irrational, how have we managed to get this far as a species? Maybe rationality isn't such a big deal after all. Tune in as Ken Taylor and guest host Nadeem Hussain size up the human mind with Stephen Stich from Rutgers University, author of From Folk Psychology to Cognitive Science: The Case Against Belief.

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/humans-irrational-animal

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/humans-irrational-animal.

Some psychologists claim to have demonstrated that humans are systematically, deeply and perhaps irredeemably irrational in their reasoning and decision making. But what is rationality and why does it matter? If we are really so irrational, how have we managed to get this far as a species? Maybe rationality isn't such a big deal after all. Tune in as Ken Taylor and guest host Nadeem Hussain size up the human mind with Stephen Stich from Rutgers University, author of From Folk Psychology to "Cognitive Science: The Case Against Belief."

What is virtue? Is virtue the key human happiness and flourishing, as the ancients held, or a quaint notion of at best secondary interest for ethics, as many modern theorists hold? Does the return of virtue ethics to the philosophical scene mark an advance in our thinking about morality or is it just a nostalgia for morally simpler times? Jon and Ken sing the praises of Julia Driver from Dartmouth College, author of Uneasy Virtue.

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

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

What is virtue? Is virtue the key human happiness and flourishing, as the ancients held, or a quaint notion of at best secondary interest for ethics, as many modern theorists hold? Does the return of virtue ethics to the philosophical scene mark an advance in our thinking about morality or is it just a nostalgia for morally simpler times? Jon and Ken sing the praises of Julia Driver from Dartmouth College, author of "Uneasy Virtue."