In this episode, I speak with David Goldblatt, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Denison University, who has spent decades redefining how we think about aesthetics and art. Unlike traditional philosophers who primarily focus on "high art," David has expanded the boundaries of aesthetics to include overlooked yet culturally significant areas such as sports, ventriloquism, and jazz music. Our conversation opens with a lively debate about what truly qualifies as art, questioning why certain forms like classical music are often revered while others like doo-wop or even sports are marginalized.

We explore David's unique perspective on beauty, delving into how context, narrative, and personal connection shape our experiences and judgments of beauty. He highlights how everyday activities like the movement of athletes or the simple silence in nature can profoundly impact our emotional and intellectual landscapes. David passionately argues for recognizing beauty not only in extraordinary moments but also in the mundane, asserting that such experiences contribute significantly to personal happiness and optimism.

Finally, we dive into his fascination with ventriloquism, discussing its philosophical implications for identity and self-expression. We consider how ventriloquism metaphorically represents the internal dialogues we have with ourselves, offering insights into the complexity of human consciousness. Join me in this thoughtful exploration, as we uncover the profound ways beauty and art are woven into the fabric of our everyday lives.

00:00 – Introduction

02:00 – Discovering the Vernacular Arts

05:10 – High Art vs. Common Art

06:30 – Interpretation and Seeing Anew

08:50 – Do Stories Have a Right Answer?

09:40 – What Makes Something Art?

19:00 – Narrative and Meaning

22:40 – Ventriloquism as Philosophy

27:00 – The Sublime and Perspective

38:20 – Why Beauty Matters

56:30 – Medium and Mind

1:01:00 – Ventriloquism and the Self

1:06:30 – Travel, Vacation, and the Everyday

1:10:00 – Closing Reflections

In this enriching episode, I sit down with Mohan Matthen, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Toronto and an esteemed figure in contemporary philosophy of perception, aesthetics, and the nature of time. Our conversation takes us from his personal journey transitioning from mathematics and physics into philosophy, highlighting his unique cross-disciplinary approach and his deep exploration of sense perception.

Mohan and I delve into fascinating discussions about how our senses sight, sound, touch are integrated by the mind to form coherent experiences of the world. He explores intriguing philosophical puzzles, such as whether beauty is purely sensory or cognitively constructed, using examples from abstract art by Mark Rothko to the mathematical elegance of Euler’s formula. We discuss the profound phenomenon of awe and its sensory and intellectual components, considering how appreciation of beauty varies with attention, cultural context, and personal openness.

We also reflect on practical ways to enhance one's sensory awareness and appreciation for beauty, including simple exercises like spending intentional time observing artworks or natural scenes. Mohan shares insights on how shifting from active seeking to passive receiving in perception can unlock new depths of aesthetic experience, even in everyday environments. This episode invites listeners to reconsider their relationship with the sensory world and explore the profound intersections between philosophy, perception, and the arts.

00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – Growing up in India and discovering philosophy through physics
06:00 – Shifting from mathematics to metaphysics
09:00 – The differences between studying philosophy in India and the West
13:00 – Ancient Indian philosophy and the analytic study of perception
17:00 – Comparing Indian and Greek traditions of inquiry
22:00 – Sense perception and the philosophy of how we know
26:00 – The multisensory mind: hearing, vision, and coordination
31:00 – What counts as sense perception versus mental computation
36:00 – Molyneux’s question and the limits of perception
42:00 – The philosophy of knowledge and perception in Indian thought
45:00 – Is beauty sensory or intellectual?
50:00 – Awe, mathematics, and the beauty of discovery
55:00 – Poetry, meaning, and the sensory imagination
1:00:00 – Attention, receptivity, and the 10-minute art exercise
1:05:00 – Discovering beauty in unexpected places
1:09:00 – Poverty, chaos, and finding aesthetics in the everyday
1:13:00 – Context, openness, and cultural understanding of beauty
1:16:00 – Closing reflections: curiosity, awe, and re-educating our perception

In this enlightening episode, I speak with Bence Nanay, Professor of Philosophy and BOF Research Professor at the University of Antwerp, and Director of the Centre for Philosophical Psychology. Bence shares his intriguing journey from film criticism to philosophy, highlighting his interest in understanding why we appreciate certain artworks and not others, and how our perceptual systems shape our aesthetic experiences.

We delve into the nuanced concept of aesthetic experiences, exploring how they differ significantly based on individual perceptual histories, attention, and openness. Bence introduces the powerful idea that true aesthetic appreciation often comes when our attention is distributed rather than narrowly focused. He emphasizes the importance of approaching art without preconceived notions, enabling a deeper, more genuine engagement.

Our discussion further addresses the impact of societal and personal constraints on our aesthetic judgments, illuminating how identity and self-perception can restrict or enrich our experiences. Bence passionately advocates for aesthetic humility and openness, encouraging us to embrace diverse forms of artistic appreciation without judgment or arrogance. Join us as we explore how adopting these principles can profoundly enhance not only our interactions with art but also our broader understanding and enjoyment of life itself.

00:00 – Introduction: Meeting Bence Nanay and his work on aesthetics and perception02:00 – From film critic to philosopher: discovering how the mind shapes beauty05:00 – What makes a good film? Subjectivity and shared experience08:00 – Perceptual learning and how our history shapes what we find beautiful11:00 – The mystery of aesthetic experience: why beauty strikes us differently each time14:00 – Distributed attention: the cognitive key to aesthetic experience18:00 – Can aesthetic attention be cultivated or trained?22:00 – Freedom, constraint, and how expectations limit beauty25:00 – Art, education, and the loss of creative freedom in schools29:00 – Productivity, structure, and why goal-oriented creation kills curiosity33:00 – The joy of doing for its own sake: how art restores playfulness36:00 – The pluralism of beauty: how every person’s experience is unique40:00 – Identity, guilty pleasures, and the myth of “good taste”44:00 – Self-perception, judgment, and the freedom to enjoy47:00 – Aesthetic humility: openness, tolerance, and learning from difference51:00 – Closing reflections: curiosity, attention, and living aesthetically

In this profound conversation with philosopher Rachael Wiseman, I dive deep into the intricate worlds of imagination, fantasy, and human understanding. Drawing from the philosophical insights of Iris Murdoch, we explore a transformative way of perceiving ourselves and others that goes beyond our ego-driven fantasies. Wiseman introduces a compelling distinction between fantasy, our tendency to project our own fears and anxieties onto the world and imagination, which involves a genuine, creative attempt to understand the reality of other people's lives.

Our discussion traverses the landscape of modern education, relationships, and human interaction, revealing how deeply entrenched transactional thinking has become in our society. We examine how institutions, from dating apps to educational systems, have reduced human experiences to mere exchanges, blocking our ability to truly see and understand one another. Wiseman challenges this approach, arguing that real understanding requires a radical shift, moving from competing and consuming to genuinely connecting and exploring the complexity of human experience.

By the end of our conversation, we've uncovered a powerful alternative to our current modes of interaction. The episode is a call to embrace imagination as a transformative tool - one that can help us break free from narrow, self-centered perspectives and develop a more nuanced, empathetic understanding of ourselves and others. It's an invitation to reconsider how we learn, love, and interact, suggesting that true connection begins with the challenging but profound act of seeing beyond our own fantasies.

00:00 – Introduction: Who is Rachael Wiseman?
02:00 – What does “contemporary thought” mean?
05:00 – The canon and its exclusions
08:00 – Including more voices without losing coherence
12:00 – Why canons form and how to critique them
16:00 – The problem with teaching literature as moral training
18:00 – Defining reductionism and scientism
22:00 – The limits of scientific knowledge
26:00 – Iris Murdoch on science, truth, and culture
30:00 – Can literature give us truth?
34:00 – Understanding courage and human virtues
40:00 – The evolution of courage across a lifetime
44:00 – Holism versus reductionism
49:00 – Imagination versus fantasy
54:00 – Escapism, love, and the reality of others
59:00 – Love as the recognition of another’s reality
01:03:00 – Transactional education and the loss of meaning
01:07:00 – Learning during wartime: What philosophy can become
01:11:00 – How philosophy reshapes everyday life
01:13:00 – Poets and lawyers: Why philosophy needs both imagination and rigor
01:16:00 – Closing reflections on imagination, learning, and love

In this deeply introspective conversation, I dive into the profound world of artistic expression with Richard Eldridge, a distinguished philosopher who challenges our understanding of art, creativity, and human experience. We explore the rich historical origins of art, tracing its roots from religious rituals to modern creative practices, and unpack the complex ways art helps us understand ourselves and our world.

Our discussion traverses fascinating philosophical territories, examining how art is more than just a product of skill or entertainment. We delve into the concept of "increasing marginal utility" - the idea that some practices, like playing the piano, become more meaningful and enjoyable the more we engage with them. Eldridge helps me understand why arts and humanities are crucial in a world increasingly dominated by STEM fields, arguing that creativity and reflective practices are essential to living a meaningful life. We also explore the nuanced differences between analytical and continental philosophical approaches, revealing how both perspectives contribute to our understanding of human expression.

By the end of our conversation, we've uncovered the deeper purpose of art: not just as a form of entertainment or social signaling, but as a fundamental way of exploring what it means to be human. We discuss how art allows us to reflect on our experiences, communicate complex emotions, and continually reinterpret our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. It's a rich, thought-provoking journey that challenges listeners to see art not as a peripheral luxury, but as a vital mode of human understanding and connection.

00:00 – Introduction: Meeting Richard Eldridge and his philosophy of expression
02:00 – The writer’s life: place, inspiration, and conversation
06:00 – From Swarthmore to the world: teaching across continents
10:00 – Art as the articulation of the inner life
14:00 – Analytic vs. Continental philosophy explained
19:00 – Hegel, Dewey, and the origins of art in reverence
24:00 – Religion, ritual, and the birth of artistic consciousness
28:00 – The transformation of art in modernity
33:00 – Science, capitalism, and the loss of spiritual unity
38:00 – What makes art meaningful and significant
43:00 – Abstract art, music, and the language of subjectivity
49:00 – Popular film and the decline of artistic imagination
54:00 – The value of criticism and the life of conversation
58:00 – Education, elitism, and the democratization of beauty
1:02:00 – Why we need art: from utility to meaning
1:06:00 – Closing reflections on art, science, and the future of culture

In this conversation, I explore the fascinating world of collective film experience with Julian Hanich, a professor of film studies at the University of Groningen who specializes in the emotional and social dimensions of cinema. We dive deep into what Hanich calls the "paradox of pleasurable fear," why we seek out emotions in movie theaters that we'd normally avoid in real life, and how the presence of others fundamentally transforms these experiences. From his childhood ban on movies due to their emotional effects to his groundbreaking research on audience dynamics, Hanich reveals how watching films collectively serves as a form of emotional regulation and social bonding that's impossible to replicate when viewing alone.

Our discussion takes fascinating turns as we examine the ten different types of laughter Hanich has identified in movie theaters, from genuine amusement to relief laughter after scary scenes, to the performative laughter of film connoisseurs showing off their knowledge. We explore how collective viewing creates opportunities for connection through shared silence during moving scenes, erupting together in laughter during comedies, or even the awkward moments when humor doesn't land the same way for everyone. Hanich shares compelling examples, including his uncomfortable experience watching Borat in Berlin, where audience laughter at an anti-Semitic scene revealed troubling social dynamics, demonstrating how cinema becomes a space where cultural values and political positions are unconsciously revealed.

The conversation becomes deeply relevant to our streaming age as we discuss what we've lost in the transition from shared television events and cinema experiences to individualized Netflix viewing. Hanich argues that the movie theater remains one of the few spaces where we can experience genuine collective emotion with strangers, creating temporary communities based on shared taste and feeling. We also explore the delicate art of emotional attunement how opening ourselves to others' experiences of joy, fear, or amusement requires vulnerability and the willingness to "shed our protective shells." This isn't just about movies; it's about the fundamental human need for connection and the skills required to truly share experiences with others in an increasingly isolated world.

00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – Discovering early love for film and childhood restrictions
05:00 – The paradox of fear and pleasure in cinema
09:00 – Aristotle’s catharsis and why fiction still moves us
13:00 – Horror, emotion, and the paradox of pleasurable fear
18:00 – How violent films shape empathy and sensitivity
23:00 – What movies reveal about human emotion
27:00 – Redefining “film” in the age of Tiktok and YouTube
32:00 – The phenomenology of watching: what happens when we see together
36:00 – Alone vs together: how spectatorship changes our feelings
41:00 – The emotional differences between laughter, fear, and shame
46:00 – Why laughter binds people together
50:00 – Ten kinds of laughter and the philosophy of the audience
54:00 – Collective experiences beyond cinema
57:00 – How group laughter and empathy shape connection
1:00:00 – Openness, perspective, and learning to feel together
1:03:00 – Closing reflections: cinema as a mirror of human connection

In this conversation, I explore the thorny question of artistic value with philosopher James Young from the University of Victoria, who makes a compelling case that we can indeed distinguish between great art and mere entertainment. Young argues that while we may no longer have a coherent definition of what constitutes "art" in our post-conceptual, post-abstract world, we can still meaningfully discuss what makes some artistic works superior to others. Using the provocative example of Bach versus Justin Bieber, he contends that longevity, moral insight, and the ability to illuminate the human condition separate enduring masterpieces from fleeting popular entertainment. We dive deep into the mechanisms by which art functions as a vehicle for knowledge not through general laws like science, but by helping us understand universal truths through particular experiences.

Our discussion reveals a fascinating tension between the democratic impulse to say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and the intuitive sense that some aesthetic judgments are simply wrong that claiming Justin Bieber surpasses Bach is like saying "a pond is as extensive as the ocean." Young draws on David Hume's classic formulation of this aesthetic paradox while exploring how art can expand our moral imagination, particularly through literature's ability to let us walk in others' shoes and music's capacity to broaden our emotional range. We examine the psychological evidence that reading literary fiction actually increases empathy and moral development, and consider whether similar mechanisms operate in music appreciation.

The conversation takes on broader cultural significance as we discuss the systematic defunding of arts education and Young's provocative suggestion that this represents a deliberate strategy by "shadowy corporate overlords" to prevent the kind of compassionate human connection that art naturally fosters. Throughout, Young maintains that great art differs fundamentally from scientific knowledge in its approach: while science seeks universal laws to explain particulars, art uses particular experiences to illuminate universal human truths. This requires not fewer artistic works but many more, as we need diverse perspectives and conflicting viewpoints to fully understand the complexity of human experience, making the current cultural devaluation of artistic education not just aesthetically impoverishing but epistemologically dangerous.

00:00 – Introduction: Welcoming James Young and his lifelong work in philosophy of art and language
02:00 – Growing up in Vancouver and discovering classical music
05:00 – Mozart, Handel, and falling in love with 18th-century sound
07:00 – Defining art: imitation, abstraction, and the problem of meaning
12:00 – The evolution of “art” and the limits of definition
16:00 – Who is an artist? Stretching the concept in modern times
18:00 – The moral dimensions of art and music
23:00 – How literature and music shape empathy and moral growth
28:00 – Can music really make us better people?
33:00 – Music as universal language and emotional connection
36:00 – Is music a language or something else entirely?
40:00 – Realism, anti-realism, and the truth about truth
46:00 – What makes art good: objectivity, longevity, and meaning
51:00 – The tension between pleasure and insight
55:00 – Art versus science: different ways of knowing
58:00 – How art gives knowledge through emotion
1:00:00 – Writing, fiction, and the aesthetics of clarity
1:03:00 – Closing reflections: morality, art, and re-educating our sense of beauty

In this conversation, I explore the profound nature of aesthetic experience with philosopher James Shelley, who argues that beauty represents a fundamental value that cannot and should not be reduced to mere pleasure or utility. We begin with his transformative childhood encounter with classical music an experience so vast and mysterious that it felt larger than the world he knew and discuss how truly beautiful things always maintain an element that escapes our complete understanding. Shelley makes a compelling case that this "bottomlessness" is essential to aesthetic experience; if we could ever fully grasp a beautiful thing, it would cease to be beautiful altogether.

Our discussion takes a critical turn as we examine how contemporary culture increasingly treats beauty as nothing more than "pleasure-giving lumps of matter." Shelley warns that this reductive approach, whether in academia, consumer culture, or daily life, fundamentally misses what makes aesthetic experiences valuable and risks turning us into "lumps of matter that seek pleasure" rather than fully human beings. We explore concrete examples of this cultural shift, from copy-paste suburban developments in Dublin, California, to the replacement of family heirlooms with disposable Costco purchases. These aren't just aesthetic losses but represent a deeper erosion of humanity itself.

The conversation becomes deeply personal as we discuss how cognitive barriers, social expectations, preconceptions about "high" and "low" art, and the pressure to justify everything in utilitarian terms often prevent us from experiencing beauty that's readily available around us. Using examples from heavy metal music to the steam rising from a tea cup, we explore how aesthetic appreciation requires both intellectual engagement and the willingness to let go of defensive mechanisms that keep us from being truly moved. Ultimately, Shelley argues that beauty, sublime experiences, and aesthetic value more broadly should be considered fundamental human values alongside happiness not mere means to other ends, but intrinsically worthwhile aspects of what makes life worth living and civilization worth preserving.

00:00 – Introduction: Welcoming James Shelley
02:00 – Life between Arizona and Alabama: landscapes and memory
06:00 – Early experiences with beauty and music
10:00 – The mystery of beauty and what draws us in
15:00 – Why we can never reach the bottom of a beautiful thing
20:00 – Science, symmetry, and the limits of explanation
25:00 – The meaning of aesthetic value and the sublime
30:00 – Everyday beauty versus intellectual awe
36:00 – Iris Murdoch and the ego-crushing power of art
41:00 – Teaching beauty and the danger of reducing it to pleasure
47:00 – Beauty as a fundamental human value
52:00 – Culture, happiness, and what we choose to prioritize
57:00 – Architecture, sameness, and the loss of aesthetic care
1:02:00 – The future of beauty in a utilitarian world
1:05:00 – How to teach and preserve sensitivity to beauty
1:08:00 – Closing reflections: humility, curiosity, and learning to see

In this conversation, I explore the fascinating intersection of fiction, emotion, and ethics with philosopher Derek Matravers from the Open University and Cambridge. We begin by discussing how The Great Gatsby fundamentally changed his relationship with literature through its complex narrative structure and multiple perspectives, before diving into one of philosophy's most puzzling questions: why do we feel genuine emotions toward fictional characters when we know they're not real? Matravers offers a compelling distinction between our face-to-face experiences with actual threats (like wolves) versus our emotional responses to representations of those threats, arguing that the quality of representation and our ability to be transported into fictional worlds is what enables these authentic emotional experiences.

Our discussion takes a fascinating turn as we examine how fictional narratives might be programming our understanding of reality in potentially dangerous ways. We explore examples from 1950s American films where checkered tablecloths signaled "poor but honest" families and white hats meant "good guys," questioning whether these narrative conventions unconsciously influence how we judge real people and situations. Matravers raises concerns about therapy culture's emphasis on finding narrative meaning and closure in random life events, suggesting that our exposure to structured fictional narratives might lead us to impose false patterns on genuinely meaningless experiences – like when someone is randomly struck by a falling tile.

The conversation becomes deeply personal as we grapple with the ethics of art consumption and creation. Using examples from Birth of a Nation to Paul Gauguin's Tahitian paintings, we examine whether immoral content makes art objectively worse, and how we might develop the skill to distinguish honest artistic representations from dishonest ones. We also tackle the democratization of artistic identity, questioning when someone can rightfully call themselves an "artist" or "philosopher," ultimately concluding that these terms should be defined by the quality of one's practice rather than professional credentials. Throughout, we wrestle with the profound ways that fiction shapes our understanding of ourselves, our ethics, and our place in the world – sometimes helpfully, sometimes dangerously.

00:00 – Introduction: Welcoming Derek Matravers
01:00 – Discovering The Great Gatsby and the power of fiction
04:00 – How literature teaches self-reflection
07:00 – What defines art and why that question matters
10:00 – The evolution of art in the modern world
13:00 – Are we all artists? Everyday creativity and appreciation
17:00 – Why fiction evokes real emotion
22:00 – How stories shape our understanding of life
27:00 – The risks of living too narratively
32:00 – Art, ethics, and the moral power of beauty
38:00 – Plato’s critique of art and the problem of truth
44:00 – How popular art shapes collective values
50:00 – Recognizing honesty in artistic expression
55:00 – Becoming an artist or philosopher: identity and meaning
59:00 – Final reflections: living thoughtfully and creatively

In this conversation, I sit down with 93-year-old philosopher Dr. Arnold Berleant, Professor Emeritus at Long Island University and one of the most influential voices in contemporary aesthetics. We dive deep into his revolutionary concept of "aesthetic engagement" – a radical departure from traditional art appreciation that challenges Kant's classical notion of "disinterested contemplation." Instead of standing back and observing art from a distance, Berleant argues that true aesthetic experience requires us to put ourselves at stake, to become vulnerable participants rather than detached observers. He shares a captivating story about being hypnotized by an ordinary Tintoretto portrait in Vienna, illustrating how authentic aesthetic connection happens not through art historical knowledge but through direct, personal engagement.

Our conversation explores the accessibility of aesthetic value in everyday life – from the steam rising from your morning coffee to the shadows cast by trees on snow. Berleant introduces the concept of "everyday aesthetics," revealing how we're constantly making aesthetic decisions in arranging our living spaces, choosing what to wear, and moving through the world. We grapple with challenging questions about whether "good art" exists objectively or emerges from the relationship between perceiver and object, and why aesthetic education has been systematically stripped from schools in favor of more "practical" subjects. The discussion becomes particularly poignant as we examine how commercial and capitalist values have co-opted our capacity for genuine aesthetic experience, turning the internet into a marketplace and our yearning for beauty into a travel industry.

Throughout our dialogue, Berleant emphasizes that aesthetic sensitivity is fundamental to being truly alive – that to be insensitive to the world around us is to be among the "walking dead." His perspective on environmental aesthetics is equally revolutionary, arguing that we aren't separate from our environment but rather participants in an environmental complex. This conversation offers both a philosophical framework for understanding beauty and a practical invitation to live more aesthetically engaged lives, recognizing that the capacity for meaningful aesthetic experience is accessible to everyone, everywhere, at every moment.

00:00 – Introduction: Who is Arnold Berleant
02:00 – From music to philosophy: a lifelong creative journey
06:00 – Discovering aesthetics through lived experience
10:00 – On building meaning through time and exploration
15:00 – Reflections on aging, wisdom, and understanding
20:00 – Finding authenticity in art and everyday life
24:00 – The Vienna story: being transformed by a Tintoretto painting
30:00 – The meaning of art and why creativity defines being human
34:00 – Aesthetic engagement: from Kant to participation
38:00 – Why beauty requires vulnerability and attention
42:00 – The role of interpretation and education in art
46:00 – Can there be “good” art, or only meaningful experience?
50:00 – The aesthetics of environment and interconnection
55:00 – Everyday aesthetics and the value of awareness
1:00:00 – Capitalism, consumption, and the loss of aesthetic sensitivity
1:05:00 – Teaching beauty and awakening perception
1:09:00 – Shadows, snow, and the discovery of aesthetic life
1:12:00 – Closing reflections: living fully through engagement