Richard Kearney is keenly aware of the power and appeal of vision, but shows that it’s rather touch that we find at the heart of the senses, and the heart of philosophy.

Kearney’s work is profoundly ethical, and puts an emphasis on how living well entails tactful touching, with the demand that we permit ourselves to be touched even as we touch.

Richard Kearney is Charles Seelig Chair of Philosophy at Boston College, and the author of numerous books, including Touch: Recovering our Most Vital Sense.

The final passage that Kearney shares in this episode is from the conclusion of his novel Salvage.

Music for this episode from⁠ ⁠⁠Uppbeat⁠⁠⁠. License code: 2CWHTEVPITF6KWEO.