Sound Philosophy

Eric Taxier and I discuss Aristotle's take on courage by investigating chapters 6-7 of Book 3 of the Nicomachean Ethics.

This episode concludes Aristotle's discussion of the voluntary and issues related to that concept.

This is a special short episode for my wife's third grade class. It addresses "Cross Domain Application" (taking something you learned in one area and applying it to another). That may sound heady for the third grade, but it is all about learning to appreciate learning.

Eric Taxier and I continue our discussion of the Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle by interpreting Book 3, Chapters 2-3. This portion of the treatise (Book 3, Chapters 1-5) is a fascinating investigation of human choice and the voluntary. These two chapters deal with choice and deliberation, respectively.

This is a very special short episode designed for a third grade class my wife teaches. It features a short exploration of what it takes to be kind to and care for others by examining the differences between sympathy and empathy. Listen for the shoutouts to the various members of the class!!

Eric Taxier and I explore Chapter 1 of Book 3 of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Forrest Gump comes in for some rough treatment--in service of the greater cause of understanding moral agency.

Eric Taxier and I finish discussing Book 2 of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. We revisit the "key passage" concerning the Doctrine of the Mean (from chapter 6) then discuss the arrangement and choice of virtues and Aristotle's advice for self-improvement.

Eric Taxier and I discuss chapters 5 and 6 of Book 2 of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. These books truly introduce and start to define the Doctrine of the Mean but immediately demonstrate that the concept is much more complex than summaries of Aristotle often allow.

Eric Taxier and I discuss Book 2, Chapters 3-4 of Aristotle's celebrated Nicomachean Ethics. We explore how one enters the circle of learning, the monkeys typing Shakespeare thought experiment, consequentialism, and more.

Eric Taxier and I explore the opening two chapters to Book 2 of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. We discuss the two types of virtue (virtues of character and virtues of mind) and spend some real time on the learning paradox--if you learn to build by building, how do you get started if you don't know already how to build?