September 2017
September 2017
Is “Fascism” a Useful Word?
Neil Van Leeuwen
25
Sep 2017
The word "fascism" is thrown around so much, it risks becoming an empty label. It has been used to describe students at Yale who demand a safe space as well as self-declared anti-fascists. So should we just give up on this word?
Read moreThe Limits of Free Speech
Ray Briggs
26
Sep 2017
How should Americans balance the values of equal respect and free speech? What role should universities play in protecting and promoting speakers? What makes free speech valuable anyway?
Read moreAre Bosses Like Dictators?
Mohit Mookim
04
Sep 2017
Do bosses operate like mini-monarchs of the workplace? In what ways does your boss have arbitrary, excessive power over your life? Why do we demand democracy in the political sphere, and yet give it up so quickly in the economic?
Read moreHow Will Racism Be Eradicated?
Mohit Mookim
22
Sep 2017
How will we eliminate racism from all facets of our society, from the institutions to the quotidian interactions? Ibram X Kendi suggests we take people who have been oppressed by racism and give them the positions of power.
Read moreCredibility and Gender
Sarah Kahn
06
Sep 2017
What are the norms governing credibility assessments? How do we judge whether someone is telling the truth or not? What kind of good is credibility? What is it to get the credibility you deserve? How does gender affect perceptions of credibility?
Read moreIs Neoliberalism Destroying the Earth?
Eliane Mitchell
08
Sep 2017
Thousands of posters, books, videos, and social media exhort us to take four minute showers, eat vegan, carpool, and recycle in order to slow global warming and save Planet Earth, and yet, we have to ask, do these individual efforts really amount to much?
Read moreWomen in Philosophy
Sarah Kahn
15
Sep 2017
What explains the fact that women makeup only 25% of British philosophy departments? Note that the numbers aren’t so different for American universities. MIT philosopher Sally Haslanger reports that even "As recently as 2010, philosophy had a lower percentage of women doctorates than math, chemistry and economics."
Read moreAre Americans All Nationalists?
Mohit Mookim
27
Sep 2017
Do you think America is the greatest country in the world? Do you think other countries have bigger problems and worse institutions than ours? Could you never imagine moving to another country?
Read moreSocial Status
Sarah Kahn
21
Sep 2017
Ever thought social status could be understood through a philosophical lens? What do you think gives rise to social status? How do dominance, prestige, and admiration underpin it?
Read moreShould You Fear AI?
Eliane Mitchell
19
Sep 2017
AI takeover—the hypothetical event wherein computers or robots take over the world and obliterate humankind—is a common trope in science fiction books and apocalyptic movies. But is superintelligent AI really something we should fear?
Read moreHate! Hate! Hate!
David Livingstone Smith
01
Sep 2017
The idea of fighting against hate has had a lot of traction in the public sphere. But conceptualizing our current political situation as a fight against hate paints a distorted picture of what we’re up against and underestimates the ideological wellsprings of right-wing extremism.
Read moreTheodor Adorno [VIDEO]
Mohit Mookim
11
Sep 2017
Happy 114th birthday to Theodor Adorno, the influential founder of the Frankfurt School. His writings on culture, capitalism, and fascism are as timely as when they were written.
Read moreCan We Have Our Truth Back, Please?
Josh Landy
10
Sep 2017
This is a pretty terrible time to be a fan of truth. Politicians have always lied, of course, but few have dared to deny the verifiably obvious, such as the size of an inauguration crowd. Few have perpetuated conspiracy theories, such as the one about Obama’s place of birth.
Read moreTransitions in Philosophy Talk
Ken Taylor
14
Sep 2017
It’s time to make it official. After well over 400 episodes, 13 and half years on the air, and two years before that trying to get on the air, John has decided to transition into a new role on Philosophy Talk.
Read moreShould Hate Speech be Protected?
Eliane Mitchell
29
Sep 2017
Hate speech: it can exclude, stigmatize, and potentially threaten our progress toward equality. So why is hate speech protected under the First Amendment, and should it actually be protected?
Read moreAutomation and the Future of Work
Laura Maguire
23
Sep 2017
Will technology eventually eliminate the need for human labor? Without work, will we finally have all the free time we want to pursue our hobbies and passions? Or do we need work to give our lives a sense of purpose and achievement?
Read more