Is queerness something that all lesbian, gay, bi, and trans people have in common? Is it a sexual identity, a political identity, both, or something else entirely? Sometimes “queer” is used as a slur, yet there are many people who proudly self-identify as queer.
Should your beliefs aim at the truth? Or should you just believe whatever makes your life better, whether it’s true or not? How could false beliefs ever make your life better?
Dogs love art! At least, when that art is designed with them in mind. Check out the first ever canine-centric art show in London. “Tails were wagging like crazy,” according to the artist who designed the show.
The Supreme Court defines obscenity as any material which “appeals to a prurient interest in sex, portrays sexual conduct in a patently offensive way,” and which “does not have any serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.” But can’t some work be both obscene and also have “serious artistic value”?
Our show this week, “Philosophy Behind Bars” features guest Jennifer Lackey, a professor of philosophy…
We were saddened to hear of the passing of Bharati Mukherjee last month. Bharati was an…
In our annual year-in-review show, John and Ken were joined by political theorist Margaret Levi…
Philosophy Talk is delighted to announce a new column on our blog called “Francis on…
As we approach the end of 2016, we are gearing up for our annual year in review show, “The Examined Year.” In this special show, which broadcasts live from our home station, KALW, we depart from our usual long-form conversation format with a single guest and instead have three different guests on three different segments. The theme we’ve chosen for our philosophical review of 2016 is “Triumph and Defeat.”
What a weird and wonderful cosmos we live in! Here’s an astounding fact. If you take all of the ordinary objects you can see, from tables and chairs to all the stars and planets in the universe, you will have accounted for less than 5% of the universe’s total mass-energy. The other 95%? That’s invisible stuff like dark matter and dark energy.
Research in neuroaesthetics involves measuring brain activity, using technology like fMRI machines, when subjects look at works of art. It also involves looking at people with different brain disorders and seeing how this affects their ability to appreciate or create art. You might wonder how looking at someone’s brain can ever answer the big questions of aesthetics—like, what is beauty? Or, what is aesthetic taste? Isn’t neuroaesthetics just another attempt on the part of science to encroach on philosophy’s turf?
Identity politics is when people of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, or religion form alliances…
We’ve all experienced the desire for revenge, whether it be when some jerk cuts you…
Is philanthropy an unalloyed good? Or does philanthropy have its downsides too? If you’re wondering what could be wrong with individuals voluntarily giving to charitable causes that serve the public good, let me just narrow the scope of my criticism to giving from the ultra wealthy—fat cats like Bill Gates or John D. Rockerfeller, who set up these huge foundations worth billions of dollars.
This week our show is about The Moral Lives of Animals. We’re asking whether non-human…
It’s not that difficult to alter your consciousness. You might start your day with a stimulating cup of coffee, or end it with a relaxing cocktail. Even without imbibing any substances, you can alter your consciousness by doing various activities, like yoga, meditation, or with a simple walk in the woods. But if you really want a powerful, fast, and direct way to get into a radically altered state, try taking a mind-altering drug, like LSD, peyote, or ayahuasca.