The Indispensable Emotions
November 26, 2006
Where would we be without emotions? Many philosophers throughout history have thought the emotions serve…
The Scandalous Truth about Memoir
May 24, 2026
A memoir is a personal narrative written about a pivotal time in the author’s life. While the story is told from a particular perspective, the events recounted are supposed to be fact, not fiction. But what exactly counts as truth in memoir? Is the distinction…
What is a Child?
November 19, 2006
Back in the middle ages, people thought of children simply as little adults. Modern psychology…
Dreaming
November 12, 2006
A scary dream brings all the fears that a scary real situation can, and a…
The Strange World of Quantum Reality
October 15, 2006
Quantum mechanics is an astoundly successful, mathematically elegant, explanatorily deep, even beautiful scientific theory. Yet…
Forgiveness
September 26, 2006
Justice is a virtue and so, many claim, is forgiveness. But they seem inconsistent. Is…
Schopenhauer
September 19, 2006
Arthur Schopenhauer, the great Nineteenth Century philosopher, had a pessimistic vision of the world as…
The Philosophy of Music
September 19, 2006
Most people enjoy music daily and have strong listening preferences. Music – along with love –…
Global Poverty and International Aid
September 12, 2006
Does a hungry child in a far away land have any less of a demand…
War Crimes
September 12, 2006
In war, people do awful things to other people. But the concept of ‘war crime’…
100th Episode
August 29, 2006
It’s our anniversary! Join the philosophers for a celebration of the program that questions everything…
Language in Action
August 22, 2006
How do we communicate ideas with language? Where does the literal meaning of a word…
Evolution of the Human Mind
July 11, 2006
Is the human mind a relatively inflexible program bequeathed to us by evolution, and culture…
Freedom of Speech in Times of War
July 4, 2006
The Constitution grants the freedom of speech to every citizen. Journalists value it more than…
Zen
June 13, 2006
What is the sound of one hand clapping? Does Zen Buddhism provide a unique perspective…
Is Free Will an Illusion?
May 23, 2006
We like to think of ourselves as enjoying unrestricted freedom of the will. But modern science…
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