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Tag Archives: Philosophy
Martin Heidegger and Modern Philosophy
In the course of 20th-century philosophical inquiry and application, the name Martin Heidegger is important to both scholarly and popular audiences. For example, Heidegger has been called the founder of existentialism. But in addition to his contributions to philosophical discourse in our time, Heidegger also exerts an increasing influence upon contemporary political and cultural inquiry.
Women, Philosophy, and Public Policy
The United Nations Decade for Women, 1976-85, brought attention worldwide to women’s issues in politics, culture, and social development. How has the status of women in the modern world changed during the first two-thirds of the twentieth century? With regard to issues of popular as well as academic concern–such as socioeconomics and philosophy–what questions do women find important in contemporary society? In the first segment, Sara Ruddick, then professor of philosophy at The New School for Social Research, discusses feminist philosophy and “maternal thinking.” At [17:00] is a conversation with Kate Young and Ernestine Friedl on social and political attitudes of and toward women. At the time of this interview, Young was professor in the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. Friedl was a Fellow at the National Humanities Center (1985-86) and professor of anthropology at Duke University. This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
Philosophy and Public Policy
Does philosophy affect public policy? What contributions does philosophy make to the ways in which Americans think and act about issues such as civil rights, the conduct of American foreign policy, the treatment of animals, and our notions of equality and fairness at home and overseas?
Nicks of Time: Emerson and Thoreau
Writing of his experiment with life in the woods near Concord, Massachusetts, during the middle part of the 19th-century, Henry David Thoreau observed that he went to the woods because he wishes to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, to discover its meanness or sublimity and to publish them to the world. Thoreau’s design for life at Walden underscores the remarkable flourishing of literature and philosophy that literary historians call American transcendentalism. What are the characteristics of American transcendentalism? How did these characteristics evolve and how do they continue into the 1980s?
The Case of Animal Rights
Do animals have rights? To what extent do animals participate in the human moral community? How should humankind view its ethical relationship to animals? Those questions are central to Tom Regan‘s book, The Case for Animal Rights, published in 1983 by the University of California Press and nominated that year for a Pulitzer Prize.
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Tagged Animal Rights, Ethics, Human Rights, Philosophy, Pulitzer Prize
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Mind and Morality
Lynne Rudder Baker discusses ideas about the philosophy of mind, focusing on the links between the mind and morality. She describes the multidisciplinary field of cognitive science, which uses methods of philosophy, psychology and computer science to examine intelligent activity as an information processing system. She discusses the value of philosophical notions of semantics in understanding cognition, and contrasts the views of language held by Descartes and by Wittgenstein. Baker then focuses on different ideas about the relationships between physical states and mental states, discussing whether and how it is possible to link beliefs, desires and intentions with observable physical phenomena, and whether our traditional ideas about the nature of thought could be superseded by scientific psychology. Moving to the nature of morality, Baker argues that morality is essentially social and communal, andshe addresses the idea of moral relativism. She describes her work as assessing the implications of views of the mind on morality. She divides views of the mind into three categories: one, that scientific psychology will be able to encompass ordinary views of our beliefs, intentions and desires; two, a view that scientific psychology will bear no resemblance our ordinary ways of viewing these mental states; and a third view, that although scientific psychology will undermine currently accepted concepts, such views of mind can be retained for practical reasons. Baker responds to the idea that her philosophy is overly abstract and divorced from practical concerns, asserting that understanding the mind is extremely relevant to contemporary life, and emphasizing the implications that such approaches have for our understanding of morality and human responsibility. Baker then discusses her views on the purposes and the value of philosophy.
At the time of this interview, Baker was professor of philosophy at Middlebury College in Vermont, and a Fellow (1983-84) at the National Humanities Center
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
Physician and Humanist: Medicine and the Poetry of John Keats
Professor de Almeida discusses the connections between poetry and medicine in the life and work of John Keats (1795-1821), the English romantic poet. A physician by training, Keats found ideas and analogies in 19th-century science and medical philosophy that stimulated several key questions in his poetry. These include the disparities between vitalism and mechanism, the material and the animistic, disease, and health, and the distinctions between poison and potion.
Soren Kierkegaard; Commentary — Afro-American Slave Narratives
In the cultural and intellectual crosscurrents that flow between Europe and the Americas, the name Soren Kierkegaardegaard is prominent. Mark Taylor discusses Kierkegaard’s interpretation and criticism of nineteenth-century philosophy and religious thought, particularly of Christianity in the form of the Danish state church, and how they affect contemporary religious thought and practice. At the time of this interview, Taylor was a Fellow at the National Humanities Center (1982-83) and professor of religion at Williams College.
In the second segment [24:00], John Sekora comments on how Afro-American slave narratives of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries extend into present-day American life. At the time of the recording, Sekora was a Fellow at the National Humanities Center (1982-83) and professor of English at Western Illinois University. This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
Philosophy and Public Policy, Part 7: Professional Ethics, Civil Rights, and Affirmative Action
David Moore and John Caldwell comment on distinctions between higher education and university life in England and the United States. They address questions of national standards and admissions selectivity, as well as the process by which universities are established, funded, and accredited in both countries.
At the time of this interview, David Moore was principal of Nelson and Colne College in Lancashire, United Kingdom, and an education advisor to Grenada Television International. John Caldwell was Chancellor Emeritus of North Carolina State University.
After a break [10:15], William Bennett, Steven Cahn, and James Rachels continue their discussion on philosophy and public policy in part seven of the series on the topic. They review the main lines of the debate over affirmative action, the state and inequality, and discriminatory activity in America. Addressed along with these topics are some attempts to correct past policy missteps and the idea that “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Included in this debate is how the public perceives fairness. Another issue raised is the notion that philosophers should have “answers” to life’s questions; included are discussions on the nature of moral agency and the average person’s responsibility for his or her own actions.
William Bennett was director of the National Humanities Center at the time of this interview. Steven Cahn was a visitor to the National Humanities Center from the Rockefeller Foundation. James Rachels was the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
Philosophy and Public Policy, Part 6: Ethics in International Politics; Commentary on Values Education in American Schools
In the sixth installment of a series on philosophy and public policy, Robert Simon, James Rachels, George Sher, and Steven Cahn discuss ethical and moral obligations among nations, especially where charity and aid in the developing world is concerned. Topics include the justification of selfishness; other ways of providing aid to impoverished peoples in the form of agricultural expertise, contraceptives, and education; budgetary realities from the standpoint of the United States; and the question of when to intervene in other countries’ domestic matters, from corruption to genocide. They conclude with a discussion of perceived obligation to fellow citizens and obligations felt toward people far away, and how these perceptions may influence charitable giving and foreign policy decisions.
At the time of this interview, James Rachels was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Steven Cahn was a visitor to the National Humanities Center from the Rockefeller Foundation. National Humanities Center Fellow George Sher (1980-81), was professor of philosophy at the University of Vermont. Robert Simon, Fellow of the National Humanities Center (1981-82) was professor of philosophy at Hamilton College.
After a break at [25:25], William Bennett comments on the belief that moral values should be taught to students in American elementary and secondary schools, taking issue with the term “values” and advocating for learning through experience.
At the time of this interview, William Bennett was director of the National Humanities Center.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
Art and Ideas in Drama; Philosophy and Public Policy: Ethics, Education
Brenda Murphy speaks about art and ideas in drama, specifically on George Bernard Shaw’s influence on twentieth-century drama, the importance of structure in dramatic literature, and the history of audience participation and agitprop and the “living” or “open” theater, where presentational drama takes on social change. Murphy comments on the commercial nature of American theater and on the growing dramatic culture in contemporary America, contrasting the growth of regional theater with the relative lack of literary drama being made in the 1970s and 1980s.
Brenda Murphy was a National Humanities Center Fellow (1981-82) and associate professor of English at St. Lawrence University at the time of this interview.
In the second episode [16:25], Steven Cahn, William Bennett, George Sher, and James Rachels resume their discussion in part five of the series Philosophy and Public Policy. They consider the roles of philosophers in different professions, including medicine, while a philosopher’s role in academia is often overlooked. Additionally, they speak about the growth of medical ethics and other applications of philosophy in the professions.
At the time of this interview, James Rachels was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. William Bennett was director of the National Humanities Center. Steven Cahn was associate director of the Humanities Division at the Rockefeller Foundation. National Humanities Center Fellow George Sher (1980-81) was professor of philosophy at the University of Vermont.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
Humankind and the Environment; Philosophy and Public Policy: Nuclear Power; Affirmative Action
James Rachels, William Bennett, Steven Cahn, and George Sher continue their discussion on ethics in part four of a series on philosophy and public policy. Topics include nuclear power and affirmative action and other solutions to racial discrimination. Rachels speaks about the citizen as a moral agent with an obligation to mitigate the influence of demagogues in the public sphere. With regard to nuclear power, they discuss the obligations to future generations and how small risks of horrible catastrophes are weighed against larger risks of “liveable harms.” Rachels, Bennett, Cahn, and Sher also discuss public opinion of affirmative action and scenarios where its efficacy is called into question. They also exchange views on the philosophical nature of legal decisions, and how philosophy “happens” in appeals courts. They conclude by comparing public policy philosophical questions with academic philosophical questions.
At the time of this interview, James Rachels was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences was professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. William Bennett was the director of the National Humanities Center. Steven Cahn was associate director of the Humanities Division at the Rockefeller Foundation. National Humanities Center Fellow George Sher (1980-81) was a professor of philosophy at the University of Vermont.
In the second episode [16:45], John Passmore discusses his book Man’s Responsibility for Nature (1974) with Kent Mullikin, and its possible influences on public policy and intellectual discourse on humankind’s relationship to the natural world. Passmore speaks about his approach to the history of environmental ethics, longstanding presumptions of population control as a means to solve environmental problems, and the impending “end of the world” before future generations experience consequences of environmental carelessness. Other topics include criminal carelessness and deliberate pollution of the environment, and the question of villainy on the part of people who act in such ways.
At the time of this interview, John Passmore was a visitor to the National Humanities Center at a meeting of the Academic Ethics Committee of the International Council on the Future of the University. He was professor in the History of Ideas unit at the University of Australia, Canberra.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond and Kent Mullikin, assistant director of the National Humanities Center.
Current Black American Literature; Philosophy and Public Policy
Darwin Turner discusses African American literature with Kent Mullikin. Turner speaks about black writers in the face of criticism; as an example, he contrasts overwhelmingly positive critical reception of Gone with the Wind, which perpetuates many “myths” of history, with the critical scrutiny and detailed fact-checking of lesser “myths” in Roots. Turner comments that works by black authors often are labeled “sociological tracts,” with the accompanying expectation that black writers speak for the entire race. Turner also speaks about form, and the difference between novels, poetry, and other media for black writers; questions of form are often resolved according to what the author can afford to publish, Turner says, because of the tenuous nature of the correlation between public interest and the publishing industry.
At the time of this interview, Darwin Turner was a trustee at the National Humanities Center and professor of Afro-American Studies at the University of Iowa, as well as an editor, author, biographer, and teacher. Mullikin was assistant director of the NHC.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond and Kent Mullikin.
Philosophy and Public Policy, Part 2: Ethics and International Relations; Privilege and Responsibility
John Passmore discusses the privileges and responsibilities of teachers, including the specific privileges he enjoys as an educator, the freedom to teach, and the moral implications of teaching. He considers the economics of scholarly publication and its effect in the classroom and is joined by Kent Mullikin.
John Passmore was professor of philosophy at Australian National University at the time of this interview and the author of One Hundred Years of Philosophy and The Perfectibility of Man. Mullikin was assistant director of the National Humanities Center.
In the second segment [13:45], James Rachels discusses ethics with William Bennett, Robert Simon, and George Sher in the second part of a series on philosophy and public policy. Topics include the question of ethics in international affairs and the claim that ethics have no role in politics. The speakers consider risks that nations assume when they make moral policies, and the function of cynicism as a means of self-preservation. Rachels speaks with Bennett, Simon, and Sher about rationalizing moral decisions and principles of right conduct and justice.
At the time of this interview, James Rachels was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. William Bennett was director of the National Humanities Center. Robert Simon, Fellow of the National Humanities Center (1981-82), was professor of philosophy at Hamilton College. National Humanities Center Fellow George Sher (1980-81) was professor of philosophy at the University of Vermont.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
Philosophy and Public Policy: Practical and Theoretical Contributions; The Unceremonious American
John Sisk speaks about ceremony and ritual in American culture. Sisk highlights the contradictions and their significance in such rituals as festivals, weddings, and religious rites, in American culture over the years.
At the time of this interview, John Sisk was a visitor at the National Humanities Center and professor of English at Gonzaga University.
The second segment [4:00] is the first part of a series on philosophy and public policy, a discussion among James Rachels, William Bennett, Steven Cahn, and George Sher. They address the varying levels of influence that philosophers have had on public policy, from John Locke’s inspiring effect on the founding fathers to a more direct influence by theorists at the end of the twentieth century. Also discussed are common misunderstandings about philosophers in society and the increase in scholarship of contemporary moral philosophy. The advent of “medical ethics” is brought up as an example of application for theoretical work. Rachels talks about philosophers and their relationships with doctors, their roles in decision-making, and the work of ethicists employed at medical schools and hospitals. Rachels employs a case study exploring the moral difference between “killing” and “letting die” and the implications of that decision.
At the time of this interview, James Rachels was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. William Bennett was director of the National Humanities Center. Steven Cahn was a visitor to the National Humanities Center from the Rockefeller Foundation. National Humanities Center Fellow George Sher (1980-81) was professor of philosophy at the University of Vermont.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.