Podcast appearances and mentions of Colin McGinn

Linguist, noted ‘Pinkerologist' and friend of the show Dr. Caitlin Green joins me to analyze and discuss the Extremely Rational thoughts of one Steven Pinker. In part 1 we discuss hats, gloves, rationality, hypocrisy, Pinker's special brand of ‘positivity P 0rn' and more! Links: Steven Pinker's aid in Jeffrey Epstein's legal defense renews criticism of an increasingly divisive public intellectual. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/07/17/steven-pinkers-aid-jeffrey-epsteins-legal-defense-renews-criticism-increasingly A thread on the ironically named organization FAIR (Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism) - a who's who of some of the most intolerant and racist rightwing hacks around https://x.com/nicemangos/status/1367585945160146947?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw The Harvard Crimson: Pinker is often willing to defend his colleagues — even when it attracts controversy. In 2012, the University of Miami philosopher Colin McGinn was accused of sexual harassment by a graduate student. When the matter became public, Pinker wrote in an open letter that McGinn was a “brilliant and distinguished scholar” and that if the University of Miami pursued disciplinary action against McGinn for “exchanging sexual banter with a graduate student,” it would “put a chill on communication between faculty and graduate students and on the openness and informality on which scholarship depends.” In our conversation, Pinker often brings up “The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature,” which, even two decades after its release, illustrates core aspects of his thinking today. The book argues that our individual behaviors — our intelligence, our sociability, our tendencies toward violence — are rooted in our genes, not just the environment in which we are raised. “.. in 2006 Pinker published a favorable review of a scientific paper which argued that Ashkenazi Jews may have evolved to have higher IQs than other racial and ethnic groups.” One of the first academics to be canceled, Pinker says, was E. O. Wilson. Wilson was a biologist and professor of evolutionary biology at Harvard. Today, he is known for two things: his award-winning work on biodiversity and his public branding as a racist. In 1975, Wilson published a book called “Sociobiology: The New Synthesis,” which argues that behaviors result from genes — “very much in the strain of work that I wrote about on human nature,” Pinker says — and stepped into a debate about scientific racism. In his book, Wilson writes that there should be a “discipline of anthropological genetics” to explore whether cultural differences are biological. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/10/27/steven-pinker-scrut/ Pinker currently serves on the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation's board of advisers https://eowilsonfoundation.org/about-us/our-team/ Screenshot, Pinker upset at anti-scientism and historians ‘historicizing' https://x.com/mccormick_ted/status/1182645627169263616?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw Pinker smears anti-genocide students as ‘Pro-Hamas' https://x.com/nicemangos/status/1810472709580570796?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw Pinker's video about how ‘Political Correctness is redpilling America' https://x.com/nicemangos/status/1138497096569540609?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw Pinker Publishes response about associations with Epstein on Jerry Coyne's blog which has also done the Just Asking Questions routine about whether convicted child r*pist Jerry Sandusky was truly guilty or not. https://x.com/nicemangos/status/1150216005114912769?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw —— Pls subscribe via patreon.com/nicemangos to support the show Pt 2 available early to patrons

*This is a public sample of an upcoming episode. Please subscribe via patreon.com to hear the full episode. Part 2 is available via the Premium tiers on Patreon.* —— Linguist, noted ‘Pinkerologist' and friend of the show Dr. Caitlin Green joins me to analyze and discuss the Extremely Rational thoughts of one Steven Pinker. In part 1 we discuss hats, gloves, rationality, hypocrisy, Pinker's special brand of ‘positivity P 0rn' and more! —— Links: Steven Pinker's aid in Jeffrey Epstein's legal defense renews criticism of an increasingly divisive public intellectual. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/07/17/steven-pinkers-aid-jeffrey-epsteins-legal-defense-renews-criticism-increasingly A thread on the ironically named organization FAIR (Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism) - a who's who of some of the most intolerant and racist rightwing hacks around https://x.com/nicemangos/status/1367585945160146947?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw The Harvard Crimson: Pinker is often willing to defend his colleagues — even when it attracts controversy. In 2012, the University of Miami philosopher Colin McGinn was accused of sexual harassment by a graduate student. When the matter became public, Pinker wrote in an open letter that McGinn was a “brilliant and distinguished scholar” and that if the University of Miami pursued disciplinary action against McGinn for “exchanging sexual banter with a graduate student,” it would “put a chill on communication between faculty and graduate students and on the openness and informality on which scholarship depends.” In our conversation, Pinker often brings up “The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature,” which, even two decades after its release, illustrates core aspects of his thinking today. The book argues that our individual behaviors — our intelligence, our sociability, our tendencies toward violence — are rooted in our genes, not just the environment in which we are raised. “.. in 2006 Pinker published a favorable review of a scientific paper which argued that Ashkenazi Jews may have evolved to have higher IQs than other racial and ethnic groups.” One of the first academics to be canceled, Pinker says, was E. O. Wilson. Wilson was a biologist and professor of evolutionary biology at Harvard. Today, he is known for two things: his award-winning work on biodiversity and his public branding as a racist. In 1975, Wilson published a book called “Sociobiology: The New Synthesis,” which argues that behaviors result from genes — “very much in the strain of work that I wrote about on human nature,” Pinker says — and stepped into a debate about scientific racism. In his book, Wilson writes that there should be a “discipline of anthropological genetics” to explore whether cultural differences are biological. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/10/27/steven-pinker-scrut/ Pinker currently serves on the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation's board of advisers https://eowilsonfoundation.org/about-us/our-team/ Screenshot, Pinker upset at anti-scientism and historians ‘historicizing' https://x.com/mccormick_ted/status/1182645627169263616?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw Pinker smears anti-genocide students as ‘Pro-Hamas' https://x.com/nicemangos/status/1810472709580570796?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw Pinker's video about how ‘Political Correctness is redpilling America' https://x.com/nicemangos/status/1138497096569540609?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw Pinker Publishes response about associations with Epstein on Jerry Coyne's blog which has also done the Just Asking Questions routine about whether convicted child r*pist Jerry Sandusky was truly guilty or not. https://x.com/nicemangos/status/1150216005114912769?s=61&t=w7q_ejvwZ_gCFj9WV50Lqw

Prehension is a hymn to the hand. In Prehension, Colin McGinn links questions from science to philosophical concerns to consider something that we take for granted: the importance of the hand in everything we do. Drawing on evolutionary biology, anatomy, archaeology, linguistics, psychology, and philosophy, among other disciplines, McGinn examines the role of the hand in shaping human evolution. He finds that the development of our capacity to grasp, to grip, to take hold (also known as prehension) is crucial in the emergence of Homo sapiens. The human species possesses language, rational thought, culture, and a specific affective capacity; but there was a time when our ancestors had none of these. How did we become what we so distinctively are, given our early origins? McGinn, following Darwin and others, calls the hand the source of our biological success. When our remote ancestors descended from trees, they adopted a bipedal gait that left the hands free for other work; they began to make tools, which led to social cooperation and increased brain capacity. But McGinn goes further than others in arguing for the importance of the hand; he speculates that the hand played a major role in the development of language, and presents a theory of primitive reference as an outgrowth of prehension. McGinn sings the praises of the hand, and evolution, in a philosophical key. He mixes biology, anthropology, analytical philosophy, existential philosophy, sheer speculation, and utter amazement to celebrate humans' achievement of humanity. Colin McGinn has taught philosophy at institutions of higher learning including University College London, Rutgers University, and Oxford University. He is the author of The Character of Mind, Consciousness and Its Objects, The Meaning of Disgust, The Philosophy of Language: The Classics Explained (MIT Press), and other books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

Prehension is a hymn to the hand. In Prehension, Colin McGinn links questions from science to philosophical concerns to consider something that we take for granted: the importance of the hand in everything we do. Drawing on evolutionary biology, anatomy, archaeology, linguistics, psychology, and philosophy, among other disciplines, McGinn examines the role of the hand in shaping human evolution. He finds that the development of our capacity to grasp, to grip, to take hold (also known as prehension) is crucial in the emergence of Homo sapiens. The human species possesses language, rational thought, culture, and a specific affective capacity; but there was a time when our ancestors had none of these. How did we become what we so distinctively are, given our early origins? McGinn, following Darwin and others, calls the hand the source of our biological success. When our remote ancestors descended from trees, they adopted a bipedal gait that left the hands free for other work; they began to make tools, which led to social cooperation and increased brain capacity. But McGinn goes further than others in arguing for the importance of the hand; he speculates that the hand played a major role in the development of language, and presents a theory of primitive reference as an outgrowth of prehension. McGinn sings the praises of the hand, and evolution, in a philosophical key. He mixes biology, anthropology, analytical philosophy, existential philosophy, sheer speculation, and utter amazement to celebrate humans' achievement of humanity. Colin McGinn has taught philosophy at institutions of higher learning including University College London, Rutgers University, and Oxford University. He is the author of The Character of Mind, Consciousness and Its Objects, The Meaning of Disgust, The Philosophy of Language: The Classics Explained (MIT Press), and other books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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My opinionated introduction to mysterianism. Inspired by Noam Chomsky, Colin McGinn, and Eric Schwitzgebel, we explore a version of mysterianism that I think may be true. YouTube Support on Patreon Listen to our sister show, Counter Apologetics here Transcript Shane Wagoner - From Physicalism to Mysterianism Music by ichika Nito and used with permission. Twitter @waldenpod @OnPanpsychism linktr.ee/emersongreen

CONSCIOUSNESS - How is it possible that mushy masses of brain cells, passing chemicals and shooting sparks literally are mental sensations and subjective feelings? They seem so radically different. Featuring John Searle, Ned Block, J.P. Moreland, Marvin Minsky, and Colin McGinn.

MEANING - To argue for God, the easy way appears to be ‘design', the obvious order and apparent purpose of the world. How could all of this be if there were no God? Quite easily, says science. What's the deep thinking on both sides? Featuring Owen Gingerich, Ernan McMullin, Colin McGinn, and Paul Davies.

CONSCIOUSNESS - How can the mindless microscopic particles that compose our brains "experience" the setting sun, the Mozart Requiem, and romantic love? Featuring Venerable Dr. Yifa, Susan Blackmore, Keith Ward, Daniel Dennett, David Chalmers, John Searle, and Colin McGinn.

Yoel and Mickey welcome Nina Strohminger, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics at the Wharton School of Business, to the show. Nina delivers entertaining takes on digust and morality, the true self, adventures in academia, and writing heroic book reviews. Do incidental emotions reliably impact decision making? What aspect of mind is at the core of one's identity? Which neurodegenerative diseases are the most difficult for caregivers to cope with? What does Nina really think about Colin McGinn's book, The Meaning of Disgust? Bonus: What is worse: pop-psychology or pop-philosophy? Special Guest: Nina Strohminger.

Mediated reality. Media as a product designed to attract audiences and sell advertising. Trade offs for our new media options. How economic, social, and political forces can influence the news. Interview with: Tim Borchers, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs, Peru State College Resources: Persuasion in the Media Age, by Timothy Borchers (book) Boxed In: The Culture of TV, by Mark Crispin Miller (book) Constructing the Political Spectacle, by Murray Edelman (book) Finding Truth in Fiction: What Fan Culture Gets Right & Why It's Good to Get Lost in a Story, by Karen Dill-Shackleford & Cynthia Vinney (book) The Power of Movies: How Screen & Mind Interact, by Colin McGinn (book) Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do, by B.J. Fogg (book)

------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT Dr. Colin McGinn has taught philosophy at institutions of higher learning including University College London, Rutgers University, and Oxford University. He's the author of over two dozen books including The Character of Mind, Consciousness and Its Objects, and The Making of a Philosopher, and he has also written for the London Review of Books, The New Republic, Wall Street Journal, The New York Review of Books, and other publications. In this episode, I talk with Dr. McGinn about minds and consciousness. More specifically, about what is a mind; the different types of minds; how to avoid dualism; if the phenomenology of consciousness can be scientifically explained; the continuity of mental capacities between animals; a couple of science fiction proposals, like creating conscious machines, and mind uploading; and animal rights. Time Links: 00:54 Types of minds 02:16 But, what is a mind? 06:20 Is the mind a single entity? 09:06 Does dualism still make sense? 14:08 The mind of a bat 19:28 Are mental capacities continuous between species? 21:48 The mysteriousness of consciousness 28:48 Does consciousness have several parts? 32:32 Are there degrees of consciousness along the animal kingdom? 34:49 Is language important for consciousness? 40:09 Is it possible to create conscious machines? 44:07 And what about uploading minds to computers? 48:25 Types of minds and animal rights 55:20 Where to follow Dr. McGinn's work -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, JUNOS, SCIMED, PER HELGE HAAKSTD LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, RUI BELEZA, MIGUEL ESTRADA, ANTÓNIO CUNHA, CHANTEL GELINAS, JIM FRANK, JERRY MULLER, FRANCIS FORD, AND HANS FREDRIK SUNDE! I also leave you with the link to a recent montage video I did with the interviews I have released until the end of June 2018: https://youtu.be/efdb18WdZUo And check out my playlists on: PSYCHOLOGY: https://tinyurl.com/ybalf8km PHILOSOPHY: https://tinyurl.com/yb6a7d3p ANTHROPOLOGY: https://tinyurl.com/y8b42r7g

Specialising in philosophy of mind, Sam Coleman is a reader in philosophy at the University of Hertfordshire. Coleman’s main work centres around questions concerning consciousness, predominantly, on what has come to be known as ‘the hard problem of consciousness’. To paraphrase Colin McGinn, the problem can be summarised as follows: how does soggy grey matter give rise to vivid technicolour experience? In this episode, we’re going to be focusing on Coleman’s views concerning ‘Personhood, Consciousness and God’, specifically relating to pantheism. In a word, pantheism is the view that God is identical with the universe, as the pantheist slogan goes, “God is everything and everything is God.” If we are to think of personal identity as a stream of uninterrupted consciousness, Coleman argues that pantheism runs into significant problems. Instead, Coleman suggests an alternative theory of personhood which leaves open the possibility of a personal God, which is identical with the universe. As we will find, Coleman’s view bridges fascinating philosophical questions concerning personal identity, metaphysics of consciousness and God, into an original and exciting pantheist theory.

Specialising in philosophy of mind, Sam Coleman is a reader in philosophy at the University of Hertfordshire. Coleman’s main work centres around questions concerning consciousness, predominantly, on what has come to be known as ‘the hard problem of consciousness’. To paraphrase Colin McGinn, the problem can be summarised as follows: how does soggy grey matter give rise to vivid technicolour experience? In this episode, we’re going to be focusing on Coleman’s views concerning ‘Personhood, Consciousness and God’, specifically relating to pantheism. In a word, pantheism is the view that God is identical with the universe, as the pantheist slogan goes, “God is everything and everything is God.” If we are to think of personal identity as a stream of uninterrupted consciousness, Coleman argues that pantheism runs into significant problems. Instead, Coleman suggests an alternative theory of personhood which leaves open the possibility of a personal God, which is identical with the universe. As we will find, Coleman’s view bridges fascinating philosophical questions concerning personal identity, metaphysics of consciousness and God, into an original and exciting pantheist theory.

In their second Science Salon conversation Michael Shermer and Colin McGinn consider the broader sweep of philosophy after their first encounter in which they focused on consciousness, free will, and God. In this dialogue they review some of the paradoxes and puzzles of philosophy, pseudo-questions, realism v. antirealism, how to deal with unknown unknowns, immortality and the nature of the self and soul, and how McGinn and Daniel Dennett differ in their positions on mysterianism. Another hard-hitting and illuminating conversation. If you missed it, listen to part 1 of this dialogue with Colin McGinn: Mysterianism, Consciousness, Free Will, and God (Science Salon # 29). This remote Science Salon was recorded on July 20, 2018.

Blacklisting is back. In the days of Joe McCarthy, Hollywood screen writers and actors were the targets. Today, it is University professors accused of sexual harassment. Being accused is enough to destroy a professor’s career. Even speaking out against a false accusation can be dangerous, as I found out. One of the most widely discussed cases involves the philosopher Colin McGinn, who resigned from the University of Miami after the University accused him of failing to report a romantic, non-sexual relationship with a 26 year old graduate student.  The University did not accuse him of sexual harassment. Yet bloggers accused him and this was enough to get McGinn disinvited from conferences and speaking engagements, and blacklisted in the profession. In 2015, the student making the initial complaint filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami, McGinn, and me. I had commented on the case and was accused of defamation. The Judge dismissed all charges against me with prejudice and none of us were found liable for any of the student’s claims. Despite his legal victory, … The post The New McCarthyism: Blacklisting in Academia appeared first on Quillette.

This podcast was initiated after McGinn commented publicly, and critically, on Shermer’s latest Scientific American column on the mysteries of consciousness, free will, and God. The philosopher Justin Weinberg at the University of South Carolina, who runs the DailyNous website (@DailyNousEditor on Twitter) posted a dozen tweets admonishing Shermer and Scientific American for publishing such a mischaracterization of several philosophical subjects, even referencing the film Annie Hall, where Woody Allen’s character is irritated in a movie line by some bloviator yammering on about Marshall McLuhan, reaches behind a big movie poster and pulls McLuhan out of line, who then upbraiding the blowhard “I heard what you were saying! You know nothing of my work! You mean my whole fallacy is wrong. How you got to teach a course in anything is totally amazing!” To which Woody says, “Boy, if life were only like this.” Well, life can be like this, but in this case Shermer invited McGinn on the show to discuss the topics in detail in order for everyone to glean a deeper understanding. A fruitful conversation ensued on these and other important topics.  

Featured Book: Life 3.0, by Max Tegmark Artificial intelligence is set to change the world. Will humanity have what it takes to survive, in the age of intelligent machines?  And on the nightstand: Prehension, by Colin McGinn; and The Social Conquest of Earth by E.O. Wilson.

Colin McGinn has taught philosophy at institutions of higher learning including University College London, Rutgers University, and Oxford University. He is the author of The Character of Mind, Consciousness and Its Objects, The Meaning of Disgust, The Philosophy of Language: The Classics Explained (MIT Press), and other books.

In These Hands: Embodying Justice In his latest book, Prehension: The Hand and the Emergence of Humanity, philosopher and writer Colin McGinn tells the amazing story of how the hand formed human evolution. Our hands -- with their dexterity, flexibility, precision, and sensitivity -have been instrumental in shaping the world around us, for better and for worse. The hand has also played a critical role in how we practice justice making. We carry protest signs. We feed the hungry. We plant gardens. We raise our fists, lift hammers and write letters. But it’s not just the hands. Justice making is a bodily endeavor, summoning our hands, hearts, bodies, minds and voices to act in concert. The more we practice and fine tune our justice making muscles, the better we’ll get. Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Alison Rittger, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organist Threshold Choir Bill Klingelhoffer, Trustee Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

In These Hands: Embodying Justice In his latest book, Prehension: The Hand and the Emergence of Humanity, philosopher and writer Colin McGinn tells the amazing story of how the hand formed human evolution. Our hands -- with their dexterity, flexibility, precision, and sensitivity -have been instrumental in shaping the world around us, for better and for worse. The hand has also played a critical role in how we practice justice making. We carry protest signs. We feed the hungry. We plant gardens. We raise our fists, lift hammers and write letters. But it’s not just the hands. Justice making is a bodily endeavor, summoning our hands, hearts, bodies, minds and voices to act in concert. The more we practice and fine tune our justice making muscles, the better we’ll get. Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Alison Rittger, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organist Threshold Choir Bill Klingelhoffer, Trustee Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

I must admit that my relationship to philosophy of language is a bit like my relationship to classic literature: I tend to admire it from afar, and rely on the opinions of people who have read it. The danger is that the received wisdom can sometimes be unreliable, for one reason or another, either making something accessible sound rarefied, or making something subtle and elusive sound banal, or both. In his book, Philosophy of Language: the Classics Explained (MIT Press, 2015), Colin McGinn sets out to demystify some of the classic and much-cited texts in philosophy of language, and in doing so, also opens up some interesting new angles that tend to get overlooked. In this interview, we talk about the works, their historical context and their (ongoing) reception, and consider how the field has developed and might develop in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I must admit that my relationship to philosophy of language is a bit like my relationship to classic literature: I tend to admire it from afar, and rely on the opinions of people who have read it. The danger is that the received wisdom can sometimes be unreliable, for one reason or another, either making something accessible sound rarefied, or making something subtle and elusive sound banal, or both. In his book, Philosophy of Language: the Classics Explained (MIT Press, 2015), Colin McGinn sets out to demystify some of the classic and much-cited texts in philosophy of language, and in doing so, also opens up some interesting new angles that tend to get overlooked. In this interview, we talk about the works, their historical context and their (ongoing) reception, and consider how the field has developed and might develop in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Descartes believed that we can have knowledge that was independent of experience. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Colin McGinn makes a case for there being some such knowledge. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy.

Professor Colin McGinn, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Miami, delivers a public lecture at Madingley Hall on 19 November 2012. The lecture is chaired by Professor Tim Crane, Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, and introduced by Dr Rebecca Lingwood, Director of Continuing Education. Please note that the lecture proper begins at the 02:50 minute point in the video.

In the age of science, what's a philosopher to do? As physics, biology and other hard sciences advance, is philosophy left with only a few increasingly recherché questions? Nope, says philosopher Colin McGinn. McGinn argues that philosophy is a kind of science (though it could use some rebranding to that effect), and those other sciences would do well to pay it some mind. A dose of philosophy could help clear up many scientific confusions and save theorists from a mess of conceptual errors (homuncular fallacy, anyone?). Colin McGinn and I talk science vs. philosophy, different kinds of knowledge, the nature of objectivity, problems with the scientific study of consciousness, and his Campaign to Rename Philosophy (CRP), which he wrote about recently in the New York Times.

Colin McGinn, educated at Oxford University, is the author of sixteen previous books, including The Making of a Philosopher. He has written for the London Review of Books, The New Republic, the New York Times Book Review, and other publications. He has taught philosophy at University College of London, Oxford, and Rutgers University, and is a distinguished professor of philosophy at the University of Miami. He is best known for his work in the philosophy of mind, but has published across the subjects of modern philosophy. He was featured in Bill Moyers' series Faith and Reason on PBS and also Jonathan Miller's Atheism Tapes, a BBC documentary series. In this discussion with D.J. Grothe, Colin McGinn explores various kinds of skepticism, giving his concerns about radical fallibilism and certain post-modern critiques of knowledge. He explains how he is certain that ghosts and Gods don't exist. He details how atheistic the profession of philosophy is, and how the tolerance shown while philosophers criticize each other serves as a model for good citizenship. He tells the reasons that led to his religious skepticism and atheism. He examines William Shakespeare as a philosopher, the problem of evil in Shakespeare's plays, and other philosophical subjects found in Shakespeare such as epistemology, ethics, life after death, happiness and the meaning of life. He also explains how getting into Shakespeare as a professional philosopher impacted his philosophy.