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What defines a person's character, and how does it shape who they are? In this lecture, Susan Wolf, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina, challenges traditional ideas about character. She argues that character is more than just a set of traits or values an individual endorses—it can include aspects of ourselves we may not even recognize or approve of. Wolf explores how a deeper understanding of character, rooted in active intelligence and thoughtful reflection, can reshape how we view agency, moving beyond just actions and intentions. This thought-provoking talk offers fresh insights into what makes us who we are and how we navigate the complexities of identity and selfhood. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40221]
What defines a person's character, and how does it shape who they are? In this lecture, Susan Wolf, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina, challenges traditional ideas about character. She argues that character is more than just a set of traits or values an individual endorses—it can include aspects of ourselves we may not even recognize or approve of. Wolf explores how a deeper understanding of character, rooted in active intelligence and thoughtful reflection, can reshape how we view agency, moving beyond just actions and intentions. This thought-provoking talk offers fresh insights into what makes us who we are and how we navigate the complexities of identity and selfhood. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40221]
What defines a person's character, and how does it shape who they are? In this lecture, Susan Wolf, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina, challenges traditional ideas about character. She argues that character is more than just a set of traits or values an individual endorses—it can include aspects of ourselves we may not even recognize or approve of. Wolf explores how a deeper understanding of character, rooted in active intelligence and thoughtful reflection, can reshape how we view agency, moving beyond just actions and intentions. This thought-provoking talk offers fresh insights into what makes us who we are and how we navigate the complexities of identity and selfhood. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40221]
What defines a person's character, and how does it shape who they are? In this lecture, Susan Wolf, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina, challenges traditional ideas about character. She argues that character is more than just a set of traits or values an individual endorses—it can include aspects of ourselves we may not even recognize or approve of. Wolf explores how a deeper understanding of character, rooted in active intelligence and thoughtful reflection, can reshape how we view agency, moving beyond just actions and intentions. This thought-provoking talk offers fresh insights into what makes us who we are and how we navigate the complexities of identity and selfhood. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40221]
In this presentation delivered at the "Metaphysics and the Matter with Things: Thinking with Iain McGilchrist" conference—a collaborative event by the Center for Process Studies (CPS) and the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in March 2024—John Vervaeke explores the concept of "mattering" and its critical role in understanding the meaning of life. He contrasts "meaning in life" with the broader "meaning of life," emphasizing the importance of connectedness and belonging over mere purpose. Vervaeke draws on research to introduce "religio," a deep sense of connectedness that underpins our existence, and critiques materialism for overlooking the relational aspects of human life. Through cognitive science, biology, and philosophy, Vervaeke demonstrates how our intelligence and problem-solving abilities are deeply intertwined with our capacity to find what truly matters. — Metaphysics and the Matter with Things: Thinking with Iain McGilchrist was a collaborative conference put on by the Center for Process Studies (CPS) and the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in March of 2024. This three-day conference brought leading process thinkers across various disciplines, including physics, neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and theology, into critical dialogue with McGilchrist's work in a collegial effort to assess, question, extend, and apply it. For more information on the conference and to purchase recordings, please visit https://ctr4process.org/mcgilchrist-conference/ Embark on a journey of personal growth and meaning with us. Join our Patreon Patreon community, where shared wisdom fuels transformation. — 0:00 Introduction to the Metaphysics of Mattering 1:05 Meaning in Life: Purpose, Coherence, Significance, and Mattering 6:40 Connectedness and Religio 10:10 Relevance Realization and General Intelligence 12:45 The Problem of Relevance Realization 21:20 Formalization and Ill-Defined Problems 27:10 Relationality and the Sacred — The Vervaeke Foundation is committed to advancing the scientific pursuit of wisdom and creating a significant impact on the world. Become a part of our mission. Join Awaken to Meaning to explore practices that enhance your virtues and foster deeper connections with reality and relationships. — Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in this Episode Matthew Segall Richard Tarnas Kelly-Ann Allen Evan Thompson Read Montague Michael Levin Aristotle Zak Stein Nietzsche Iain McGilchrist Christopher Cherniak Jerry Fodor J.L. Schellenberg Relevance Realization Religio Conformity theory Duhem–Quine thesis, Susan Wolf, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters John Searle, The Rediscovery of the Mind Catherine Pickstock, Aspects of Truth: A New Religious Metaphysics Harold Brown, Rationality James Filler, Heidegger, Neoplatonism, and the History of Being: Relation as Ontological Ground J. Jaeger, A. Riedl, A. Djedovic, J. Vervaeke, and D. Walsh, Naturalizing relevance realization: why agency and cognition are fundamentally not computational Frank Martela and Michael F. Steger, Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance Follow John Vervaeke: Website | X | YouTube | Patreon — Thank you for Listening!
This story begins with a small ocean fish called a starry goby. And it ends — at least in theory — on the moon.MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke to two professors from the University of Minnesota working with the Smithsonian on a proposal to deep freeze and store animal cells at about -380 degrees Fahrenheit. They argue that craters of the moon are an ideal place to preserve cells in this way because they are that cold – no electricity needed. The study, which was recently published in the journal Bioscience, used skin cells from starry goby as an example. And it looked at this idea not just from an engineering perspective, but also a governmental one. The two researchers that joined the show are health law professor Susan Wolf and engineering professor John Bischof to explain why they're tackling this complicated project.
Included in this episode are feminist icons Mary Wollstonecraft and Simone de Beauvoir, champions of new ethics Mary Midgley, Iris Murdoch, Philippa Foot, and Elizabeth Anscombe, and contemporary powerhouse on love and other moral stances Susan Wolf. It's a lot packed into one hour! Join us for this final installment of the series: Women Who Shaped Philosophy!Sign up for our newsletter here! Open Door Philosophy NewsletterContact us via email at contact@opendoorphilosophy.com Open Door Philosophy on Instagram @opendoorphilosophyOpen Door Philosophy website at opendoorphilosophy.com
In this episode, we talk with Susan Wolf about her view of free will, which she calls "The Reason View," and how her view has evolved over the years. Susan's website: https://philosophy.unc.edu/people/susan-wolf/Susan's book, Freedom within Reason: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/freedom-within-reason-9780195085655?cc=us&lang=en&Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/
Social scientists have long studied the ways in which smartphone use can distract us from the proper performance of means-ends tasks, such as driving or medical procedures. In Distracted from Meaning: A Philosophy of Smartphones (Bloomsbury, 2022), Tiger Roholt discusses a distinct type of distraction: when smartphone use interferes with our active engagement with meaningful experiences, such as dinner with friends or a musical performance or gardening. In these cases, Roholt argues, we risk stunting the experiences that would otherwise give meaning to our lives, or even missing out on discovering new types of meaningful experiences. Roholt, who is an associate professor of philosophy at Montclair State University, draws on writings from John Dewey, Susan Wolf, Albert Borgmann and others in this engagingly written meditation on how ubiquitous uses of smartphones and wearable technologies affects our lives in ways that other types of interruptions do not. Carrie Figdor is professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications
Social scientists have long studied the ways in which smartphone use can distract us from the proper performance of means-ends tasks, such as driving or medical procedures. In Distracted from Meaning: A Philosophy of Smartphones (Bloomsbury, 2022), Tiger Roholt discusses a distinct type of distraction: when smartphone use interferes with our active engagement with meaningful experiences, such as dinner with friends or a musical performance or gardening. In these cases, Roholt argues, we risk stunting the experiences that would otherwise give meaning to our lives, or even missing out on discovering new types of meaningful experiences. Roholt, who is an associate professor of philosophy at Montclair State University, draws on writings from John Dewey, Susan Wolf, Albert Borgmann and others in this engagingly written meditation on how ubiquitous uses of smartphones and wearable technologies affects our lives in ways that other types of interruptions do not. Carrie Figdor is professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Social scientists have long studied the ways in which smartphone use can distract us from the proper performance of means-ends tasks, such as driving or medical procedures. In Distracted from Meaning: A Philosophy of Smartphones (Bloomsbury, 2022), Tiger Roholt discusses a distinct type of distraction: when smartphone use interferes with our active engagement with meaningful experiences, such as dinner with friends or a musical performance or gardening. In these cases, Roholt argues, we risk stunting the experiences that would otherwise give meaning to our lives, or even missing out on discovering new types of meaningful experiences. Roholt, who is an associate professor of philosophy at Montclair State University, draws on writings from John Dewey, Susan Wolf, Albert Borgmann and others in this engagingly written meditation on how ubiquitous uses of smartphones and wearable technologies affects our lives in ways that other types of interruptions do not. Carrie Figdor is professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/philosophy
Social scientists have long studied the ways in which smartphone use can distract us from the proper performance of means-ends tasks, such as driving or medical procedures. In Distracted from Meaning: A Philosophy of Smartphones (Bloomsbury, 2022), Tiger Roholt discusses a distinct type of distraction: when smartphone use interferes with our active engagement with meaningful experiences, such as dinner with friends or a musical performance or gardening. In these cases, Roholt argues, we risk stunting the experiences that would otherwise give meaning to our lives, or even missing out on discovering new types of meaningful experiences. Roholt, who is an associate professor of philosophy at Montclair State University, draws on writings from John Dewey, Susan Wolf, Albert Borgmann and others in this engagingly written meditation on how ubiquitous uses of smartphones and wearable technologies affects our lives in ways that other types of interruptions do not. Carrie Figdor is professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society
Social scientists have long studied the ways in which smartphone use can distract us from the proper performance of means-ends tasks, such as driving or medical procedures. In Distracted from Meaning: A Philosophy of Smartphones (Bloomsbury, 2022), Tiger Roholt discusses a distinct type of distraction: when smartphone use interferes with our active engagement with meaningful experiences, such as dinner with friends or a musical performance or gardening. In these cases, Roholt argues, we risk stunting the experiences that would otherwise give meaning to our lives, or even missing out on discovering new types of meaningful experiences. Roholt, who is an associate professor of philosophy at Montclair State University, draws on writings from John Dewey, Susan Wolf, Albert Borgmann and others in this engagingly written meditation on how ubiquitous uses of smartphones and wearable technologies affects our lives in ways that other types of interruptions do not. Carrie Figdor is professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/technology
The second in a two-parter where we discuss whether luxury goods are immoral. In a true return to form, this is a specific argument we have literally had over the office lunch table, originating from Ant's throwaway statement that he "doesn't get the point of jewellery" and "thinks it's ridiculously wasteful". In order to dissect whether luxuries are immoral, we first break down what exactly counts as a luxury, and secondly explore what exactly would make them immoral.In this episode, it's all about discussing the opportunity cost of money spent on things that aren't strictly needed. Particularly, this comes through the lens of our last episode where we discuss luxuries of 2 sorts, expensive but perhaps 'good value' and offering some valid sort of self-esteem/self actualisation benefit within Maslow's hierarchy of needs, or another sort where it's frivolous and perhaps the user derives self esteem, but we may question whether that's a legitimate sort of esteem. We then particularly frame this morally considering the ideas of Peter Singer (i.e. all money you spend could be used to save lives, how should that affect your decision making?) vs Susan Wolf (i.e. not everything is about optimizing moral outcomes, it would create a sad and dreary life where we could not pursue anything of what makes the human experience so rich).Support the show:Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. If you're a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription of just $1 goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel pretty great too. https://www.patreon.com/moedt.Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you'll have our gratitude. Keep up to date with future episodes on our website here: https://moedt.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this reading group episode, Giffin, Adam, Brian, and I talk about the crazy (in the best way) paper by Susan Wolf, "Asymmetrical Freedom." Can we be responsible for bad actions? Only good ones? What does the role of determinism do to our judgements? Here's any links you'll need to dive deeper: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2025667 https://diversifyingsyllabi.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/1/8/38180217/susanwolf-assymetricalfreedom.pdf Twitter: @JordanCMyers You can also get in contact by emailing me at platoscavepodcast@gmail.com Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD1RiH1j-M6C59z1upPXkWw?disable_polymer=true Plato's Cave Website: https://platoscave.fireside.fm/ Special Guests: Adam (Reading Group Discussions), Brian (Reading Group Discussions), and Giffin (Reading Group Discussions).
In this reading group episode, Adam, Brian, Giffin, and I discuss "The Importance of Free Will" by Susan Wolf, a discussion spawned by our disagreements in the previous episode about the plausibility of Sommers 2007. Here's any links you'll need to dive deeper: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2253093 Twitter: @JordanCMyers You can also get in contact by emailing me at platoscavepodcast@gmail.com Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD1RiH1j-M6C59z1upPXkWw?disable_polymer=true Plato's Cave Website: https://platoscave.fireside.fm/ Special Guests: Adam (Reading Group Discussions), Brian (Reading Group Discussions), and Giffin (Reading Group Discussions).
Meaningfulness is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and Susan Wolf, the Edna J. Koury Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This fascinating conversation explores what it is to live an ethical, meaningful life in keeping with her book, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters, the role that love, fulfillment, self-interest and happiness play in giving meaning to one's life, and how meaningful activities occur when “subjective attraction meets objective attractiveness”. Howard Burton is the founder of the Ideas Roadshow, Ideas on Film and host of the Ideas Roadshow Podcast. He can be reached at howard@ideasroadshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Meaningfulness is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and Susan Wolf, the Edna J. Koury Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This fascinating conversation explores what it is to live an ethical, meaningful life in keeping with her book, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters, the role that love, fulfillment, self-interest and happiness play in giving meaning to one's life, and how meaningful activities occur when “subjective attraction meets objective attractiveness”. Howard Burton is the founder of the Ideas Roadshow, Ideas on Film and host of the Ideas Roadshow Podcast. He can be reached at howard@ideasroadshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology
Meaningfulness is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and Susan Wolf, the Edna J. Koury Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This fascinating conversation explores what it is to live an ethical, meaningful life in keeping with her book, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters, the role that love, fulfillment, self-interest and happiness play in giving meaning to one's life, and how meaningful activities occur when “subjective attraction meets objective attractiveness”. Howard Burton is the founder of the Ideas Roadshow, Ideas on Film and host of the Ideas Roadshow Podcast. He can be reached at howard@ideasroadshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day
Meaningfulness is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and Susan Wolf, the Edna J. Koury Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This fascinating conversation explores what it is to live an ethical, meaningful life in keeping with her book, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters, the role that love, fulfillment, self-interest and happiness play in giving meaning to one's life, and how meaningful activities occur when “subjective attraction meets objective attractiveness”. Howard Burton is the founder of the Ideas Roadshow, Ideas on Film and host of the Ideas Roadshow Podcast. He can be reached at howard@ideasroadshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/spiritual-practice-and-mindfulness
Meaningfulness is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and Susan Wolf, the Edna J. Koury Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This fascinating conversation explores what it is to live an ethical, meaningful life in keeping with her book, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters, the role that love, fulfillment, self-interest and happiness play in giving meaning to one's life, and how meaningful activities occur when “subjective attraction meets objective attractiveness”. Howard Burton is the founder of the Ideas Roadshow, Ideas on Film and host of the Ideas Roadshow Podcast. He can be reached at howard@ideasroadshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
In this episode, I speak with Susan Wolf about her first two papers, "Asymmetrical Freedom" and "The Importance of Having Free Will." These papers have been influential to me and I was lucky enough to discuss them with Dr. Wolf. We discuss her views on moral responsibility, reactive attitudes, and her upcoming projects. Here's any links you'll need to dive deeper: https://philosophy.unc.edu/people/susan-wolf/ If you learned something from this episode, please consider supporting me here: https://www.patreon.com/jordanmyers Every dollar that comes in will go towards bettering the show or towards funding my Philosophy PhD. Twitter: @JordanCMyers You can also get in contact by emailing me at platoscavepodcast@gmail.com Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD1RiH1j-M6C59z1upPXkWw?disable_polymer=true Plato's Cave Website: https://platoscave.fireside.fm/ Special Guest: Susan Wolf.
This episode is about Wolf's “Moral Saints,” Peter Singer's “Famine, Affluence and Morality,” and Larissa Macfarquhar's Strangers Drowning. Susan Wolf thinks that devoting your life to helping others would be a real drag. It'd interfere with playing tennis and reading Tolstoy. True enough but some people might have philosophical and personal reasons to do it anyway. For example, Peter Singer argues that, if you think a child's life is worth more than your shoes, then you're morally obliged to give away all your money to charity. Larissa Macfarquhar helps out with the personal reasons. She's written a book that profiles a whole bunch of real-life do-gooders. And it turns out that even though the saintly life is tough, the saints are getting something out of it. And from their perspective, a life of Tolstoy and tennis might not be a great as Wolf makes it out to be. References Macfarquhar, Strangers DrowningSinger, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality”Wolf, “Moral Saints” Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=35146517&fan_landing=true)
This episode is about Susan Wolf's 1982 article “Moral Saints.” You're probably a moral enough person. But have you ever had that nagging feeling that you should be even better? That if you were really good, you would devote your life to the cause, whatever cause that might be? That you should become some kind of moral saint? People who devote their entire lives to being as morally good as possible are held up as objects of admiration, as a kind of saintly standard that the rest of us feel vaguely guilty for not living up to.Susan Wolf says we shouldn't feel bad about not being saints because no rational person should want to be a saint in the first place. In this episode, I explain her argument for why it makes more sense to be cool like Paul Newman than good like Mother Teresa. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=35146517&fan_landing=true)
The moral philosopher ponders why being happy and acting morally may not be enough to satisfy us. She believes we need a vocabulary of meaning in public discourse, and suggests we strive for vitality––not joy––in the face of uncertainty and suffering.This interview was recorded remotely.
Philosophers have spent millennia pondering the question of life's meaning. Kierkegaard grounded the meaning of life in a passionate belief in God, Sartre declared that we're each free to create our own meaning, while Camus and Nagel deny that we could ever come to know life's meaning. But, if you ask Susan Wolf, each of these philosophers are beating a dead horse. Life has no meaning and that's that. But so what? In Meaning in Life and Why it Matters, Wolf argues that we should abandon our quest for the meaning of life, and refocus our efforts on living meaningful lives. Tune into this month's episode to find out how we can continue to live meaningful lives in a world devoid of meaning. Like the show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/searchingforitpodcast Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/searchingforitpodcast Follow Lewis on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/99lewiswilliams Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/searchingforit Find out more at http://www.searchingforit.org
In this episode, Drs. Lindsey Fiorelli and Rob Willison rejoin the podcast to continue our conversation about the meaning of life. The three of us break down and argue about Susan Wolf's Fitting Fulfillment View of meaning in life, as well as Willison's own alternative view. I then point out that both Wolf and Willison's views (and ways of arguing for their views) are paradigmatically philosophical, according to influential accounts of the nature of philosophy offered by Wilfrid Sellars and Kristie Dotson. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
I ask the philosopher Susan Wolf five questions about herself. Susan Wolf is Edna J. Koury Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her works include "Freedom Within Reason" (1993), "Meaning in Life and Why It Matters" (2010), and "The Variety of Values: Essays on Morality, Meaning and Love" (2014).
Link for today's article: https://qr.ae/pNn5rC Today's question: What did Nietzsche mean by saying "If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you!" Article from www.quora.com / Frederick Dolan ------ Words / vocabulary: "That can happen to the man of ressentiment." Def.: A feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury SYN: rancor, offence. Why did Joseph Romero looked up the word resentment? I looked up resentment, due to its Latin origin (I.e. Spanish resentimiento). Which literally means re-feeling. But resentment is always used to describe a negative feeling of harbored anger. Technically, based on Latin origin, anything one re feels could be considered a resentment. Even the kind way a person treated you once. But used this way would lead to miscommunication because I've never seen used as a pleasant re feeling. So I wanted to check if there was an alternate definition in which it was used in an opposite re feeling. That is all. “Resentment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resentment. Accessed 15 Mar. 2020. The scourge "He's convinced that his various disabilities are caused by someone or something out to get him, and that if only the scourge were eliminated from the world all would be well." ferretting to find and bring to light by searching —usually used with out "this is your attitude, Nietzsche is saying, you're going to get really good at ferreting out the nasty parts of life, wherever they might be hiding, and you'll uncover one hitherto unrecognized injustice after another:" “Ferret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferret. Accessed 15 Mar. 2020. Susan Wolf's “Moral Saints:” A Summary: https://www.philosophybro.com/archive/susan-wolfs-moral-saints-a-summary
Paul is a scholar of Renaissance art history and a curator at the Louvre in Paris. One morning, a fire sweeps through the museum. As people are evacuating the museum, Paul has an important decision to make. Should he risk his own life by attempting to rescue anything? He sees that he has at least two options. First, he could rescue Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, his favorite painting in the world and the museum’s most prized work. Second, he could rescue a museum visitor who seems to have lost consciousness, and who therefore seems to be incapable of rescuing themselves. Paul realizes that no one would blame him if he did not attempt a rescue at all, given the personal risk involved. He also realizes that, if he does attempt a rescue, he faces a separate question: What or whom should he rescue? Paul thinks of himself as a kind and humane person. Watching a human being die as he saves a painting would be devastating. But he has dedicated his entire life to studying and preserving Renaissance art, and he loves the Mona Lisa more than anything else in the world. Moreover, approximately six million people visit the painting every year, and its destruction would be an immeasurable cultural loss. Hosts: Jay Shapiro & Coleman Hughes Featured Guest: Susan Wolf, professor of moral philosophy at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
As luck would have it, Mr. Smith, we're in the one and only timeline where you can make a difference. Snap your fingers and you can make the superhero movies go away forever, but only at the cost of never seeing the space babies ever again. Should you be expected to make that snap? This week we're talking Endgame and another famous concept by Susan Wolf, the issue of "moral saints". This topic relates to several others we've mentioned, including the demandingness objection to ethics and the utility pump. As with Infinity Wars, we save all our real gripes for NASA. Moral Saints: http://www.rationalites-contemporaines.paris-sorbonne.fr/IMG/pdf/Wolf1.pdf Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/ Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/ Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Recent appearances: Nothing soon, invite us on your show! Aaron is also going to be on a panel at NECSS this summer in NYC discussing mutant ethics. Come do some nerdcore philosophy! CONTENT PREVIEW: Next week we're covering Star Trek, Voyager ep2.13 Prototype.
Welcome to the beginning of our show's blue period. Until I decide otherwise we'll only be doing sci-fi that's blue themed. Waterworld. The Shape of Water. Mr. MeSeeks. Yellow Submarine. Don't worry, there will be some deeper meaning to it all that you'll probably fail to grasp but will pretend you understand at parties. Okay, enough meta, we're doing the Zima Blue episode from the Netflix series Love, Death, and Robots. It's a stand alone episode, which is good for a variety of reasons. We're also going to be discussing Susan Wolf's theory of projects of worth. Hopefully this all feels like a project of worth for everyone involved, and hopefully they're not wrong. Summary of Wolf's Theory: https://reasonandmeaning.com/2015/12/25/susan-wolf-on-meaning-in-life/ Wolf's Paper Happiness and Meaning: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195332803.001.0001/acprof-9780195332803-chapter-9 Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0gPhilosophy Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/ Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com Sibling shows: Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/ Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/ Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Recent appearances: Aaron and GW were recently on the Everyone's Agnostic Podcast talking all sorts of voidiness: http://everyonesagnostic.libsyn.com/episode-236-aaron-rabinowitz-and-gw-rodriguez-embrace-the-void-podcast Aaron was on Life After God talking Moral Realism with Ryan Bell: http://www.lifeaftergod.org/071-ryan-becomes-a-moral-realist-a-conversation-with-aaron-rabinowitz/ Aaron is also going to be on a panel at NECSS this summer in NYC discussing mutant ethics. Come do some nerdcore philosophy! CONTENT PREVIEW: It's a surprise! We're working on guest wrangling. If you want to know more you should join the Philosophers in Space facebook group!
In Meaning in Life and Why It Matters, the philosopher Susan Wolf offers a theory of how to live a meaningful life. Is Wolf right? And can her ideas help us live more meaningful lives? (Intro: Cold Funk (edited) by Kevin MacLeod, from Incompetech.com, CC BY 3.0 license. Outro: City of Dreams by Mise, from The Free Music Archive, CC BY 4.0 US license.) […]
On our season finale, we follow a mother's love through the stages of life to seek wisdom about what love is, what love does, and why love happens. We follow five mothers at five different stages of motherhood, from the joys and anxieties of birth, letting go, coming back, being proud, and saying goodbye. We then turn to the philosophy of love and life, to figure out the role of love in the shape of a human life, and the significance of death in revealing the true value of our loved ones. Guest voices include Yael Goldstein Love, Tiffany Ward, Randy Scott Carroll, Diana Carroll, The J Family, Rachel Matlow, Elaine Mitchell, philosopher Susan Wolf, and philosopher Kieran Setiya. Special thanks to CBC radio's The Sunday Edition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Professor Susan Wolf explains about the relationship between love and knowledge and if love is really all that important.
Professor Susan Wolf speaks about Morality, Meaning and Love and explains about the differences between moral and non-moral values.
More at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/saints-heroes-and-well-lived-lives. Some actions are right, and some are wrong. But aren't some even better than right---the kinds of things that heroes and saints do? Yet some philosophers think that such "supererogatory" acts make no sense; we should always do the best thing open to us, and there is no room for better than best. John and Ken discuss the philosophy and psychology of saints and heroes with Susan Wolf from UNC Chapel Hill.
More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/insanity-defense Ken and John debate (use?) the insanity defense. What difference does it make if the person who commits a crime is, in one way or another, mentally ill? Does this make punishment illegitimate? Why is punishment, rather than therapy, ever legitimate? Which sorts of mental illness should exempt a criminal from punishment? Inability to know right from wrong? Inability to resist compulsion? Irrational depravity? John and Ken defend themselves with Susan Wolf from UNC Chapel Hill.
More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/moral-luck. It seems reasonable to believe that we can only be blamed or praised for actions that are under our control. Nevertheless, in many concrete scenarios, we're inclined to base our moral assessment of people on circumstances that are ultimately beyond their control. Blind chance, or “moral luck,” as philosophers call it, may determine the difference between, say, murder and attempted murder. But do we think that a would-be murderer whose attempts are foiled by chance is really less morally culpable than someone who happens to succeed? How should moral luck affect our judgments of responsibility? John and Ken welcome back Susan Wolf from UNC Chapel Hill, author of "Meaning in Life and Why It Matters."
Philosopher Dr. Diana Brickell podcast on "Should You Try to Be Morally Perfect?" in this 2 April 2015 episode of Philosophy in Action Radio. http://www.PhilosophyInAction.com
Philosopher Dr. Diana Brickell podcast on "Should You Try to Be Morally Perfect?" in this 2 April 2015 episode of Philosophy in Action Radio. http://www.PhilosophyInAction.com
Dave and Tamler take a break from blame and responsibility to tackle a much easier subject: meaning in life. We discuss Susan Wolf's new book "Meaning in Life and Why it Matters," and play some excerpts from Tamler's recent discussion with her. Plus, we list some of our favorite listener-suggested drinking game ideas so far. (The contest for the free T-shirt is still open--send in your ideas before the next episode!) LinksMeaning in Life and Why it Matters by Susan Wolf [amazon.com affiliate link]Billie Pritchett on the Sam Harris and Free Will discussion. [bpritchett.blogspot.com] (Highly recommended!) The Heaven's Gate Cult [wikipedia.org] Special Guest: Susan Wolf.
Dave and Tamler argue some more about the role of emotion and intuition in blame judgments, and then offer some moral psychology-related recommendations for your New Year’s viewing and reading pleasure. Plus, can you turn listening to VBW into a good drinking game? Offer some suggestions and win a free Very Bad Wizards T-shirt! LinksTamler's early defense of free will skepticism:"Darrow and Determinism" [naturalism.org]"No Soul? I Can Live with That. No Free Will? AHHHHH!!!" [psychologytoday.org]"Free Will Skepticism in Action" [naturalism.org]Tamler's interview with Galen Strawson [believermag.org]The Objective Attitude [philpapers.org]Daniel Miessler on Sam Harris vs. Very Bad Wizards [danielmiessler.com]The Sceptic by David Hume [econlib.org]Paul Russell’s Free Will, Art, Morality [verybadwizards.com]Locke [imdb.com]The Subjective Effects of Nitrous Oxide by William James [erowid.org]Kahan, D. M., Peters, E., Dawson, E. C., & Slovic, P. (2013). Motivated numeracy and enlightened self-government. Social Science Research Network. Available: http://ssrn. com/abstract, 2319992.Black Mirror [imdb.com]Snowpiercer [imdb.com]Snowpiercer-Left or Right [everyframeapainting.tumbler.com]Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth [amazon.com affiliate link] Meaning in Life and Why It Matters by Susan Wolf. Princeton University. Press, 2010. [amazon.com affiliate link]
Following up their discussion of moral villains, Dave and Tamler argue about what makes a moral hero. Tamler defends Sharon Krause’s view that honor values can motivate heroic behavior. Dave accuses Tamler of being inconsistent (nothing wrong with that) and slightly Kantian (NOOOOOO!!!). In the final segment, we’re back on the same page fawning over Susan Wolf’s paper “Moral Saints.” Plus, are drunks more likely to be utilitarians? And why does Dave hate Temple Grandin?LinksThe Cold Logic of Drunk People by Emma Green [theatlantic.com]Duke, A. A., & Bègue, L. (2015). The drunk utilitarian: Blood alcohol concentration predicts utilitarian responses in moral dilemmas. Cognition, 134, 121-127. [sciencedirect.com]Wolf, S. (1982). Moral saints. The Journal of Philosophy, 419-439. [verybadwizards.com]Krause, S. R. (2002). Honor and democratic reform (Ch. 5) [verybadwizards.com]. In Liberalism with honor [amazon.com affiliate link]. Harvard University Press.
Philosopher Dr. Diana Brickell answered questions on moral saints, inventing stories about yourself, and more in this 13 February 2014 episode of Philosophy in Action Radio. http://www.PhilosophyInAction.com
Philosopher Dr. Diana Brickell answered questions on moral saints, inventing stories about yourself, and more in this 13 February 2014 episode of Philosophy in Action Radio. http://www.PhilosophyInAction.com
What gives meaning to a life? Susan Wolf discusses this question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy.
Mershon Center for International Studies Guest Speakers 2009 - 2010
Blame, Italian Style