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In this episode, I talk to Massimo Pigliucci and we dive into the ancient philosophy of Stoicism, uncovering its timeless wisdom and exploring its practical applications in today's world. Massimo shares his expert insights, personal experiences, and thoughtful guidance on how Stoicism can help us navigate modern complexities with grace and virtue. Whether you're a long-time Stoic enthusiast or new to the philosophy, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone seeking to enhance their personal growth and well-being. Massimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. Massimo publishes regular columns in Skeptical Inquirer and in Philosophy Now. His books include How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. Massimo's latest book is The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders. SHOWNOTES - 00:00:00 - Episode Introduction 00:02:25 - Importance of personal philosophy 00:08:40 - The essence of Stoicism 00:13:30 - Creating a better society through stoicism 00:18:50 - Thought conflicts & identity politics | Beginning of wisdom 00:26:00 - Exercising convictions with humility | Cato vs Ceaser 00:33:20 - Anger management, the stoic way | Seneca's advise 00:42:15 - Advise for men + healthy expression of masculinity 00:49:05 - Journal like Marcus Aurelius 00:51:50 - Choosing friends & role models 01:00:00 - Ambition, morality, and Stoicism 01:06:25 - Marcus Aurelius using social media 01:15:30 - Emotional sensitivity, resilience, and safe spaces 01:20:30 - Epictetus' response to insults 01:24:15 - Losing in love CONNECT WITH MASSIMO PIGLIUCCI - Website - https://figsinwinter.substack.com/ Substack - https://newstoicism.org CONNECT WITH ME - Take the EmoPersona Quiz - https://www.kratimehra.com/emopersonaquiz/ Subscribe to the Newsletter - https://www.kratimehra.com/newsletter/ For more, visit - https://www.kratimehra.com/experible/
Marcus Aurelius is generally regarded as one of the "Five Good Emperors" and is often praised for his Stoic philosophy, particularly as expressed in his "Meditations." However, like any historical figure, he is not without criticisms both in his own time and in ours...But are these insignificant issues? Or do they undermine his position as a philosopher and disciple of Stoicism? His reign was marked by military conflicts, political intrigues, and compromises that may not align perfectly with Stoic ideals. Was he truly a Stoic? About the Panelists:Angie Hobbs gained a degree in Classics and a PhD in Ancient Philosophy at the University of Cambridge and in 2012 she was appointed Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield. She is author of many books, including' Plato and the Hero' (C.U.P) and ‘Plato's Republic: a Ladybird Expert Book'. She contributes regularly to radio and TV programmes and other media, including 26 appearances on In Our Time on Radio 4. She has spoken at the World Economic Forum at Davos, the Houses of Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and Westminster Abbey and been the guest on Desert Island Discs, Private Passions and Test Match Special and has most recently been filmed with Mary Beard discussing Marcus Aurelius. You can follow Angie at @drangiehobbs and learn more about her at angiehobbs.com.Massimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. Massimo publishes regular columns in Skeptical Inquirer and in Philosophy Now. His books include ‘How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life' (Basic Books) and ‘Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk' (University of Chicago Press). Massimo's latest book is ‘The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders' (Basic Books). More by Massimo at https://newstoicism.org.Donald Robertson is an author and psychotherapist, specializing in the relationship between modern cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and ancient Greek philosophy. He is one of the founding members of the Modern Stoicism organization and the author of three books on Marcus Aurelius. ‘How to Think Like a Roman Emperor', a self-help book; 'Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius', a graphic novel; and, most recently, a biography titled 'Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor' due to be released by Yale University Press as part of their Ancient Lives series on February 6th. He has also edited the Capstone Classics edition of the ‘Meditations' and contributed a chapter on Marcus Aurelius and psychotherapy to the forthcoming 'Cambridge Companion to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.' Donald is also the president and founder of the Plato's Academy Centre nonprofit, based in Greece.Moderated by Anya Leonard, the founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. Author of the children's book, "Sappho: The Lost Poetess", dedicated to the life, works and remarkable recent discovery of a poem written by the 7th century Poetess, Sappho, Anya has also recently launched Classical Wisdom Kids, a program bringing ancient wisdom to future minds. You can see Classical Wisdom's Books here: https://classicalwisdombooks.com/
This episode explores critical thinking and the evaluation of scientific claims, with a focus on the book "Nonsense on Stilts." The discussion delves into the demarcation between hard and soft sciences, the credibility of experts, and the application of these concepts to behavior analysis. To earn CEUs for listening, click here, log in or sign up, pay the CEU fee, + take the attendance verification to generate your certificate! Don't forget to subscribe and follow and leave us a rating and review. Show Notes References Pigliucci, M. (2010). Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. University of Chicago Press.
Massimo Pigliucci, author of The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us About Our Search for Good Leaders, joins the show to answer a three thousand year old question: Are we born with good character or can we develop it? Professor Pigliucci and Joe discuss how the ancient Greeks and Romans approached character development and how and their ancient teachings can help us live better lives today. Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophies like Stoicism and New Skepticism.Prof. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudo-scientific attack.” In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. He writes on practical and general philosophy at Medium. At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 176 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 16 books, including the best selling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books). Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press), and The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders (Basic Books).
Massimo Pigliucci is K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City University of New York, where he specializes in both ancient philosophy and the philosophy of science. In addition to a doctorate in philosophy, Massimo has a PhD in evolutionary biology. In this episode, Robinson and Massimo discuss the vast landscape between science on the one hand and pseudoscience on the other, covering how they should be distinguished, examples galore, and the role of the public intellectual in science education. Check out Massimo's excellent book, which ranges across these topics and more, Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. Nonsense on Stilts: https://a.co/d/agrSGF4 Massimo's Website: https://massimopigliucci.org Massimo's Substack: https://figsinwinter.substack.com/ OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 01:22 Introduction 04:17 Massimo's Interest in Pseudoscience 10:29 What Is Pseudoscience? 24:36 Pseudoscience and The Search For Aliens 39:43 Conspiracy Theories and Expert Selection 46:00 Should Scientists Debate Pseudoscientists and Conspiracy Theorists? 49:20 Aristotle and the Elements of Scientific Communication 59:41 The Decline of the Public Intellectual and the Rise of the Think Tank Robinson's Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support
Links from the show:* The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us About Our Search for Good Leaders* Connect with MassimoAbout my guest:I have a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. I am currently the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. My research interests include the philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophies like Stoicism and New Skepticism. I have been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudo-scientific attack.” In the area of public outreach, I have published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. I am a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. I write on practical and general philosophy on Substack. At last count, I have published 178 technical papers in science and philosophy. I am also the author or editor of 16 books, including the best selling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books). Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press), and the most recent The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders (Basic Books). Get full access to Dispatches from the War Room at dispatchesfromthewarroom.substack.com/subscribe
Massimo Pigliucci is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. He has written many books, including How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books) as well as Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press). Here, I speak with him about the ancient Greeks and their teachings on character, virtue, politics and other ideas that can be found in his recent book The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders. You can check out his work on his website https://massimopigliucci.org/ or the substack Figs in Winter. See here for a teaching worksheet for this episode at my website https://www.davidsherrin.com/cwh Additional books he recommends are: The Character Gap by Christian Miller The Art of Living by John Sellars
In this episode Michael Shermer speaks with the stoic philosopher and evolutionary biologist Massimo Pigliucci on how to apply the ancient wisdom of stoicism to our personal lives and to our society. Shermer and Pigluicci discuss: his journey from Rome to New York • evolutionary biology • stoic philosophy • can there be a science of meaning and morality? • ultimate questions • desire, action, depression, suicide, anger, anxiety, love, and friendship • practical spiritual exercises • how to react to situations • teaching virtue to politicians • philosophy and politics • character and leadership • the nature of evil. Massimo Pigliucci is the K. D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. The author or editor of sixteen books, he has been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Salon, among others. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. His books include: Making Sense of Evolution; Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk; Philosophy of Pseudoscience: Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem; Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a More Meaningful Life; A Field Guide to a Happy Life; A Handbook for New Stoics; How to Be a Stoic; The Quest for Character.
On todays episode Will and Josh interview renowned author, philosopher, and scientist Massimo Piggliucci. Their conversation ranges from epistemology to his life living like a stoic! We then turn to a discussion about virtue, character, and why our modern politicians have a problem with both!Join in on this fascinating conversation! Also, make sure you buy his new book!The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders Guest Bio:Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophies like Stoicism and New Skepticism.Prof. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudo-scientific attack.” In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. He writes on practical and general philosophy at Medium. At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 178 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 16 books, including the best selling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books). Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press), and the most recent The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders (Basic Books).Support the showTo learn more about the show, contact our hosts, or recommend future guests, click on the links below: Website: https://www.faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/ Faithful Host: Josh@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Political Host: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Twitter: @F8thfulPolitics Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophies like Stoicism and New Skepticism. Prof. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudo-scientific attack.” In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. He writes on practical and general philosophy at Medium. At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 178 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 16 books, including the best selling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books). Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press), and the most recent The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders (Basic Books). Sign up for 10% off of Shrink Rap Radio CE credits at the Zur Institute
On episode 146, we welcome Massimo Pigliucci to discuss the value of teaching ethics, human nature and the evolutionary origins of morality, the drawbacks of moral relativism, Socrates as the first psychotherapist, whether politicians should be taught philosophy or philosophers should become politicians, the importance of role models and good friends for cultivating virtue, seeking out inspiring scenarios, Socrates' degree of success in tutoring the morally bankrupt Alcibiades in moral philosophy, the is/ought gap in philosophy and why it doesn't preclude the creation of a universal system of ethics, Leon's relationship with Prof. Tim Stroup and why mentorship always involves the desire to learn from an expert who genuinely cares about his pupil's development, and our collective responsibilities in creating a flourishing society through political activities. Massimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. He has been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Salon, among others. His books include How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. His newest book, coming out on September 27, 2022 is called The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders. Massimo Pugliucci | ► Website | https://massimopigliucci.org ► The Quest for Character Book Link | https://amzn.to/3r5TACp Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment ► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast ► Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32208666
When Greg found out that Massimo Pigliucci had a PhD in biology and a PhD in philosophy, he knew that this was somebody he had to get on the show.Massimo Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee, and is currently the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophies like Stoicism and New Skepticism.At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 176 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 16 books, including the best selling “How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life,” “Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk,” and the most recent “The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders.”Massimo and Greg dig into where morality might come from in a scientific way, the decisions that lead to our lifestyle choices, and “doing your own research.” Episode Quotes:Misconceptions about philosophyWhen people think about philosophy, they think about really complex, abstract process of thinking. But the choices you make on a day-to-day basis, your priorities in life, etc. will be evident to a psychologist, or a behavioral ecologist, or an economist, just by observing what you do. Right? And those choices will reflect an underlying set of values and priorities, which is what I would call a philosophy of life and everyone has it. Science & philosophy are interconnectedI used the word "Sci-Phi" to signify that science and philosophy need to work together to give us the best understanding of not only the world, as it is and as it works. But also how we should behave and what we should do about our lives.There are different paths to living a good lifeSo what an expert can do, is to provide you with options and say, okay, so if your question is how to live a good life as a human being, how to figure out the best way to spend your life, how to figure out your priorities and things like that. There are a number of options. And I, as an expert, can present you with those options and can walk you through those options. But I can't tell you which one you should choose because they are equivalent, meaning there are different paths to living a good life.Show Links:Resources:DARWIN'S DANGEROUS IDEA: EVOLUTION AND THE MEANINGS OF LIFE Chrysippus | Internet Encyclopedia of PhilosophyOn the Ends of Good and Evil: De Finibus Bonorum et MalorumGuest Profile:Faculty Profile at City College of New YorkProfessional Profile at PhilPeopleMassimo Pigliucci WebsiteMassimo Pigliucci on TEDxAthensHis Work:His works on AeonMassimo Pigliucci on Google ScholarPhilosophy as a Way of Life PodcastStoic Meditations PodcastHow to Be a Stoic WebsiteThe Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good LeadersThink like a Stoic: Ancient Wisdom for Today's World - AudiobookA Field Guide to a Happy Life: 53 Brief Lessons for LivingHow to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal PhilosophyA Handbook for New Stoics: How to Thrive in a World Out of Your Control—52 Week-by-Week LessonsNonsense on StiltsHow to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life HardcoverAnswers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to A More Meaningful Life
Throughout time, there has always been a struggle between science and pseudoscience. Even as we've learned more, done better, some have always insisted on ignoring those advances. On the titular panel at Worldcon 2019, Dublin, Eugene Doherty, Sam Scheiner, Cristina Macia, and moderated by Stephen Nelson, discussed the daily fight against pseudoscience beliefs. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe! You can find most of these posts over on my Blog (https://morganhazelwood.com) / Vlog/Youtube (https://youtube.com/MorganHazelwood) If you want to connect? Check out my Linktree (https://linktr.ee/morganHazelwood)
The word skeptic literally means inquirer. And to inquire into things is good, right? But skepticism has a complex and much misunderstood history, from the Pyrrhonists who abstained from holding any opinion to modern scientific skeptics focused on criticizing pseudoscience. In his talk, Pigliucci will argue that skepticism can and should be a philosophy of life and a path to happiness. And there is a lot more to life and happiness than just debunking nonsense. Massimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. His books include How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books) and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press). His forthcoming book is The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders (Basic Books).
Professor Massimo Pigliucci has been a wonderful and meaningful influence in our lives, and we were so honored to chat with him! He has a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. Currently, is a Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the relationship between science and philosophy, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism. In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 180 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 14 books, including the bestselling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life. Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk, A Field Guide to a Happy Life, and our beloved Handbook For New Stoics, which he wrote with Gregory Lopez. Find Prof. Pigliucci at-https://figsinwinter.blog/
— “The only things truly yours are those that are entirely up to you. Everything else is on loan from the universe.” Valeria Teles interviews Professor Massimo Pigliucci — the author of “A Field Guide To A Happy Life: 53 Brief Lessons For Living.” Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the relationship between science and philosophy, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism. Prof. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudo-scientific attack.” In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. He blogs on practical philosophy at Patreon and Medium. At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 180 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 14 books, including the best-selling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books). Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press), and A Field Guide to a Happy Life (Basic Books). To learn more about Professor Massimo Pigliucci and his work, please visit: https://www.figsinwinter.blog/ — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.
In this episode, my focus is on how to find peace of mind amidst turmoil and persistent uncertainty. So many things that are directly affecting our lives are also out of our direct control - and it can be maddening. Serenity now. The Ancient Greeks used the term ataraxia, which means a state of serene calmness. Steven Gambardella writes in the Sophist, "Ataraxia is not a positively-defined state such as "happy" or "excited" It was believed by the Hellenistic philosophies to be a "resting" state of serenity." To achieve this state, the Stoics taught the need to discern between "things not up to us" vs. "things up to us." "Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our own doing." - Epictetus in the Enchiridion Herein lies the key to much of our neurosis, not understanding what's in your control and what's not. Crazy is treating outcomes as objects; to paraphrase psychoanalyst Leslie Farber, where you can directly move an object, you cannot directly will an outcome - and your goals can distort your psyche when confusing the two. My guest is philosophy professor Massimo Pigliucci. Massimo has a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He is currently the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism. He is also the author or editor of 14 books, including the bestselling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life. Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk and his just published A Field Guide to a Happy Life. Some of or talking points on this episode How his life changed in 2014 Re-discovering Stoic philosophy Thoughts and suffering Stoicism 2.0 How stress is created The dichotomy of control Holding things lightly; loans from the bank of the universe Unhooking happiness from results Ambition, goals and the challenge of process orientation Pandemics, mask-wearing and citizenship Historical perspectives on crazy political seasons and unorthodox leaders On pacifism and civic engagement Massimo was great as usual so - take a break from the insanity out there, put your earphones on, go for a walk and listen. Enjoy! For show notes, resources and more of my content visit larryweeks.com
Massimo and Julia sit down in front of a live audience at the Jefferson Market Library in New York City for a conversation about science, non-science, and pseudo-science. Based on Massimo's book: "Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk" the topics they cover include whether the qualitative sciences are less reliable than quantitative ones, the re-running of the tape of life, and who is smarter: physicists, biologists, or psychologists? Also, why are evolutionary psychologist so fixated on sex? The live Q&A follows in episode 29 Sped up the speakers by [1.0, 1.1134045077105574]
The focus of this episode is Massimo's new book, Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. The book, broadly speaking, is about what philosopher Karl Popper famously called the demarcation problem: how do we tell the difference among science, non-science and pseudoscience? We explore the complex relationship among these, ranging from solid science like fundamental physics and evolutionary biology to definite pseudosciences like astrology and creationism. In the middle are the more interesting borderline areas that include the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, evolutionary psychology, and even superstring theory, to name but a few. We also discuss other topics covered in the book, including the whole issue of expertise and Think Tanks, which plays such an important role especially in media presentations of issues such as evolution, climate change, HIV-AIDS, or the alleged connection between vaccines and autism. Julia and Massimo also address the ultimate question about pseudoscience: why do we care? Sped up the speakers by [1.0, 1.051084342023588]
Future Squared with Steve Glaveski - Helping You Navigate a Brave New World
In this special rebroadcast episode, we go back into the archives for a conversation on the philosophy of Stoicism, and on focusing on what you can control - something of central importance in these trying times of COVID-19. Massimo Pigliucci is a Professor of Philosophy at the City University of New York. His research is concerned with philosophy of science, the relationship between science and philosophy, and the nature of pseudoscience. He received a Doctorate in Genetics from the University of Ferrara in Italy, a PhD in Botany from the University of Connecticut, and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He has published over a hundred technical papers and several books. Prof. Pigliucci has been awarded the prestigious Dobzhansky Prize from the Society for the Study of Evolution. He has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science "for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudoscientific attack." In the areas of outreach and critical thinking, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national magazines such as Skeptic, Skeptical Inquirer, Philosophy Now, and The Philosopher's Magazine, among others. He has also been elected as a Consultant for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Pigliucci penned the wildly successful "Rationally Speaking" blog and podcast (rationallyspeaking.org) and maintains a blog - the namesake of his latest book - called How to be a Stoic. Towards the end of the show we started chatting about genetically modified and AI augmented humanity which will form the basis of another chat with Massimo in the future, but for now, please enjoy my conversation on Stoicism and how it can help you in your personal and professional life with the one, the only...Massimo Pigliucci. Topics Discussed: The intersection of philosophy and science Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius How Stoicism can help us lead better professional and personal lives Stoicism in the workplace Does being Stoic make you emotionless? Silicon Valley’s Stoicism movement Living a life of virtue The decoupling of consciousness and intelligence Are human feelings just algorithms Show Notes: Twitter: twitter.com/mpigliucci Rationally Speaking blog: rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com How to be a Stoic blog: howtobeastoic.wordpress.com Footnotes to Plato blog: www.platofootnotes.org Get Massimo's books: How To Be A Stoic: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living - https://amzn.to/2MvYuC4 Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk - https://amzn.to/2x9zkV1 Philosophy of Pseudoscience: Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem - https://amzn.to/2paA4oh Science Unlimited?: The Challenges of Scientism - https://amzn.to/2pbCGTa The Nature of Philosophy: How Philosophy Makes Progress and Why It Matters - https://amzn.to/2xccdJy Evolution, the Extended Synthesis (The MIT Press) - https://amzn.to/2pcD0Rs Tales of the Rational: Skeptical Essays About Nature and Science - https://amzn.to/2pcDze2 Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to A More Meaningful Life - https://amzn.to/2phtOeN Phenotypic Integration: Studying the Ecology and Evolution of Complex Phenotypes - https://amzn.to/2xe2vGm Making Sense of Evolution: The Conceptual Foundations of Evolutionary Biology - https://amzn.to/2MCofka --- Follow me on Instagram: @thesteveglaveski Like us? It'd make our day if you took 1 minute to show some love on iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud by subscribing, sharing and giving us a 5 star rating. To sign up to our mailing list head to www.futuresquared.xyz For more information on Collective Campus, our innovation hub, school and consultancy based in Australia and Singapore check out www.collectivecampus.io Future Squared is part of the NoFilter Media network. Find NoFilter online at www.nofilter.media
Massimo’s books include Phenotypic Plasticity: Beyond Nature and Nurture (Syntheses in Ecology and Evolution) (2001): https://www.amazon.com/Phenotypic-Plasticity-Syntheses-Evolution-2001-07-17/dp/B01K17YKGQ Making Sense of Evolution: The Conceptual Foundations of Evolutionary Biology, with co-author Jonathan Kaplan (2006): https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo4100801.html Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (2010): https://www.amazon.com/Nonsense-Stilts-Tell-Science-Bunk-dp-0226667863/dp/0226667863/ref=mt_paperback?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid= and How to be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (2017): https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Stoic-Ancient-Philosophy/dp/0465097952 He is the co-author, with Gregory Lopez of Live Like A Stoic: 52 Exercises for Cultivating a Good Life (2019): https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1116985/live-like-a-stoic/9781846045967.html He is the co-editor, with Maarten Boudry, of Philosophy of Pseudoscience: Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo15996988.html You can find Massimo’s Letter conversation with David Sloan Wilson here: https://letter.wiki/conversation/34 And my article about this conversation here: https://areomagazine.com/2019/07/10/human-cultural-evolution-a-letter-exchange You can find Massimo’s Letter conversaion with Philip Goff here: https://letter.wiki/conversation/277 For more on the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis: https://extendedevolutionarysynthesis.com/ On Stoic Week: https://modernstoicism.com/about-stoic-week/ Follow Massimo on Twitter: @mpigliucci Write to Open Letters at Letter here: https://letter.wiki/OpenLetters/conversations Write to me: https://letter.wiki/IonaItalia/conversations Further Notes Derren Brown, Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine (2016) My essay on Stoicism: https://areomagazine.com/2019/01/21/in-praise-of-stoicism-derren-browns-happy-book-review/ For Karl Popper on the demarcation problem see: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/popper/#ProbDema Larry Laudan on the demarcation problem: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-009-7055-7_6 For Wittgenstein on the definition of a game see: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wittgenstein/#LangGameFamiRese The SETI institute: https://www.seti.org/ Geoffrey Miller, The Mating Mind: How Sexual Selection Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature (2001): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/114577/the-mating-mind-by-geoffrey-miller/ Richard Lewontin, 1929– Lawrence Kraus, A Universe from Nothing (2012) Massimo, Maarten Boudry, Lawrence Krauss and Daniel Dennett on the Limits of Science: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRzfCemXYLc For Wilfred Sellars on the stereoscopic vision of science see: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/sellars/#8 Jorge Luis Borges, The Library of Babel (1941): https://maskofreason.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/the-library-of-babel-by-jorge-luis-borges.pdf Sam Harris, The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values (2010) Massimo’s review of The Moral Landscape: https://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/11-02-02/#feature Ayn Rand’s objectivism: https://aynrand.org/ideas/overview/ The Discourses of Epictetus: http://classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/discourses.html Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations: http://classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.html Seneca, Of Anger: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Of_Anger/Book_I For more on Chryssipus: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Chrysippus Timestamps 3:47 The demarcation problem, the difference between science and pseudoscience 17:26 What made Massimo change fields from biology to philosophy 21:45 What is the relationship between philosophy and science? 38:32 Science and ethics 45:59 The appeal of Stoicism 57:17 Stoic practices 1:11:31 The Stoic fork/dichotomy of control 1:23:11 Free will 1:34:00 The misrepresentation of Stoicism as repression of emotion 1:43:18 The lessons of the pandemic
Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the relationship between science and philosophy, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism. Prof. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudo-scientific attack.” In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. He blogs on practical philosophy at Patreon and Medium. At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 165 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 13 books, including the best selling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books). Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press), and How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy (co-edited with Skye Cleary and Daniel Kaufman, Penguin/Random House).
About the Guest Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the relationship between science and philosophy, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism. Prof. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudo-scientific attack.” In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. He blogs on practical philosophy at Patreon and Medium. At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 165 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 13 books, including the best selling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books). Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press), and How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy (co-edited with Skye Cleary and Daniel Kaufman, Penguin/Random House). Guest Links BOOKS: CLICK HERE WEBSITE: CLICK HERE YOUTUBE: CLICK HERE PATREON: CLICK HERE TWITTER: CLICK HERE Simon Drew Links Patreon: patreon.com/simonjedrew Coaching: simonjedrew.com/coaching/ Practical Stoic Mastermind: facebook.com/groups/practicalstoicmastermind Facebook: facebook.com/simonjedrew Instagram: instagram.com/simonjedrew LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/simonjedrew Website: simonjedrew.com
Host Kevin Patton previews the content of the upcoming full episode, which features a discussion of the last best story in teaching A&P, including two stories now "in flux". There's more... some word dissections and recommendations from The A&P Professor Book Club. Topics .5 minute A point about test feedback from listener Krista Rompolski The anatomical compass in teaching anatomy An update in hematopoiesis How "the last best story" helps students understand the nature of science Word Dissections 6.5 minutes Neurogenesis Craniosacral Thoracolumbar Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) Rosette Book Club 2.5 minutes Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk by Massimo Pigliucci amzn.to/2WJ18up Check out The A&P Professor Book Club If the hyperlinks here are not active, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page. More details at the episode page. Transcript available at the script page. Listen to any episode on your Alexa device. Join The A&P Professor social network: Blog Twitter @theAPprofessor Facebook theAPprofessor Instagram theAPprofessor YouTube Amazon referrals help defray podcasting expenses.Transcript and captions for this episodeare supported by theAmerican Association of Anatomists.anatomy.org The Human Anatomy & Physiology Societyalso provides support for this podcast. theAPprofessor.org/haps(Clicking on sponsor links helps let them know you appreciatetheir support of this podcast!)
2018.10.22 Saruq al-Hadid, located deep in the desert in southern Dubai, is one of Arabia’s richest and most enigmatic archaeological sites. During the Bronze and Iron Ages (c. 2200-800 BCE), the site witnessed social gatherings for hunting, feasting, craft production and ritual activity. The site’s abundant material remains of precious metals, ceramic, stone, bone, shell and wood have much to tell us about the human groups who travelled to Saruq al-Hadid. But hearing these stories requires the application of scientific approaches – from zoology, botany, materials science, and more – to otherwise mute remains. This lecture discusses insights into the ancient use and significance of Saruq al-Hadid, as derived from scientific analyses. Speaker Lloyd Weeks, Professor of Archaeology, University of New England
You're listening to the Stoic Solutions Podcast - practical wisdom for everyday life. Today's special guest Massimo Pigliucci joins me to talk about practical applications of Stoicism, how Stoic Philosophy can benefit us in modern times, and address misconceptions about Stoicism. We explore whether Stoicism encourages us to suppress or ignore emotions; what it means to be virtuous; what a good life looks like; Stoics' view on wealth; whether Stoics are killjoys; social approval; insults; being offended; regret; toleration; and friendship among other topics. Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of biology, the relationship between science and philosophy, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism. In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post , and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. He publishes two blogs: Plato’s Footnote ( platofootnote.org ), on general philosophy, and How to Be a Stoic ( howtobeastoic.org ), on his personal exploration of Stoicism as practical philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 13 books (full list: https://platofootnote.wordpress.com/books/), most recently of the best selling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books). Other titles include Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a More Meaningful Life (Basic Books); Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press), and Science Unlimited? The Challenges of Scientism (co-edited with M. Boudry, University of Chicago Press). Visit my website at stoicsolutionspodcast.com where you can connect with me on social media and listen to past episodes. Support my work by becoming a donor through Patreon or Paypal to access special rewards including the ability to have upcoming guests answer your questions, custom podcast episodes, group conversations with me and podcast listeners, and one-on-one discussions. Join my new Discord chat server for interactive discussion with me and people interested in Stoicism. Share, comment, like, subscribe, and leave reviews to help support my efforts and keep this project going. Email me with your thoughts – justinvacula at gmail.com. Support through Patreon and Paypal Donate: http://justinvacula.com/donate/ Find Justin Vacula online and listen to past content: Main website: http://www.stoicsolutionspodcast.com SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/justinvacula iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stoic-philosophy/id1264404483 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/justinvacula Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/justin-vacula/stoic-philosophy Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?authuser&u=0#/ps/I4gq7yzmfr63glwfvin2kmciifq Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoicSolutionsPodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/StoicSolutions Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/justinvacula Engage at home or on-the-go with podcast listeners and people interested in Stoicism & Philosophy in my new interactive easy-to-use Discord chat channel: http://justinvacula.com/2018/04/02/stoic-solutions-podcast-discord-chat/ Podcast music, used with permission, is from Fairyland's album 'Score to a New Beginning.' View their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Groupe.Fairyland.Officiel/ Resources: Stoic Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Stoicism/ Modern Stoicism http://modernstoicism.com Massimo Pigliucci blog 'How to be a Stoic' https://howtobeastoic.wordpress.com
More at https://www.philosophytalk.org/shows/could-laws-physics-change. From airplanes flying overhead to the cellular activity inside us, all events that take place in the world obey the laws of physics. Physicists seem to be getting closer and closer to understanding the physical laws that govern our universe. But what if our physical laws changed? Could that even be possible? How might changing of physical laws affect us? Or is just that what we take to be laws changes over time? Should we still call the laws of physics “laws”? The philosophers conserve mass with Massimo Pigliucci from the City University of New York, author of "Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk."
Future Squared with Steve Glaveski - Helping You Navigate a Brave New World
Massimo Pigliucci is a Professor of Philosophy at the City University of New York. His research is concerned with philosophy of science, the relationship between science and philosophy, and the nature of pseudoscience. He received a Doctorate in Genetics from the University of Ferrara in Italy, a PhD in Botany from the University of Connecticut, and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He has published over a hundred technical papers and several books. Prof. Pigliucci has been awarded the prestigious Dobzhansky Prize from the Society for the Study of Evolution. He has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science "for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudoscientific attack." In the areas of outreach and critical thinking, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national magazines such as Skeptic, Skeptical Inquirer, Philosophy Now, and The Philosopher's Magazine, among others. He has also been elected as a Consultant for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Pigliucci penned the wildly successful "Rationally Speaking" blog and podcast (rationallyspeaking.org) and maintains a blog - the namesake of his latest book - called How to be a Stoic. Towards the end of the show we started chatting about genetically modified and AI augmented humanity which will form the basis of another chat with Massimo in the future, but for now, please enjoy my conversation on Stoicism and how it can help you in your personal and professional life with the one, the only...Massimo Pigliucci. Topics Discussed: The intersection of philosophy and science Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius How Stoicism can help us lead better professional and personal lives Stoicism in the workplace Does being Stoic make you emotionless? Silicon Valley’s Stoicism movement Living a life of virtue The decoupling of consciousness and intelligence Are human feelings just algorithms Show Notes: Twitter: twitter.com/mpigliucci Rationally Speaking blog: rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com How to be a Stoic blog: howtobeastoic.wordpress.com Footnotes to Plato blog: www.platofootnotes.org Get Massimo's books: How To Be A Stoic: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living - https://amzn.to/2MvYuC4 Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk - https://amzn.to/2x9zkV1 Philosophy of Pseudoscience: Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem - https://amzn.to/2paA4oh Science Unlimited?: The Challenges of Scientism - https://amzn.to/2pbCGTa The Nature of Philosophy: How Philosophy Makes Progress and Why It Matters - https://amzn.to/2xccdJy Evolution, the Extended Synthesis (The MIT Press) - https://amzn.to/2pcD0Rs Tales of the Rational: Skeptical Essays About Nature and Science - https://amzn.to/2pcDze2 Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to A More Meaningful Life - https://amzn.to/2phtOeN Phenotypic Integration: Studying the Ecology and Evolution of Complex Phenotypes - https://amzn.to/2xe2vGm Making Sense of Evolution: The Conceptual Foundations of Evolutionary Biology - https://amzn.to/2MCofka --- Join the conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/futuresquared/where you can discuss episodes, request guests, propose questions for forthcoming guests and access exclusive content and special offers! Listen on iTunes @ goo.gl/sMnEa0 Listen on Spotify @ spoti.fi/2G2QsxV Listen on Stitcher @ www.stitcher.com/podcast/future Listen on Google Play @ bit.ly/FSGoog If you've got any questions on this podcast feel free to send an email to steve@collectivecamp.us or tweet me on Twitter @steveglaveski or @future_squared Follow me on Instagram: @thesteveglaveski Like us? It'd make our day if you took 1 minute to show some love on iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud by subscribing, sharing and giving us a 5 star rating. To sign up to our mailing list head to www.futuresquared.xyz For more information on Collective Campus, our innovation hub, school and consultancy based in Australia and Singapore check out www.collectivecampus.io
This episode is brought to you by the CIO Scoreboard Massimo Pigliucci has a Doctorate in Genetics from the University of Ferrara (Italy), a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut, and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He has done post-doctoral research in evolutionary ecology at Brown University and is currently the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of biology, the relationship between science and philosophy, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism. Prof. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national outlets such as the NewYork Times, Philosophy Now and The Philosopher's Magazine among others. I have linked in the show notes to a great article he wrote recently in the New York times. Pigliucci publishes two blogs: Plato's Footnote (platofootnote.org), on general philosophy, and How to Be a Stoic (howtobeastoic.org), on his personal exploration of Stoicism as practical philosophy. At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 146 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 10 technical and public outreach books, most recently of Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a More Meaningful Life (Basic Books) Philosophy of Pseudoscience: Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem (University of Chicago Press), co-edited with Maarten Boudry. Other books include Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a More Meaningful Life (Basic Books) and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press). We explored quite a few topics on Ethics and AI, Types of Ethical Philosophies, the difficulty of programming ethics, stoicism. I also asked him how to pose great questions to stir great conversation at the table with my kids... There is a bunch of resources that we discussed. Check them out on redzonetech.net. Major Take-Aways From This Episode: 1) 3 Major Types of Ethical Philosophies. 2) Ancient Virtue Ethics and Philippa Foot .The answer is always well it depends, what would a good person do? Human judgment is needed + nuance. 3) Modern Kantian (Started by Immanuel Kant) Deontological Ethics Rule-based ethics. 4) Modern John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism Ethics is whatever increases the happiness of the largest number of people. 5) Why there is no such thing as Intuition and how understanding Intuition and Science can make you aware of how to make yourself better as a person and leader. 6) 3 Steps to augmenting intuition using Stoicism. 7) AI vs. Smart Intelligence versus consciousness a. Trolley dilemma; b. Throw-man-off-bridge dilemma; c. Autonomous cars (programming a car to avoid a human being). 8) The different types of philosophy. 9) Kids and Philosophy resources to get your kids into good dinner table debates. 10) The Stoic Philosophy between (preferences and desires) and examples. 11) Skill acquisition and developing expertise using Stoic Philosophy. 12) Types of Philosophy of Science (Mathematics, Logic, Stoic). The role of Logic. 13) Why Stoicism is gaining popularity. 14) Stoicism for kids. Ways to connect with Massimo Pigliucci: Email Facebook Website: Plato’s Footnote Access all of Massimo’s Web Sites Teachings, event and news updates Plato’s Footnote How to Be a Stoic Rationally Speaking (archives, Massimo’s first blog, which ran from August 2005 to March 2014) Podcast: Rationally Speaking (archives) Books and Publications: Books written or edited by Massimo Pigliucci Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a Meaningful Life (mentioned in the interview) Video Resources: Massimo’s Youtube Channel Massimo’s Talks AI Conversation Resources Mentioned: Stoicon How to be a stoic One of his best articles from the New York Times – How to Be A Stoic A great interview with Ryan Holiday on Stoic Philosophy Book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman Pythagorous cave in Greece Kids Philosophy Resources: Philosophy for Kids: 40 Fun Questions That Help You Wonder About Everything! Philosophy for Teens: Questioning Life's Big Ideas Big Ideas for Little Kids: Teaching Philosophy through Children's Literature The Fallacy Detective: Thirty-Eight Lessons on How to Recognize Bad Reasoning Young Person’s Guide to Philosophy Other Resources: Wikipedia City University of New York Profile Scientia Salon Essays This episode is sponsored by the CIO Security Scoreboard, a powerful tool that helps you communicate the status of your IT Security program visually in just a few minutes. Credits: Outro music provided by Ben’s Sound Other Ways To Listen to the Podcast iTunes | Stitcher | Libsyn | Soundcloud | RSS Feed | LinkedIn Leave a Review If you enjoyed this episode, then please consider leaving an iTunes review here. Click here for instructions on how to leave a review if you’re doing this for the first time. About Bill Murphy Bill Murphy is a world renowned IT Security Expert dedicated to your success as an IT business leader. Follow Bill on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Episode # 40 Running Time: 43:27 Podcast Relevance: Professionals In this episode R. Trent Codd, III, Ed.S. interviews Massimo Pigliucci, PhD about various Philosophy of Science matters including: Whether Philosophy of Science matters for the practice of science, including psychological science Objections raised by various scientists regarding the importance of Philosophy of Science, and Dr. Pigliucci's responses to those objections Whether Philosophy of Science makes progress What the demarcation problem is and the current status of the literature on demarcation How scientists and philosophers of science might optimize collaboration Massimo Pigliucci, PhD Biography Prof. Pigliucci has a Doctorate in Genetics from the University of Ferrara (Italy), a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut, and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He has done post-doctoral research in evolutionary ecology at Brown University and is currently the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of biology, the relationship between science and philosophy, and the nature of pseudoscience. Prof. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudoscientific attack.” In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national outlets such as the New York Times, Philosophy Now and The Philosopher’s Magazine among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. Dr. Pigliucci publishes two blogs: Plato’s Footnote (platofootnote.org), on general philosophy, and How to Be a Stoic (howtobeastoic.org), on his personal exploration of Stoicism as practicalphilosophy. At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 144 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 10 technical and public outreach books, most recently of Philosophy of Pseudoscience: Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem (University of Chicago Press), co-edited with Maarten Boudry. Other books include Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a More Meaningful Life (Basic Books) and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press). Episode-Related Links Books: Philosophy of Pseudoscience: Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem What is this thing called Science? Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy can lead us to a more meaningful life Dr. Pigliucci's websites: Plato's Footnote How to Be a Stoic
Host: Chris Mooney Our guest this week is a return guest of the show, Massimo Pigliucci. We last heard about his book Nonsense on Stilts, which was about how to distinguish between science and pseudoscience. But his newest effort is in some ways even more ambitious. It's called Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a More Meaningful Life. And in it, Pigliucci lays out an approach that he calls "sci-phi." It involves assessing the science of an issue—like, say, the biology of romance—and then also weighing an array of philosophical considerations, before figuring out how to negotiate this life domain. It's quite the heady undertaking—but, well, that never stopped us here before.... Massimo Pigliucci is a professor in the Philosophy Program at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and was formerly a biology professor at Stony Brook University. He is the author or editor of eight previous books, most recently Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. He lives in New York City.
Massimo and Julia sit down in front of a live audience at the Jefferson Market Library in New York City for a conversation about science, non-science, and pseudo-science. Based on Massimo's book: "Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk" the topics they cover include whether the qualitative sciences are less reliable than quantitative ones, the re-running of the tape of life, and who is smarter: physicists, biologists, or psychologists? Also, why are evolutionary psychologist so fixated on sex? The live Q&A follows in episode 29
Host: Chris Mooney It’s a longstanding debate in the philosophy of science: Is "demarcation" possible? Can we really draw firm lines between science and pseudoscience? Massimo Pigliucci thinks so. In his new book Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk, Pigliucci attempts to rescue the notion that there are claims we can rule out, and claims we can rule in—a real means of determining what’s science and what isn’t. Along the way, Pigliucci touches on howlers like creationism and astrology, and borderland areas of research like SETI—and weighs whether science can ever hope to test claims about the supernatural. Massimo Pigliucci is chair of the philosophy department at CUNY-Lehman College. He was formerly a professor of ecology and evolution at Stony Brook. He’s a prolific blogger and commentator on issues concerning science and skepticism and a prominent battler of creationists and other nonsense peddlers. You can find him online at rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com.
The focus of this episode is Massimo's new book, Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. The book, broadly speaking, is about what philosopher Karl Popper famously called the demarcation problem: how do we tell the difference among science, non-science and pseudoscience? We explore the complex relationship among these, ranging from solid science like fundamental physics and evolutionary biology to definite pseudosciences like astrology and creationism. In the middle are the more interesting borderline areas that include the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, evolutionary psychology, and even superstring theory, to name but a few. We also discuss other topics covered in the book, including the whole issue of expertise and Think Tanks, which plays such an important role especially in media presentations of issues such as evolution, climate change, HIV-AIDS, or the alleged connection between vaccines and autism. Julia and Massimo also address the ultimate question about pseudoscience: why do we care?