Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard is oft regarded as a satirical, romantic iconoclast. Unlike many philosophers of his era, his prose was lyrical and poetic and the use of pseudonyms, paradox and irony were among his trademarks. Kierkegaard’s works explored such things as personal identity, duty, freedom, objective & subjective truths,…
There is no doubt that positive emotions are worth cultivating. But must we be upbeat all of the time? Is there a healthy side of negative emotions and some value in experiencing them? Many philosophers (Schopenhauer comes to mind here) argue that embracing the full range of our emotions (including…
In an older (but not outdated) article in the Atlantic, Hope Reese interviews Rebecca Newberger Goldstein — philosopher and author of Plato at the Googleplex — who discusses the value of studying philosophy and why it is critical to our lives. From helping us increase our humanity to becoming responsible…
Despite extremely “unforgiving” weather from Mother Nature, our 1st Annual Brew-Wine-Chu was a hit. THANK YOU to all of our AMAZING volunteers, AWESOME event patrons & PHENOMENAL artists – Yoda Coaster, Milton Menasco & The Big Fiasco and DJ On!x – who braved the weather and came to support the…
How Philosophy (and Technology) Can Help Us Reconnect With Nature & Why It Matters Andrea Houchard & Marisa Diaz-Waian, Public Philosophy Journal (2016) – Under Review. ABSTRACT: The human connection to nature is an important issue in the world today. While it is rarely articulated as matter of public concern,…
Can bringing philosophy into the classroom yield benefits for kids? Yes. There have been numerous studies supporting the claim that philosophy for kids is a worthwhile venture, including a recent study conducted by the Education Endowment Foundation in the UK and reported by Peter Dockrill of Science Alert. With over…
Who says philosophy can’t help you with major life issues? Author and Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at U.C. Berkeley, Alison Gopnik, talks about how mid-century philosopher David Hume (coupled with a healthy does of Buddhism) helped her solve her mid-life crisis. Read more…
On a recent ‘Little Philosopher’s Walk’, one of our fun ‘Merlin Meanderings’ that we held here at Merlin Nature Preserve, we discussed & explored the importance and value of imagination. In the course of our conversation, the work of Dr. Brené Brown, Research Professor at the University of Houston Graduate…
