In this evening’s program, we looked at some of the major ways in which the concept of philosophy has evolved over the centuries. In doing so, we traced some of the important ways in which philosophers have understood the subject-matter of their discipline. And we examined how, from very early on, philosophers have been especially self-conscious of the history of philosophy, in a way that is unique from other sciences. Access photos & resources here!
A delightfully inspiring On Being podcast discussion between Krista Tippett and Nobel physicist Frank Wilczek about beauty and truth….and how beauty might be a compass for us all in the scientific and moral realms. Listen here!
What a great way to spend a November morning & afternoon! On this month’s philosophy walk we roamed the trails of Mount Helena while talking about nature and the humanities with guest speakers Edward Glowienka & Henry Kramer. Access audio recordings & photos from the walk here!
For many philosophers, scientists, and ordinary people, “species” are not only descriptive categories of how things are, but ideal models for how things should be. In this workshop, led by David Nowakowski, we took a whirlwind tour of “species” from antiquity to the present, in order to better understand the hidden assumptions behind our own thinking today…and what thinking ecologically might tell us about virtue & value. Access resources & photos here!
Most people can identify the ideas that have revolutionized science as we know it. But what about the thought experiments behind those ideas? The ideas behind the ideas that gave rise to our vision of the world today? This free interactive & theatrical presentation was held on January 31st at ExplorationWorks as part of their Science on Tap project and explored three thought experiments that revolutionized science. Guest speakers Marisa Diaz-Waian (who played the role of the student), Martin Richard (the mad scientist) & Michael Chapman (the philosopher) examined the role of imagination and wonder in scientific and philosophical thinking and invited audience members to share in the fun!
Being wrong is not often glorified. But there is great value in being wrong. According to Daniel Dennett — American philosopher & cognitive scientist known for his research on philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and philosophy of biology — “the history of philosophy is in large measure the history…
In an older (but not outdated) article in the Atlantic, Hope Reese interviews Rebecca Newberger Goldstein — philosopher and author of Plato at the Googleplex — who discusses the value of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…
Why are we so prone to believe weird things…such as seeing faces on mars or hearing demonic lyrics in “Stairway to Heaven”? Using video and music, Michael Shermer, editor of Skeptic magazine and the director of the Skeptics Society, shows how the eternal search for meaning & spiritual fulfillment often…
