What's So Special About Humans?

What's So Special About Humans?

Human beings share the planet with many different organisms with vastly diverse ways of life. We like to think we’re a higher form of intelligence. But are we really that unique? How different are we as a species when it comes to language, thought, and culture? Where does our specifically human form of consciousness come from? And if other animals are so similar to us, should we stop eating them? The Philosophers walk the Earth with Peter Godfrey-Smith from the University of Sydney, author of Living on Earth: Forests, Corals, Consciousness, and the Making of the World.

The Scandalous Truth about Memor

A memoir is a personal narrative written about a pivotal time in the author’s life. While the story is told from a particular perspective, the events recounted are supposed to be fact, not fiction. But what exactly counts as truth in memoir? Is the distinction between “literal truth” and “emotional truth” just a way of shirking responsibility for fabricating falsehoods? What other ethical responsibilities does the memoirist have—for example, when it comes to exposing other people’s secrets? And why should anyone read—or write—memoirs in the first place? Josh and Ray expose the scandalous truth with Helena de Bres from Wellesley College, author of Artful Truths: The Philosophy of Memoir.

Dostoevsky and Doubting Faith

Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky was a practicing Christian, and his writings often feature characters who have or find faith. But many of the most fascinating and charismatic characters are flamboyant atheists, and Dostoevsky has these characters make powerful arguments against religious belief. So what was Dostoevsky trying to do in those brilliant novels of his? Was he just confused, or did he think the best kind of faith is the doubting kind? What does that tell us about the paradox of freedom, the fate of morality, and the problem of suffering? And why do Dostoevsky’s novels have such a profound impact, even today, on readers Christian and non-christian alike? Josh and Ray have no doubt about Garry Hagberg from Bard College, author of Living in Words: Literature, Autobiographical Language, and the Composition of Selfhood.

Wise Woman: Elizabeth Anscombe

Elizabeth Anscombe made hugely influential contributions to contemporary action theory, moral theory, and philosophy of mind. She also famously protested Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb when he was awarded an honorary degree at Oxford. Josh and Ray explore her life and thought with Rachael Wiseman from the University of Liverpool, co-author of Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life. Part of our Wise Women [http://www.philosophytalk.org/wise-women] series, which was supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Marx and Morality

Karl Marx famously attempted to explain our social, political, and economic systems in terms of class conflict. While he never explicitly states that capitalism is unjust, some scholars suggest that there is an implicit moral critique of it in his work. So, does Marx reject capitalism for its moral failures, or is his opposition to it purely socioeconomic? Can we get an account of gender and racial justice from Marx? And did he try, and perhaps fail, to abandon philosophy entirely? Josh and Ray share the means of production with Vanessa Wills from George Washington University, author of Marx’s Ethical Vision.