Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from February, 2015

Baudrillard - J'accuse! (again)

The Radio 3 The Verb programme, in which I discuss pseudo-profundity (with some analytic vs continental philosophy discussion), is repeated tomorrow night at 10pm GMT on Radio 3. It will be availabe for a week on bbc radio iplayer. Below is my old post concerning that programme. Link to programme website here . Here is a quote from Baudrillard that Prof Paul Taylor chose for the Radio 3 programme we recorded to be broadcast tonite at 10pm (I am talking about pseudo-profundity and bullshit and pointing a finger at some post-modern thinkers - listen here for a week [I am on from about 14mins30]): For ethnology to live, its object must die. But the latter revenges itself by dying for having been "discovered", and defies by its death the science that wants to take hold of it. Doesn't every science live on this paradoxical slope to which it is doomed by the evanescence of its object in the very process of its apprehension, and by the pitiless reversal this de

Enlightened citizens vs moral sheep

My latest CFI blog post... Here's the text from my talk at the British Academy in London tonight (I am one of six panellists that also include Rebecca Goldstein. I wonder what she'll say? The event is called 'What's the point of philosophy?' )   As I’m both the author of several popular philosophy books - including three philosophy books for children - and also editor of the Royal Institute of Philosophy journal THINK which is aimed at the general public, I thought I would talk a little about why I think engaging young people with philosophy, especially in the classroom, might be a good idea.   Two of Britain’s best-known philosophy for children organisations are called Sapere and Aude . It’s no coincidence that ‘Sapere Aude’ - dare to know - is also the motto of the Enlightenment. But how might the Enlightenment and philosophy for children be related? continues http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/entry/enlightened_citizens_vs._moral_sheep/

The 'No Punching Down' Case Against Satirising Islam

My CFI post on this is now up here .