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Should the Government Care About You?
Jack Russell Weinstein and Virgina Held
Does the government have the responsibility to care about its citizens? Does it have an obligation to think of each of us as people, as individuals, and not just as interchangeable? Join WHY? as we talk with influential and ground-breaking philosopher Virginia Held about the ethics of care and how her approach change the way we think about the government, the law, and justice itself.
Virginia Held is a Distinguished Professor at the City University of New York. She is the author of numerous books, including The Ethics of Care, How Terrorism is Wrong: Morality and Political Violence, and Feminist Morality: Transforming Culture, Society, and Politics (Women in Culture and Society).
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A House Divided: Analytic vs. Continental Philosophy
Jack Russell Weinstein and Gary Gutting
Should philosophy make things simpler or more complex? Should it describe the muddle of human emotions or simply give us the language to analyze them? The answers to these questions not only tell us what we can know, but also aligns us with of two very controversial philosophy camps. Join WHY? as we discuss one of philosophy’s deepest and most divisive controversies: the battle between the “continentals” and the “analytics.”
Gary Gutting holds the Notre Dame Chair in Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He writes for both general and specialized audiences. His more recent work includes pieces in the New York Times philosophy blog “The Stone” and the books Foucault: A Very Short Introduction (2005) and French Philosophy in the Twentieth Century (2001).
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Marriage and the Family
Jack Russell Weinstein and Stephanie Coontz
Is the “traditional” marriage between one man and one woman really the most preferred form of marriage? History suggests it is not. In addition to polygamy (the most valued, historically), there is also polyandry (one woman, many husbands), ghost marriages, “female husbands,” and many others, and almost none of them had anything to do with love. Join WHY? as we talk with Stephanie Coontz about her research on the history of marriage, family, and the moral systems that justify the choices.
Stephanie Coontz is the author Marriage, A History: How Love Conquered Marriage, The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap, and other books. She teaches history and family studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. She also serves as Co-Chair and Director of Public Education at the Council on Contemporary Families, a non-profit, nonpartisan association of family researchers and practitioners based at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work has been featured in many newspapers such as The New York Times, as well as scholarly journals such as Journal of Marriage and Family, and she is frequently interviewed on national television and radio.
A selection of her writings and interviews can be found here.
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Philosophy of Violence
Jack Russell Weinstein and Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker argues that the world is less violent today than it has ever been before. For some of his critics, this claim is more than false, it’s bizarre. What is Pinker’s argument, what does it tell us about human nature, and how should we think about violence in general? Join WHY? as we explore Steven’s newest book The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence has Declined, and come face to face with one of the contemporary world’s most important questions: is there moral progress?
Steven Pinker is the Harvard College Professor and the Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. His research on visual cognition and the psychology of language has won prizes from the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Institution of Great Britain, the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, and the American Psychological Association. He is the author of numerous books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, The Blank Slate, and The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature. He is the Chair of the Usage Panel of the American Heritage Dictionary, and writes frequently for The New Republic, The New York Times, and other publications. He has been named Humanist of the Year, and is listed in Foreign Policy and Prospect magazine’s “The World’s Top 100 Public Intellectuals” and in Time magazine’s “The 100 Most Influential People in the World Today.”
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Plato Not Prozac: What is Philosophical Counseling?
Jack Russell Weinstein and Lou Marinoff
Can philosophy make our lives better? Can it help us develop better senses of self? Can it ever be used as a therapy-like tool to heal us psychologically or inspire us to change our behavior? In this episode of WHY? we will look at the role of belief, worldview, and intellectual choices, to see how they contribute to a healthy, well-balanced personality.
Lou Marinoff is Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department at The City College of New York, and founding President of the American Philosophical Practitioners Association (APPA).
He has authored two international bestsellers: Plato Not Prozac, translated into 25 languages and Therapy for the Sane, translated into 12 languages. Both apply Asian and Western philosophy to the resolution of everyday problems. In 2004, The New York Times weekend magazine called him “the world’s most successful marketer of philosophical counseling.”
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The Philosophy of Water
Jack Russell Weinstein and Clay Jenkinson
Water is a force for life and for destruction. We simultaneously take it for granted and infuse it with profound meanings. Some of the deepest political battles revolve around its access, yet for most of us, these debates are invisible or disregarded. What is the philosophy of water? How does it affect our lives, and what happens what we are denied it, face too much of it, and when it becomes our enemy? Join WHY? as we swim though these questions, asking about the legacy of Hurricane Katrina, the recent floods in Minot, North Dakota, and the struggle to supply clean, accessible water to the world.
Clay Jenkinson is the Director of The Dakota Institute through The Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, Chief Consultant to The Theodore Roosevelt Center through Dickinson State University, Distinguished Humanities Scholar at Bismarck State College, and a columnist for the Bismarck Tribune. A cultural commentator who has devoted most of his professional career to public humanities programs, Clay is the host of public radio’s The Thomas Jefferson Hour. He has been honored by two United States presidents for his work. On November 6, 1989, he received one of the first five Charles Frankel Prizes, the National Endowment for the Humanities’ highest award (now called the National Humanities Medal), at the nomination of the NEH Chair, Lynne Cheney. Since his first work with the North Dakota Humanities Council in the late 1970s, including a pioneering first-person interpretation of Meriwether Lewis, Clay Jenkinson has made thousands of presentations throughout the United States and its territories, including Guam and the Northern Marianas. He is also the author of numerous books.
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Food and Sustainability
Jack Russell Weinstein and Jay Basquiat
How much thought have you given to the idea of food? Why do we eat some things and not others, even though they are all edible? And, what exactly does it mean to be natural? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the philosophy of food and sustainability: What are the moral rules for manufacturing food, for farming, and for our agricultural priorities? Why does food play such important cultural and spiritual roles in virtually every society? What responsibilities do we have to provide food for other and to provide specific kinds of food for ourselves? And, to what extend is the creation of food – farming, baking, manufacturing, etc. – cultures in and of themselves, and how do those cultures effect the larger ones we live in?
Jay Basquiat is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Bismarck State College and sustainably farms near Mandan, ND. He operates a Community Supported Agriculture venture called Baskets of Plenty and serves on the board of the ND Humanities Council.
Related Links of interest: The Philosophy of Food Project -
Teaching Philosophy for Children
Jack Russell Weinstein and Maughn Gregory
How young can children learn philosophy? How should it be taught in the schools? What does philosophy offer that other curricula do not? For decades, the international movement known as “philosophy for children” has had tremendous success teaching in both public and private schools. Emphasizing moral education, critical thinking, and concept development, P4C, as it is know, has inspired even the youngest children to speak out in class, think about the most difficult subjects, and come to their own conclusions about controversial issues. Join WHY? as we examine this fascinating topic and ask whether a subject like philosophy is compatible with schooling built on standardized testing.
WHY’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says, “Philosophy for Children is a fascinating subject. People always think about philosophy as a subject for college student, but it seems to be more successful the younger the students are. I’m thrilled to be able to talk with someone who has such an international view about philosophy and its impact on children’s education.”
Links mentioned in this episode:
Institute for the Advancement for Philosophy with Children
International Council for Philosophical Inquiry for Children
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Growing Up North Dakotan
Jack Russell Weinstein, Joshua Boschee, Kathryn Joyce, Jessie Veeder Schofield, and Prairie Rose Seminole
North Dakota is a complex state. It is mostly rural but fifty percent of its population lives in cities. There is a strong sense of identity and place, but significant hostility between the eastern and western regions. For a long time, it had a very powerful federal congressional delegation, but it is usually regarded as a “fly-over state” with little electoral importance. How is all of this viewed by younger North Dakotans and how much pressure is there to stay in the state or leave? Join WHY? as we discuss these questions with a panel of four involved, successful, and native-born North Dakotans.
Joshua Boschee was born in Minot, went to North Dakota State University and now lives in Fargo. He is active in state politics and has a special interest in LGBTQ issues. He is a regular contributor to the High Plains Reader newspaper. A list of his articles can be found here.
Kathryn Joyce was born in Fargo and grew up first in Horace and then West Fargo. She went to the Univeristy of North Dakota, spent a year as an exchange student in Australia, and worked for Americorp teaching in Oregon. She is now pursuing a M.A. in philosophy at Georgia State University.
Jessie Veeder Schofield is a professional singer/songwriter with three albums who tours regularly. She was raised on her family ranch in the badlands, went to the University of North Dakota, lived in Montana for a while, and now lives on the family ranch. She maintains a blog about the ranching life at http://veederranch.com/ . Information about her music and performances can found at http://veederranch.com/jessie-veeder-music/
Prairie Rose Seminole was born in Fargo, spent summers on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, spent some time at the Wahpeton Indian School, attended the Univeristy of Mary and North Dakota State Univeristy, Fargo campus, spent ten years on the Fargo Human Relations Committee and is active in politics. More information about her can be found on her campaign website at http://www.prairieroseseminole.com/ .
Why’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says “The longer I live in North Dakota, the more I see how complicated the state really is. Talking with such an interesting and diverse group of young people, really helped me understand it in ways I never could before. This discussion is a prime example of how philosophy helps us see that which we take most for granted in a more sophisticated light.”
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On Liberty and Libertarianism
Jack Russell Weinstein and James R. Otteson
Political freedom lies at the core of any democracy. Yet some people claim that even countries like America and England aren’t free enough. What does a free society look like and how much liberty is necessary for the moral life? What is the role of government, how big should it be, and what happens when individual interests clash? Join WHY?’s guest James Otteson as he examines these questions, talks about Adam Smith, the father of free-market theory, and discusses his own account of political morality with its roots in the “classical liberal tradition” (the political tradition that has led to everything from the American Tea Party to libertarians who argue for gun rights and drug legalization).
James Otteson is Professor of Philosophy and Economics at Yeshiva University and Senior Fellow at the Fund for American Studies in Washington, DC. He is the recipient of both the Templeton Prize and Study of Spontaneous Order Prize, the author of the books Adam Smith, Adam Smith’s Marketplace of Life, and Actual Ethics (both from Cambridge University Press), and the editor of several other works including Adam Smith: Selected Philosophical Writings.
WHY?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says “Jim has a remarkable ability to do philosophy and politics at the same time. He’s a scholar with one foot in the real political debates of the time, and nothing can be more exciting given the political turmoil we see everywhere from the American Republican party to the streets of Cairo. Talking with Jim was both challenging and fun.
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Are There Just Wars?
Jack Russell Weinstein and Michael Walzer
The philosopher William James once remarked that those who think that war is inevitable suffer from a lack of imagination. What about those who think that war is never justified, do they suffer from a lack of imagination as well? Can war ever be the moral thing to do? Is it ever justified to be the attacker, or is war only a matter of defense? Given the modern nature of war, can we really distinguish between civilians and combatants, and, given the dangers of terrorism, is pre-emptive war now permissible? Join WHY? as we engage in the thousand-year old quest for a definition of just war with one of the most influential thinkers on the subject: Michael Walzer.
Michael Walzer is professor emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University. One of America’s foremost political thinkers, he has written about a wide variety of topics in political theory and moral philosophy, including political obligation, just and unjust war, nationalism and ethnicity, economic justice, and the welfare state. He has played a critical role in the revival of a practical, issue-focused ethics and in the development of a pluralist approach to political and moral life. Walzer’s books include Just and Unjust Wars (1977), On Toleration (1997), and Arguing About War (2004); he has served as editor of the political journal Dissent for more than three decades. Currently, he is working on issues having to do with international justice and the new forms of welfare and also on a collaborative project focused on the history of Jewish political thought.
WHY?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein explains, “I’ve been reading Michael Walzer since I was an undergraduate and he’s always impressed me with his ability to see politics in a different light. There are few subjects more emotional than war. It will be a relief to discuss its morality with someone who can be both passionate and reasonable at the same time.”
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Is Ghost Writing Ethical?
Jack Russell Weinstein and Deborah Brandt
Everyday, politicians publish books telling the stories of their lives and their political views. But more often than not these “autobiographies” are written by ghost writers, unnamed people who imitate the voice of the author for money and a brief acknowledgement in the introduction. Is this lying? Is this ethical? Should it diminish the politician’s credibility. Join WHY? as we examine this complicated issue with one of America’s foremost experts on literacy and its connection to politics.
Deborah Brandt recently retired from her position as Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Among her many publication is the article “Who’s the President? Ghostwriting and Shifting Values in Literacy,” which appeared in the journal College English, and the books Literacy as Involvement: The Acts of Writers, Readers and Texts (Southern Illinois University Press, 1990; Literacy in American Lives (Cambridge University Press, 2001; Literacy and Learning: Reading, Writing, Society (Jossey-Bass, 2009).
Jack Russell Weinstein, host of WHY? remarks, “Deb Brandt has a powerful way of unpacking how complicated everyday life is. Reading and writing are taken for granted more than just about anything we do, but Deb can show better than just about anyone that our attitudes about literacy contain a universe of perspectives, beliefs, and commitments. Having her on the show will be eye opening for every listener.”
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In A Different Voice and After
Jack Russell Weinstein and Carol Gilligan
Do men think differently than women? Is moral reasoning inherently male? Is psychology biased against relationships and the women who value them? Thirty years ago, Carol Gilligan asked these questions and shook the foundations of philosophy, psychology, and feminism. This month on WHY?, we revisit Gilligan’s classic study In A Different Voice and ask whether her answers still hold true. How was the classic text received? How is it viewed now? And, what does it (and Gilligan) still have to teach us? Join us for a challenging and important conversation that may be as powerful today as it was when the book was first released.
Carol Gilligan is a University Professor at New York University and a Visiting Professor at Cambridge University. She taught at Harvard University from 1967 – 2002, eventually holding the Patricia Albjerg Graham Chair in Gender Studies. She is the author of multiple books, a partial list includes The Birth of Pleasure, Between Voice and Silence: Women and Girls, Race and Relationships; Mapping the Moral Domain: A Contribution of Women’s Thinking to Psychological Theory and Education; and most influentially, In A Different Voice.
WHY’s host Jack Russell Weinstein explains, “Talking to Carol Gilligan is like talking to history. One rarely gets to engage with a thinker who has had such a clear and obvious impact on how we look at the world. I can think of few books that have been as absorbed by the culture as In A Different Voice (even if most of the world doesn’t know it), and to get to talk with Carol is, frankly, a gift.”
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Art and Philosophy
Jack Russell Weinstein and Arthur C. Danto
What is art? What is beauty? How are they related to truth? These questions lay at the core of philosophical inquiry, and few have been more baffling – and more enriching – to philosophers. Combine these issues with the fact that art is an inherently intimate experience for viewers and you get the recipe for deep controversy and exciting debate. Join WHY? as we delve deep into aesthetics, the philosophy of art, with one of its most respected and influential practitioners: Arthur Danto.
Arthur Danto the Johnsonian Professor Emeritus Philosophy at Columbia University.; he joined the faculty in 1951. He has been the recipient of many fellowships and grants including two Guggenheims, ACLS, and Fulbright. Professor Danto has served as Vice-President and President of the American Philosophical Association, as well as President of the American Society for Aesthetics. He is the author of numerous books, including Nietzsche as Philosopher, Mysticism and Morality, The Transfiguration of the Commonplace, Narration and Knowledge, Connections to the World: The Basic Concepts of Philosophy, and Encounters and Reflections: Art in the Historical Present, a collection of art criticism which won the National Book Critics Circle Prize for Criticism, 1990. His most recent book is Embodied Meanings: Critical Essays and Aesthetic Meditations. He is the art critic for The Nation and has also published numerous articles in other journals. He is also an editor of the Journal of Philosophy and consulting editor for various other publications.
WHY’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says: “talking with Arthur Danto will be both a challenge and an honor. Few philosophers have had such an interesting and influential career. I can think of no better guide to the world of art, a world that is of immense importance to me and most of our listeners.” -
Honor Codes and Moral Revolutions
Jack Russell Weinstein and Kwame Anthony Appiah
How does the concept of honor inspire moral revolutions? What is the ethical code at the core of dueling? How does dishonor lead to fundamental changes in behavior and shifts in entire moral systems? These questions lie at the core of a fascinating discussion about the nature and origin of ethical practices. Join WHY? as we interview K. Anthony Appiah, as he discusses his new book The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen. Talk with us as we draw lines between British aristocratic duels, “honor killings’ in Pakistan, the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade, and foot-biding in turn-of-the-century China. As Appiah shows, by focusing on the age-old question of honor, we can see, more clearly than ever, why moral beliefs are what they are.
Kwame Anthony Appiah is the Laurance S. Rockefeller University Professor in the Department of Philosophy and the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. He is widely published with diverse interests. Some of his books include:In My Father’s House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture, Color Conscious: The Political Morality of Race, The Ethics of Identity andCosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers and Cosmopolitanism.
Why? host Jack Russell Weinstein explains: “Anthony is precisely the kind of person we want on this show. A diverse thinker who takes philosophical risks. A clear and accessible writer who can communicate the profound to every kind of audience. I’m thrilled to be able to learn from him and to have him challenge my understanding of what morality is and where it comes from.”
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A Secular Age
Jack Russell Weinstein and Charles Taylor
Even the most religious of people understand that their belief is only one option of many; a different attitude than those who lived 500 years ago when theological commitments were so automatic as to not be questioned. What caused this radical cultural shift? This is the question Charles Taylor seeks to answer in his new book A Secular Age. In doing so, he asks about the nature of religion, the meaning of secularism, and the history of how much of the world shifted from the former approach to the latter. Join WHY? as we ask about this innovative and important topic, and connect it to Taylor’s long career of influential philosophical study.
WHY?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says,” I’m overwhelmed by the opportunity to talk with Charles Taylor. His work has been so important to me, but even more so, a conversations with him, early in my career, helped focus my thoughts for a decade or more. I can say with confidence that not only is he a kind and accessible person, but he is also one of the smartest people I have had the good fortune to meet and learn from.”
Charles Taylor is one of the most important and influential philosophers alive today. His 1992 book Sources of the Self continues to impact a great deal of contemporary philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and other disciplines. Taylor is Professor Emeritus at McGill University, a recipient of the prestigious Templeton Prize, the author of more than a dozen books, and countless scholarly articles.
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The Profession of Philosophy Redux
Jack Russell Weinstein and Brian Leiter
Brian Leiter joined Why? in April but technical difficulties prevented us have having anything but a short conversation. In this episode, he generously returns to try again.
What is the difference between a philosopher and a philosophy professor? What does the world think a philosopher is and how does this square with the philosopher’s own self-image? The next episode of Why? looks closely at the philosopher’s job, exploring both the perennial question of its relevance and the tremendously competitive hiring process that almost every professional philosopher must endure. Join guest Brian Leiter for an insider’s look at the profession of philosophy, and a discussion about the future of the discipline: where is philosophy now, how has it changed, and how will it evolve over the next decades?Brian Leiter founded the University of Chicago Law School’s Center for Law, Philosophy, and Human Values when he joined their faculty in July 2008. His teaching and research interests are in philosophy of law, moral and political philosophy, and Continental philosophy. Most pertinently, he is the gatekeeper to philosophy’s official unofficial rankings, maintaining “The Philosophical Gourmet” an annually updated list of the most prestigious graduate programs. He also maintains three blogs, one on Nietzsche, one on law school, and “The Leiter Reports,” a compendium of professional news, issues in the profession, and news clippings related to philosophy as a discipline and as a career. His scholarly books include Objectivity in Law and Morals, Nietzsche on Morality, The Future for Philosophy, Naturalizing Jurisprudence: Essays on American Legal Realism and Naturalism in Legal Philosophy, and The Oxford Handbook of Continental Philosophy. Leiter holds an AB from Princeton University, and a JD and PhD in philosophy from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Why?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says, “Obviously, the profession of philosophy is always on my mind, but what happens when we explore it philosophically? What do we learn by turning the philosophical lens on ourselves? I’m excited to have Brian here to ask some of the most basic questions of all: how do philosophers make their money and are they of use to anyone at all.”
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Domestic Violence and the Law: China vs. the U.S.A.
Jack Russell Weinstein and Robin Runge
In March of 2010, Robin Runge traveled to Beijing to train Chinese judges to better deal with issues of domestic violence in the law; this was her second such visit. In comparing the Chinese and American systems, she has able to see those areas in which American law better responds to the needs of the community and those areas in which the Chinese system does. In this episode of Why? we will discuss her experiences and address central questions in the philosophy of law. What counts as evidence? How ought the court deal with a he said/she said situation? In what ways can judges work with the police to promote better investigations? How do cultural differences affect legal frameworks, and to what extent is domestic violence a violation of human rights?
Robin R. Runge is an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of North Dakota School of Law where she teaches in the Employment and Housing Law Clinic. Professor Runge taught public interest lawyering and domestic violence law at The George Washington University Law School, and domestic violence law at The American University Washington College of Law. From 2003 to 2009, Professor Runge was Director of the Commission on Domestic Violence at the American Bar Association where she managed all aspects of Commission programming including developing training curricula for attorneys, writing articles and speaking domestically and internationally on various aspects of domestic violence and the legal response to domestic violence including the employment rights of domestic violence victims. Previously, Professor Runge was Deputy Director and Coordinator of the Program on Women’s Employment Rights (POWER) at the D.C. Employment Justice Center and the Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Employment Project at the Employment Law Center, Legal Aid Society of San Francisco.
Why‘s host Jack Russell Weinstein says, “trying to discuss domestic violence philosophically is a real challenge, as is comparing legality and morality. Having Robin on the show helps us take a fresh look at a complex and difficult subject – a subject that needs much more attention.”
*View the link below to see a video of Hyeon-Ju the ABA’s Rule of Law Country Director for China (until July 2011). She is talking about all of the work of the Beijing office including the judicial training Robin helped with in March 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/user/abaruleoflaw#p/a/u/0/IDDpT5MtkHs -
Exporting Democracy Revisited: A Report From Romania
Jack Russell Weinstein and Paul E. Sum
Last year, Paul Sum joined us to talk about the possibilities of exporting the American model of democracy to other countries. He was about to embark on a one-year trip to Romania to examine their transition to democracy. Now he’s back and ready to share what he learned. Join us for a conversation about what democracy looks like in Eastern Europe now, at this very moment, and how the reality compares to our hopes and theories.
Paul Sum is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Dakota. His interests were shaped through his experience during an earlier trip to Romania as a Visiting Scholar and Fellow at Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj (1996-1998). He has worked with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. Department of State (formerly the U.S. Information Agency), the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, Democracy International, and the International Research & Exchanges Board. His work includes monitoring elections and campaigns, assessing pre and post-election voter surveys, and evaluating the impact of various democracy assistance programs in Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, and Romania among other locations. He remains on staff as a Visiting Professor at Babeş-Bolyai University in Romania and has taught at Tulane University and Northwestern University. He is particularly interested in the background and motivations of civil society activists in the post-communist world. He has been widely published, but work in this specific area have appeared in East European Politics & Societies and the Romanian Journal of Science and Politics. He is currently completing an edited volume for Lexington Books titled Romania under Basescu.
Why?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says “Paul Sum has a great mind, and I can think of no better guide to the philosophy of democracy as it exists in Eastern Europe. I’m anxious to learn how American values and ideals transfer to other countries and what America, in turn, can learn from others. It’s always a pleasure to have Paul on the show.”
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Eric Sevareid and the Philosophy of Journalism
Jack Russell Weinstein and Clay Jenkinson
What constitutes serious journalism? Can a reporter be a philosopher? How did broadcast journalism change the philosophy behind news reporting? These are just some of the questions that come to mind when one thinks about the life and work of Eric Sevareid. Born in Velva, North Dakota, Sevareid was one of America’s most influential broadcast journalists. One of “Murrow’s Boys” – named as such because of his extensive work with the legendary Edward R. Murrow – his reports on World War II captivated America. On this episode of Why?, Clay Jenkinson returns to examine Sevareid’s legacy and the ways in which journalism has changed since then. Discussing his current documentary project on the legendary reporter and Sevareid’s autobiography Not So Wild A Dream, Jenkinson will explore the impact journalism has on the world around us and ways in which autobiography reveals how one person, at least, crafted and pursued his personal mission.
The episode also celebrates the new “philosophy issue” of North Dakota Humanities Council’s magazine On Second Thought. Click here download a copy. Or, click here to read it online.
A cultural commentator who has devoted most of his professional career to public humanities programs, Clay Jenkinson is the host of public radio’s The Thomas Jefferson Hour. He has been honored by two United States presidents for his work. On November 6, 1989, he received one of the first five Charles Frankel Prizes, the National Endowment for the Humanities’ highest award (now called the National Humanities Medal), at the nomination of the NEH Chair, Lynne Cheney. Since his first work with the North Dakota Humanities Council in the late 1970s, including a pioneering first-person interpretation of Meriwether Lewis, Clay Jenkinson has made thousands of presentations throughout the United States and its territories, including Guam and the Northern Marianas. He is also the author of numerous books.
Why?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says, “Sevareid is a romantic figure who builds his sense of self on an idealized North Dakota childhood. These days, Clay Jenkinson is probably America’s most recognized North Dakota romantic. I can therefore think of no better person to channel Sevareid and no more appropriate mind to explore these issues with. I’m thrilled for Clay’s return to the show and for the opportunity to once again examine how the lives of North Dakotans reveal the larger human experience.”
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Empathy, the Constitution, and Sexual Orientation
Jack Russell Weinstein and Martha Craven Nussbaum
Should America allow gay marriage? Are demands for civil rights by homosexuals analogous to earlier movements for equality by black Americans, women, and others? How have personal attitudes – particularly disgust – shaped law in the United States? This episode of Why? will focus on the enlarging sphere of respect that American culture is cultivating for all of its members, as well as the role the humanities play in articulating political rights. Join us for a discussion about constitutional interpretation regarding same-sex relations, and the role that the ethical and sympathetic imagination plays in recognizing the humanity of others.
Martha Nussbaum is one of the most distinguished and important philosophers living today. She is the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, appointed in the Philosophy Department, Law School and Divinity School. She is an Associate in the Classics Department and the Political Science Department, a Member of the Committee on Southern Asian Studies, and a Board Member of the Human Rights Program. She is the founder and Coordinator of the Center for Comparative Constitutionalism. She received her BA from NYU and her MA and PhD from Harvard, and has taught at Harvard, Brown, and Oxford Universities.
Her publications include Aristotle’s De Motu Animalium (1978),The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy (1986, updated edition 2000), Love’s Knowledge (1990), The Therapy of Desire (1994), Poetic Justice (1996), For Love of Country (1996), Cultivating Humanity: A Classical Defense of Reform in Liberal Education(1997), Sex and Social Justice (1998), Women and Human Development (2000), Upheavals of Thought: The Intelligence of Emotions (2001), Hiding From Humanity: Disgust, Shame, and the Law (2004), Frontiers of Justice: Disability, Nationality, Species Membership (2006), The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Violence, and India’s Future (2007), and Liberty of Conscience: In Defense of America’s Tradition of Religious Equality (2008). From Disgust to Humanity: Sexual Orientation and Constitutional Law will be published in February 2010. She has also edited thirteen books. Her Supreme Court Foreword, “Constitutions and Capabilities,” appeared in 2007 and will ultimately become a book to be published by Harvard. Her current work in progress includes: Not For Profit: Liberal Education and Democratic Citizenship (Princeton); The Cosmopolitan Tradition (Harvard); Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach (Harvard); and Compassion and Capabilities (Cambridge).
Why?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein explains “Martha Nussbaum’s work has been both a tremendous influence professionally and an immeasurable inspiration personally. If there’s something I want to write about, in virtually every instance, she’s been there first. At the same time, she’s accessible, interesting, and concerned with reaching out to the general public. I’m tremendously excited to have her on the show – if time permitted, I would interview her for hours.”
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The Profession of Philosophy
Jack Russell Weinstein and Brian Leiter
Plagued with technical difficulties, the first two thirds of this episode features host Jack Russell Weinstein offering his thoughts on the topic, responding to internet questions, and meditating on his own experiences as a philosophy professor. Brian Leiter appears for a brief discussion towards the end; we hope to have him on again and apologize to him and to listeners who were looking forward to the extended discussion.
What is the difference between a philosopher and a philosophy professor? What does the world think a philosopher is and how does this square with the philosopher’s own self image? The next episode of Why?looks closely at the philosopher’s job, exploring both the perennial question of its relevance and the tremendously competitive hiring process that almost every professional philosopher must endure. Join guest Brian Leiter for an insider’s look at the profession of philosophy, and a discussion about the future of the discipline: where is philosophy now, how has it changed, and how will it evolve over the next decades?
Brian Leiter founded the University of Chicago Law School’s Center for Law, Philosophy, and Human Values when he joined their faculty in July 2008. His teaching and research interests are in philosophy of law, moral and political philosophy, and Continental philosophy. Most pertinently, he is the gatekeeper to philosophy’s official unofficial rankings, maintaining “The Philosophical Gourmet” an annually updated list of the most prestigious graduate programs. He also maintains three blogs, one on Nietzsche, one on law school, and “The Leiter Reports,” a compendium of professional news, issues in the profeson, and news clippings related to philosophy as a discipline and as a career. His scholarly books include Objectivity in Law and Morals, Nietzsche on Morality, The Future for Philosophy, Naturalizing Jurisprudence: Essays on American Legal Realism and Naturalism in Legal Philosophy, and The Oxford Handbook of Continental Philosophy. Leiter holds an AB from Princeton University, and a JD and PhD in philosophy from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Why?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says, “Obviously, the profession of philosophy is always on my mind, but what happens when we explore it philosophically? What do we learn by turning the philosophical lens on ourselves? I’m excited to have Brian here to ask some of the most basic questions of all: how do philosophers make their money and are they of use to anyone at all.”
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The Humanities in America: The Case for Public Funding
Jack Russell Weinstein and Brenna Daugherty
What are the humanities and why are they important? How can the National Endowment for the Humanities claim that their activities are “critical to our common civic life as a nation?” And most controversially, should the U.S. government fund such cultural endeavors? In this episode of Why? we examine the philosophical issues related to what has come to be called the public humanities: the effort of both private and governmental organizations to create and supports events that disseminate philosophy, history, literature, and other arts to the general public.
A North Dakota native, Brenna Daugherty is currently the executive director of the North Dakota Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. She received a master’s degree in Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School in June 2005. Brenna has been awarded the Prudential Spirit of Community Award Bronze medal, a STAND Leader Americorp Education Award, and the Concordia College Servant Leadership Award for her work with early intervention for college attendance. At Concordia, her undergraduate alma mater, she was a founding member of TOCAR, a tri-college anti-racism initiative, and while at Harvard she was a founding member of Equitas, a social justice think tank.
Why?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says, “I can think of no single person who is more intrinsic to the dissemination of the humanities in North Dakota. It is exciting to get the chance to talk theory with Brenna. Why should the community support what she does? Why are the humanities key to the development of citizenship? This discussion is going to be more controversial than one might otherwise think.”
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Ideology and Curriculum: 30 Years of a Discussion
Jack Russell Weinstein and Michael W. Apple
What political and economic forces affect teachers as they write their lesson plans? How does socialization create the kind of education we give our children? Why isn’t school politically neutral? In our next episode of Why? we will ask these questions and more, focusing on Michal Apple’s influential book Ideology and Curriculum. For thirty years, the book has challenge educators, directed policy conversations, and inspired those who want to think differently about schools and their roles in a democracy.
Professor Michael W. Apple is John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He teaches courses in curriculum theory and research and in the sociology of curriculum. His major interests lie in the relationship between culture and power in education. He has many influential publications including the books,Ideology and Curriculum, The State and Politics of Education. Educating the “Right” Way: Markets, Standards, God and Inequality, Official Knowledge: Democratic Knowledge in a Conservative Age; Cultural Politics and Education;Education and Power.
Why?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says, “This book helped me better understand what it means to be a teacher and what I bring to my classroom. I’m very excited to talk with Michael and further challenge my understanding of what education is. I’m hoping that school teachers, parents, and anyone who has an interest in what happens in our schools will call or write in, making this a lively and unpredictable discussion.
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Fiction as Philosophy
Jack Russell Weinstein and Rebecca Goldstein
Philosophy tries to discover Truth, but more often than not it tells stories, relying on allegories, parables, and dialogues at key moments. What happens when a professional philosopher decides to embrace this method, and how does it affect the philosophy at the core of the story? Join WHY? as we interview Rebecca Goldstein, author of such novels as 36 Arguments for the Existence of God, The Mind-Body Problem, Mazel, and Strange Attractors. How do truth and fiction relate? How does one move back and forth from scholarly research to popular fiction, and, most of all, how does fiction relate to discovery?
Rebecca Goldstein has taught at Barnard and Trinity Colleges, and Rutgers, Columbia, Brandeis, and Harvard University. She is the author of numerous scholarly articles, two non-fiction books on Gödel and Spinoza, seven novels, and numerous short stories. She has been a MacArthur Fellow.
Why’s host Jack Russell Weinstein says, “I am tremendously impressed by how Rebecca straddles the literary and philosophical world. I think few philosophers today have her capacity to go so deep into the rabbit hole, and I’m anxiously awaiting the opportunity to go in there with her.”
Airing since 2009, Why? Radio is a philosophical podcast hosted by Professor Jack Russell Weinstein. It aims to show that all philosophy is relevant to our day-to-day lives and that everyone is doing philosophy all the time, we just don’t know it. This collection archives all episodes from its inception to the present day.
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