Why? Radio Podcast Archive

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  WHY? Goes to China: Young, Female, and Upwardly Mobile in Shanghai

  Jack Russell Weinstein, Catherine Gao, and Sheryl Jiang

  IN MAY, 2012, WHY? WAS INVITED TO CHINA TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND, INTERVIEW WHO WE COULD FIND, AND TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT A COUNTRY THAT SEEMS TO BE BLAMED FOR ALL OF AMERICA’S PROBLEMS. THE RESULT: A HALF-DOZEN SHOWS WITH GUESTS RANGING FROM CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO FOUR AFRICAN MUSICIANS TRYING TO MAKE IT BIG IN SHANGHAI. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN EXPATRIATE LIVING IN CHINA AND DO THEY HAVE MORE FREEDOM THAN CHINESE NATIONALS? WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF AN ELITE CHINESE PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL? WHAT IS THE STATE OF ENVIRONMENTALISM IN THE POLLUTED COUNTRY AND HOW MUCH HOLD DOES CONFUCIUS’S PHILOSOPHY HAVE OVER THE COUNTRY AND ITS POLITICIANS? ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED WHEN WHY? GOES TO CHINA!

  Catherine and Sheryl are in the early twenties, studying at a major university, and are ready to take on the world. They are two Chinese women with every opportunity in the world, and they, like everyone their age, want to know how to proceed. How does it feel to be the hope of a nation, the first generation to experience economic security and freedom of movement? Join WHY? as we ask what it’s like to grow up amidst the fastest changes in Chinese history.

  WHY?’s trip to China was supported in part by The American Culture Center – Shanghai at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, through a partnership between USST and the University of North Dakota, supported by the US Department of State.

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  WHY? Goes to China: Music Without Borders

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Noukilla

  IN MAY, 2012, WHY? WAS INVITED TO CHINA TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND, INTERVIEW WHO WE COULD FIND, AND TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT A COUNTRY THAT SEEMS TO BE BLAMED FOR ALL OF AMERICA’S PROBLEMS. THE RESULT: A HALF-DOZEN SHOWS WITH GUESTS RANGING FROM CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO FOUR AFRICAN MUSICIANS TRYING TO MAKE IT BIG IN SHANGHAI. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN EXPATRIATE LIVING IN CHINA AND DO THEY HAVE MORE FREEDOM THAN CHINESE NATIONALS? WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF AN ELITE CHINESE PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL? WHAT IS THE STATE OF ENVIRONMENTALISM IN THE POLLUTED COUNTRY AND HOW MUCH HOLD DOES CONFUCIUS’S PHILOSOPHY HAVE OVER THE COUNTRY AND ITS POLITICIANS? ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED WHEN WHY? GOES TO CHINA!

  Music crosses cultures, but how about the messages it imparts? How do you get an audience to dance, laugh, or even think, when you sing to them in a different language? And what if the music that one person thinks of as a relaxing party-soundtrack is actually regarded as dangerous and revolutionary? Join WHY? as we talk with the Shanghai band Noukilla and ask how five African musicians are breaking ground new ground in the Chinese world music scene while remaining true to their own roots, experiences, and music.

  Noukilla are five friends from the Island of Mauritius, who came to Shanghai/China in 2005. While playing cover songs with different bands in the city and working as session musicians at the same time, they regularly came together to play tunes from their far away home. Under the name of Gymga – Gilbert, Yan, Macleen, Giovani and Alain – they recorded their first CD with Reggae cover songs.

  Their unconditional love for music led to the birth of Noukilla (meaning ‘Here we are!’) in 2010, bringing original songs and their own style of Sega/Seggae-Fusion to the fans, who find words like “sunny, exotic, colorful, warm, happy, energetic, good mood” to describe the band. The mixture of their different ethnicities and backgrounds (African/Indian/British/French) reflects in their music with lyrics in Creole, French and English. Right now the band is preparing their first official release for summer this year. Listen to their music at www.noukilla.com.

  WHY?’s trip to China was supported in part by The American Culture Center – Shanghai at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, through a partnership between USST and the University of North Dakota, supported by the US Department of State.

  Jack interviewed the band at a club, before a gig. Here are some scenes from the discussion:

  
  
  
  
  

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  WHY? Goes to China: Environmentalism Without Protest

  Jack Russell Weinstein, Lynn King, and Irving Steel

  IN MAY, 2012, WHY? WAS INVITED TO CHINA TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND, INTERVIEW WHO WE COULD FIND, AND TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT A COUNTRY THAT SEEMS TO BE BLAMED FOR ALL OF AMERICA’S PROBLEMS. THE RESULT: A HALF-DOZEN SHOWS WITH GUESTS RANGING FROM CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO FOUR AFRICAN MUSICIANS TRYING TO MAKE IT BIG IN SHANGHAI. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN EXPATRIATE LIVING IN CHINA AND DO THEY HAVE MORE FREEDOM THAN CHINESE NATIONALS? WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF AN ELITE CHINESE PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL? WHAT IS THE STATE OF ENVIRONMENTALISM IN THE POLLUTED COUNTRY AND HOW MUCH HOLD DOES CONFUCIUS’S PHILOSOPHY HAVE OVER THE COUNTRY AND ITS POLITICIANS? ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED WHEN WHY? GOES TO CHINA!

  In the United States, when we think of environmentalism we thing of Greenpeace, demonstrations, and boycotts. But what would environmentalism look like without protests? How can people be inspired to change their ways without petitions and social pressure, and how do you clean up a massive, industrial, over-polluted nation where food safety is a neglected concern? Join WHY? as we continue our exploration of modern China with guests Lynn King and Irving Steel. This episode was recorded live before an audience at the American Culture Center at the University Shanghai for Science and Technology.

  Lynn King is the Founder & Managing Director of SageVision: ReInventing Cities and the Director of Moving Eco Forum: Best of Expo Eco-Innovations. A leadership and management trainer, consultant, and coach since 1989, Lynn is also a founding member of China’s first chapter of NetImpact, a global network organization of professionals and students interested in social responsibility. Lynn has a Certificate in Organization and Systems Development (OSD) from The Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, a Master’s Degree in Organization Development from The Fielding Institute, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Princeton University.

  American Irving Steel LEED AP is the most promising young entrepreneur in Shanghai. He is Co-Founder and Development Director at innovative e8 Resources which is Driving Environmental Technologies For China. He is also the Founder & Membership Director at Green Drinks China as well as a Founding Member of the Green Building Professional Partnership – China (GBPP China). With thousands of followers, Irving has led the expansion in conferences, forums and partnerships with countless organizations. Having already been in China for close to 4 years, he clearly understands the needs of the market and has instigated relationships to create enormous positive impact. As a result of the network, Irving has developed a breadth of contacts to accelerate e8 in China and throughout Asia. Irving is fluent in English, French & Mandarin.

  WHY?’s trip to China was supported in part by The American Culture Center – Shanghai at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, through a partnership between USST and the University of North Dakota, supported by the US Department of State.

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  Lies My Teacher Told Me

  Jack Russell Weinstein and James W. Loewen

  In 1995, James Lowen published Lies My Teacher Told Me, a powerful critique of how American history is taught in schools. He surveyed twelve leading textbooks and found, in his words, ”an embarrassing amalgam of bland optimism, blind patriotism, and misinformation pure and simple, weighing in at an average of four-and-a-half pounds and 888 pages.” His book won the American Book Award, the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship, and the AESA Critics’ Choice Award. The book has sold over 1,250,000 copies.

  On this episode of Why? we will take another look at Loewen’s arguments and ask whether his critique still stands. More philosophically, we will ask how we should teach history. Do we present famous figures as heroes or flawed people? Do we write from the perspective of the victors or the losers? Do we investigate America as a multicultural land or as one people, undivided?

  James Loewen taught race relations for twenty years at the University of Vermont. Previously he taught at predominantly black Tougaloo College in Mississippi. He now lives in Washington, D.C., continuing his research on how Americans remember their past. He has also written: Lies Across America, Sundown Towns, Teaching What Really Happened, and The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader. He has been an expert witness in more than 50 civil rights, voting rights, and employment cases.

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  Are Corporations People?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Stephen M. Bainbridge

  In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations should be considered persons. They have the same rights as individuals, including the freedom to fund political campaigns. This led to a firestorm of debate with advocates arguing both sides, each pointing to the absolute necessity of their positions.

  On this episode of WHY?, we will ask what it means for a corporation to be a person, how collective action affects agency, and how these large companies are to be considered legally and morally accountable for their actions.

  Stephen Bainbridge is the William D. Warren Distinguished Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law in Los Angeles. He is a prolific scholar, whose work covers a variety of subjects, but with a strong emphasis on the law and economics of public corporations. He has written over 75 law review articles and numerous books. He has been a Salvatori Fellow with the Heritage Foundation and in 2008, he was named by Directorship magazine to its list of the 100 most influential people in the field of corporate governance.

  Stephen’s blog can be found here.

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  WHY? Goes to China: An Interview with host, Jack Russell Weinstein

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Bill Thomas

  IN MAY, 2012, WHY? WAS INVITED TO CHINA TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND, INTERVIEW WHO WE COULD FIND, AND TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT A COUNTRY THAT SEEMS TO BE BLAMED FOR ALL OF AMERICA’S PROBLEMS. THE RESULT: A HALF-DOZEN SHOWS WITH GUESTS RANGING FROM CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO FOUR AFRICAN MUSICIANS TRYING TO MAKE IT BIG IN SHANGHAI. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN EXPATRIATE LIVING IN CHINA AND DO THEY HAVE MORE FREEDOM THAN CHINESE NATIONALS? WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF AN ELITE CHINESE PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL? WHAT IS THE STATE OF ENVIRONMENTALISM IN THE POLLUTED COUNTRY AND HOW MUCH HOLD DOES CONFUCIUS’S PHILOSOPHY HAVE OVER THE COUNTRY AND ITS POLITICIANS? ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED WHEN WHY? GOES TO CHINA!

  Originally an episode of Hear it Now, Bill Thomas, Director of Radio at Prairie Public interviews WHY?’s host Jack Russell Weinstein about the WHY? Trip to China. Listen to behind the scenes details, hear about how the events played out, and get Jack’s personal reactions to the trip, the different culture, and China in general.

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  WHY? Goes to China: Confucius and Today’s China

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Daniel A. Bell

  IN MAY, 2012, WHY? WAS INVITED TO CHINA TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND, INTERVIEW WHO WE COULD FIND, AND TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT A COUNTRY THAT SEEMS TO BE BLAMED FOR ALL OF AMERICA’S PROBLEMS. THE RESULT: A HALF-DOZEN SHOWS WITH GUESTS RANGING FROM CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO FOUR AFRICAN MUSICIANS TRYING TO MAKE IT BIG IN SHANGHAI. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN EXPATRIATE LIVING IN CHINA AND DO THEY HAVE MORE FREEDOM THAN CHINESE NATIONALS? WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF AN ELITE CHINESE PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL? WHAT IS THE STATE OF ENVIRONMENTALISM IN THE POLLUTED COUNTRY AND HOW MUCH HOLD DOES CONFUCIUS’S PHILOSOPHY HAVE OVER THE COUNTRY AND ITS POLITICIANS? ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED WHEN WHY? GOES TO CHINA!

  Confucian philosophy plays an important role in the Chinese family, but what role does it play in politics? Chinese is a traditional society, but modern China is built on a break from the past. China holds dearly to its own past, but is experiencing more change than ever before. Join us for a discussion about how tradition works in a changing China and the importance of cities in moral life. This interview was recorded at The American Culture Center at The University of Shanghai for Science and Technology before a live audience.

  Daniel A. Bell (贝淡宁）has been teaching political theory in China for sixteen years. He is currently professor at Tsinghua University (Beijing) and Jiaotong University (Shanghai). He has published six books on East Asian politics and philosophy with Princeton University Press. He is a frequent contributor to the New York Times and other media outlets. His webpage is www.danielabell.com.

  WHY?’s trip to China was supported in part by The American Culture Center – Shanghai at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, through a partnership between USST and the University of North Dakota, supported by the US Department of State.

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  Does Science Give Us Truth?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Jan Golinski

  For thousands of years, people have looked to science to reveal the truth about nature – to conquer it or to discover its secrets. But there are others who think that this approach is deeply mistaken. Science, they say, tells us about our culture and reveals the ideas we bring to the laboratory. Is there such a thing as objectivity or does science just describe what we ourselves bring into the laboratory? On this episode of WHY? we are going to examine these questions and wade deep into what some philosophers call “the science wars.”

  Jan Golinski is Professor of History and Humanities at the University of New Hampshire where he teaches the history of European sciences since the Renaissance. He has published articles on the history of chemistry, on problems of method in the history of science, and on the social history of science in Britain in the long eighteenth century. He is the author of three books, Science as Public Culture: Chemistry and Enlightenment in Britain, 1760-1820, Making Natural Knowledge: Constructivism and the History of Science, and British Weather and the Climate of Enlightenment.

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  Love, Hate or Eat: How Humans Relate to Animals

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Hal Herzog

  Why do some cultures eat dogs and others invite them into their bedrooms? Why do some people find spiders disgusting but others consider them a delicacy? Who enjoyed a better quality of life—the chicken on a dinner plate or the rooster who dies in a Saturday-night cockfight? What can we really learn from experiments on mice?

  On the next episode of WHY? we’ll talk with author Hal Herzog about human attitudes towards animals, examine how rational we are when it comes to pets, and ask what all this tell us about ourselves. Drawing on more than two decades of research in the emerging field of anthrozoology, the new science of human–animal relations, Hal offers surprising answers to these and other questions related to the moral conundrums we face when considering the creatures with whom we share our world.

  Hal Herzog is Professor of Psychology at Western Carolina University. He has been investigating the complex psychology of our interactions with other species for more than two decades. He is particularly interested in how people negotiate real-world ethical dilemmas, and he has studied animal activists, cockfighters, animal researchers, and circus animal trainers. An award-winning teacher and researcher, he has written more than 100 articles and book chapters. His research has been published in journals such as Science, The American Psychologist, The Journal of the Royal Society, The American Scholar, New Scientist, Anthrozoös, BioScience, The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and Animal Behavior. His work has been covered by Newsweek, Slate, Salon, National Public Radio, Scientific American, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune and many other newspapers.

  Hal’s blog “Animals and Us” can be found here.

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  When do we talk about when we talk about economics?

  Jack Russell Weinstein and Deirdre N. McCloskey

  Everywhere we look there are “economic indicators.” We talk about the jobless rate and the national debt. We learn about the first quarter and evaluate movies by how much they earn on opening weekend. In the end, life insurance companies determine our “worth.” Does any of this make sense?

  On the next episode of WHY?, we’ll talk with economic historian Deirdre McCloskey about what these figures tell us and what they leave out. We’ll ask where the human experience is in the midst of all these numbers and investigate economic assumptions that claim human beings are self-interested, and that happiness or desires can be quantified. We’ll even ask whether economics is, itself, a science that leads to objective information.

  Deirdre McCloskey is a Distinguished Professor of Economics, History, English, and Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is also a Professor of Economic History, Gothenburg University in Sweden. She is interested in the rhetoric of economics and wider literary matters, such as literary and social theory. Her main project for is writing a six-volume series on “The Bourgeois Era.” The first two volumes The Bourgeois Virtues, Ethics for An Age of Commerce and Bourgeoisie Dignity: Why Economics Can’t Explain the Modern World, have already been published. Deirdre describes herself as is a free-market economist and explains that her project is a defense of capitalism that is fair to both the right and the left. She is the author of numerous other books other than her six-volume project. Her webpage and examples of her work can be found here.

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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

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  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

  PLATO: Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization

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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.”

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  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.”