Replication
Philosopher Daniel Dennett talks about the importance of self-reproduction. When conditions are just right, he observes, collections of molecules can make copies of themselves. According to Professor Dennett, this starts a snow-balling process which...
Republicanism and Freedom
Philosopher Michael Sandel talks about the republican conception of freedom, which he characterizes as one that emphasizes the importance of citizens sharing in self-government. Professor Sandel adds that this notion of freedom also emphasizes that ...
Reductive Theories of the Self
Philosopher Charles Taylor discusses his ideas about what he calls "reductive theories of human beings." Professor Taylor explains that, by reductive, he means simplifying explanations and ideas that normally require "rich language" and substituting...
Recognition in the Formation of Self
Philosopher Charles Taylor talks about ways in which one's identity is worked out with other people. He discusses the paramount importance of recognition, by which he means acceptance for what you are by people that really matter. An example in chil...
How Old Is The Mind? (Part 1)
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about the concept of the mind, and how it's changed since the time of the early Greeks. He notes that Descartes was the first to say intellect, soul and mind are one and the same thing.
How Old Is The Mind? (Part 2)
Philosopher Hilary Putnam expands on his views about the mind, noting that Freud and most others in the psychology arena disputed the notion that the functioning of the mind is entirely conscious. Professor Putnam adds that with very few exceptions,...
Human Flourishing
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum looks at Aristotle's ideas about the goal of both personal life and political planning. She says it was based on the idea of human flourishing, rather than simply happiness or contentment.
Nietzsche and the Death of God
Philosopher Hubert Dreyfus talks about Friedrich Nietzsche's views on God, then flashes back to the time of Plato, before moving forward again and exploring the question: what happens to a culture which is organized around the notion of God as a sin...
Ontological Relativity
Philosopher W.V. Quine talks about ontological relativity, which says that the objects a theory deals with or talks about--the objects that are values of its variables or referred to by its essential pronouns--can be changed arbitrarily. The only ca...
Quantum Mechanics
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about the challenge philosophers face in trying to interpret scientific functions --such as quantum mechanics-- when the effects are observable, but the function itself is not.