Self in Historical Context (Part Three), The
Philosopher Charles Taylor continues his discussion of the self, tracing the evolution of the concept over time. Professor Taylor talks about the modern perspective of the self, which he describes as being two kinds of internal, self-examination tha...
Scientific Truth
Philosopher Ian Hacking makes the point that that there are many ways of looking at scientific truth, depending on the particular science involved. For example, he points out that botany, which he calls "basically a classificatory science," is very ...
Philosophy and Science
Philosopher W.V. Quine talks about what philosophy means to him and what philosophers do. He states that philosophy is very closely related to science and that there isn't a clear boundary between them.
Philosophy Over Time
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about philosophy since the time of Socrates. He notes that one constant about philosophy since the days of the ancient Greeks has been its concern with thinking carefully about how to live.
Philosophy, Justice, and the Meaning of Life
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum explains that Greek philosophers tried to convince people to consult them with their problems, rather than going to astrologers and magicians. Professor Nussbaum notes that philosophy can play an important role in society...
Philosophical Theology
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin discusses the philosophical theology views of Thomas Aquinas, Gottfried Leibniz, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Professor Toulmin relates an amusing comment from Wittgenstein, who once said when someone asked him if he believed...
Rationalism
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about rationalism, concluding that there have always been two driving forces behind it. On one hand, Professor Toulmin says, it comes from the desire to make theories as elegant as possible, which leads people to ma...
Perception
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about re-thinking his view of perception. He states that he's moving towards "direct realism"--the notion that we actually perceive real properties of things, rather than sensations conceived of as intermediaries.
How Do We Encounter Reality?
Philosopher Hubert Dreyfus talks about the intriguing professional relationship between Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. Although Husserl was Heidegger's mentor, the younger Heidegger was as much an influence on Husserl's philosophical beliefs a...
How A Child Learns Language (Part 2)
Philosopher W.V. Quine continues his discussion of how children learn language. He re-asserts the importance of instinct in the learning process, linking it to what he calls perceptual similarities associated with things to be avoided or pursued.