Blake Hughes
Section 010
Midterm Essay
Me: Hello, everyone! It is so very lovely, to meet you all. I hope you all are doing well, and had a pleasant drive here today.
I kindly greet Kurt Andersen, Nigel Warburton, and Julian Baggini, as we all take our seats, in a large, modern boardroom. The walls around us are all tall, glass windows, perfectly capturing the mesmerizing view that overlooks the gorgeous crystal clear body of water that surrounds the outside.
Kurt: Hello, thank you for having us.
Julian: Hey.
Nigel: Hello! I hope you are all doing well, as well.
Me: Thank you! It’s my pleasure, to have you all here today. While I would love to just sit, and chat about the day-to-day, we are a bit on a time-limit, unfortunately. (not to mention the price to rent this room per hour, sheesh!)
Anyway, Let’s just jump straight into it. You are all infamously known for your ultra intriguing books, A Little History of Philosophy (Nigel), Fantasyland (Kurt), and How the World Thinks (Julian).
Now, I’m absolutely bursting to know how each of you would respond to this question:
"Do you think philosophy can help people learn to respect truth, facts, reality, and one another, and to reject falsehood, superstition, selfishness, polarization, partisanship, and mutual hostility based on differences of race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, belief, etc.? If so, how? If not, why not?”
Let’s start with you, Kurt.
Kurt: I agree, but I disagree, at the same time. I feel like it depends on what type of philosophical conversation is being had. I think right now, we are so divided, as a people, and a country, and so many of us tend to live life so black and white. I see people who feed off of the falsehood, superstitions, and conspiracy theories. Like I said, in my book, some are “dedicated to blurring the lines between the fictional and the real, people in the living history world became focused on what they called the authenticity of their simulations” (F, 224). Some people just refuse to acknowledge or respect anyone else’s point of view, and live in this false reality they’ve created, where they swear they’re right - even though it’s quite obvious they aren’t.
Me: Preach! I entirely agree. Nigel, Julian, would you like to chime in?
Julian: I’ll barge in, with a quote from my book. “Even if we can perceive reality unframed by concepts, it will still be framed by our perceptual and cognitive apparatus. You can take off the glasses of language, but our experiences of the world still have to come through the lends of human nature. To escape human perspective altogether would be to cease to be human and thus cease to exist not only as we know it, but as we could know it.” (HTWT, 33) We need the difference of opinions, and we need the division, in a way. It keeps us all going, and keeps giving us something to fight for, and discuss with one another. Does this mean philosophy can help people learn everything mentioned? I doubt it, but it isn’t impossible.
Me: Very interesting take, Julian. I definitely see what you mean. Nigel, would you like to share your thoughts and opinions?
Nigel: Of course. I would love to. I’m going to build off of both Kurt and Julian, and say it really depends on the person. For some people, I think philosophy absolutely can help understand, and change opinions, based on all that philosophy is. However, I believe it’s up to each person, in order to allow that help, and change, to happen.
Me: Excellent take!
Nigel: With all of that being said, however, sometimes, I feel it isn’t solely in that person’s control.
Me: How so?
Nigel: Well, I think a bigger factor, consists of the cards you’re dealt at random, by life. Like I say in my book, “The wheel of Fortune turns. Sometimes you are at the top; sometimes you are at the bottom. A wealthy king can find himself in poverty in a day.” (LHP, 42) I do believe the biggest factor is that of the person, and how willing they are, to be respectful of one another, accept the truth and opposing opinions, etc. But, if you’re going from a King, to a peasant, with the snap of the fingers, how willing would you be, to try and understand more beliefs, or agree with opposing opinions.
Me: That is quite an interesting point. I hadn’t even considered it like that.
Julian: Neither had I.
Kurt: Same here. You make a great point, Nigel.
Me: Now, before we split ways, I have one more questions for you guys. How would you answer William James's "really vital question for us all: What is this world going to be? What is life eventually to make of itself?"
Kurt: Hmm, that’s a tough one.
Julian: I think the world will end up like it is today. Still divided, regardless of what it’s about. History has a way of repeating itself, and I see there always being some type of argument, or disagreement.
Me: Sadly, I can see that.
Nigel: I see where you’re coming from, but I do have hope. I think there will always be disagreements, like you said, but I think the world will end up okay, and all the life that exists, later on.
Kurt: I believe I agree with that. I think the newer generations are going to be more respectful, and educated, and will make the world a bit better, or more peaceful. The newer generations were rarely shown with the respect they were taught themselves to show to others, so I don’t think they would want that part of History to repeat. But, you never know. I do feel like life will still be the same, more or less, with just advanced societies.
Me: That’s what I think, too. I remember an elementary school teacher I had told me, when she was in elementary school, that she had to write about what she thought the year 2000 would be like. She said she had went into this super sci-fi world, but here we are. I think your guess is very accurate. That is, if 2020 doesn’t end us all first.
We all share a light laugh together.
Me: Thank you, gentlemen, for meeting me here today, and sharing a bit of your insight.
All three men nod, and smile, as we wrap up, with a few pleasantries.
Feeling confident with the responses I received, we all go our separate ways, as I review my notes, in the taxi. It isn’t every day you get the opportunity to converse with very intelligent, interesting philosopher's, after all!
"life will still be the same, more or less, with just advanced societies" - how "advanced" would it be, though, if more or less the same? Wouldn't you rather bet on a significant advance, a world transformed? We'll have to get out of the 21st century alive, but if we do why not expect great things for humanity?
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