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Thursday, October 15, 2020

Midterm Blogpost - Cole Walker

 CoPhi: That Podcast With Philosophers

Me: Hey everyone and welcome back to "CoPhi" your one and only podcast featuring real philosophers and even realer conversations. I am your personal host through this, Cole Walker. Let's get started with a few question everyone, but first how about we introduce our guests; Nigel Warburton, Kurt Anderson, and Julian Baggini. Welcome guys we are happy to have you here with us.

Nigel Warburton: Pleasure to be here Cole!

Kurt Anderson: Glad to be on the show. 

Julian Baggini: Thank you for having me on the podcast.

Me: Of course everyone, the pleasure was all mine. I'd like to take a minute to thank you all for making times in your schedules to join us here today so we will get right to it. "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?"

Nigel Warburton: As a podcaster myself I just want to say that I respect your work and what you do on this channel. I do think that Philosophy can help in all aspects of life and that should bring us all together and let us think freely about what we have learned, can learn, and cannot learn. There is lots of separation today between many different groups, cultures, religions, and the list goes on, but I think if we all make a valiant effort we can still come out on top with success in one hand and freedom in the other.

Me: I would like to point out this video Nigel, before the podcast we were talking about how social media and technology affects society and I think this video does it in a healthy way. Kurt, I do believe you're next so take the stage.

Kurt Anderson: I do believe that there are many grounds for belief on this question, but my own personal opinion varries. I think that philosophy can influences and help many things but I think it can also do the direct opposite if it is used the wrong way. There have been many times in early history and even the start of the US that the philosophies of people are far from accurate or even moral. So, I think that it can go both way but my hope is that it continues to do good and not harm.

Me: Thank you Kurt, I very much agree with you on this topic and have my own personal opinions about it, but let me approach the question for Julian with a video that I found myself watching late into the hours of the night a few weeks ago. 



Julian Baggini: Thank you Cole for sharing your insight on that particular vehicle. I do think that philosophy directly helps society and all of its inner workings. From the Western to Eastern styles, each have their differences but both are meant for helping their citizens and giving them appropriate moral compasses. This is something iu touch on a lot in my books because it fairly important to me that others learn about philosphy. 

Me: Wow you guys really know your stuff! This is a great start but hopefully we are ready to start with some more question. I think an extremely important question comes from William James when he says, "What is this world going to be? What is life eventually to make of itself?

Nigel Warburton: I think there are to possible outcomes for how life will be for humans in the future. Either everyone indulges in thought and we start thinking more rationally and making more informed decisions that have lasting effects or we drift away from intellectual thought and begin to fall down the path that we have so ineloquently put ourselves on.

Kurt Anderson: I have touched on where our country is going in Fantasyland, but I would like to make it a bit more clear for those who haven't read it or those who have read it and don't understand where I am going. I think that if we continue down the current road of manipulation and false freedom then we will find ourselves in a place where we cannot get back from. Somewhere so far from any inkling of intelligence that it will become taboo to think about anything at all. Fantasyland is where we live and it has made us who we are, but we made it first. Fatal flaws founded this country and will probably end it.

Julian Baggini: I think this world has much potential, it needs a strong push in the right direction but I truly do believe with the right leaders and media we can make it what it needs to be. There was never a place in history when no one had faults so there is no reason why we should believe we are doomed now. We stick together and use the tools and tactics we have to build the best world possible.

Me: These comments have given us much to think on men. I would like to formally thank you for coming out to the podcast today even under the turmoil across the world right now. Also a friendly reminder that this was done in a controlled environment 10 feet from each other with masks. Have a great day everyone and join us back next time on "CoPhi: That Podcast With Philosphers". I've been your host, Cole Walker.



2 comments:

  1. A little more summary of the video contents, please.

    We need to distinguish "the philosophies of people" (which are indeed frequently inaccurate, fantasy-filled, dishonest etc.) from the discipline of philosophy which is dedicated to the search for truth, facts, reality, and wisdom.

    Agreed, we should not surrender to "doom"... We should use every tool, philosophy included, to try and lift ourselves out of Fantasyland.

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