Episode 203: Julian Baggini
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Upholding the Tradition of Hume for the 21st Century
No one will accuse our next guest of doing philosophy in an isolated fashion. Julian Baggini is a writer and philosopher, and currently the Director of the Royal Institute of Philosophy. His latest book is titled “How the World Thinks: A Global History of Philosophy.”
Julian is also the co-founder of The Philosophers' Magazine and has written for numerous international newspapers and magazines.
Julian and Greg discuss the legacy of Hume in this episode, while also diving into how someone can stay a generalist in the modern philosophy world, the scarcity of common sense and the sincerity of moral arguments.
Episode Quotes:
The most objective way of seeing the world
33:16: The most objective way of seeing the world is purely through your own eyes, your own sort of words with reference to nothing else. Your view becomes more objective the more you can see the world in ways that can be shared with other people and perhaps ultimately with creatures that have very different perceptual apparatus to us and so forth.
A little critical thinking is a dangerous thing
09:22: People say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. A little critical thinking is a dangerous thing if you don't do it very well.
Why is it that philosophers still disagree about everything?
15:29: So you've only got two explanations:. One is that some people are more intelligent than others. Some philosophers simply are better philosophers than others. They've got the right answer and the people who disagree with them have got the wrong answer. Or that people of equal intelligence, knowledge, and skills and all these things can make different judgments about which way to jump on something. That's the uncomfortable but honest answer.
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Guest Profile:
Professional Profile at The Guardian
Speaker’s Profile at VBQ Speakers
Julian Baggini at TEDxYouth@Manchester
His Work:
Life: A User’s Manual: Philosophy for Every and Any Eventuality
A Short History of Truth: Consolations for a Post-Truth World
The Edge of Reason: A Rational Skeptic in an Irrational World
The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: 100 Experiments for the Armchair Philosopher
The Great Guide: What David Hume Can Teach Us about Being Human and Living Well