Is Descartes an earlier version of the contemporary argument that we're living in a simulation, or the evil demon? Is the simulation rather than Bayesian reasoning? "The whole question is about being connected to reality as opposed to being a kind of figment," he says. Why did Shakespeare tell this story about a royal family that doesn't matter historically because they all killed each other? why not tell the story of Fortenborough?
Is a written dialogue the best way to learn from philosopher Agnes Callard?
If so, what does that say about philosophy? Is Plato’s Symposium about love or mere intoxication? If good people lived forever, would they be less bored than the bad people? Should we fear death? Is parenting undertheorized? Must philosophy rely on refutation? Should we read the classics? Is Jordan Peterson’s moralizing good? Should we take Socrates at his word? Is Hamlet a Cartesian? Are we all either Beethoven or Mozart people? How do we get ourselves to care about things we don’t yet care about? To what should we aspire to?
Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.
Recorded March 22nd, 2018 Other ways to connect