New Books in Philosophy

J. P. Messina discusses private censorship by non-state actors and its impact on freedom of expression. Topics include evolving forms of censorship from book burnings to social media de-platforming, complexities of identifying and responding to private censorship, differences between state and private censorship consequences, challenges faced by the press in maintaining editorial independence, and nuances of social media and search censorship.

How can we understand the changing power of race and gender to shape our reality? How shared is reality? Can narratives of experience help us develop these analyses? What role does embodiment play in shaping experience? In A Phenomenology for Women of Color: Merleau-Ponty and Identity-in-Difference (Lexington Books, 2024), Emily S. Lee uses the tools of critical phenomenology to deeply engage with the theoretical work of women of color to approach these questions. Through reconstructing phenomenological approaches, particularly as developed by Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Lee helps us see past a naturalization of the identity group “women of color” to understand more deeply the coalitional struggle its articulation involves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/philosophy

Eric Schwitzgebel, a philosophy professor, delves into speculative topics on consciousness and the cosmos. He discusses the plausibility of multiple universes, the concept of living in a simulation, and the value of intellectual play in exploring complex ideas. Schwitzgebel challenges conventional theories and encourages playful consideration of philosophical mysteries.

Stephen Phillips discusses the metaphysics of meditation in Vedanta, exploring the Isa Upanishad. Topics include mystical practices, the nature of reality, limitations of language, and the problem of evil. The podcast touches on translations of Shankara's theodicy, the disciplines of meditation, and action in the Bhagavad Gita commentary.

Philosopher Jon Robson challenges the pessimistic view of aesthetic testimony, arguing that aesthetic knowledge can be transmitted through testimony. He discusses contextualist optimism and the importance of context in forming aesthetic judgments. The podcast explores the debate between pessimists and optimists on aesthetic testimony, the existence of objective truth in aesthetics, and the interplay between aesthetic testimony and social epistemology.

Charlotte Witt, an accomplished author and academic, discusses the intriguing nature of social norms in her latest work. She examines how our roles, like those of professors or parents, impose unchosen obligations. Witt shares personal experiences from her culturally rich upbringing, highlighting how norms evolve and react to nonconformity. The dialogue dives into the artisanal model of norms, emphasizing care and craftsmanship in social practices, shedding light on the interplay of individual agency and hierarchical structures in shaping our societal roles.

Swearing can be a powerful communicative act, for good or ill. The same word can incite violence or increase intimacy. How is swearing so multivalent in its power? Is it just all those harsh “c” and “k” sounds? Does swearing take its power from taboo meaning? Why is swearing sometimes so funny? In For F*ck’s Sake: Why Swearing Is Shocking, Rude, and Fun (Oxford University Press, 2023), Rebecca Roache, host of the podcast The Academic Imperfectionist, offers us rich insights into the complex importance of swearing to help us understand who gets judged too harshly for doing it, why it’s important to be able to offend with swearing, why we might need to advocate for some swear words, and so much more.Sarah Tyson is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado, Denver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/philosophy

What makes a species a species? Aristotle answered the species question by positing unchanging essences, properties that all and only members of a species shared. Individuals belonged to a species by possessing this essence. Biologists and philosophers of biology today are either not essentialists at all, or if they are think there are essences they are relational, historical properties. In his provocative book Biological Essentialism (Oxford UP, 2023), Michael Devitt argues for a new form of biological essentialism in which intrinsic essences, probably largely genetic properties, are part of what tie species together and that the actual explanatory practices of biologists commit them to this view. Devitt, who is distinguished professor of philosophy, emeritus, at CUNY Graduate Center, responds to many philosophers critical of his position, and applies his essentialism to debates about race realism and anti-realism.Carrie Figdor is professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/philosophy

Explore the relationship between democracy and epistemology, focusing on responsible information gathering and historical critiques of citizen ignorance. Learn about the hazards of market-based thinking in democracy and how it interfaces with expert communities and public deliberation. Discover an integrated political epistemology for democracy through Lisa Herzog's book 'Citizen Knowledge: Markets, Experts, and the Infrastructure of Democracy'.

A proponent of the Madhyamaka tradition of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Candrakīrti wrote several works, one of which, the Madhamakāvatāra, strongly influenced later Tibetan understandings of Madhyamaka. This work is the subject of Jan Westerhoff’s Candrakīrti’s Introduction to the Middle Way: A Guide (Oxford University Press, 2024), part of the Oxford Guides to Philosophy series. His book situates Candarkīrti and his text within Indian and Tibetan Buddhism and helps philosophical readers appreciate the text’s main arguments and ideas. Chief among these is a commitment to the emptiness of all phenomena, especially but not only selves, which is the subject of the lengthy sixth chapter—analyzing what it means for things to lack any substantial existence and criticizing opposing positions. Candrakīrti also takes up topics in metaphilosophy (do critical arguments commit us to positive claims?), philosophy of mind (do enlightened beings have experience at all?), and semantics and logic (what is the difference between conventional and ultimate truth, and can we express the latter in language?). Westerhoff’s guide aims to help readers unfamiliar with Sanskrit or Tibetan navigate these ideas, pointing them to further scholarly and philosophical resources along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/philosophy