Lecture I: A Project of ‘Impure’ Enquiry—Descartes and Wittgenstein
Lecture II: ‘Philosophical Anthropology’—Hume and Nietzsche
Abstract: One of the dominant themes in Bernard Williams’ philosophy, especially his ethical philosophy, is the importance of history. This idea makes repeated appearances throughout his oeuvre, and in a number of different guises: one is the importance to philosophy of having a sense of itself as a contingently shaped way of making sense of life; another is the importance of observing the limits of speculative...
Abstract: There are two observed features of aesthetic judgment which seem distinctive from other kinds of judgment, especially scientific judgment. First, we often do not...
Abstract: Gunther Anders’ philosophy of technology, particularly his complex notion of ‘Promethean Shame,’ or technological ressentiment, may be brought to bear on surveillance and questions of AI...
Abstract: Here is a familiar story. Up until the early 17th century, physics was a part of philosophy. Then the Scientific Revolution happened – including Newton’s ...
Abstract: This chapter revisits the metaphilosophical critique offered in Charles Mills’ The Racial Contract. My analysis will focus on explicating Mills’ characterization of the “Racial Contract”—and nonideal theory more broadly—as a conceptual bridge. I consider three questions: (a) what is the nature of the domains such a bridge purports to connect (b) what is the function and orientation of the bridge (c) what is the relationship between once isolated domains after a bridge has been built? In answering these questions, I outline several features of the bridge’s...
Abstract: I will argue that objectivity is a normative notion. By this I don’t mean that objectivity has normative qualities such as being valuable or worth striving for. That may be true, but it’s not the claim defended here....
Boston University, College of General Studies, 871 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02215
Diversifying Philosophy 101 is a day-long teaching practicum for those interested in making their introductory philosophy curricula more inclusive and more representative. Five expert instructors will deliver presentations on philosophical figures from underrepresented groups—each suitable for inclusion in contemporary university syllabi. Presentations will feature... Read more about Diversifying Philosophy 101: A Teaching Practicum
Apologies are a central feature of our moral lives. When we have been wronged, we often hope for nothing more than an apology. And when we are the ones to have wronged someone, we often feel compelled to apologise.
Insofar as moral philosophy has taken up the practice of apology, the focus has been on apologies for grave wrongdoing or historical injustice. In contrast, my topic here are the everyday apologies we give and receive in our moral practice, which include not just grave wrongs but small...