Editor's Note: Thanks to Noah Dunn for this submission. Readers with some writing chops who have resources and/or thoughts to share relevant to the current PEL episode (or past ones) are always invited to contribute to this blog. We also welcome submissions covering current events in philosophy (e.g. reviews of recently released books or philosophical reviews of films or other Continue Reading …
The Self and Selfishness (and Aesthetics and “The Fountainhead”)
I'm continuing to try to get some Rand thoughts related to The Fountainhead out of my system so that I won't feel the need to bring them up while on the episode devoted to her more straightforwardly philosophical works. I also feel the periodic need for synthesis, to try to recap some ongoing themes in our episodes in a way that would require an overly long monologue if I tried Continue Reading …
Philosophy as “Literary” (or “Is the Sky So Very Big?”)
Following up on my recent post skeptical of a strong formulation of the difference between philosophy and science, I've been thinking about the character of many philosophical claims, particularly in light of my current reading of Rand. In addition to the readings for the podcast proper (which I'll post about within the next week, but I can tell you right now that we're Continue Reading …
Pathetically Rand
Enough said: Rand clearly thought of herself as one of these creators. In an interview with Mike Wallace she declared herself "the most creative thinker alive." ... Two years later, Rand told Wallace that "the only philosopher who ever influenced me" was Aristotle. Otherwise, everything came "out of my own mind." She boasted to her friends and to her publisher at Random House, Continue Reading …