7 Ways of Reading Philosophy: #6 Reading for laughs
Why so serious? Philosophy, mood, and why sometimes, seriousness is overrated.
Series
27 Posts
7 Ways of Reading Philosophy #5: Reading While Drunk
Is drunkenness the enemy of philosophical sobriety? Or are there circumstances where drunkenness can make our philosophical insight more acute?
7 Ways of Reading Philosophy : #4 Reading Out Loud
When the going gets tough, it can be good to read philosophy out loud.
The Future of Work (Work #7)
In our final class, we're looking back at the last six weeks, and looking forward to ask about the future of work.
The Opposite of Work Part 2: Philosophy and Play (Work #6)
We spend a lot of our life not just working, but also playing. But what is play? In this class, we'll look at the serious business of play, and why it matters.
The Opposite of Work? All About Idleness (Work #5)
Is idleness a bad thing? Or does taking idleness more seriously offer us new possibilities for human liberation?
Spiritual Damage: How Work is Bad for Us (Work #4)
In the last piece, we explored the idea that work might just be the thing that saves us. But what if the reverse is true?
7 Ways of Reading Philosophy: #3 Reading self-interestedly
Why be a dutiful reader, when you can read self-interestedly?
The Goodness of Work: Virtue, work, and salvation (Work #3)
Work, according to Thomas Carlyle, is a purifying fire that saves us from all vices. But is Carlyle right? And is work really a path to virtue?
The Life of Activity: Work, Labour and Action (Work #2)
The philosopher Hannah Arendt provides an incisive account of work, labour and action. This week, we see how Arendt can help us think better about work.
"Love and Understanding": The tangle of love and wisdom (Love #7)
Is philosophy the love of wisdom? Or is it, as some philosophers have suggested, the wisdom of love? And what do love and wisdom have to do with each other anyway?
“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” Love, trust and the future (Love #6)
What does it mean to say "I love you"? And how do these three little words change our sense of ourselves, our commitments, and our future?
Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong? Love, transcendence and madness (Love #5)
Does love lift us up where we belong? Or is it a kind of madness? In this week's class, we plunge into Plato's Symposium and Phaedrus to find out.
7 Ways of Reading Philosophy: #2 Reading haphazardly
When reading philosophy, it's easy to feel under the obligation to read systematically. But why not give up on feelings of obligation, and read haphazardly?
You Sexy Thing: Getting philosophical about sex (Love #4)
In this week's class, we are getting philosophical about desire, and asking questions about the philosophy of sex. Happy reading!
7 Ways of Reading Philosophy: #1 Reading Like Napoleon
Often the advice is that we should read philosophy slowly and carefully. But there's a lot to be said for reading at a gallop.
Something So Right: Love and Justice (Love #3)
What are the limits of human love? Can we love everyone? Or should we only focus on those closest to us? And what happens when our personal loves and commitments come into contact with impersonal questions of justice?
7 Ways of Reading Philosophy: An Introduction
There are many ways you can read a philosophy book. In this first in a series of blog posts, I'm going to explore what it means to read philosophy differently.
We All Stand Together: Love, connection and community (Love #2)
In this week's class, we are exploring Amazonian social philosophies of love and community, and how for social primates, community is fundamental to how we live and love.
Let's Do It: The Philosophy of Love (Love #1)
Welcome to the first lesson in our Season 2 series, taking a global perspective on the philosophy of love.
Giving up on Philosophy? The Science of Wisdom (Wisdom #7)
The last few decades have seen a growth in the scientific study of wisdom. But what is the science of wisdom? And what gets left out of these accounts?
The Opposite of Wisdom: A Fool's Philosophy (Wisdom #6)
Philosophy is the love of wisdom. But what about Foolishness?
Nurturing the Sprouts of Wisdom (Wisdom #5)
For Mencius and Aristotle, wisdom involves the cultivation of virtues. But how do we do thi, and how do we build a society that supports this cultivation?
That Gut Feeling: Wisdom and the body (Wisdom #4)
Wisdom is often seen as an intellectual virtue. But what role does the body have in developing and maintaining wisdom? In this class, we're looking at flesh and spirit, gut feelings, and why wisdom cannot ignore the body.
The Limits of Wisdom (Wisdom #3)
In this week's class, we're exploring the limits of wisdom, and we're looking at two very different philosophers, one from the European tradition, and one from the Chinese tradition: Socrates and Zhuangzi.
Navigating Wisdom with Aristotle (Wisdom #2)
In this class, we're exploring Aristotle's ideas of theoretical and practical wisdom, heading on perilous Atlantic sea voyages, and asking about what it means not just to know stuff, but also to act wisely.
What is Wisdom? (Wisdom #1)
In the first lesson of season one, we're asking about wisdom, what it is, how it matters, and how to cultivate it.