Free speech crisis on campus?

FromPhilosopher's Zone

Start listening View podcast show

Free speech crisis on campus?

FromPhilosopher's Zone

ratings:

Length:

28 minutes

Released:

Dec 22, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

With freedom of speech at Australian universities currently under governmental review, we explore the notion of free speech on campus. Should what gets said at universities - and who gets to say it - be regulated? And is the supposed "free speech crisis" just a front for the culture wars?

Released:

Dec 22, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

The simplest questions often have the most complex answers. The Philosopher's Zone is your guide through the strange thickets of logic, metaphysics and ethics.

Skip carousel

The Reformation: What's not to like?: Is it just a coincidence that the five-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation falls on the same year that Britain is trying to 'Brexit'? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Autonomy, self, and substances: Substance abuse lets you say ‘it wasn’t me’. Then who was it? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
African philosophy and the West: How do you articulate African philosophy in a Western academic environment? And what gets lost in the project of “translating” the former into the categories of the latter? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Envy has its reasons: One of the seven deadly sins—which is sometimes excusable. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Ethics and absolutes in the classroom: The trouble with morality is that reasonable people keep disagreeing on what’s right and wrong. The science, as they say, isn’t settled. So that being the case, how can we argue for fixed moral standards to which everyone should sign up? And how should we by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Awesome ethics and the art of mushroom blading: Forget the meaning of life; an ethical definition of awesome is far more important. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
On the way: John Kaag is a philosopher who travelled to the Swiss Alps with the aim of putting into practice some of Nietzsche's recommendations for "becoming who you are". In his memoir Hiking With Nietzsche, what he finds is that following in the footsteps of the g by Philosopher's Zone
31 min listen
The philosophy of parenting—part 3: Every parent knows the guilt that comes from being a ‘bad parent’—after you’ve lost your temper, given in to a tantrum and spoiled your precious little angel! It might affect how the child grows up, but how can you work that out? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
The value of thought experiments: Drop those test tubes, take off your lab coat, pull up a comfy chair and think your way to scientific truth. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Animals and the philosophy of friendship: Some of our best friends are animals. So where does that leave some humans we know? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Existentialism and crisis: Existentialism entered the popular consciousness after World War 2, and for many it still has a mid-century ring to it. But how does it look look today, especially in an age where the unfolding environmental crisis calls for something more than radical hu by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Devotion, democracy and Duterte: Is religious language incompatible with democratic politics, as philosopher Richard Rorty believed? Not in the Philippines, where religion and democracy are working together as close allies—with troubling implications for justice and human rights. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
The oblivion of India: Indian philosophy has thousands of years of history behind it, yet Western philosophers have largely ignored it—and their assumptions about Indian philosophy may have influenced the Western philosophical canon. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Public health and the open society: Karl Popper's idea of "the open society" promoted values of inclusivity, transparency and democratic freedom. Today, some fear that the open society is under threat, with negative consequences for a lot of things we've come to take for granted - including by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Getting stuck: The midlife mess: Your midlife crisis: it’s more than you think. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Bots, bankers and big brother: Would you trust a killer robot more than a banker? This philosopher does, and has his reasons. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Proof and beauty: Mathematicians routinely refer to complex proofs in aesthetic terms, citing their 'elegance' or 'beauty'. This has partly to do with the social aspect of such proofs—far from being a hermetic or exclusively cerebral practice, mathematics has never strayed by Philosopher's Zone
26 min listen
Carlo Rovelli and his quantum problem: Carlo Rovelli on the desperate need for some conceptual engineering to dig quantum thinking out of a deep black hole. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
A tale of two universes: Philosophy and modern physics: a case of the irrelevant versus the impractical? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Parental guidance recommended: The nature of Family could be more than a Christmas puzzle. by Philosopher's Zone
26 min listen
Enid Blyton—the moral of the story: She might not be in vogue these days, but for one Cambridge philosopher Enid Blyton is serious moral business. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Stones rolling and the joy of ordinary objects: The structure of the universe is written in stone—maybe. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Robot dogs dream of consciousness: What makes the human mind so distinctive? Perhaps the answer is in your dreams. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
No laughing matter: Philosophers tend not to be funny—Nietzsche is a notable exception, and Plato had his moments—but philosophy can have a humorous side. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
The philosophy of parenting—part 2: Brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and those weird second cousins you never talk to… how might we define family—and why it matters. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Thinking small: Understanding the human condition has been the province of many disciplines, but you wouldn’t necessarily expect microbiology to be among them. Think again! by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Extended minds, predictive processes, and Andy Clark: Andy Clark is a big name in what’s known as embodied and extended cognition. The theory positions the mind beyond the brain. If accurate, his ideas will have radical practical consequences well beyond the philosophy of mind. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Making differences: We're all keen on diversity these days—as long as it stays within proper boundaries. When it comes to moral values though, diverse perspectives can make us uncomfortable—so how do we manage it, and how can we do better? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
The fate of the Common Good: The idea of the common good drove some of the most important social developments of the 20th century. Today, nations seem to be losing faith in the idea. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Philosophy for children: the why and the how: Children are natural philosophers — so why don’t we routinely teach them how to do philosophy? Some issues around that debate were aired at a recent public panel hosted by the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia. by Philosopher's Zone
49 min listen

More Episodes from Philosopher's Zone

Skip carousel

Hegel, nature and the Anthropocene: Modernity has us in a terrible bind. We know that our Western habits of growth and consumption are destroying the planet, and that we need to stop exploiting the natural world for our benefit. But at the same time, our very identity as modern humans is grounded in the notion of endless growth, self-determination and the domination of nature. The work of the 18th century German philosopher GWF Hegel provides a fascinating diagnosis of our condition. Can it also offer a cure? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
The phenomenology of love: There’s a venerable philosophical tradition devoted to explaining what love is, and it stretches back to the ancient Greeks. What philosophy hasn’t had so much to say about is the phenomenology of love – the question of what love feels like. This week we’re getting inside the experience. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism and fun: You don’t have to be stupid to be a conspiracy theorist. Many people who buy into paranoid fantasies about stolen Presidential elections and sinister global Jewish cabals are perfectly sane, well-educated individuals. So why do they fall for these myths? This week we consider the possibility that the attraction is primarily aesthetic, and that the experience is fun. As for why the perennial focus on Jews: the answer can be found in a peculiar tension between philosophical monism and the worldview of the TV series Curb Your Enthusiasm. by Philosopher's Zone
39 min listen
Adoption and moral obligation: There are an estimated 16.2 million documented orphans worldwide. It’s a problem of crisis proportions, which makes it perhaps strange that so many of us consider adoption as more of a last resort than a first-order obligation – to be considered only if the path to having genetically-related children is blocked. This week we’re looking at the justifications for genetic preference in families, and asking how these justifications stack up against the moral duty to adopt. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Identity politics: Identity politics is grounded in the appeal to a stable, unified self and the authority of testimony. But this week we’re asking whether that foundation is solid, and if deconstructing it might allow for a more flexible approach to social justice. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Beauty: aesthetic or moral ideal?: These days, beauty is a moral imperative, an ideal to live by, and one according to which we judge ourselves and others. As a result, we increasingly shape our identities around our bodies – and not just our actual bodies with their lumps and bumps, but our imaginary future bodies: thin, smooth and firm. Gradually our notion of the good life comes to be centred on physical appearance, and this causes a range of harms which until now, philosophers have not taken seriously enough. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Rupture and hope: In a world shaken by war, pandemic and climate crisis, hope is a precious resource. It can be fragile, fleeting and hard to find. But what exactly does hope mean? It has clear Christian overtones, and a venerable theological tradition behind it. This week we're talking about the ways in which the theological informs the secular, and exploring how hope plays out in the political arena. We also hear a personal story of rupture and trauma, and a perspective on hope that accommodates the tunnel as well as the light at the end. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Sex, death and chilli sauce: In order to come to terms with death, we need to come to terms with sex – but this can involve a double bind for women. Is the age-old association of women with death and sexuality helpful or harmful? And what does this all have to do with chilli sauce? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Philosophy and myth: Since the Enlightenment, philosophy has come to regard myth as something of an embarrassment – and today, we often tend to view “myth” as synonymous with “falsehood”, or at least as a throwback to pre-rational, superstitious human culture. Myths are also held to be suspect in political theory, where the memory of "blood and soil" Nazi ideology is still fresh. Is there a role for myth in secular democratic politics, and in modern philosophy? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
The predicament of existence: Most of us agree that pain is part of life, that none of us can escape it, and that death comes for all of us in the end. And yet many of us feel that life is worth it; that the pleasure of life outweighs the suffering. Anti-natalist philosophy takes a different view. The anti-natalist believes that pain outweighs pleasure, so much so that it's morally wrong to bring a child into the world. What follows from this? Should we not only abstain from procreation but seek to stop non-human animals from doing the same? What about the innate biological drive to reproduce? And are happy people the victims of false consciousness? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Moral beauty and art: Movies and TV series increasingly feature leading characters that are morally repugnant, and yet we respond positively to their charisma. Why do we like them so much on screen? And is our emotional investment in their stories indicative of moral failure on our own part? This week we're exploring ideas of moral beauty, moral ugliness, and the strange ways in which artists - even in apparently morally neutral fields like architecture - can play with our notions of good and evil. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Philosophers in love: Philosophy can sometimes be an exercise in abstract, "pure" reason, unsullied by the demands of the body or the contingencies of history. But this week we're placing history and corporeality front and centre, with a look at the intimate lives of four eminent philosophers, and asking how their private entanglements shaped their public work. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
The ethics of uterus transplantation: If a woman wants to experience pregnancy but can't, the answer could be a uterus transplant. The technology is promising, if still very new — but how ethically sound is it? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Extremism: Extremism is a slippery concept. Its connotations are perjorative but at a glance, it can be difficult to see what differentiates extremism from more acceptable forms of fringe belief such as radicalism. Is it possible to be an extremist in the name of a morally worthy cause? and how should we deal with extremists in our midst? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Trans-national adoption and "blending in": At the end of the Korean War in 1953, the government launched an adoption program for orphans, most of whom went to white families in the USA and western Europe. Since then, an estimated 200,000 South Korean children have been adopted to Western countries. This week’s guest has conducted field research to explore their experience of the “trans-racial adoption paradox”: the feeling of belonging culturally while embodying difference, and the challenges faced by adopted people of colour navigating predominantly white communities and social worlds. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Efficiency, productivity, excess: These days we’re constantly pushed to be more efficient – at work, of course, but also in our leisure pursuits and even while we sleep (“hacking your sleep cycle” to extract maximum benefit from the nocturnal hours is a staple of wellness magazine articles). How did we get here? And how can we get back to a state that’s less pressured, a state governed by principles other than accumulation and profit? by Philosopher's Zone
41 min listen
Consciousness and contemplation: What is consciousness? Why do we have it? How can the physical stuff of the world give rise to something as mysterious as first-person experience? Philosophy, science and contemplative traditions have all struggled with these questions - and this week, we're talking about a new Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies that brings these disciplines together. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Art and climate: Our current climate crisis is, as much as anything else, a crisis of communication. Artists have a unique opportunity to step in and deliver environmental messages in a way that speaks to the emotions and the gut. And in doing this, they're reconfiguring the conceptual map of what art is supposed to be. Can a public sleepover in a town hall to raise awareness of disaster preparedness be called “art”? And what role do mystery and aesthetics play in this sort of work? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
China, Confucius and the courtyard: For more than three millennia, most buildings in China were configured around a central courtyard. This week’s guest believes that the courtyard helps us to understand Chinese society and culture, as well as Confucian philosophy. Today, with increasing numbers of people living in urban apartment buildings, the courtyard has become something of a period piece. What does this tell us about Chinese thought and identity in the modern world? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Stuff: Many of us these days are buried beneath an avalanche of stuff – everyday objects that seem to proliferate in the cupboard while our back is turned. Our obsession with material technology infects our view of human history, as many anthropologists judge the progress of past civilisations on the basis of how much stuff they generated, or “failed” to generate. And the production of stuff threatens our future, with the looming catastrophe of climate change and the growing tide of microplastics. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
What we talk about when we talk about race: The 19th century notion of race as something rooted in biology and genetics is a well-debunked idea whose time has passed. But the more recent liberal conception of race as a social construct fails to acknowledge the ways in which race is lived in and through the body (something the COVID pandemic has thrown into sharp relief). by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
The death of analytic philosophy?: With profound challenges posed by feminism, postcolonialism and critical race theory, could the long-heralded demise of analytic philosophy finally be on the horizon? And what exactly do we mean when we talk about analytic philosophy anyway – is it a science, a tradition or little more than a style? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Restlessness: Feeling a little distracted lately? Most of us are, and not just lately. We tend to view withering attention spans and the compulsion to seek change for its own sake as curses of the social media era, but restless dissatisfaction has been the subject of philosophical inquiry for centuries. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Structural injustice and individual responsibility: Who is responsible for structural injustice? The answer is “practically everybody” - but that can be just another way of saying “effectively nobody”. So what responsibility do individuals bear for structural injustice? And how can this responsibility be acted upon, without falling into practices of blaming and shaming? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Derrida and difficulty: In the late 1960s Michel Foucault, on being asked to grade an undergraduate dissertation written by Jacques Derrida, remarked “Well, it’s either an F or an A+” The philosophy community’s verdict on Derrida has changed little in the decades since. This week we’re talking with the author of a new biography of this enigmatic philosopher. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

Free speech crisis on campus?: With freedom of speech at Australian universities currently under governmental review, we explore the notion of free speech on campus. Should what gets said at universities - and who gets to say it - be regulated? And is the supposed "free speech crisis" by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Defending Academic Freedom Requires Standing Up For Open Inquiry: A Conversation with Jonathan Marks by Zooming In at The UnPopulist
39 min listen
22/02/2012: Laurie talks to Stefan Collini about the point of universities. by Thinking Allowed
28 min listen
Free Speech 69: Campus Misinformation with Bradford Vivian: An interview with Bradford Vivian by New Books in Education
74 min listen
Laura Hyun Yi Kang, "Traffic in Asian Women" (Duke UP, 2020): An interview with Laura Hyun Yi Kang by New Books in Critical Theory
76 min listen
Fighting for Free Speech on Campus: In this thought-provoking episode of Future U., we sit down with Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and co-author of the bestselling book "The Coddling of the American Mind," as well as the new book, "The Canceling of the American Mind." Lukianoff shares his insights on the state of free speech on college campuses and examines the rise of cancel culture, the debate over the limits of free expression, and the potential double standards in how universities approach these issues. He argues that certain campus trends, such as "safetyism" and the suppression of viewpoint diversity, may be harming student mental health and resilience. He emphasizes the importance of open inquiry, intellectual diversity, and the ability to challenge prevailing orthodoxies as essential components of a thriving university education. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Bill and Me by Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed
37 min listen
Bradford Vivian, "Campus Misinformation: The Real Threat to Free Speech in American Higher Education" (Oxford UP, 2022): An interview with Bradford Vivian by New Books in Law
58 min listen
Bradford Vivian, "Campus Misinformation: The Real Threat to Free Speech in American Higher Education" (Oxford UP, 2022): An interview with Bradford Vivian by New Books in Education
58 min listen
Skeptic Check: Know-It-Alls: Think you’re some kind of expert? Join the club. It’s one thing to question authority; another to offer up your untrained self as its replacement. Rebellion may be a cherished expression of American individualism, but, from sidelining Dr. Fauci to... by Big Picture Science
54 min listen
Arif Ahmed & Free Speech on Campus by The Philosopher & The News
70 min listen
The 11th Hour with Dr. Naomi Wolf: Dr. Naomi Wolf appears on the Outer Limits of Inner Truth to discuss the worldwide resistance against vaccine passports and tyranny. Wolf also shares her thoughts on the dystopian future that awaits humanity if we do not stand together united right... by Outer Limits Of Inner Truth
36 min listen
Women and the social security system: Designing a system that works by Policy Forum Pod
45 min listen
Laura L. Keissling: Catalyzing Progress in Carbohydrate Research by Back of the Napkin - Inspiring Stories from Biotech Pioneers
58 min listen
Michael S. Roth, "Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist's Approach to Inclusion, Free Speech, and Political Correctness on College Campuses" (Yale UP, 2021): An interview with Michael S. Roth by New Books in Public Policy
52 min listen
Michael S. Roth, "Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist's Approach to Inclusion, Free Speech, and Political Correctness on College Campuses" (Yale UP, 2021): An interview with Michael S. Roth by New Books in Education
52 min listen
Rethinking DEI in Higher Education with Azim Shariff: Is diversity simply a box-checking exercise, or does it hold a deeper significance in academia? Today we're joined by Azim Shariff, Ph.D, a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, to explore the complex landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in higher education. by Heterodox Out Loud
63 min listen
Nancy Bauer, “How to Do Things With Pornography” (Harvard UP, 2015): We live in a world awash with pornography, in the face of which anti-porn feminist philosophizing has not had much impact. In How to Do Things With Pornography (Harvard University Press, 2015), Nancy Bauer takes academic philosophy to task for being ir... by New Books in Sex, Sexuality, and Sex Work
72 min listen
Nancy Bauer, “How to Do Things With Pornography” (Harvard UP, 2015): We live in a world awash with pornography, in the face of which anti-porn feminist philosophizing has not had much impact. In How to Do Things With Pornography (Harvard University Press, 2015), Nancy Bauer takes academic philosophy to task for being ir... by New Books in Philosophy
72 min listen
Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth, "It's Not Free Speech: Race, Democracy, and the Future of Academic Freedom" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2022) by New Books in Law
41 min listen
Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth, "It's Not Free Speech: Race, Democracy, and the Future of Academic Freedom" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2022): An interview with Michael Bérubé by New Books in Critical Theory
41 min listen
Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth, "It's Not Free Speech: Race, Democracy, and the Future of Academic Freedom" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2022): An interview with Michael Bérubé by New Books in Education
41 min listen
How Science Got Women Wrong (Angela Saini) by Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen
53 min listen
How should we understand ‘cancel culture’?: Live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. by Moral Maze
57 min listen
Free Speech at Universities: Engaging live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. by Moral Maze
43 min listen
Patricia Hill Collins's Black Feminist Thought (ft. Frances Wyld) by The Sociology of Everything Podcast
22 min listen
Uri Alon and our internal tuning fork by Night Science
40 min listen
Will Rollason, "Motorbike People: Power and Politics on Rwandan Streets" (Lexington Books, 2020): Will’s book is an ethnography of taxi-moto drivers in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city... by New Books in African Studies
58 min listen
The C. O. W. S. w/ Racist Suspect Dr. Jennifer Saul: Racist Rhetoric/White Lies #FigLeaves #TheIsisPapers ??: The C. O. W. S. w/ Racist Suspect Dr. Jennifer Saul: Racist Rhetoric/White Lies #FigLeaves #TheIsisPapers ?? by The C.O.W.S.
20 min listen
Skin Deep: Stories about racial disparities: Featuring Stacy Vasquez and LaShyra Nolen by The Story Collider
32 min listen
#17 - Prof Will MacAskill on moral uncertainty, utilitarianism & how to avoid being a moral monster: Immanuel Kant is a profoundly influential figure … by 80,000 Hours Podcast
112 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Free speech crisis on campus?

Free speech crisis on campus?

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Philosopher's Zone

Related podcast episodes