By Evelyn Barish (NHC Fellow, 1993–94) Over thirty years after his death in 1983, Paul de Man, a hugely charismatic intellectual who created with deconstruction an ideology so pervasive that it threatened to topple the very foundations of literature, remains a haunting and still largely unexamined figure. Deeply influential, de Man and his theory-driven philosophy … Continued
By Thomas A. Sebeok (NHC Fellow, 1980–81)
By L. A. Paul (NHC Fellow, 2011–12) As we live our lives, we repeatedly make decisions that shape our future circumstances and affect the sort of person we will be. When choosing whether to start a family, or deciding on a career, we often think we can assess the options by imagining what different experiences … Continued
By Scott Cook (NHC Fellow, 2005–06)
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and the Hudson River School helped shape an emerging national identity. Viewed collectively, their work articulated America’s “coming of age,” a nation in the process of discovering itself as distinct from Europe. The writings of Emerson and Thoreau with the landscape paintings of the Hudson River School offered nuanced … Continued
In “Self-Reliance” Emerson defines individualism as a profound and unshakeable trust in one’s own intuitions. Embracing this view of individualism, he asserts, can revolutionize society, not through a sweeping mass movement, but through the transformation of one life at a time and through the creation of leaders capable of greatness.
In “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau not only calls for resistance to immoral and unjust government actions, he also criticizes the foundations of representative democracy — majority rule, voting, and representation.
What would happen if lightning struck a tree in a swamp and transformed it into The Swampman, or if saving billions of lives required sacrificing millions first? The first is a philosophical thought experiment devised by Donald Davidson, the second a theme from a comic written by Alan Moore. I argue that that comics can … Continued
In The Book Thief, Markus Zusak explores issues of life and death, friendship and community, oppression and resistance, and the nature of courage. This webinar will consider these topics within the structure of a community of philosophical inquiry, a structured, collaborative exploration aimed at constructing meaning and acquiring understanding through the examination of philosophical questions. … Continued
In this session, Jana Mohr Lone demonstrates a variety of ways that philosophy can be incorporated in classrooms of all ages. How do we begin to ask questions of ethics and morality. These are the types of questions that are featured in this webinar.