Helen De Cruz ed. "Philosophy Illustrated: Forty-Two Thought Experiments to Broaden your Mind" (Oxford UP, 2021)

Summary

Thought experiments are tools philosophers and scientists use to investigate how things are, without actually having to go out and experiment in the real world. Philosophy Illustrated: Forty-Two Thought Experiments to Broaden your Mind (Oxford UP, 2021) presents forty-two philosophical thought experiments. Each thought experiment is illustrated by De Cruz and is summarized in one or two paragraphs, which is followed by a brief exploration of its significance. Each thought experiment also includes a longer (approximately 2-page) reflection, written by a philosopher who is a specialist in the field. De Cruz's unique illustrations serve as visual and accessible starting points for classroom discussions in Intro to Philosophy courses.

The featured philosophers in this podcast include:

  1. Pictures as philosophy, by Helen De Cruz
  2. Skywalk. Original thought experiment by Tamar Gendler
  3. The creationist teacher. Original thought experiment by Jennifer Lackey
  4. The drowning child. Original thought experiment by Peter Singer
  5. Splitting the bill at a restaurant. Original thought experiment by David Christensen. Reflection by David Christensen
  6. Red square. Original thought experiment by Arthur Danto. Reflection by Alex King
  7. Becoming a vampire. Original thought experiment by L.A. Paul
  8. The impartial caretaker. Original thought experiment by Mozi. Reflection by Hui-chieh Loy
  9. Seeing color for the first time. Original thought experiment by Ibn Tufayl. Reflection by Eric Schliesser
Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter.

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Morteza Hajizadeh

Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter.

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