Elucidations

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Episode 98: Jennifer Lackey discusses credibility

    This month, we talk to Jennifer Lackey (Northwestern University) about what it means to be too trustful of another person. Click here to listen to our conversation. For some time, feminist authors have been concerned about the fact that women tend to be believed less than men, simply because they’re women. The mere fact that…

  • Recommended reading on time biases

    Meghan Sullivan’s book on time biases is due out any moment now. (Of course, according to her argument, we should feel indifferent to when it comes out, but I can’t help but feel anticipation!) If, like me, you are having trouble resisting the pull of that particular time bias, check out her and Preston Greene’s…

  • Episode 97: Meghan Sullivan discusses time biases

    This month, Meghan Sullivan (University of Notre Dame) urges us to consider how we feel about the past, present, and future. Click here to listen to our conversation. Remember the marshmallow test? Back in the 1970s, some psychological experiments suggested that people who opted to delay short-term rewards if it meant a bigger reward in…

  • Further reading on the role of belief in reasoning

    To do a deep dive into what I discussed with Nic Koziolek, check out the following papers: ‘Inferring as a Way of Knowing,’ Nic Koziolek ‘Coming to Believe,’ Nic Koziolek ‘Belief, Judgment, and Rational Explanation,’ Nic Koziolek He has a treasure trove of other work up on his website, which I would encourage you to…

  • Episode 96: Nic Koziolek discusses the role of belief in reasoning

    This month, we talk to Nic Koziolek (Auburn University) about some big, meaty topics, including but not limited to thought, judgment, belief, reasoning, and knowledge. Click here to listen to our conversation. We engage in reasoning on a constant basis. Here’s an example of the kind of reasoning I engage in all the time: they’re…

  • Further reading on the genealogy of color

    Those of you who would like to follow up on the history of color concepts can do no better than to check out Zed Adams’ fascinating book on the topic! On the Genealogy of Color, Zed Adams Happy reading. Matt Teichman

  • Episode 95: Zed Adams discusses the genealogy of color

    This month, we talk to Zed Adams (New School for Social Research) about colors like red, blue, and green. Click here to listen to our conversation. What is the color red? Is it a physical property of certain chemicals–the fact that they tend to reflect light with a wavelength of about 670 nm and absorb…

  • Further reading on fictional names

    If you’d like to follow up on our interview with Zsofia Zvolenszky, check out her paper: Fictional Characters, Mythical Objects, and the Phenomenon of Inadvertent Creation, Zsofia Zvolenszky Happy reading! –Matt Teichman

  • Episode 94: Zsofia Zvolenszky discusses fictional names

    This month, we talk to Zsofia Zvolenszky (Eötvös University) about fictional characters and places. Click here to listen to our conversation. Han Solo and Luke Skywalker sneak on board the Death Star and attempt to rescue to Princess Leia. The escape plan goes awry, and pretty soon it looks more like Princess Leia is rescuing…

  • Episode 93: Barry Lam discusses obligations after death

    This month, we talk about whether we owe the dead anything with Barry Lam. Barry Lam is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Vassar College, Story Lab Fellow at Duke University, and creator, producer, and lead host of Hi-Phi Nation, an exciting new philosophy podcast that turns stories into ideas. Click here to listen to our…

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