Strong words from Heine’s 1834 History of Religion and Philosophy in Germany: “The life-history of Immanuel Kant is difficult to write, for he had neither a life nor a history. He lived a mechanical, orderly, almost abstract, bachelor life, in a quiet little side-street of Königsberg, an old city near the north-east boundary of Germany. […]
Heine on Kant and Robespierre as terrorists Read More »
What distinguishes science from pseudo-science?Why is confirmation bias so hard to overcome?Why were many great scientists in history were labeled heretics?And why have so many crank theories been empowered and killed millions of people? The next time I teach philosophy of science, this “Scientific Heresy” talk by Matt Ridley will be on the reading list.
Ridley on scientific heresies, past and present Read More »
Marx: “The religious world is but the reflex of the real world.” And: “Capital is dead labor, that, vampire-like, only lives by sucking living labor, and lives the more, the more labor it sucks.“ About the Course In this eight-lecture course, Professor Stephen Hicks takes us through the development of political philosophy from the late
A world devastated by war. Sigmund Freud asserts “Man is a wolf to man.” Martin Heidegger — rejecting the Enlightenment and everything since ancient Greek philosophy — asks: “Are we allowed to tamper with the rule of ‘logic’?” Themes: The new psychology. Pessimism. Instinct and aggression. Logic as limiting. Emotions as accessing. Nihilism? World War
Lecture Six: The Prussian Model From Kant to Fichte Themes: Napoleon defeats but energizes Prussia and the German states. Sulzer, Kant, and Fichte. Core issues: Duty, Obedience. Nationalism. Texts: Immanuel Kant, On Education. J.G. Fichte, Addresses to the German Nation. Watch here. About the Instructor Stephen R. C. Hicks, Ph.D., has been Professor of Philosophy
The PRUSSIAN MODEL. Lecture 6 of *Philosophy of Education* Read More »
Amusing. If we substitute the words “Sit, Stay, Do what we say” in the cartoon, then how close are we to much current and traditional education? Other, alternative models of education emphasize choice, movement, and exploration. Related: My eight-lecture Philosophy of Education course covering competing models of education philosophically and historically. Trailer here:
Educating dogs and children Read More »
Jennifer Grossman interviewed James Lindsay for The Atlas Society Asks: Dr. Lindsay and I were hosted by Michael O’Fallon for this pair of interviews on the roots of the culture wars:
Qutb: “Even the Western world realises that Western civilization is unable to present any healthy values for the guidance of mankind.“ About the Course In this eight-lecture course, Professor Stephen R.C. Hicks takes us on a journey through the evolution of modern political philosophies from the tensions of Cold War to the turbulent post-9/11 era.