We have a new favorite radio show – Philosophy Talk, an hour-long program that airs locally (Bay Area) on KALW (FM). It's like Car Talk for the soul -- a subtle mix of content and wit.
Today’s show focused on "one of the great moments in philosophy": Rene Descartes's Meditations, the 17th century philosopher's harrowing journey into doubt, which happily concludes with the most famous of Latin quotes, “cogito, ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I am”). Hosts Ken Taylor and John Perry (professors at Stanford University's Department of Philosophy) agreed on at least one point: despite the Frenchman’s political motives – to keep the Catholic Church at bay, by constructing a reason-based foundation for accepting the existence of God -- the "cogito" is a reminder to everyone to take that occasional retreat and subject their most cherished assumptions to doubt. A fitting lesson for the age of new media.... And yes, the show does have a blog.
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