Issues
Issue 125: April/May 2018
EDITORIAL
The Fight for the Soul of Philosophy
by Anja Steinbauer
NEWS
The Philosophy Now Festival 2018
Report by our Special Correspondent
HEIDEGGER
Heidegger’s Ways of Being
Andrew Royle introduces Heidegger’s key ideas from his classic Being and Time, showing how they lead towards his concept of Being-towards-death.
Heidegger & Faulkner Against Modern Technology
Bob James sees similarities in the two writers’ dark perceptions of industrialisation.
Hannah Arendt and the Human Duty to Think
Shai Tubali considers the roots and implications of Arendt’s active philosophy.
The Gift of Becoming Stranded
Amee LaTour argues we should sometimes welcome being run aground by life.
The Birth of Celebrity Culture out of the Spirit of Philosophy
Matthew Barnard comprehends and condemns celeb culture in Heideggerian terms.
The Trouble with Martin
Even his best friends thought he was a Nazi, so why should we pay any further attention to Heidegger’s philosophical writings? We asked a selection of Heidegger scholars this question: “Does Martin Heidegger’s involvement in the Nazi Party and his anti-Semitism, as evident in the recently published Black Notebooks, make a difference to how we should regard him as a philosopher and engage with his work?”
ARTICLES
Could a Robot be Conscious?
Brian King says only if some specific conditions are met.
Hail, Malthus!
Toni Vogel Carey on how easily and dangerously poor reasoning can become accepted wisdom.
The Golden Rule Revisited
Paul Walker and Ally Walker wonder if the Golden Rule could be a stand-alone ethic.
The Not So Golden Rule
Dan Flores argues that the Golden Rule can’t be followed, even in principle.
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
Martin Jenkins looks at the life of a mathematician-philosopher apologist.
Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?
Each answer below receives a book. Apologies to the many entrants not included.
The Sheep & The Dogs
Anushka Bhaskar (17) and Zachary Cerniglia (18) take inspiration from Diogenes the Dog.
LETTERS
Letters
Garbled Anti-Relativism? • Rocks and Chairs • Non-Free Thinking • Confusing Pictures & Words • Being Embodied • Perceiving Prejudices • Conscious Response
COLUMNS
Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
by Terence Green
Problems & Mysteries
Raymond Tallis says mystery is the heart of philosophy.
REVIEWS
The Language Animal by Charles Taylor
Roger Caldwell looks at Charles Taylor’s views of language.
Inborn Knowledge by Colin McGinn
Nick Everitt considers Colin McGinn’s arguments that we are born with some ideas.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Jason Eberl and Kevin Decker philosophize among the stars. WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS
CARTOONS
Simon & Finn
by Melissa Felder
Jonny Hawkins’ Cartoon
by Jonny Hawkins
FICTION
Mink and Brace’s Accidental Conference On The Design Argument
Mark Piper designs an argument questioning the design argument.