At the beginning of the 2023 blockbuster hit, Barbie, the narrator makes two claims: “All of these women are Barbie and Barbie is all of these women” and “Because Barbie can be anything, women can be anything.” Despite the appearances of Barbie being a superficial movie about a children’s toy, this sets the stage for […] The post Becoming Real: Barbie and the Crisis of Existential Identity first appeared on Blog of the APA.| Blog of the APA
Below is the audio recording of Janet Levin’s John Dewey Lecture, “The Road Taken,” given at the 2020 Pacific Division Meeting. The full text is available on the APA website (member sign-in is required) as well as on JSTOR. The audio of the lecture is available here: “The Road Taken” by Janet Levin Janet Levin […] The post 2020 Pacific Division Dewey Lecture: The Road Taken first appeared on Blog of the APA.| Blog of the APA
Kant’s account of evil makes three key claims with major consequences for moral agency and responsibility. First, the distinction between good and evil lies in the will (R 6:59). Unlike prior theories that locate evil in natural inclinations or external circumstances, Kant situates evil in the will’s choice of maxims. This reveals that earlier theories […] The post Kant’s Empowering Conception of Humanity first appeared on Blog of the APA.| Blog of the APA
Political riots raise important moral questions. When we see or hear about a riot, we are prompted to consider whether the cause is just and whether rioting is a justified means of protest. Some believe that all rioting is wrong, while others think that it can be permissible or even required under certain conditions. These…| Blog of the APA
I would like to suggest that they are, sometimes, but not always, us. Sometimes, people speak without thought. This is something that can happen to most of us, and I would like to propose a way of thinking about how and why this happens, hoping that understanding the cause of a problem is a substantial…| Blog of the APA
The quantified metrics of likes, shares, and followers are often likened to currencies of social media. Like dollars and cents, we seek to acquire and accumulate them for the value they confer us. However, while money is valued primarily as a means for exchanging goods and services, the metrics of social media are valued primarily…| Blog of the APA
The now classic movie-riffing series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), and its spinoffs such as Rifftrax, can tell us something about how to deal with existential absurdity. Although MST3K more directly targets the “aesthetic absurdity” of flawed filmmaking, the strategies used for coping with bad movies can also be applied to the absurdities of life.…| Blog of the APA
American YouTuber Armon Wiggins went viral on X after referring to Tyla as an “uppity African,” an insult with which the broadcaster and rapper Joe Budden concurred. Wiggins writes: “Hey I don’t think I like TYLA’s personality I think someone needs to check her cus she doesn’t understand American Culture AT ALL…she almost gives off…| Blog of the APA
Below is the audio recording of Robert Audi’s John Dewey Lecture, “Five Decades of Philosophy,” given at the 2018 Central Division Meeting. The full text is available on the APA website (member sign-in is required) as well as on JSTOR. The audio of the lecture is available here: "Five Decades of Philosophy" by Robert Audi…| Blog of the APA
