Before the word “symposium” assumed its current meaning—essentially a formal academic conference—it meant “drinking party.” Throughout ancient Greek and Roman times it was a practice in which a group of people would gather together in […]
Author: Paul Fairfield
Paul Fairfield is Professor of Philosophy at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario (Canada), the author of nine sole-authored books, and editor or co-editor of five anthologies.
My writings fall generally within the traditions of philosophical hermeneutics, phenomenology, and pragmatism, and major influences on my work to date include Friedrich Nietzsche, John Dewey, Martin Heidegger, and Hans-Georg Gadamer. Current projects include a book on the philosophy of history entitled Transitions: Philosophical Reflections on Historical Change and a book co-authored with Jeff Mitscherling entitled Artistic Creation.
Post Common Sense Podcast
Eagles, singer-songwriter Don Henley writes, “common sense is goin’ out of style.” I disagree with him. It’s not going; it’s gone. By now, you’ve all heard of “post-truth.” I’ve written about that here already. The […]
Foucault, Social Media & Post-Truth: A Conversation with C. G. Prado
C. G. Prado is Professor Emeritus of philosophy at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON Canada. His research ranges over several fields, but he has made especially important contributions to Foucault scholarship and biomedical ethics. Among […]
What is “it”? Podcast
In this podcast Paul Fairfield goes out on a limb to speculate about the “it” factor when it comes to celebrities, athletes and other famous people. As it turns out, the “it” factor is something […]
Philosophy East and West Podcast
Will globalism bring together these two great, yet distinct, world views? What we may well see is an Eastern turn or, better, some larger-scale dialogue between Eastern and Western philosophy than we have seen at any […]
Professionalism
Crush #21 We can probably agree that professionalism is an important value, but what is it? It’s a virtue of the workplace, and isn’t limited to doctors, lawyers, accountants, and so on, but can apply […]
Th’Inking Philosophically: A Conversation with Kimberly Baltzer-Jaray
Albert Camus said that revolt gives life its value. Isn’t tattooing the mortal flesh precisely a revolt against death and the absurdity of an indifferent universe? What is the connection between tattoos and philosophy? Dr. […]
Moments of Decision Podcast
There are critical moments of decision in one’s life that reveal who you are. Philosopher Karl Jaspers called them “limit situations,” those situations where you come face to face with your personal finitude. Momentous decisions […]
Artists: Stop Trying To Shock Us
Crush #20 Much of the art of the last century or so did more than surprise their audiences. It shocked them, usually by design. You can think of any number of examples: Pablo Picasso, Salvador […]
The Politics of Potholes
Crush #19 Our politics has seen better days. Culture wars, gridlock, and hyper-partisanship are all the order of the day. When not only politicians and activists but journalists, celebrities, and athletes stand on every soapbox […]
