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. […]
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.
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 […]
Podcast Conversations Coming Soon
Historically, philosophy was spoken before it was written. Socrates himself, the great patron saint of philosophy in the West, wasn’t a writer but someone who went into the Athenian marketplace and engaged in conversation with […]
Education and Indoctrination Podcast
What is the difference between education and indoctrination? Teachers of nearly every kind are likely to agree that the great nemesis of education is what goes by the name of indoctrination. The agreement tends to […]
Social Media Are Making Us Antisocial Podcast
Has social media brought us together or pulled us apart? In this podcast, Paul Fairfield, Professor of Philosophy at Queen’s University argues for the latter. Social media and electronic technology in general today are becoming […]
What is “it”?
Crush #18 It’s a common expression: “She’s got it.” What does she have? Spotting “it,” or those who have “it,” is easy. Putting your finger on what the “it” factor is, or whether “it” even […]
Post-Common Sense
Crush #17 By now, you’ve all heard of “post-truth.” I’ve written about that here already. The term is very 2017 and early-mid 2018, i.e., it’s yesterday’s news. I’m going to give you something new: post-common […]
Philosophy, East and West
Crush #16 Philosophy, like art, always reflects what’s happening in a culture at a given time. One way to define philosophy is as a sustained meditation on the present historical moment and the questions that […]
