As someone who has experienced the cut and thrust of the philosophy seminar room, I find it somewhat unfortunate that it is so difficult to be open about major disagreement without causing offence. Academe gets around the problem by turning argument into a kind of gladiatorial contest, where receiving a mauling is a hazard of the job and should never be taken personally. Having your viewpoint ripped to shreds around a dinner table, however, is just humiliating…
ReadFEAST OR FAST? FOOD AND THE GOOD LIFE – AMERSHAM, 8 MAY. Religious traditions sometimes celebrate food and eating in feasts,[…]
ReadA FEAST OF FILM AND PHILOSOPHY – BRISTOL, 7 MAY. “In this tasty illustrated talk, writer and philosopher Julian Baggini[…]
ReadA thorough history of atheism is long overdue. The godless may not at first be pleased to discover that the person who has stepped up to the plate to write it comes from the ranks of the opposition. But Nick Spencer, research director of the Christian thinktank Theos, is the kind of intelligent, thoughtful, sympathetic critic that atheists need, if only to remind them that belief in God does not necessarily require a loss of all reason.
ReadTHE VIRTUES OF THE TABLE – HEXHAM, 4 MAY. Talking at Queen’s Hall at 2:30 about my new book. Full details[…]
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