Philosophy Talk celebrates 200 episodes with top 10 list

“Philosophy Talk,” featuring KEN TAYLOR, the Henry Waldgrave Stuart Professor of Philosophy, and JOHN PERRY, the Henry Waldgrave Stuart Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, will air its 200th episode on Nov. 15. The show will feature a Top 10 list of issues that listeners think philosophers should tackle in the coming years, according to a press release. Faculty and staff can weigh in on the subject by visiting the “Philosophy Talk” website.

“Philosophy Talk,” which bills itself as radio that questions everything except your intelligence, originates from KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco. It is a weekly one-hour program that also airs on the Oregon and West Virginia Public Broadcasting networks and numerous other stations from New York to California.

Every Sunday for the past six years, Taylor and Perry have approached all manner of topics from a philosophical perspective. Topics are lofty (truth, beauty, justice), arresting (terrorism, intelligent design, suicide) and engaging (baseball, love, happiness). As the press release notes, the hosts chat with notable guests and take calls from listeners, giving every broadcast a lively and conversational tone.

Taylor attributes the show’s appeal to the fact that listeners find the questioning spirit of philosophy a refreshing alternative to traditional media content.

“At its worst, the media is designed not to engage us in critical reflection at all but to subject us to a sort of mind-numbing manipulation of our beliefs. Too much of the media underestimates the intelligence and attention span of the public,” says Taylor. “We are convinced that there are millions of thinking, reflective people out there who find much of what they hear and see in mass media unappealing. We’re trying hard to reach such people, to provide them with more substantive fare.”

Perry adds, “Even the most thoughtful programs on radio and TV typically reach a point where they say, ‘We’ll have to leave that to the philosophers.’ It’s as if when one gets to the philosophical issues one has hit bedrock. But it’s not bedrock, it’s the level where you get past the mud and muck and find real gems.”