Shows
Driven Not Given PodcastFrom Star Trek to Startup: Dominic Keating on Acting, Rejection & Building a Game-Changing TechIn this episode of the Driven Not Given Podcast, we sit down with actor and entrepreneur Dominic Keating, best known for his role as Malcolm Reed in Star Trek: Enterprise. But this isn’t just another Hollywood story.🎬 Dominic opens up about:His breakthrough in Star TrekLosing major roles to future movie starsNavigating decades in the entertainment industryFacing rejection — and bouncing backInvesting in a clean energy startup (QS Energy) that's on the verge of disrupting the oil industryWhether you're chasing a dream in entertainment, entrepreneurship, or both — this episode is packed with raw wisdo...
2025-05-1355 min
WeeklyTrek: A TrekCore Star Trek News Podcast#260: Interview Special: Connor Trinneer & Dominic Keating on "The D-Con Chamber"On this week's episode of WeeklyTrek, TrekCore's news podcast, host Alex Perry is joined by Connor Trinneer (Trip Tucker on "Star Trek: Enterprise") and Dominic Keating (Malcolm Reed on "Star Trek: Enterprise") to discuss the pair's Star Trek podcast, The D-Con Chamber. We discuss the pair's transition into the role of podcasters, the enduring appeal of Star Trek, how their show differs from the other Star Trek actor led podcasts, and some of the big interviews they've done in the show's previous iteration "The Shuttlepod Show," and the first season of "The D-Con Chamber." I re...
2024-10-0639 min
Sutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS4 E3: MantraIt seems like everyone, from companies to online influencers
to fitness coaches, talk about having mantras. But what are mantras,
anyway? In this episode, we'll talk about how they compare to birdsong, Tibetan
singing bowls, and spells at Hogwarts, as well as some ancient debates about
whether they mean anything, and why that matters.
Listen to more episodes of Sutras & Stuff at www.sutrasandstuff.com.
Sounds and Music
All music excerpts and soundbites used with an understanding
of fair use modification for educational purposes.
Theme music by htt...
2023-12-1129 min2023-03-0301 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS4 E2: AvatarWhat do the Metaverse, blue aliens, and airbenders have in common? They’re all based on the idea of the avatar, which goes back thousands of years to the Sanskrit term avatāra. In this episode, we’ll explore what an avatar is and how thinking about these ideas in ancient Hindu and Buddhist contexts can help us think about reality, the divine, and even our survival after death.
Sounds and Music All music excerpts and soundbites used with an understanding of fair use modification for educational purposes.
Theme music by Kevin MacLeod’s music https...
2023-02-0335 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS4 E1: KarmaDoes what goes around always come around? And is instant karma gonna get you? In the first episode of a season devoted to Sanskrit-to-English loanwords, we’ll examine how three groups of Indian philosophers understand karma: Jains, Buddhists, and Naiyayikas (or Nyaya philosophers).
Sounds and Music
All music excerpts and soundbites used with an understanding of fair use modification for educational purposes.
Drake featuring Bryson Tiller, “Bad Karma”
Alicia Keys, “Karma”
John Lennon and Yoko Ono with The Plastic Ono Band, “Instant Karma! (We all Shine On)”
Taylor Swift...
2023-01-0634 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS4 TeaserTaylor Swift says karma is her boyfriend, and Boy George sings about karma chameleons. In addition to “karma,” there are lots of other Sanskrit terms which have made their way into English: yoga, dharma, mantra, guru, Buddha, swastika, and more. In this season, we’ll focus on one word an episode to get a deeper understanding of what they meant in their original contexts, and how these meanings resonate today.
Episodes of Season Four will air the first Friday of every month, beginning January 6, 2023. Subscribe anywhere you can download podcasts.
Music & Effects Credits:
"Brittl...
2022-12-1601 min
New Books in LanguageBo Mou, "Philosophy of Language, Chinese Language, Chinese Philosophy" (Brill, 2018)Contributors to Philosophy of Language, Chinese Language, Chinese Philosophy, edited by Bo Mou, professor of philosophy at the San Jose State University, bring together work on the syntax and semantics of the Chinese language with philosophy of language, from the classical Chinese and contemporary analytic Anglophone traditions. The result is an anthology which explores what Mou calls “the constructive-engagement” model for doing philosophy.In this wide-ranging interview, we talk about the book’s contributions, which includes essays on the famous “White Horse” paradox of Gongsun Long, Heidegger and Zhuangzi on the ineffable, pluralism about truth in Chinese thought, and...
2022-09-221h 32
The Shuttlepod ShowEpisode 018: Enter Malcolm Reed with Dominic KeatingTechnically Part 4 in our Dominic Keating biography, but now we move into his Star Trek Enterprise days. And that's a whole new story, needing its own chapter and title. From his Voyager audition to the final episode, we hope you enjoy the final installment of this series of interviews. Over to you, Lieutenant.** For uncut and extended episodes, bonus content, and a lot more, visit our Patreon Channel at https://www.patreon.com/shuttlepodshow. ** It takes a lot to keep this show up to everyone's standards, and we appreciate any help we can get. But k...
2022-06-2646 min
Sutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS3 E10: Tom DaviesIn this episode, I talk with Tom Davies, Seymour Reader in Ancient History and Philosophy at the University of Melbourne, about how understanding Indian philosophy in relationship with the rest of the ancient world helps us reflect on what philosophy is, as a human activity, in different cultural contexts.
Note: This is the final episode of the regular season, concluding the series of interviews with philosophers who taught Philosophy and Political Thought at Yale-NUS. Not every philosopher participated, but interviews with all those who did are now available as episodes one through ten. But at least one...
2022-06-1614 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS3 E9: Robin ZhengIn this episode, I talk with Robin Zheng, Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, about connections between social practices and knowing in premodern Indian philosophy and contemporary feminist philosophy.
Further Resources:
Robin Zheng’s website: https://www.robin-zheng.me/
Helen Longino: https://philosophy.stanford.edu/people/helen-longino
Miranda Fricker: https://www.mirandafricker.com/
Christy Dotson: https://lsa.umich.edu/philosophy/people/faculty/kldotson.html
Debating: https://sutrasandstuff.wordpress.com/2020/11/23/debating/
Questions of King Milinda, Book II (Rhys Davids): https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe35/sb...
2022-06-0115 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS3 E8: Cathay LiuIn this episode, I talk with Cathay Liu, Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore, about philosophical systems and both Indian and European philosophy in the 17th century.
Further Resources
Rene Descartes https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes/
The Tarkasamgraha at https://archive.org/details/tarka-samgraha-ramkrishna-mission/mode/2up
How to Think Like a Nyāya Philosopher, Annambhatta's Primer on Reasoning (Part 1 of 4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L14Q87r24Is
The Craft of Research https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo23521678.h...
2022-05-1515 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS3 E7: Neil MehtaIn this episode, I talk with Neil Mehta, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Yale-NUS, about what exists and what we can say about it.
Further Resources
Neil Mehta’s website: http://www.profneilmehta.com/
Theory of Two Truths in India: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/twotruths-india/
Graham Priest’s website: https://grahampriest.net
Metaphysics of grounding: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/grounding/
Nagarjuna: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nagarjuna/
Music Credits:
Brittle Rille by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song...
2022-05-0116 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS3 E6: Matt WalkerIn this episode, I talk with Matthew Walker, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Yale-NUS, about ancient philosophy, therapeutic arguments, reading practices, and the Bhagavad Gita.
Further Resources
Matt Walker’s website: https://sites.google.com/site/mattwalker2000/home
Aristotle on the Uses of Contemplation: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/aristotle-on-the-uses-of-contemplation/14962F5B7153012A256FB48B5A27CCE8
Aristotle https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle/
Zhu Xi https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/zhu-xi/
Emotions in Indian Philosophy https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/concept-emotion-india/
Music Credits:...
2022-04-1415 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS3 E5: Jay GarfieldIn this episode, I talk with Jay Garfield, Professor of Philosophy at Smith College, about the Buddhist philosopher Candrakirti and how teaching Indian philosophy at Yale-NUS impacted his understanding of Western philosophers like Hume.
Further Resources
Jay Garfield’s website: https://jaygarfield.org/
David Hume:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hume/
The Concealed Influence of Custom (Jay Garfield): https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-concealed-influence-of-custom-9780190933401
Candrakirti and Hume on the Self and the Person (Jay Garfield): https://jaygarfield.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/candrakicc84rti-and-hume-on-self.pdf
Madhyamaka phi...
2022-04-0114 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS3 E4: Christine TanIn this episode, I talk with Christine Tan, Philosophy Lecturer at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, about Indian materialism, skepticism, and overlaps with Chinese Philosophy.
Further Resources
Christine Tan’s website: https://tanchristineabigail.com/
Guo Xiang: https://iep.utm.edu/guoxiang/
Cārvāka: https://iep.utm.edu/indmat
Podcast Episodes on Jayanta Bhatta’s play:
Part 1: https://anchor.fm/malcolm-keating/episodes/Episode-9-Much-Ado-about-Religion--Part-1-eovu0c
Part 2: https://anchor.fm/malcolm-keating/episodes/Much-Ado-about-Religion-Part-2-epn4fc
Music Credits:
Brittle Rille by Kevin MacLeod
Li...
2022-03-1616 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS3 E3: Kathryn MuyskensIn this episode, I talk with Kathryn Muyskens, Philosophy Lecturer at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, about the Buddhist philosopher Shantideva and bioethics, health care, and compassion.
Further Resources
Kathryn Muyskens’ papers on Philpapers: https://philpeople.org/profiles/kathryn-muyskens
Shantideva:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/shantideva/
https://iep.utm.edu/santideva/
YouTube video on Shantideva with Connie Kassor and Stephen Harris:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQVLrbk0yKM
Music Credits:
Brittle Rille by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io...
2022-03-0114 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS3 E2: Andrew BaileyContent note: There's one instance of the "F-word" in English towards the end of the interview.
In this episode, I talk with Andrew Bailey, Associate Professor of philosophy at Yale-NUS College in Singapore about the Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna and analytic metaphysics, Gandhi on technology, and Nyaya philosophers on inference.
Further Resources
Andrew Bailey’s website: https://www.andrewmbailey.com/
Nagarjuna: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nagarjuna/
David Lewis: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/david-lewis/
Peter Van Inwagen: https://philosophy.nd.edu/people/emeritus/peter-van-inwagen/
Gandhi's Hi...
2022-02-1416 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS3 E1: Bryan Van NordenIn this episode, I talk with Bryan Van Norden, Professor of philosophy at Vassar College in the United States about how he came to Indian philosophy, what he enjoys about teaching it, as well as connections between ideas about knowing in Indian and Chinese philosophy.
Further Resources
Bryan Van Norden’s website: http://www.bryanvannorden.com/
“Less Commonly Taught Philosophies” bibliography: http://www.bryanvannorden.com/suggestions-for-further-reading
The Questions of King Milinda:
My YouTube videos on this text start here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rBqC43PK8Q
Meng...
2022-01-3015 min
In Conversation: An OUP PodcastHerman Cappelen and Josh Dever, "Making AI Intelligible: Philosophical Foundations" (Oxford UP, 2021)In their open-access publication, Making AI Intelligible: Philosophical Foundations (Oxford University Press, 2021), Herman Cappelen and Josh Dever argue that philosophers of language can contribute to a deeper understanding of artificial intelligence. AIs known as “neural nets” are becoming commonplace and we increasingly rely on their outputs for action-guidance, as when an AI like Siri hears your question and says, “There’s a pizza shop on the corner.” Our use of words like “says” suggests an important question: do AIs literally say anything? Should we understand their outputs as utterances with meaningful content? And if so, what makes that content meaningful, and how is it re...
2021-11-111h 14
New Books in TechnologyHerman Cappelen and Josh Dever, "Making AI Intelligible: Philosophical Foundations" (Oxford UP, 2021)In their open-access publication, Making AI Intelligible: Philosophical Foundations (Oxford University Press, 2021), Herman Cappelen and Josh Dever argue that philosophers of language can contribute to a deeper understanding of artificial intelligence. AIs known as “neural nets” are becoming commonplace and we increasingly rely on their outputs for action-guidance, as when an AI like Siri hears your question and says, “There’s a pizza shop on the corner.” Our use of words like “says” suggests an important question: do AIs literally say anything? Should we understand their outputs as utterances with meaningful content? And if so, what makes that content meaningful, and...
2021-11-111h 12
New Books in PhilosophyHerman Cappelen and Josh Dever, "Making AI Intelligible: Philosophical Foundations" (Oxford UP, 2021)In their open-access publication, Making AI Intelligible: Philosophical Foundations (Oxford University Press, 2021), Herman Cappelen and Josh Dever argue that philosophers of language can contribute to a deeper understanding of artificial intelligence. AIs known as “neural nets” are becoming commonplace and we increasingly rely on their outputs for action-guidance, as when an AI like Siri hears your question and says, “There’s a pizza shop on the corner.” Our use of words like “says” suggests an important question: do AIs literally say anything? Should we understand their outputs as utterances with meaningful content? And if so, what makes that content meaningful, and...
2021-11-111h 09New Books in LanguageHerman Cappelen and Josh Dever, "Making AI Intelligible: Philosophical Foundations" (Oxford UP, 2021)In their open-access publication, Making AI Intelligible: Philosophical Foundations (Oxford University Press, 2021), Herman Cappelen and Josh Dever argue that philosophers of language can contribute to a deeper understanding of artificial intelligence. AIs known as “neural nets” are becoming commonplace and we increasingly rely on their outputs for action-guidance, as when an AI like Siri hears your question and says, “There’s a pizza shop on the corner.” Our use of words like “says” suggests an important question: do AIs literally say anything? Should we understand their outputs as utterances with meaningful content? And if so, what makes that content meaningful, and...
2021-11-111h 12New Books in LanguageHenning Trüper, "Orientalism, Philology, and the Illegibility of the Modern World" (Bloomsbury, 2020)At the turn of the nineteenth century, European philologists were engaged in the study of Semitic languages and Indology, breaking with the past in many ways. To understand this period, Henning Trüper argues for the importance of a broad-ranging investigation into the production of scholarly knowledge, focusing especially on Semitic Orientalism, as a way to understand the deep epistemological crisis facing the field. In Orientalism, Philology, and the Illegibility of the Modern World (Bloomsbury Academic Press 2020), he argues that nineteenth century philologists, in their efforts to establish the explication of linguistic meanings as scientific, prioritized certain sema...
2021-10-061h 11
New Books in Middle Eastern StudiesHenning Trüper, "Orientalism, Philology, and the Illegibility of the Modern World" (Bloomsbury, 2020)At the turn of the nineteenth century, European philologists were engaged in the study of Semitic languages and Indology, breaking with the past in many ways. To understand this period, Henning Trüper argues for the importance of a broad-ranging investigation into the production of scholarly knowledge, focusing especially on Semitic Orientalism, as a way to understand the deep epistemological crisis facing the field. In Orientalism, Philology, and the Illegibility of the Modern World (Bloomsbury Academic Press 2020), he argues that nineteenth century philologists, in their efforts to establish the explication of linguistic meanings as scientific, prioritized certain sema...
2021-10-061h 11
Geek History Lesson384: Dominic Keating on Star Trek EnterpriseTo celebrate the 20th anniversary of STAR TREK ENTERPRISE, we opened hailing frequencies to actor Dominic Keating, who played Lt. Malcolm Reed on the series. Dominic discusses his audition process, what the Enterprise set was like, and who was the clumsiest actor in the show. It's a great conversation to celebrate Enterprise's 20th birthday! Enjoy. You can purchase signed copies of Jason & Ashley's books like JUPITER JET here: https://www.jasoninman.com/store GHL RECOMMENDED READING from this episode: http://geekhistorylesson.com/recommendedreading Follow the show on TWITTER - https://twitter.com/GHLPodcast Visit our Facebook fan page: http://www.f...
2021-09-281h 03New Books in PhilosophyStephen Phillips, "Jewel of Reflection on the Truth about Epistemology: A Complete and Annotated Translation of the Tattva-cintā-maṇi" (Bloomsbury, 2020)In the first complete English translation of a monumental 14th century Sanskrit philosophical text, the Jewel of Reflection on the Truth about Epistemology (Bloomsbury 2020), Stephen Phillips introduces modern readers to a classic of Indian philosophy. The author of the Jewel, Gaṅgeśa, is a comprehensive examination of epistemology and its interrelationship with metaphysics, taking up topics in philosophy of language and logic along the way. The translation itself includes a commentary by Phillips, explaining Gaṅgeśa’s historical position in the long tradition of Nyāya philosophy, as well as the relationship of philosophy to contemporary thought. Gaṅgeśa’s trea...
2021-09-201h 09
New Books in Ancient HistoryStephen Phillips, "Jewel of Reflection on the Truth about Epistemology: A Complete and Annotated Translation of the Tattva-Cinta-mani" (Bloomsbury, 2020)In the first complete English translation of a monumental 14th century Sanskrit philosophical text, the Jewel of Reflection on the Truth about Epistemology (Bloomsbury 2020), Stephen Phillips introduces modern readers to a classic of Indian philosophy. The author of the Jewel, Gaṅgeśa, is a comprehensive examination of epistemology and its interrelationship with metaphysics, taking up topics in philosophy of language and logic along the way. The translation itself includes a commentary by Phillips, explaining Gaṅgeśa’s historical position in the long tradition of Nyāya philosophy, as well as the relationship of philosophy to contemporary thought. Gaṅgeśa’s trea...
2021-09-201h 09
New Books in Indian ReligionsStephen Phillips, "Jewel of Reflection on the Truth about Epistemology: A Complete and Annotated Translation of the Tattva-Cinta-mani" (Bloomsbury, 2020)In the first complete English translation of a monumental 14th century Sanskrit philosophical text, the Jewel of Reflection on the Truth about Epistemology (Bloomsbury 2020), Stephen Phillips introduces modern readers to a classic of Indian philosophy. The author of the Jewel, Gaṅgeśa, is a comprehensive examination of epistemology and its interrelationship with metaphysics, taking up topics in philosophy of language and logic along the way. The translation itself includes a commentary by Phillips, explaining Gaṅgeśa’s historical position in the long tradition of Nyāya philosophy, as well as the relationship of philosophy to contemporary thought. Gaṅgeśa’s trea...
2021-09-201h 09
New Books in South Asian StudiesStephen Phillips, "Jewel of Reflection on the Truth about Epistemology: A Complete and Annotated Translation of the Tattva-Cinta-mani" (Bloomsbury, 2020)In the first complete English translation of a monumental 14th century Sanskrit philosophical text, the Jewel of Reflection on the Truth about Epistemology (Bloomsbury 2020), Stephen Phillips introduces modern readers to a classic of Indian philosophy. The author of the Jewel, Gaṅgeśa, is a comprehensive examination of epistemology and its interrelationship with metaphysics, taking up topics in philosophy of language and logic along the way. The translation itself includes a commentary by Phillips, explaining Gaṅgeśa’s historical position in the long tradition of Nyāya philosophy, as well as the relationship of philosophy to contemporary thought. Gaṅgeśa’s trea...
2021-09-201h 11New Books in PhilosophySokthan Yeng, "Buddhist Feminism: Transforming Anger against Patriarchy" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2020)How can Buddhism and feminism be brought together in a constructive way to challenge patriarchial structures? What could such a philosophy say about anger over injustice and oppression? In Buddhist Feminism: Transforming Anger Against Patriarchy (Palgrave, 2020), Sokthan Yeng answers these questions. She argues that, despite Buddhist institutions themselves being susceptible to feminist critiques, there are fruitful ways of reading Buddhist philosophy and practices that contribute to feminist goals. By examining a range of Buddhisms, Theravada and Mahāyāna, around the world and from different historical periods, Yeng argues that a Buddhist feminism would involve relationality, attention to the body...
2021-07-201h 10
New Books in Buddhist StudiesSokthan Yeng, "Buddhist Feminism: Transforming Anger against Patriarchy" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2020)How can Buddhism and feminism be brought together in a constructive way to challenge patriarchial structures? What could such a philosophy say about anger over injustice and oppression? In Buddhist Feminism: Transforming Anger Against Patriarchy (Palgrave, 2020), Sokthan Yeng answers these questions. She argues that, despite Buddhist institutions themselves being susceptible to feminist critiques, there are fruitful ways of reading Buddhist philosophy and practices that contribute to feminist goals. By examining a range of Buddhisms, Theravada and Mahāyāna, around the world and from different historical periods, Yeng argues that a Buddhist feminism would involve relationality, attention to the body...
2021-07-201h 10
New Books in ScienceHerbert Terrace, "Why Chimpanzees Can't Learn Language and Only Humans Can" (Columbia UP, 2019)Through discussion of his famous 1970s experiment alongside new research, in Why Chimpanzees Can’t Learn Language and Only Humans Can (Columbia University Press, 2019), Herbert Terrace argues that, despite the failure of famous attempts to teach primates to speak, from these efforts we can learn something important: the missing link between non-linguistic and linguistic creatures is the ability to use words, not to form sentences. Situating language-learning as a capacity gained through conversation, not primarily representing internal thought, Terrace takes naming as the first step towards language. By drawing on research in developmental psychology, paleoanthropology, and linguistics, Terrace builds a cas...
2021-04-2158 minNew Books in LanguageHerbert Terrace, "Why Chimpanzees Can't Learn Language and Only Humans Can" (Columbia UP, 2019)Through discussion of his famous 1970s experiment alongside new research, in Why Chimpanzees Can’t Learn Language and Only Humans Can (Columbia University Press, 2019), Herbert Terrace argues that, despite the failure of famous attempts to teach primates to speak, from these efforts we can learn something important: the missing link between non-linguistic and linguistic creatures is the ability to use words, not to form sentences. Situating language-learning as a capacity gained through conversation, not primarily representing internal thought, Terrace takes naming as the first step towards language. By drawing on research in developmental psychology, paleoanthropology, and linguistics, Terrace builds a cas...
2021-04-2158 min
New Books in PsychologyHerbert Terrace, "Why Chimpanzees Can't Learn Language and Only Humans Can" (Columbia UP, 2019)Through discussion of his famous 1970s experiment alongside new research, in Why Chimpanzees Can’t Learn Language and Only Humans Can (Columbia University Press, 2019), Herbert Terrace argues that, despite the failure of famous attempts to teach primates to speak, from these efforts we can learn something important: the missing link between non-linguistic and linguistic creatures is the ability to use words, not to form sentences. Situating language-learning as a capacity gained through conversation, not primarily representing internal thought, Terrace takes naming as the first step towards language. By drawing on research in developmental psychology, paleoanthropology, and linguistics, Terrace builds a cas...
2021-04-2159 min
New Books in Big IdeasHerbert Terrace, "Why Chimpanzees Can't Learn Language and Only Humans Can" (Columbia UP, 2019)Through discussion of his famous 1970s experiment alongside new research, in Why Chimpanzees Can’t Learn Language and Only Humans Can (Columbia University Press, 2019), Herbert Terrace argues that, despite the failure of famous attempts to teach primates to speak, from these efforts we can learn something important: the missing link between non-linguistic and linguistic creatures is the ability to use words, not to form sentences. Situating language-learning as a capacity gained through conversation, not primarily representing internal thought, Terrace takes naming as the first step towards language. By drawing on research in developmental psychology, paleoanthropology, and linguistics, Terrace builds a cas...
2021-04-2156 min
New Books in NeuroscienceHerbert Terrace, "Why Chimpanzees Can't Learn Language and Only Humans Can" (Columbia UP, 2019)Through discussion of his famous 1970s experiment alongside new research, in Why Chimpanzees Can’t Learn Language and Only Humans Can (Columbia University Press, 2019), Herbert Terrace argues that, despite the failure of famous attempts to teach primates to speak, from these efforts we can learn something important: the missing link between non-linguistic and linguistic creatures is the ability to use words, not to form sentences. Situating language-learning as a capacity gained through conversation, not primarily representing internal thought, Terrace takes naming as the first step towards language. By drawing on research in developmental psychology, paleoanthropology, and linguistics, Terrace builds a cas...
2021-04-2158 min
New Books in Animal StudiesHerbert Terrace, "Why Chimpanzees Can't Learn Language and Only Humans Can" (Columbia UP, 2019)Through discussion of his famous 1970s experiment alongside new research, in Why Chimpanzees Can’t Learn Language and Only Humans Can (Columbia University Press, 2019), Herbert Terrace argues that, despite the failure of famous attempts to teach primates to speak, from these efforts we can learn something important: the missing link between non-linguistic and linguistic creatures is the ability to use words, not to form sentences. Situating language-learning as a capacity gained through conversation, not primarily representing internal thought, Terrace takes naming as the first step towards language. By drawing on research in developmental psychology, paleoanthropology, and linguistics, Terrace builds a cas...
2021-04-2156 minNew Books in LanguageKaren Stollznow, "On the Offensive: Prejudice in Language Past and Present" (Cambridge UP, 2020)Whether framed as complaints about cancel culture or as increased awareness of prejudice, stories about offensive language are common in our daily news cycle. In On the Offensive: Prejudice in Language Past and Present (Cambridge UP, 2020), linguist Karen Stollznow explores the history of language that offends, including talk about race and ethnicity, gender, religion, mental health, physical appearance, and age. Her book tells the origin story of how terms come to have the power to offend. It also investigates the euphemism treadmill, the phenomenon of offensive terms being replaced with new, neutral terms which eventually become offensive as well. De...
2021-03-241h 03Sutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastMuch Ado about Religion: Part 2How does a 9th century Nyaya philosopher addresses the intersection of religious conflict and ruling power in India? Are feelings of offense reason to exclude certain religious practices? What lessons can we take from Nyaya philosophers on religious toleration, and are they internally consistent here?
To read the whole play, get the Clay Sanskrit Library translation of Much Ado about Religion by Csaba Dezsö, published 2005 by NYU Press. https://nyupress.org/9780814719794/much-ado-about-religion/
Maniacal laugh sound effect from: https://freesound.org/s/367738/
2021-01-3116 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastEpisode 9: Much Ado about Religion, Part 1Join our hero Sankarshana as he travels around the kingdom, vanquishing foes...with reason. Part 1 of 2.
To read the whole play, get the Clay Sanskrit Library translation of Much Ado about Religion by Csaba Dezsö, published 2005 by NYU Press. https://nyupress.org/9780814719794/much-ado-about-religion/
2021-01-1512 minNew Books in Big IdeasDaniel Oberhaus, "Extraterrestrial Languages" (MIT Press, 2019)In Extraterrestrial Languages (MIT Press 2020), Daniel Oberhaus tells the history of human efforts to talk to aliens, but in doing so, the book reflects on the relationship between communication and cognition, the metaphysics of mathematics, about whether dolphins have a language, and more. The challenge of communicating with extraterrestrials forces scientists and linguists to consider a range of problems. Would these listeners recognize radio signals as linguistic? How would they decode and interpret them? Would ETs even have linguistic capacities to begin with? Oberhaus shares the stories of, and theoretical bases for, a range of attempts to communicate with ET...
2021-01-0656 minNew Books in LanguageDaniel Oberhaus, "Extraterrestrial Languages" (MIT Press, 2019)In Extraterrestrial Languages (MIT Press 2020), Daniel Oberhaus tells the history of human efforts to talk to aliens, but in doing so, the book reflects on the relationship between communication and cognition, the metaphysics of mathematics, about whether dolphins have a language, and more. The challenge of communicating with extraterrestrials forces scientists and linguists to consider a range of problems. Would these listeners recognize radio signals as linguistic? How would they decode and interpret them? Would ETs even have linguistic capacities to begin with? Oberhaus shares the stories of, and theoretical bases for, a range of attempts to communicate with ET...
2021-01-0659 minNew Books in ScienceDaniel Oberhaus, "Extraterrestrial Languages" (MIT Press, 2019)In Extraterrestrial Languages (MIT Press 2020), Daniel Oberhaus tells the history of human efforts to talk to aliens, but in doing so, the book reflects on the relationship between communication and cognition, the metaphysics of mathematics, about whether dolphins have a language, and more. The challenge of communicating with extraterrestrials forces scientists and linguists to consider a range of problems. Would these listeners recognize radio signals as linguistic? How would they decode and interpret them? Would ETs even have linguistic capacities to begin with? Oberhaus shares the stories of, and theoretical bases for, a range of attempts to communicate with ET...
2021-01-0659 minNew Books in NeuroscienceRoger Kreuz and Richard Roberts, "Changing Minds: How Aging Affects Language and How Language Affects Aging" (MIT Press, 2019)Everyone ages, and just about everyone uses language, making Changing Minds: How Aging Affects Language and How Language Affects Aging (MIT Press, 2019) a book with practically universal relevance. The authors, Roger Kreuz and Richard Roberts, show readers what cognitive science can tell us—and what it can’t—about the relationship between aging and language. Through accounts of research written for a general audience, Kreuz and Roberts explain how underlying cognitive functions, such as memory and perception, are responsible for much of the changes that people associate with aging, and that linguistic capabilities are more resilient than many may think. T...
2021-01-051h 01New Books in PsychologyRoger Kreuz and Richard Roberts, "Changing Minds: How Aging Affects Language and How Language Affects Aging" (MIT Press, 2019)Everyone ages, and just about everyone uses language, making Changing Minds: How Aging Affects Language and How Language Affects Aging (MIT Press, 2019) a book with practically universal relevance. The authors, Roger Kreuz and Richard Roberts, show readers what cognitive science can tell us—and what it can’t—about the relationship between aging and language. Through accounts of research written for a general audience, Kreuz and Roberts explain how underlying cognitive functions, such as memory and perception, are responsible for much of the changes that people associate with aging, and that linguistic capabilities are more resilient than many may think. T...
2021-01-051h 01New Books in LanguageRoger Kreuz and Richard Roberts, "Changing Minds: How Aging Affects Language and How Language Affects Aging" (MIT Press, 2019)Everyone ages, and just about everyone uses language, making Changing Minds: How Aging Affects Language and How Language Affects Aging (MIT Press, 2019) a book with practically universal relevance. The authors, Roger Kreuz and Richard Roberts, show readers what cognitive science can tell us—and what it can’t—about the relationship between aging and language. Through accounts of research written for a general audience, Kreuz and Roberts explain how underlying cognitive functions, such as memory and perception, are responsible for much of the changes that people associate with aging, and that linguistic capabilities are more resilient than many may think. T...
2021-01-051h 01Sutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastEpisode 8: Equivocating and other ways to loseWhen is a door not really a door? When it's ajar! That old joke equivocates on two meanings of "ajar" In this episode we look at how equivocation can impact our reasoning, like when we ask, When is a doctor not really a doctor? We explore a few other ways that reasoning can go wrong and force us to lose in a debate. And listen until the end to hear what's planned for Episode 9.
Sources:
Matthew Dasti and Stephen Phillips, The Nyaya-sutra: Selections with Early Commentaries, Hackett Publishing, 2017. https://www.hackettpublishing.com/new-forthcoming/the-nyaya-sutra
2021-01-0112 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastSeason 2 AnnouncementQuick announcement about Episodes 8 through 10.
2020-12-3001 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastCounterfeit ReasonsWhen is a reason not a reason? According to Nyaya philosophers, when it's all smoke and no fire. In this episode we'll talk about how reasoning can go wrong when people use "counterfeit reasons," which don't actually support their claims.
Music:
Brittle Rille by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3460-brittle-rille
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sources:
Matthew Dasti and Stephen Phillips, The Nyaya-sutra: Selections with Early Commentaries, Hackett Publishing, 2017. https://www.hackettpublishing.com/new-forthcoming/the-nyaya-sutra
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
2020-12-1512 minNew Books in LanguageCatharine Abell, "Fiction: A Philosophical Analysis" (Oxford UP, 2020)In Fiction: A Philosophical Analysis (Oxford University Press, 2020), Catharine Abell draws our attention to the character of Emma Woodhouse. She is handsome, clever, and rich. Or, at least, that's what Jane Austen writes about her in her fictional novel Emma. But why should we consider this a work of fiction, if it says true things about 19th century England? And if it's a fiction, how should we understand and interpret its content? Do we need to know what Austen intended to understand what she says about Emma? And how can we judge the truth of claims about a fictional entity...
2020-12-041h 03In Conversation: An OUP PodcastCatharine Abell, "Fiction: A Philosophical Analysis" (Oxford UP, 2020)In Fiction: A Philosophical Analysis (Oxford University Press, 2020), Catharine Abell draws our attention to the character of Emma Woodhouse. She is handsome, clever, and rich. Or, at least, that's what Jane Austen writes about her in her fictional novel Emma. But why should we consider this a work of fiction, if it says true things about 19th century England? And if it's a fiction, how should we understand and interpret its content? Do we need to know what Austen intended to understand what she says about Emma? And how can we judge the truth of claims about a fictional entity? Do thes...
2020-12-041h 03New Books in South Asian StudiesMarco Ferrante, "Indian Perspectives on Consciousness, Language and Self" (Routledge, 2020)For many Indian philosophers, language is inextricably tied up with conceptualization. In Indian Perspectives on Consciousness, Language and Self (Routledge, 2020), Marco Ferrante shows how a set of tenth century philosophers living in Kashmir argue for the existence of a self on the basis of the interrelationship between linguistic concepts and mental experience, against the criticism of Buddhists. In his examination of Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta, famous for their membership in the "school of Recognition" or Pratyabhijñā, Ferrante traces connections not only back in time to the Sanskrit grammarian and philosopher Bhartṛhari, but forward in time to contemporary analytic philosophy of lan...
2020-11-241h 05New Books in LanguageMarco Ferrante, "Indian Perspectives on Consciousness, Language and Self" (Routledge, 2020)For many Indian philosophers, language is inextricably tied up with conceptualization. In Indian Perspectives on Consciousness, Language and Self (Routledge, 2020), Marco Ferrante shows how a set of tenth century philosophers living in Kashmir argue for the existence of a self on the basis of the interrelationship between linguistic concepts and mental experience, against the criticism of Buddhists. In his examination of Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta, famous for their membership in the "school of Recognition" or Pratyabhijñā, Ferrante traces connections not only back in time to the Sanskrit grammarian and philosopher Bhartṛhari, but forward in time to contemporary analytic philosophy of lan...
2020-11-241h 05New Books in Indian ReligionsMarco Ferrante, "Indian Perspectives on Consciousness, Language and Self" (Routledge, 2020)For many Indian philosophers, language is inextricably tied up with conceptualization. In Indian Perspectives on Consciousness, Language and Self (Routledge, 2020), Marco Ferrante shows how a set of tenth century philosophers living in Kashmir argue for the existence of a self on the basis of the interrelationship between linguistic concepts and mental experience, against the criticism of Buddhists. In his examination of Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta, famous for their membership in the "school of Recognition" or Pratyabhijñā, Ferrante traces connections not only back in time to the Sanskrit grammarian and philosopher Bhartṛhari, but forward in time to contemporary analytic philosophy of lan...
2020-11-241h 02Sutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastDebatingIf you've ever watched a political debate on TV, you may wonder what the point is. After all, aren't both participants committed to their own viewpoints, and just aiming to win? Why would we ever think that debate is a useful activity. Nyaya philosophers were big proponents of debate, but not the kind of debate you see on network TV. In this episode we'll explore why they think arguments between two opposing parties aren't just a spectacular waste of time.
Music:
Brittle Rille by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3460-brittle-rille
2020-11-2316 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastDoubtingDoubts can feel paralyzing, but according to the early Nyaya philosopher Uddyotakara, the right kind of doubt is actually useful. In this episode we'll apply his thinking about doubt to the 2020 US presidential election.
Music:
Brittle Rille by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3460-brittle-rille
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sources:
Matthew Dasti and Stephen Phillips, The Nyaya-sutra: Selections with Early Commentaries, Hackett Publishing, 2017. https://www.hackettpublishing.com/new-forthcoming/the-nyaya-sutra
CNBC, September 29, 2020, Donald Trump on Election Integrity, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
2020-11-0615 minNew Books in LanguageCoulter George, "How Dead Languages Work" (Oxford UP, 2020)After reading How Dead Languages Work (Oxford University Press 2020), Coulter George hopes you might decide to learn a bit of ancient Greek or Sanskrit, or maybe dabble in a bit of Old Germanic. But even if readers of his book aren’t converted into polyglots, they will walk away with an introduction to the (in)famous Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which is responsible for the inaccurate meme claiming that Inuits understand snow more deeply than other cultures because their language has one hundred (one thousand?) words for it. George criticizes this hypothesis, but through his six chapters, uses examples of ancient la...
2020-10-281h 05New Books in South Asian StudiesCoulter George, "How Dead Languages Work" (Oxford UP, 2020)After reading How Dead Languages Work (Oxford University Press 2020), Coulter George hopes you might decide to learn a bit of ancient Greek or Sanskrit, or maybe dabble in a bit of Old Germanic. But even if readers of his book aren’t converted into polyglots, they will walk away with an introduction to the (in)famous Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which is responsible for the inaccurate meme claiming that Inuits understand snow more deeply than other cultures because their language has one hundred (one thousand?) words for it. George criticizes this hypothesis, but through his six chapters, uses examples of ancient la...
2020-10-281h 05New Books in Ancient HistoryCoulter George, "How Dead Languages Work" (Oxford UP, 2020)After reading How Dead Languages Work (Oxford University Press 2020), Coulter George hopes you might decide to learn a bit of ancient Greek or Sanskrit, or maybe dabble in a bit of Old Germanic. But even if readers of his book aren’t converted into polyglots, they will walk away with an introduction to the (in)famous Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which is responsible for the inaccurate meme claiming that Inuits understand snow more deeply than other cultures because their language has one hundred (one thousand?) words for it. George criticizes this hypothesis, but through his six chapters, uses examples of ancient la...
2020-10-281h 02
New Books in Irish StudiesCoulter George, "How Dead Languages Work" (Oxford UP, 2020)After reading How Dead Languages Work (Oxford University Press 2020), Coulter George hopes you might decide to learn a bit of ancient Greek or Sanskrit, or maybe dabble in a bit of Old Germanic. But even if readers of his book aren’t converted into polyglots, they will walk away with an introduction to the (in)famous Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which is responsible for the inaccurate meme claiming that Inuits understand snow more deeply than other cultures because their language has one hundred (one thousand?) words for it. George criticizes this hypothesis, but through his six chapters, uses examples of ancient la...
2020-10-281h 02Sutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastTestify!In this increasingly partisan world, many of us are listening only to people we already agree with. But can we learn things from the speech of people on the "other side"? In this episode, we learn how Nyaya philosophers think testimony can be a powerful tool for conveying knowledge, regardless of religion or political affiliation.
Music:
Brittle Rille by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3460-brittle-rille
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sources:
Matthew Dasti and Stephen Phillips, The Nyaya-sutra: Selections with Early Commentaries, Hackett Publishing, 2017. https://w...
2020-10-2314 min
The Expanse - An Enterprise Podcast13. Malcolm Reed: A Character StudyIn episode thirteen, of THE EXPANSE - A STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE PODCAST, Kris Hill and Kyle West take their first close look at a member of the NX-01 crew: Dominic Keating's Malcolm Reed.
2020-10-2100 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastAnnouncement about Episode 4Sutras (and stuff) will return next week for a new episode. Apologies for the delay and thanks for your patience!
2020-10-1603 minNew Books in PsychologyChris Heffer, "All Bullshit and Lies?: Insincerity, Irresponsibility, and the Judgment of Untruthfulness" (Oxford UP, 2020)The implied answer to the titular question of All Bullshit and Lies? (Oxford University Press 2020) is no, it’s not. In this book, subtitled Insincerity, Irresponsibility, and the Judgment of Untruthfulness, Chris Heffer argues that to analyze untruthfulness, we need a framework which goes beyond these two kinds of speech acts, bullshitting and lying. With his TRUST framework (Trust-related Untruthfulness in Situated Text), Heffer analyzes untruthfulness which includes irresponsible attitudes towards truth, like dogma and distortion, as well as manipulations of the putatively true, like withholding information or misleading. He considers not only epistemic responsibility but moral culpability, taking up...
2020-10-081h 02New Books in LanguageChris Heffer, "All Bullshit and Lies?: Insincerity, Irresponsibility, and the Judgment of Untruthfulness" (Oxford UP, 2020)The implied answer to the titular question of All Bullshit and Lies? (Oxford University Press 2020) is no, it’s not. In this book, subtitled Insincerity, Irresponsibility, and the Judgment of Untruthfulness, Chris Heffer argues that to analyze untruthfulness, we need a framework which goes beyond these two kinds of speech acts, bullshitting and lying. With his TRUST framework (Trust-related Untruthfulness in Situated Text), Heffer analyzes untruthfulness which includes irresponsible attitudes towards truth, like dogma and distortion, as well as manipulations of the putatively true, like withholding information or misleading. He considers not only epistemic responsibility but moral culpability, taking up...
2020-10-081h 02Sutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastInferringThe climate is changing due to human activity. Scientists today are arguing for this crucial claim, warning us that it has dire consequences. But how can we know that the past has an effect on the present? How can we draw connections between unseen things and what we observe? In this episode, we’ll see how Nyaya philosophers could help science communicators like Bill Nye in their mission to demonstrate the reality of climate change. And we’ll see if climate change deniers have a snowball’s chance in Oklahoma of refuting it.
Clips:
Bill Nye on...
2020-10-0115 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastKnowingWe can’t directly see it but we know it exists by extending our vision with special tools. We can reason about when it’s present based on associations. We can share facts about it with each other. And we can learn its name by comparing it to other similar kinds of things. I’m talking about the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, and in this episode we’ll focus on how early Nyāya philosophers might explain our knowledge about this disease, and how they think all human beings have the ability to know using a special set of natural a...
2020-09-1814 minNew Books in Indian ReligionsMalcolm Keating, "Controversial Reasoning in Indian Philosophy: Major Texts and Arguments on Arthâpatti" (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020)How do we know what we know? The most prominent means of knowledge for Indian philosophers are direct perception (pratyakṣa), inference (anumāna) and authority (śabda). Then there is the much debated “postulation” (arthāpatti), a point of controversy among Mimamsa, Nyaya, and Buddhist philosophers.Consisting of translations of central primary texts and newly-commissioned scholarly essays, Controversial Reasoning in Indian Philosophy: Major Texts and Arguments on Arthâpatti (Bloomsbury Academic) is a ground-breaking reference resource for understanding arthāpati, and debates in Indian philosophy at large.Malcolm Keating is Assistant Professor of Philosophy in the Humanities...
2020-09-151h 07Sutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastIntroduction to Season 2How can we become better thinkers and better human beings? What’s the connection between critical thinking and reducing suffering? In this intro episode to Season 2, we’ll learn about the Indian tradition known as “Nyaya,” who says these things are very closely related, and whose ideas we’ll be focusing on in detail this coming season.
Music:
Brittle Rille by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3460-brittle-rille
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sources:
Matthew Dasti and Stephen Phillips, The Nyaya-sutra: Selections with Early Commentari...
2020-09-0411 minNew Books in LanguageAlessandro Graheli, "The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Indian Philosophy of Language" (Bloomsbury, 2020)he Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Indian Philosophy of Language (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020) spans over two thousand years of inquiry into language in the Indian subcontinent. Edited by Alessandro Graheli, project leader in the Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia at the Austrian Academy of Science, Vienna, Austria, the volume focuses on speech units, word meanings, sentence meanings, and implicatures and figurative meanings. He chose the anthology’s divisions, inspired by Jayanta Bhaṭṭa’s understanding of the interdisciplinary “trivium” of grammar, hermeneutics, and epistemology, incorporating in addition the discipline of poetics. Each part moves chronologically through the history of p...
2020-09-011h 45New Books in PhilosophyBo Mou, "Philosophy of Language, Chinese Language, Chinese Philosophy" (Brill, 2018)Contributors to Philosophy of Language, Chinese Language, Chinese Philosophy, edited by Bo Mou, professor of philosophy at the San Jose State University, bring together work on the syntax and semantics of the Chinese language with philosophy of language, from the classical Chinese and contemporary analytic Anglophone traditions. The result is an anthology which explores what Mou calls “the constructive-engagement” model for doing philosophy.In this wide-ranging interview, we talk about the book’s contributions, which includes essays on the famous “White Horse” paradox of Gongsun Long, Heidegger and Zhuangzi on the ineffable, pluralism about truth in Chinese thought, and...
2020-08-011h 30New Books in LanguagePritipuspa Mishra, "Language and the Making of Modern India: Nationalism and the Vernacular in Colonial Odisha, 1803-1953" (Cambridge UP, 2020)The province of Odisha, previously “Orissa,” was the first linguistically organized province of India. In Language and the Making of Modern India: Nationalism and the Vernacular in Colonial Odisha, 1803-1953 (Cambridge University Press, 2020), Pritipuspa Mishra explores how the idea of the vernacular has a double effect, serving as a means for exclusion and inclusion. She argues that while regional linguistic nationalism enabled nationalism’s growth, it also enabled the exclusion of groups such as the adivasis, who become invisible as a minority in Odisha. Her book traces the role of the vernacular from colonial decisions about governance and education up thr...
2020-07-291h 12New Books in Buddhist StudiesJohannes Bronkhorst, "A Śabda Reader: Language in Classical Indian Thought" (Columbia UP, 2019)In A Śabda Reader: Language in Classical Indian Thought (Columbia University Press, 2019), Johannes Bronkhorst, emeritus professor at the University of Lausanne, makes the case through an extensive introduction and select translations of important Indian texts that language has a crucial role in Indian thought.Not only does it form the subject of inquiry for grammarians, philosophers, and aestheticians, but it forms the background for the religious and cultural world which informs these investigations. Writing in, and deeply invested in, the Sanskrit language, brahminical thinkers considered the status of phonemes, words, sentences, and larger textual units, as well a...
2020-07-171h 05New Books in LanguageJohannes Bronkhorst, "A Śabda Reader: Language in Classical Indian Thought" (Columbia UP, 2019)In A Śabda Reader: Language in Classical Indian Thought (Columbia University Press, 2019), Johannes Bronkhorst, emeritus professor at the University of Lausanne, makes the case through an extensive introduction and select translations of important Indian texts that language has a crucial role in Indian thought.Not only does it form the subject of inquiry for grammarians, philosophers, and aestheticians, but it forms the background for the religious and cultural world which informs these investigations. Writing in, and deeply invested in, the Sanskrit language, brahminical thinkers considered the status of phonemes, words, sentences, and larger textual units, as well a...
2020-07-171h 05New Books in Ancient HistoryJohannes Bronkhorst, "A Śabda Reader: Language in Classical Indian Thought" (Columbia UP, 2019)In A Śabda Reader: Language in Classical Indian Thought (Columbia University Press, 2019), Johannes Bronkhorst, emeritus professor at the University of Lausanne, makes the case through an extensive introduction and select translations of important Indian texts that language has a crucial role in Indian thought.Not only does it form the subject of inquiry for grammarians, philosophers, and aestheticians, but it forms the background for the religious and cultural world which informs these investigations. Writing in, and deeply invested in, the Sanskrit language, brahminical thinkers considered the status of phonemes, words, sentences, and larger textual units, as well a...
2020-07-171h 02New Books in Indian ReligionsJohannes Bronkhorst, "A Śabda Reader: Language in Classical Indian Thought" (Columbia UP, 2019)In A Śabda Reader: Language in Classical Indian Thought (Columbia University Press, 2019), Johannes Bronkhorst, emeritus professor at the University of Lausanne, makes the case through an extensive introduction and select translations of important Indian texts that language has a crucial role in Indian thought.Not only does it form the subject of inquiry for grammarians, philosophers, and aestheticians, but it forms the background for the religious and cultural world which informs these investigations. Writing in, and deeply invested in, the Sanskrit language, brahminical thinkers considered the status of phonemes, words, sentences, and larger textual units, as well a...
2020-07-171h 02Sutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastAnnouncement: Season One EndingWhen I started this podcast in February 2020, I envisioned a first season of ten episodes. I wrote, recorded, and scheduled the most recent episode (Episode 8) before the nationwide protests against police brutality began in the United States, which is my country of origin and my current home while I am on leave from my college. Given current events, even though I strongly believe that philosophy, and even premodern Sanskrit philosophy, has an important role to play in shaping a more just and equitable society, I have decided to put a pause on recording and disseminating these episodes. I'll be t...
2020-06-0401 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastEpisode 8: BingingBinge-watching. You sit down, popcorn and soda at the ready, and before you know it, three hours have gone by and Netflix pops up with a message: “Are you still watching?” While binge-watching is a fairly new English phrase (attested by the OED back to 1998 in verb form) in the sense of “overindulgence,” binging goes back to the 19th century, associated with gluttony. While binging on television may be a particularly modern phenomenon, the connection between gluttony and aesthetic taste is not. Today on Sutras (and Stuff) we’ll look at the Sanskrit thinker Abhinavagupta on aesthetic gluttony. Would he binge-wa...
2020-05-2914 min
FanboyNationConnor Trinneer & Dominic Keating Discuss The Star Trek Virtual Fan ExperienceConnor Trinneer ("Charles "Trip" Tucker III") and Dominic Keating ("Malcolm Reed") are the spirited duo from Star Trek: Enterprise that are ready to answer your questions as they take part in Creation Entertainment's Virtual Van Experience on Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 10:15 a.m. PT. where fans can join in via a "Pay What You Can" by signing up by lick here at StageIt.
The highest supporter will receive a 1-0n-1 Zoom Meet-and-Greet with Trinneer and Keating and Creation Entertainment Swag Bag valued at $100!
We caught up with the duo to discuss this weekends events and h...
2020-05-1624 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastEpisode 7: CravingDo you wish things were different right now? Is there some experience you used to have that you miss? Are you having unpleasant feelings? If so, you've got a lot in common with Buddhist practitioners and philosophers from the 4th century CE. In this episode, I speak with Bryce Huebner, Provost's Distinguished Associate Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. We talk about how some Buddhist philosophers think our mental lives are interrelated with our emotions, how this idea relates to contemporary cognitive science, and why that may help those of us who are wishing things...
2020-05-1517 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastEpisode 6: ExpertiseWho should you listen to? Now, more than ever before, we have access to advice from a range of self-proclaimed experts. Anyone with a webcam and an Internet connection can dole out advice. But how do we tell if someone is trustworthy? In this episode, I test some so-called experts based on the requirements from Nyaya philosophers. Let's see who makes the cut...
Sources and Links
Quotes from Caraka’s Compendium are from
Domink Wujastyk’s The Roots of Ayurveda and the Caraka Samhita Online
Quotes from the Nyayasutra are from
The Nyaya-sutra: Selections with Early Commentaries translated by Matthew Dast...
2020-05-0116 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastTeaser: Episode 6Who should you listen to? Now, more than ever before, we have access to advice from a range of self-proclaimed experts. Anyone with a webcam and an Internet connection can dole out advice. But how do we tell if someone is trustworthy? In the next episode, I test some so-called experts based on the requirements from Nyaya philosophers, with a litle help from Caraka. Let's see who makes the cut...
Background music by junkfood2121 on freesound, used under Creative Commons Attribution License.
*Oops! This is a trailer for episode six!
2020-04-2400 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastEpisode 5: Contagion (part two)Love, happiness, and disease. These are a few things that today we call "contagious." But how did thinkers in the Indian subcontinent, before the discovery of viruses, understand diseases and their treatment? This podcast is part two of a two-part interview with Patricia Sauthoff, an expert in the history of alchemy and medicine in India.
Sources and links
Dominik Wujastyk, The Roots of Ayurveda
Caraka Samhita online
Patricia Sauthoff is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Alberta with the The AyurYog project.
2020-04-1715 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastEpisode 4: Contagion (part one)Love, happiness, and disease. These are a few things that today we call "contagious." But how did thinkers in the Indian subcontinent, before the discovery of viruses, understand diseases and their treatment? This podcast is part one of a two-part interview with Patricia Sauthoff, an expert in the history of alchemy and medicine in India.
Sources and links
A Planet of Viruses, Carl Zimmer
Patricia Sauthoff is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Alberta with the The AyurYog project.
2020-04-0316 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastAnnouncement: Opening up the "phone lines"I want to hear from you. Send me a voice message through Anchor or email me at sutrasandstuff@gmail.com and I might use your messages on an upcoming episode. Be well, everyone.
2020-03-2801 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastEpisode 3: RecliningIf you’re going to recline your seat on an airplane, you should do it gently. And if you’re going to kill your enemy with the shyena ritual, you should build a brick altar. But should we do either of these things? Mimamsa and the logic of troubling commands.
Sources and Links
BBC clip from “Corona Virus: What is social distancing?”
Kei Kataoka (2011), Kumarila on Truth, Omniscience, and Killing.
Elisa Freschi, Andrew Ollett & Matteo Pascucci (2019), "Duty and Sacrifice: A Logical Analysis of the Mimamsa Theory of Vedic Injunctions, History and Philosophy...
2020-03-2716 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastEpisode 2.1: Disease and debateWhat does an ancient Sanskrit text have to tell us about reasoning about the coronavirus and debating with people about its treatment? Caraka’s Compendium, a medical treatise, gives some guidelines for when to bother debating with people, and whom we should trust with our health.
Sources & links
Online Searchable Caraka Samhita
Translation of Caraka Samhita from the episode
Philosophy and Medicine in Classical India Project
BBC Interview with Prof. Robin Shattock, Imperial College London
The Trish Regan Show and the coronavirus
2020-03-2013 minNew Books in LanguageAndrew Ollett, "Language of the Snakes" (U California Press, 2017)Andrew Ollett, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, argues in his book, Language of the Snakes: (University of California Press, 2017), that Prakrit is “the most important Indian language you’ve never heard of.” In this book, subtitled "Prakrit, Sanskrit, and the Language Order of Premodern India," Ollett writes a biography of Prakrit from the perspective of cultural history, arguing that it is a language which challenges modern theorizing about language as a natural human development grounded in speech. Rather, he claims, Prakrit was "invented" and theorized as a self-consciously literary langua...
2020-03-191h 05New Books in Indian ReligionsAndrew Ollett, "Language of the Snakes" (U California Press, 2017)Andrew Ollett, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, argues in his book, Language of the Snakes: (University of California Press, 2017), that Prakrit is “the most important Indian language you’ve never heard of.” In this book, subtitled "Prakrit, Sanskrit, and the Language Order of Premodern India," Ollett writes a biography of Prakrit from the perspective of cultural history, arguing that it is a language which challenges modern theorizing about language as a natural human development grounded in speech. Rather, he claims, Prakrit was "invented" and theorized as a self-consciously literary langua...
2020-03-191h 03Sutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastEpisode 2: The ManTaylor Swift does it, and so does Kalidasa. How does figurative speech work and why do we enjoy it so much? In this episode, I talk about how figurative language from Sanskrit poetry to William Shakespeare to Taylor Swift. Sources and Links Taylor Swift, “The Man” music video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqAJLh9wuZ0 Yigal Bronner, Extreme Poetry http://cup.columbia.edu/book/extreme-poetry/9780231151603 Kālidāsa, Raghuvaṃśa https://archive.org/details/raghuvamsaofkali00kliduoft/page/n5/mode/2up Malcolm Keating, Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/language-meaning-and-use-in-indian-philosophy-9781350060777/ Richard III Soliloquy https://www.p...
2020-03-1315 minSutras & Stuff: A Philosophy PodcastS1 E1: Threads(This is an audio remastered version of an episode which first aired February 29, 2020.)
Introduction to the podcast and, what do sutras and Twitter have in common? What do ancient Sanskrit aphorisms have in common with modern Internet communication? In this episode, Malcolm talks about sutras and Twitter, bedbugs and textual interpretation.
Sources & Links
Reply All: Bedbugs & Aliens: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/kwh23r/148-bedbugs-and-aliens
English translation of the Nyāya-sūtra by Matthew Dasti and Stephen Phillips: https://www.hackettpublishing.com/the-nyaya-sutra-4119
A paper (in French) about Sanskrit insults: https://orbi.ul...
2020-02-2913 minNew Books in Ancient HistoryMalcolm Keating, "Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy" (Bloomsbury, 2019)Philosophy of Language was a central concern in classical Indian Philosophy. Philosophers in the tradition discussed testimony, pragmatics, and the religious implications of language, among other topics. In his new book, Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Mukula's 'Fundamentals of the Communicative Function'(Bloomsbury Academic, 2019), Malcolm Keating looks at the views of the philosopher Mukula Bhatta, whose innovative position on meaning aimed to capture the differences between meaning in everyday speech and meaning in poetry. As Keating explains, Mukula “sets out a framework for how communication happens, from what words mean to how sentences are cons...
2019-09-201h 08New Books in PhilosophyMalcolm Keating, "Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy" (Bloomsbury, 2019)Philosophy of Language was a central concern in classical Indian Philosophy. Philosophers in the tradition discussed testimony, pragmatics, and the religious implications of language, among other topics. In his new book, Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Mukula's 'Fundamentals of the Communicative Function'(Bloomsbury Academic, 2019), Malcolm Keating looks at the views of the philosopher Mukula Bhatta, whose innovative position on meaning aimed to capture the differences between meaning in everyday speech and meaning in poetry. As Keating explains, Mukula “sets out a framework for how communication happens, from what words mean to how sentences are cons...
2019-09-201h 08New Books in LanguageMalcolm Keating, "Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy" (Bloomsbury, 2019)Philosophy of Language was a central concern in classical Indian Philosophy. Philosophers in the tradition discussed testimony, pragmatics, and the religious implications of language, among other topics. In his new book, Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Mukula's 'Fundamentals of the Communicative Function'(Bloomsbury Academic, 2019), Malcolm Keating looks at the views of the philosopher Mukula Bhatta, whose innovative position on meaning aimed to capture the differences between meaning in everyday speech and meaning in poetry. As Keating explains, Mukula “sets out a framework for how communication happens, from what words mean to how sentences are cons...
2019-09-201h 08
The Show People Podcast With Andrew KeatesDominic Keating is coming home.Today’s guest is Dominic Keating who is a British actor who has spent the past 25 years in Los Angeles. He caught up with his friend and host of the Show People Podcast, Andrew Keates whilst filming a new movie which stars Derek Jacobi. Dominic talks in detail about his entire life, from growing up in Leicester as the son of a theatrical landlady and discovering theatre whilst at Stoneygate and Uppingham Schools, receiving his first review from Rowan Atkinson and how when he was denied the opportunity to train as an actor at the Central School of Speech an...
2018-04-2200 min
Kneel Before PodInterview with Star Trek: Enterprise Star Dominic KeatingCraig recently caught up with Star Trek: Enterprise star Dominic Keating. He played weapons officer Lieutenant Malcolm Reed on the show and Craig had a brief conversation with him about his time on the show as well as upcoming projects that he has and a bit about what he watches in his spare time.
Unfortunately since Craig was in the middle of the Comic-Con atmosphere when speaking to Dominic which means there's quite a bit of background noise including a lot of chatter and a song playing rather loudly in the background. Focus on the voices and...
2018-04-1712 min
Filibuster86 - Dominic Keating InterviewActor Dominic Keating chats with Lee Hutchison about his role as security officer, Malcolm Reed on Star Trek: Enterprise, the ideas he pitched to Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, how the relationship between himself Connor Trinneer (Trip) translated to screen and some forthcoming acting and voice work projects.
2018-04-1414 min
Film SnuffJurassic World"Your [filmmakers] were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." –Dr. Ian Malcolm The fourth installment of the "Jurassic Park" franchise from 2015, "Jurassic World," is yet another mediocre sequel to the original 1993 masterpiece. The story is unoriginal, the characters are annoying cartoons and the special effects aren't even as realistic as the first one, despite 22 years of CGI advancement. Chris Pratt plays Owen Grady, a former Navy dude who now trains attack Velociraptors for a super shady Blackwater-esque organization, but somehow he is shocked that his employers have pl...
2017-11-071h 57
Eating Onions: Breaking Down The Layers Of Australian PoliticsS3E2: Malcolm Turnbull NEGs AustraliansWe discuss the National Energy Guarantee that Malcolm Turnbull introduced this week, and the effect on renewable investment. In a lead up to a vote in Victoria on the legalisation of euthanasia, former PM, Paul Keating, has said "Don't Do It". Also, New Zealand have their third female Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. RELATED LINKS: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/welcome-to-politics-new-threeletterword-the-neg-20171017-gz2hfh.html http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-10-19/concern-energy-policy-will-stymie-growth-in-battery-storage/9061948 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-19/national-energy-guarantee-trifecta-missing-detail/9063500 http://www.smh.c...
2017-10-1940 min