501. Reality and the Philosophical Framing of the Truth | Dr. Stephen Hicks

2024/11/25

The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast

Jordan Peterson

Stephen Hicks

Stephen Hicks: 本文探讨了哲学教育的重要性，特别是如何利用新技术来改进哲学教学，使之更易于被更多人接受，并提升教学质量。Hicks 认为，理解伟大哲学家的思想对于理解自身思维方式及其后果至关重要，哲学的终极目标是追求对真实现实的认知。他还阐述了现代哲学和后现代哲学的演变，以及它们对现代世界的影响。Hicks 认为，后现代主义者对一些启蒙思想的缺陷进行了批判，但他们的观点存在局限性，不能完全否定经验现实的存在。他主张，经验主义应该承认存在一些直接接触经验现实的现象，这些现象可以作为知识的基础和检验其他一切的标准。Hicks 还强调了认识论、形而上学和心灵哲学之间的关系，以及它们对理解人类认知和知识的重要性。他认为，未来哲学发展需要整合心理学、神经科学和改进的认识论，并避免将人类的优点视为缺点。 Jordan Peterson: 本文探讨了哲学教育的实际意义，以及人们的思想如何受到已逝哲学家的潜移默化影响。Peterson 认为，不理解伟大哲学家的思想，就无法理解自身思维方式及其后果。他还探讨了后现代主义的核心观点，即人们不可避免地通过故事来感知世界。Peterson 认为，感官数据无法与动机和行为分开，这挑战了理性主义和经验主义的传统假设。他认为，故事是人们用来权衡事实的结构的描述，但这并不意味着感知没有结构或完全主观。Peterson 还探讨了后现代主义对权力的理解，以及权力游戏并非可持续的策略。他认为，后现代主义者将人类认知的优点视为缺点，例如将自动化和价值判断视为主观和消极的因素。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why did Dr. Stephen Hicks join the Peterson Academy?

Hicks joined the Peterson Academy to explore how new technologies can transform philosophy education, making it more accessible and with better production values than traditional in-person teaching.

What are the two main courses Dr. Hicks has taught at the Peterson Academy?

The first course is on modern philosophy, covering the period from 1500 to 1900, focusing on philosophers like Descartes, Locke, and Nietzsche. The second course is on postmodern philosophy, starting from 1900, examining thinkers like Foucault and Derrida who reacted against modernist ideas.

What is the central argument of the postmodern philosophy course?

The postmodern philosophy course argues that postmodern thinkers reacted against the modern era's intellectual and cultural developments, often advocating skepticism, relativism, and the idea that philosophy has become impotent in answering life's big questions.

Why does Dr. Hicks believe philosophy is important for everyone?

Hicks argues that philosophy is crucial because our thoughts are often unconsciously influenced by the ideas of great philosophers. Understanding these thinkers helps us grasp why we think the way we do and avoid being puppets of forces beyond our comprehension.

What does Dr. Hicks say about the relationship between philosophy and reality?

Hicks emphasizes that philosophy is about the quest to understand true reality. He believes that philosophical ideas, from Locke to Nietzsche, have shaped the modern world and continue to influence how we perceive and interact with reality.

How does Dr. Hicks describe the evolution of philosophy from modernism to postmodernism?

Hicks describes modern philosophy as a revolutionary period from 1500 to 1900 that transformed how we approach religion, science, and society. Postmodernism, starting in 1900, reacted against modernist ideas, often advocating skepticism and relativism, leading to the idea that philosophy has lost its ability to answer fundamental questions.

What does Dr. Hicks think is the danger of the postmodernist claim that we see the world through a narrative?

Hicks believes the postmodernist claim that we see the world through a narrative is dangerous because it can lead to the exclusion of reality from the equation, reducing everything to subjective interpretation without grounding in objective truth.

How does Dr. Hicks explain the role of narratives in perception?

Hicks explains that narratives are tools we use to interpret reality. When a narrative is true, it helps us see reality more clearly. However, if the narrative is flawed, it can distort our perception of reality, leading to problematic interpretations.

What does Dr. Hicks say about the postmodernist view of power?

Hicks argues that the postmodernist view of power as the dominant narrative is a misinterpretation. He believes power should be understood as our ability to get things done and flourish in the world, rather than as a zero-sum game of social control.

What are the three upcoming courses Dr. Hicks is working on for the Peterson Academy?

The three upcoming courses are on modern ethics, the philosophy of politics from the French Revolution to World War II, and the philosophy of politics from the Cold War to contemporary times, covering influential thinkers like Hume, Kant, Marx, and Rawls.

Chapters

This chapter explores the practical applications of philosophy, challenging the notion that it's merely abstract. It emphasizes the influence of philosophical ideas on various aspects of life and the importance of understanding these influences to avoid being manipulated by unconscious forces. The analogy of infrastructure helps explain how philosophical ideas shape our perceptions and actions.

The thoughts we think are often those of past philosophers.
Understanding philosophy helps us understand why we think the way we do.
Philosophical ideas shape our perceptions and actions in profound ways.

Shownotes Transcript

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down with philosopher, professor, and lecturer Dr. Stephen Hicks. They discuss their collaboration through the Peterson Academy, the case for philosophy on the practical level,the evolution of human thought across intellectual movements and waves, the notion that we see reality through a story, and the danger of getting the story wrong.

Stephen Hicks’ writings have been translated into twenty languages, including Portuguese, Spanish, German, Korean, Persian, Serbo-Croatian, Polish, Swedish, Hindi, Russian, Ukrainian, Cantonese, French, Hebrew, Estonian, Urdu, Turkish, and Arabic. He has published in academic journals such as “Business Ethics Quarterly,” “Teaching Philosophy,” and “Review of Metaphysics,” as well as other publications such as “The Wall Street Journal” and “Cato Unbound.”

In 2010, he won his university’s Excellence in Teaching Award. He was Professor of Philosophy at Rockford University, Illinois; has been Visiting Professor of Business Ethics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.; Visiting Professor at Jagiellonian University, Poland; Visiting Fellow at the Social Philosophy & Policy Center in Bowling Green, Ohio; Visiting Fellow at Harris Manchester College at Oxford University in England; Senior Fellow at The Objectivist Center in New York; and Visiting Professor at the University of Kasimir the Great, Poland. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Guelph, Canada, and his Ph.D. in philosophy from Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.

This episode was filmed on November 15th, 2024

| Links |

For Stephen Hicks:

On Peterson Academy https://petersonacademy.com/

On X https://x.com/SRCHicks?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Website https://www.stephenhicks.org/

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