Stephen R.C. Hicks's Blog, page 10

Wendy Steiner on Kant and what Modern Art Abandoned

In her Venus in Exile: The Rejection of Beauty in 20th-Century Art, Wendy Steiner, a professor of literature at Penn, argues that “In modernism, the perennial rewards of aesthetic experience — pleasure, insight, empathy — were largely withheld, and its generous aim, beauty, was abandoned” (p. xv). Steiner notes that “the main symbol of such […]

Orthodox Christian Andy Schmitt interviews Stephen Hicks

Description: “Andy Schmitt and Stephen Hicks on the evolution of Western philosophy, especially the transition from modern to postmodern thought. They begin with fifteenth-century globalization unleashed by Columbus, Gutenberg’s press, and Martin Luther’s insistence on individual Scripture reading, through the emergence of scientific reasoning and the radical individualism of the Quakers. “They examine how postmodern […]

Mark Michael Lewis interviews Stephen Hicks on Objectivism, Postmodernism and Its Origins

Description: Join Dr. Stephen Hicks, philosopher, professor, author and Mark Michael Lewis as they discuss the philosophies of Postmodernism and Marxism and their strange union in modern woke politics—and the Objectivist contrast. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction to Ayn Rand, Objectivism, and Its Application 02:50 – Cultural Conversations: Postmodernism vs. Modernism 06:06 – The Impact of Postmodernism on Society 09:01 – Historical Perspectives on […]

Mark Michael Lewis interviews Stephen Hicks

Description: Join Dr. Stephen Hicks, philosopher, professor, author and Mark Michael Lewis as they discuss the philosophies of Postmodernism and Marxism and their strange union in modern woke politics—and the Objectivist contrast. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction to Ayn Rand and Its Application 02:50 – Cultural Conversations: Postmodernism vs. Modernism 06:06 – The Impact of Postmodernism on Society 09:01 – Historical Perspectives on Cultural […]

Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, and the sausage line

Capitalism, Socialism, & Communism are visiting and chatting. Socialism says he needs to do an errand. Three hours later he returns with a small package.“What took you so long?” asks Capitalism.“I had to buy some sausage, and there was a long line,” Socialism explains.“What’s a line?” asks Capitalism.And Communism inquires, “What’s sausage?” (A Soviet joke)

Professor Gary Jason on how the Nazis sold eugenics to the public

In its recent issue, Reason Papers published an informative review essay by philosopher Gary James Jason of Cal State University: “Selling Eugenic Killing: The Nazi Propaganda Campaign to Support the Liquidation of the Disabled.” Quote: “Positive eugenics means promoting breeding ‘superior individuals’ from ‘good stock.’ Negative eugenics refers to prohibiting the breeding of children of […]

Walter Donway’s *How Philosophers Change Civilizations: The Age of Enlightenment*

Walter Donway’s How Philosophers Change Civilizations: The Age of Enlightenment is a good survey of the major thinkers who contributed to the development of the Enlightenment — along with some important coverage of their Counter-Enlightenment detractors — as well as an argument about what causes historical change. Here’s his question: ‘How did the “new philosophers” […]

Racism — distinguishing Individual, Institutional, Structural [interview excerpt]

From a 2020 interview: Jennifer Grossman  [03:20]: What do people mean when they talk about structural racism? What is sort of the origin of that even terminology comes from and what is what’s your perspective on it? What does it mean? Stephen Hicks: Yes, well, we’ll start with the racism itself, which is an intellectual […]

The Importance of Philosophy to Education [Lecture 15 of Philosophy of Education course]

By Professor Stephen R.C. Hicks, Rockford University, USA Lecture 15: For educators, why is philosophy personally important to one’s professional mission? How has philosophy influenced education historically? And how much do changes in philosophical fashion and substance explain the current state of education? Other lectures in the series: Part One: “Philosophy” of “Education”: What is […]

DEBATE: Conservatism vs. Liberalism —James Orr (Cambridge U.) vs. Stephen R.C. Hicks (Rockford U.) — published in *Reason Papers* journal

Reason Papers is a peer-reviewed philosophy journal now in its 51st year of existence. The new issue features a three-round debate between Professor James Orr (University of Cambridge, UK), and Professor Stephen Hicks (Rockford University, USA). Dr. Orr advocates and defends Conservatism; Dr. Hicks does the same for Liberalism. The full debate also features an […]