We engage together in, and record for broadcast, our earnest philosophical dialogues, so that we may:

  1. Enhance our understanding of life and the world in which we live.
  2. Stimulate intellectual curiosity and philosophical exploration in ourselves and others.
  3. Strengthen our intellectual skills of critical thinking and sound reasoning.
  4. Provide a forum for a diversity of thought from a broad spectrum of independent thinkers.
  5. Connect with and form a network among thoughtful and caring individuals, everywhere.
  6. Enjoy the pleasures of intellectually stimulating and philosophically insightful company.
  7. Promote the pursuit of wisdom in everyone.


Civility - Treat everyone with respect. Use helpful, not hurtful language. Listen carefully and patiently when someone else is speaking.

Sincerity - Honest opinions and innocent questions are more valuable than "scoring points" or "looking smart". Strive for intellectual honesty.

Soundness - Favor sound reasoning over emotional rhetoric or sophomoric obfuscation.

Succinctness - Strive to be brief and to the point using understandable language. Speak loud and clear so others can hear.


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Saturday, May 26, 2007

Power, Justice, and Morality

This is a special edition of Thinking Out Loud, which you might call Thinking Out Loud - One on One. Due to the threat of severe weather, only one brave citizen philosopher showed up at the scheduled meeting time. I decided to postpone the scheduled topic, "How do we fool ourselves?", for next time when more could attend. While waiting to see if anyone else would show up this time, U.J. Fields and I just happened to start talking about power and justice. It sounded promising, so I turned on the microphone. Here is that conversation.

Participants: U.J. Fields

To subscribe to the podcast with your podcast software (such as iTunes or iPodder) copy and past the following link into your software:

www.citizenphilosopher.com/rss/tol_podcasts.xml

If you have iTunes, you can find us listed in the Apple Music Store directory under Podcasts/Society & Culture/Philosophy, or just do a search in iTunes on Thinking Out Loud People. The direct iTunes link is:

phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=214321935

If you don't have iTunes or other podcast software and just want to download the mp3 file directly, use this link:

Listen to the broadcast (mp3)

In our next podcast we will discuss: Has Science Hit a Wall?. Stay tuned.

You are invited to add your thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the lower right hand corner of this post.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

The Nature of Sacrifice

What does it mean sacrifice? Who is sacrifice for? What are the expectations that come with sacrifice? Where does the call to sacrifice come from? How can we distinguish between noble sacrifices and sinister calls to sacrifice disguised as noble? How do the concepts of duty and honor relate to sacrifice? Is sacrifice voluntary? What motivates a mother to sacrifice for her children or a soldier for his country? How can the instinct to sacrifice be abused and manipulated by propaganda and other means? What are we to make of the kamikaze pilots of World War II and the suicide bombers of the Middle East today? What does it mean to be a martyr and who decides? What about sacrifices made daily without notice? What roles do our lesser self and our greater Self play in motivating sacrifice?

Participants: Billie Lagerwerff, Carole Abel, Jnanam MacIsaac, John Loy, John Tytus, Ken Thompson

To subscribe to the podcast with your podcast software (such as iTunes or iPodder) copy and past the following link into your software:

www.citizenphilosopher.com/rss/tol_podcasts.xml

If you have iTunes, you can find us listed in the Apple Music Store directory under Podcasts/Society & Culture/Philosophy, or just do a search in iTunes on Thinking Out Loud People. The direct iTunes link is:

phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=214321935

If you don't have iTunes or other podcast software and just want to download the mp3 file directly, use this link:

Listen to the broadcast (mp3)

In our next podcast we will discuss: Power, Justice, and Morality. Stay tuned.

You are invited to add your thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the lower right hand corner of this post.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Suffering and Creativity

They say "you have to suffer, to sing the blues." Does suffering stimulate creativity? Are pain and suffering necessary ingredients of creation? How much is sufficient? How much is too much? Can one be creativity without some pain and suffering? What are the distinctions between pain and suffering? Does suffering always lead to creativity? Is the relationship always one of cause and effect? What role does sensitivity play in the relationship between suffering and creativity? Are there times when self-numbing is preferable to self-expression?

Participants: Billie Lagerwerff, Derek Breen, Jason Varsoke, John Tytus, Ken Thompson, Mike Grosso, Paul Beckert, U.J. Fields

To subscribe to the podcast with your podcast software (such as iTunes or iPodder) copy and past the following link into your software:

www.citizenphilosopher.com/rss/tol_podcasts.xml

If you have iTunes, you can find us listed in the Apple Music Store directory under Podcasts/Society & Culture/Philosophy, or just do a search in iTunes on Thinking Out Loud People. The direct iTunes link is:

phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=214321935

If you don't have iTunes or other podcast software and just want to download the mp3 file directly, use this link:

Listen to the broadcast (mp3)

In our next podcast we will discuss: The Nature of Sacrifice. Stay tuned.

You are invited to add your thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the lower right hand corner of this post.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

What is Happiness?

What do we know about happiness? Is it satisfaction, excitement, pleasure, all of the above or in a category by itself? Does happiness depend on circumstances, or can one be happy under any circumstance? What are the obstacles to happiness? How do we explain the transitory, fleeting nature of happiness? Are there different kinds of happiness and are they all desirable? What is the relationship between happiness and intoxication? Are we at risk of losing motivation should we attain lasting happiness? Is happiness a destination or is a property of the path?

Participants: Billie Lagerwerff, Carole Abel, Derek Breen, John Tytus, Ken Thompson, Mike Grosso, Paul Beckert, U.J. Fields

To subscribe to the podcast with your podcast software (such as iTunes or iPodder) copy and past the following link into your software:

www.citizenphilosopher.com/rss/tol_podcasts.xml

If you have iTunes, you can find us listed in the Apple Music Store directory under Podcasts/Society & Culture/Philosophy, or just do a search in iTunes on Thinking Out Loud People. The direct iTunes link is:

phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=214321935

If you don't have iTunes or other podcast software and just want to download the mp3 file directly, use this link:

Listen to the broadcast (mp3)

In our next podcast we will discuss: Suffering and Creativity. Stay tuned.

You are invited to add your thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the lower right hand corner of this post.