tpm t h e p h i l o s o p h e r s ’ m a g a z i n e Issue 53 • 2nd quarter 2011

Contents …

ACTIONS & EVENTS

4 6 10 12 14 20

From the editor News A round up of events

Mediawatch Philosophy and philosophers in the mass media

Threads Intuitions about tuition

Women trouble Why gender is back on the agenda

Word of Mouse Right, wrong, and Wikileaks

THOUGHTS

22 32 35 46

The Interview Kwame Anthony Appiah on moral revolutions

Sci-Phi Freedom flies

TPM Essay Mary Midgley confronts selfishness

The joint session Dale Jacquette on drugs

46

52 55

Letter from … Charles Pigden in Otago

Inaccessible philosophy James Ladyman praises technicality

FORUM

62 67

No l ife is good David Benatar’s dark conclusion

Distinctly human needs Richard Norman turns Aristotle on his head

62

73 79 85 91

What matters most? John Kekes on enjoying life

Ties that bind Family gives life meaning, says Jean Kazez

Ancient Answers Peter Adamson makes a virtue of knowledge

Living well and doing good Brad Hooker connects morality to the good life

■ tpm 2ND QUARTER 2011 tpm t h e p h i l o s o p h e r s ’ m a g a z i n e

THE LOWDOWN

96

96 101

Pop culture Tragic Green Lanterns

Snapshot: George Santayana An intellectual vagabond

REVIEW

104 114 116 118

New books Parenting, Darwin, Facebook and fireside chats

Author Q&A Hurley, Dennett and Adams get inside jokes

Imagine that Guitar Hero

Review of reviews What the critics said

LAST WORD

120 127

My philosophy Bettany Hughes excavates Socrates

The Skeptic UFOs in Wikileaks?

101

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London, EC1N 8XA UK

Tel: 020 7841 1959

Fax: 020 7242 1474

editor@philosophers.co.uk www.philosophersmag.com

Editor-in-chief

Editor

Julian Baggini

James Garvey

Reviews editor

Nina Power

Production editor Matthew Humphrys Publisher Edward Milford

Editorial Advisory Board Miranda Fricker, Simon Glendinning, Daniel D. Hutto, Susan James, David Papineau, Nina Power, Anthony Price, Jonathan Rée, Richard Schoch, Barry C Smith, Jonathan Wolff

Design

Layout

Paul Cooper

John Perkins

Illustrations/Graphics Felix Bennett (cover), Pipo di Bressana,

Adam Ferner, Gareth Southwell

Contributors Reginald B. Adams Jr, Peter Adamson, David Benatar, Ophelia Benson, Daniel C. Dennett, Jane Dryden, Adam Ferner, Luciano Floridi, Wendy Grossman, Jules Holroyd, Brad Hooker, Matthew M. Hurley, Mathew Iredale, Rodger Jackson, Dale Jacquette, Jean Kazez, John Kekes, Diego Lawler, James Ladyman, Mary Midgley, Richard Norman, Charles Pigden, and Nina Power.

Contributors’ Notes Contact the editor to submit proposals. Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts.

Distribution by (UK) Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London E9 5LN Tel: 020 8986 4854 (North America) Source Interlink, 27500 Riverview Center Blvd., Bonita Springs, Florida 34134; Tel: (239) 949-4450 Ubiquity Distributors Inc., 607 Degraw Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Tel: (718) 875 5491

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With thanks to Denis Collins, Olivia Wood

Subscriptions UK: +44 (0) 1442 879097 North America: 1 800 444 2419 See page 11 for full details

© 2009, The Philosophy Press Ltd and contributors ISSN 1354-814X

All views expressed in TPM represent those of the authors of each article and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or publishers.

Cover: Original artwork by Felix Bennett. Design by Paul Cooper.

2ND QUARTER 2011 tpm ■