Elucidations
Developed by recent Department of Philosophy PhD Matt Teichman, Elucidations is a monthly podcast featuring University of Chicago Department of Philosophy faculty members and faculty guests who talk with Matt and other graduate students about their latest work. The podcasts cover a range of topics from the theoretical to the practical, including perception, moral motivation, and sexual orientation. If you have questions or comments about Elucidations, please contact Matt Teichman.
Faculty Interviews and Lectures
Below you will find a selection of interviews, lectures and podcasts, some recorded in Chicago, most recorded elsewhere, featuring members of the current faculty of the Department of Philosophy below (by faculty name in alphabetical order).
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Jason Bridges
"Is The Mind Real?" Video of talk at Humanities Day, University of Chicago, 2016.
"Mind, Brain and Mechanism." Video of talk at MacLean Center for Medical Ethics, 2016
"The Search for the Essence of Human Language in Wittgenstein and Davidson," Wittgenstein Workshop, University of Chicago, 2017.
"Skepticism and Beyond." Audio of talk at Skepticism as a Form of Philosophical Experience conference, University of Chicago, 2017.
Jason Bridges discusses contextualism on the June 2010 episode of Elucidations.
Agnes Callard
"on the reason to be angry forever" - Lunchtime talk at the Franke Institute, April 14, 2010 - Listen
Agnes Callard discusses desire and satisfaction on the July 2009 episode of Elucidations.
Discussant at Anscombe's Intention Conference, April 24, 2009 - Listen
James Conant
James Conant, Interview with Octavian Busuioc, April 22, 2018 - Link (password: varietiesofskepticism)
James Conant and Cora Diamond, "The Subliming of the Object of Philosophical Investigation", from the 5th Ludwig Wittgenstein Summer School, on the topic of Wittgenstein's Conception of Philosophy: Philosophical Investigations, Sections 93 - 133, August 6, 2013, Kirchberg am Wechsel, Austria - Link
James Conant, "Alexander von Humboldt Award Recipient Profile" - Link
James Conant, "The Invisibility of Directorial Perfection," at the CCT MFS Film & Philosophy, University of Chicago, January 2017 Link
James Conant, "Witgenstein's Methods," at the 4rth BWS Annual Conference, Gregynog, Wales July 16-17, 2011 Link
James Conant and Konrad Lindner, "Thomas S. Kuhn: Die Struktur wissenschaftlicher Revolutionen" on the German radio show SWR2 Wissen, May 9, 2016 Link
James Conant, with Robert J. Richards, and Shadi Bartsch-Zimmer, "On Doubt," at the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago. May 5, 2016. Link
James Conant and Cora Diamond co-taught the 7th Ludwig Wittgenstein Summer School from the 5th to the 8th of August, 2015 in Kirchberg am Wechsel in Lower Austria. Recordings of the summer school can be accessed here.
James Conant, "Some Socratic Aspects of Wittgenstein," St. John's College in Santa Fe, May 1, 2015. Link
James Conant, "Matter and Form: Two Ways of Distinguishing Varieties of Skepticism", University of Bonn, Wednesday, November 26, 2014. (YouTube) - Link
James Conant and Jay Elliott discuss the analytic tradition on Elucidations, the Department's podcast series. Oct. 16, 2014. Link
"Die Unsichtbarkeit einer perfekten Regie" James Conant: über Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, USA 1960) (video and audio). July 16th, 2014. Link
"Early and Later Wittgenstein on the Ordinary, on Language, and on Ordinary Language", Amhurst College March 27, 2014 - Link
Jim Conant, "Benjamin on the Nature of the Cinematic Medium”. Talk at the Benjamin as Philosopher Conference, The University of Chicago, February 16, 2014 Link
James Conant and Cora Diamond co-taught the 5th Ludwig Wittgenstein Summerschool from the 7th to the 10th of August 2013 in Kirchberg am Wechsel in Lower Austria. Recordings of the Kirchberg summer school can be accessed by clicking here.
James Conant, "Kant's Dove and Wittgenstein's Ice-walker," from the 5th Wittgenstein Summerschool, in August 2013. Link
“Das exemplarische bei Emerson und Nietzsche”, A lecture at the Nietzsche-Forum München, June 3, 2013 (Greeting and Introduction; Lecture; Q&A)
Jim Conant and others, “Wie man wird, was man ist: Vom Wert der Persönlichkeit”, A Radio interview with Nikolaus Halmer on ORF radio, January 8, 2013 (in German) Link
(2011) Nietzsche's Critique of the Layer-Cake Conception of Human Mindedness - Lecture in Bergen 2011, Sep. 21 Link
Videos of James Conant and Arnold Davidson, along with others, speaking at the Humanities Center at Harvard, on Oct. 14, 2010 at an event, celebrating the publication of Stanley Cavell's autobiography, Little Did I Know. - Link
(2009) Thomas Kuhn on the Difference Between a Puzzle and a Problem - Lecture in Bergen 2009, Sep. 10 Link
Philosophy as History or System - Emptiness or Blindness? Lecture in Bergen, Norway, Aug 27, 2009. Link
"Family Resemblance, Composite Photography, and Unity of Concept: Goethe, Galton, Wittgenstein" lecture given on September 15, 2005, University of Bergen - Abstract or Listen
Varieties of Skepticism, a series of lectures given in August-September, 2005 at the Department of Philosophy at the University of Bergen, Norway - Link
"The Alleged Heresy of Mono-Wittgensteinianism," lecture given on June 2, 2005 at Wittgenstein, Philosophy and Language conference in Skjolden, Norway - Listen
Gretchen Helfridge with James Conant and Robert Richards, "Science and Aesthetics" on WBEZ's "Odyssey", January 3, 2003 - .mp4 files
Gretchen Helfridge with James Conant and Arthur Danto, "After Beauty", on WBEZ's "Odyssey", 2003 - .mp4files
Gretchen Helfridge with James Conant, Hilary Putnam, Richard Rortey, " What is Pragmatism", WBEZ "Odyssey", 24 April 2002 - .mp4 files
"The continuity of Wittgenstein's philosophy: why worry about the Tractatus?" lecture given on December 15, 2001, University of Bergen - Abstract or Listen
Arnold Davidson
Arnold I. Davidson pronounces the "laudatio" for the conferring of an honorary degree on Hilary Putnam by the Università Ca' Foscari Venezia. The video includes Putnam's "lezione magistrale". Video (8:10)
Arnold Davidson gave a one hour radio interview on France Culture for the program Les Nouveaux Chemins de la Connaissance. The topic was "L'émergence de la sexualité selon Michel Foucault", May 31, 2012. - Link
Arnold Davidson, January 13, 2012 discusses "Foucault and the Courage of Truth" for materiali foucaultiani - Link to videos
Arnold Davidson discusses "Improvisation" with Vijay Iyer, Composer and Jazz Pianist, and Experimental Music Scholar George Lewis in Concert at Wellesley College (Youtube, disucssion begins at 36:37) - Link
Videos of James Conant and Arnold Davidson, along with others, speaking at the Humanities Center at Harvard, on Oct. 14, 2010 at an event, celebrating the publication of Stanley Cavell's autobiography, Little Did I Know. - Link
Arnold Davidson's collaboration with George Lewis: Improvisation as a Way of Life, Autumn 2010 - Link
"Talking back book cover" for La vacanza morale del fascismo: Intorno a Primo Levi (in Italian) - Video
David Finkelstein
Gretchen Helfridge with David Finklestein, "Language and Thought" on WBEZ's "Odyssey", 2004 - .mp4 files
Michael Forster
The 2013 Humbolt Foundation video about Michael Forster and his work is available here
Michael Kremer
"Thomas Aquinas on God and Evil" (video with Brian Davies, Fordham University and Denys Turner, Yale University) Lumen Christi Institute, April 11, 2012 - Link
Gabriel Richardson Lear
Gabriel Richardson Lear discusses Plato's philosophy of poetry on the August 2009 episode of Elucidations.
Jonathan Lear
"On Point: the case for irony" - On Point with Tom Ashbrook, December 5, 2011 - Link
Transcript and audio of ABC Radio (Australia) interview, January 31, 2009
The Life And Times Of Freud (Talk of the Nation on NPR), October 13, 1998 - Listen
Raoul Moati
Lectures at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris - Link
Martha Nussbaum
Martha Nussbaum: "The New Religious Intolerance" April 24, 2012, the Diane Rehm Show
" Nussbaum proposes a new way of assessing national well-being" - May 4, 2011 - Eight Forty-Eight on WBEZ Radio - Link
Legally Speaking: Martha Nussbaum, University of California Television, 11/14/2011 - Link
"In-Depth: C-Span Book TV" June 10, 2010 - Video Link
Video: Martha Nussbaum, "Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution" The University of Chicago Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Alumni Group Lecture, October 22, 2009. - Link
Martha Nussbaum discusses sexuality and the law on the October 2009 episode of Elucidations.
2008 Nora and Edward Ryerson Lecture.May 14, 2008 - Link
“People as Fictions: Proust and the Ladder of Love” at the Erotikon Symposium
Robert Pippin
Robert Pippin stopped by the office of Critical Inquiry recently to discuss his forthcoming essay, "Psychology Degree Zero? The Representation of Action in the Films of the Dardenne Brothers" (Critical Inquiry 41 [Summer 2015]) (Vimeo). - Link
"Critical Theory as Political Philosophy? Reflections on Honneth and Hegelianism", March 18, 2014 at the Clough Center - Vimeo
Discussion by Robert Pippin of his Westerns book; American Philosophical Association, San Diego, April 19, 2014 - Youtube
The Significance Of Self-Consciousness in Idealist Theories Of Logic, 27 January 2014, University of London, The Aristotelian Society - Audio and pages
Robert Pippin spoke at Wright College on "Portrait of a Lady by Henry James" in January, 2013 - Youtube
Discussing Jean-Pierre Dupuy's talk, Interview by Natacha Ruck, Stanford Storytelling Project, January 2010 - Link
"Fate and Film Noir: Some Filmic Philosophy in Out of the Past", Film and Philosophy Conference, January 2010 - Link
2004 Ryerson Lecture: Robert Pippin: “Bourgeois Philosophy? On the Problem of Leading a Free Life”
“The Erotic Nietzsche: Philosophers without Philosophy” at the Erotikon Symposium -Video, March 2001
Inaugural convocation ceremony of Robert J. Zimmer - Video
Robert Richards
Darwin's Natural Theology at the Franke Institute on March 5, 2008 - Listen
Darwin’s Origin of Species and Descent of Man course at the University of Chicago, Fall Quarter 2008 video and audio
Gretchen Helfridge with James Conant and Robert Richards, "Science and Aesthetics" on WBEZ's "Odyssey", January 3, 2003 - .mp4 files
Josef Stern
"The Aqedah and Dying for God," a lecture at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute - link
Josef Stern on various theological and philosophical issues, short videos for Loyola Productions Munich - link
Interview with Josef Stern about The Matter and Form of Maimonides’ Guide (Harvard University Press, 2013), March 14, 2014, Harvard University press
"Josef Stern on Maimonides and the Unbinding of Isaac" - Lecture Shandong University in Jinan, China April 24, 2012 (video) Link
Workshop at the Munich School of Philosophy (with Eleonore Stump) on the Problem of Evil and Philosophical Interpretations of the Book of Job in Jewish and Christian traditions.
A talk at the Van Leer Institute in a series on the Torah and Qu’ran on The Aqedah and Dying for God in Medieval Jewish and Islamic Thought. The introduction is in Hebrew but the talk is in English.
A book event to mark the publication of the Hebrew translation of Stern's book The Matter and Form of Maimonides Guide. Stern speaks first; note that the entire event is in Hebrew.
"What is Jewish Philosophy? A View from the Middle Ages,” Inaugural opening lecture at the Maimonides Institute for Advanced Studies—Jewish Skepticism of the University of Hamburg, November 2016
“What is Maimonidean Skepticism?” at international conference on "Skepticism from Antiquity to Modern Times,” Maimonides Institute for Advanced Studies—Jewish Skepticism of the University of Hamburg, May 2017.
Candace Vogler
It's all about me - a forum on the philosophy of self on "The Philosopher's Zone" ABC National Radio in Sydney, Australia, July 10, 2010 - read more and listen
At the Franke Institute: “Ethical Challenges”, March 4, 2009 - Listen
Gretchen Helfridge with Susan Neiman and Candace Vogler "Philosophy and Evil" WBEZ Odessey 2004 - mp4 files here
William Wimsatt
On re-engineering philosophy for limited beings at the Franke Institute, with introductions by Françoise Meltzer and Robert Richards, May 2, 2007- Listen