WEIRD Culture and Psychology

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! One of my colleagues at my place of vocation recently sent an article my way that I found very intriguing, and I wanted to recommend it to readers of Philosophy Matters.  [amazon_link id=”1416587098″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Ethan Watters[/amazon_link] wrote about the psychological, anthropological, and economical studies of Joseph Henrich,… Continue reading WEIRD Culture and Psychology

Review: Susan Sontag On Photography

[amazon_link id=”0312420099″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link] Why On Photography Matters [amazon_link id=”0312420099″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Sontag’s On Photography[/amazon_link] is one of the most quoted academic works on the subject of photograph, and generally comes up any time you’re having a serious discussion about photography. I recently read it while developing an aesthetics class that is going to focus… Continue reading Review: Susan Sontag On Photography

What is Beauty? Plato, Beauty, and Knowledge

Plato’s theory of knowledge – his epistemology – can best be understood through thinking about beauty. We are born with all knowledge, he says, but when our soul became trapped in our body at birth, we forgot this knowledge. Learning, then, is similar to remembering. And here on earth, beauty is the easiest way for… Continue reading What is Beauty? Plato, Beauty, and Knowledge